《Nights of Sambria: And the Wish of Light》


 Prologue: Memories of Old

    ¡°Can anyone honestly say they know what truth can be found in something so simple and yet as powerful as a dream? It is through these mighty storms that visit the mind at night; that my life was flipped upside down. And when the truth was revealed to me, I found myself in a world I could never have imagined existed. But... it was there where I finally found a purpose, perhaps even my purpose.¡±


    -Calin


    <h1>Prologue: Memories of Old</h1>


    There, in front of me, was a landscape unlike any I had ever seen before. Enormous mountains laid resting on the horizon, the height of which boggled my mind. Black boulders littered the flat plains that sat in the long shadows of those towering peaks.


    A flash of light startled me as lightning thundered close by.


    Too close.


    The air was thick with the promise of rain to the dry earth; the land covered by late dusk¡¯s darkening blanket, but it did nothing to hide the strength of the storm that was coming.


    It only brought a need to make haste to my heart.


    Around me, the dust layer was only broken by day old tracks; what kind could have been anyone¡¯s guess. Yet, somehow the knowledge of something extremely dangerous that had passed here, flickered across my mind.


    It was hidden from my view and there was too little time. I have come too far to fail now. I needed to be quick, before the storm erased the last of the tracks. Some of the tracks had the possible signs of a split claw on the right side, but these ones were already disturbed by the wind.


    Like a shock, it finally occurred to me the strangeness of what was running across my thoughts. Notions and concepts, unlike anything that had entered my mind before, were available to me.


    I tried to shake my head, to clear it, but nothing happened. My head didn¡¯t even move a single muscle.


    ¡®Strange¡­¡¯


    The word was meant to be out loud, but again nothing happened, not even my mouth moved.


    This was different. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    The last week of dreams had been of falling. It was always the same, each and every night, just me falling. But this; if it was a dream... it was more real than anything I had ever experienced before.


    To feel the wind, to feel its chill, it scared me to my core. Panic was close to the surface...


    Without warning, or real say in the matter, my thoughts rushed away from the dilemma.


    Once again, it settled in trying to find the best course of action on how to approach the caves up ahead, the right one. There was an absolute need to use stealth, these were dangerous lands.


    When I looked up, there were bushes no more than a few paces ahead from the small trodden path. At no sign of movement, my body surged forward and hid behind the largest bush. It was without me even deciding to move. It was a very unsettling feeling.


    Foot after foot, my unresponsive body was sneaking up silently among the brush. My head glanced up in the direction of the supposed location of the entrance. Even my thoughts betrayed me now, ¡®What entrance? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Instead I tried to focus on my body. It was cold and tense.


    I tried in vain to steady my quivering cold hands as I searched for my quarry. The odd thoughts kept coming out of nowhere. A stirring of irritation bubbled up in me at the telltale sound of sandstone gravel crunching under my leather boots. Each intake of breath escaped in small puffs in the cold night air around me, though nothing completely distracted me of the set determination from what lay ahead.


    A few steps around a large boulder, revealed a cave next to me. And on the ground there were tracks, but they too were disturbed.


    Still, an anticipation of the fight tingled through my body. Fight? The thought barrelled into my mind. Why would I be excited about a fight?


    I tried to halt the sure footsteps of my traitorous feet; each taking me closer towards the cave, but nothing. I was only privy to observation in the body.


    The true commands for the limbs came from someone else¡¯s mind. I was suddenly deeply afraid of what was happening to me.


    My body was strung taught from concentrating solely on being silent as the night; the hunting element of me took the last few soft steps to the side of the cave.


    Before I realized it, I was following him, the one in control of the body.


    I tried shaking my head clear, but it still had no effect. Never before this moment had I understood how important those slight reminders of control were until they were gone.


    My hand involuntarily reached down to pick up a handful of sand, studying it carefully. Senses I never had, told me a story that the adversary I had been searching years for, was close.


    A clean set of tracks were pressed into the ground. It had the split claw! A strange sense of joy washed over me with the success in finally tracking it down. Perhaps it could finally bring peace to my heart.


    Emotions I had never experienced tightened up in my chest, a pain that reached into my very being, overwhelmed me. With great effort, I tried removing myself from the feelings of loneliness and intense loss, but I was stuck, there was no place to go.


    As if sensing my distress, the body I was sharing straightened and took step by step into the cave. It was necessary to breathe silently, but the anticipation seemed to make everything louder. All I could do was move in a soft, steady pace into the pitch black cave. I had wanted to flee, but now darkness was enveloping me.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I started to feel uncomfortable in the pressing dark. Rather, both our minds in the same body realized we could see nothing but blackness.


    I was long since afraid of going in further, but only now it seemed to affect this infuriating other part of me. I was a bit glad of him a moment later, when he thought of getting some light in the darkness. I was eager when my hand reached for the pouch on my hip. ¡°A flashlight! Finally.¡± Hope surged in me.


    It lasted no more than a moment, only to be dashed a second later when surprisingly my hand didn¡¯t take out a flashlight, but rather a small stone. It had strange grooves on it as my fingers traced over it. I was deeply disappointed, this whole situation was absurd. But through my disappointment, a strange thought wormed its way to the surface of my mind, to activate it?


    ¡®What is going on?¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t make out why I was thinking about activating a rock, I didn¡¯t even know where for goodness sake I was, never mind what these things meant.


    Only a moment into my deliberations, my gloved hand twisted the rock around and my thumb pressed down on the strange marking, dragging in a slight circle and then twisting quickly upwards and pressing down on the centre.


    Out of nowhere, I could feel energy surging towards the stone. All that could describe the feeling was amazement when the stone started to glow with a white light.


    Before I could inspect the impossible stone further, my head turned away from it and looked deep into the cave. The rock fragment seemed to light a few meters in every direction. And even though I was very confused, I was glad for the light and strangely at ease again, even when I reluctantly admitted I was on a hunt.


    My body sprang into an attack stance a moment later when a small rat like fur ball went scurrying past me.


    I sighed inwardly and my body let out a breath of relief, and with it the tension from my muscles. But it did not allow me to turn back as it ventured deeper into the cave, much to my increasing reluctance.


    The path was narrow and long, my senses dulled after a few minutes. But then soft breathing sounds became noticeable from around what seemed a bend in the cave.


    My sword hand gripped the hilt tighter bringing the cold blade to my front. I was terrified. But strangely the counterpart sharing the body with me soothed my nerves with the calm deep-seated determination. It baffled me to no end.


    Following the sound of the sleeping prey, my feet edged forward slowly. I tried one last time to halt them, but they moved anyway, step by step.


    Abruptly the equal breathing stopped, my heart missed a beat.


    The hand with the glow stone, shot into my fur pocket as I held my breath.


    From the darkness came a growling voice that reverberated through the cavern with a deep grating sound. ¡°Ahh ... I wondered ¡­ when you would come to face me, seal bearer. Still ... I find you are either brave or very foolish to venture so deeply into ... our lands.¡± Each word heavy with calculated malice.


    But before I could wonder what could make such unearthly sounds, I replied with a cool calm voice that startled me with its unfamiliarity.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to make you pay for the thousands that lay dead because of you, monster! You... you even took Briae from me.¡±


    Rage swept through me for the treachery the creature had committed. It felt as if it would burst out of my body by the sheer amount of anger. Out of the dark a rumbling laughter echoed through the cave. It chilled me to my core.


    ¡°Briae... Mhmm... I know that name¡ª¡°


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!!¡± The shout from me echoed through the shadows of the cave. ¡°I will find a way to save her. But your body will lie forgotten in the earth when I do.¡±


    My hand slowly brought out the glow stone, casting light to the small cavern.


    With the light now glowing steadily, I lifted my sword and studied the remaining shadows while the red glowing eyes of my target taunted me; its true length only visible enough to hint at its powerful potential. To my guess, the body of the creature alone was more than five meters long, half that wide. And the scales of its thick tail ground over the rock behind it, disappearing into the dark, like its body.


    My heart quivered with fear, I could not imagine what thing was in front of me. But to my surprise, my sword arm was steady and ready for the fight.


    In the end, I abandoned my attempts of trying to urge my limbs to do my bidding and run. My feet started toward the higher ground, the desired place for the battle that was to come.


    Pattering sounds filled the space; the rain buffeted the rock, off to where I knew the entrance to be. Lightning struck outside the cave and thundered into its depths as the storm brewed. Small leaks sprung up at places around me, but its lulling distraction was far from my mind. I tensed my muscles swiftly, and screamed as I charged the dark creature. At the same time its ice blue maw surged into sight followed by a deafening growl.


    This was no dream ... it was a nightmare. The worst I ever had.


    Sword leading me, my body dodged the first strike of its claws¡­The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Then, everything flashed before my eyes, as if it was being consumed. My mind pulled me away from the battle in the cave. Away from the stranger.


    A somewhat familiar voice in the distance brushed at my hearing and I grasped at it ¡­


    ***


    ¡°Calin! Hurry up.¡±


    I sighed with relief, the dark dream was finally done. But when I tried to move, it was certain, it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    ¡®For crying out loud, what is this?¡¯ I tried to hiss with my unresponsive mouth. Yet the thought offered no answers.


    I was still unable to move a muscle. Again, all too aware of the strange sensation of being the third party in a body, a more familiar feel of a body, certainly, but something was off about it.


    There was no use in wondering about such things in a dream, even if it was by far the most vivid dream I have ever had in my life. The realness of it only confused me. So I straightened up my thoughts and realized I was following a well muscled man with brown hair through a small stone village. His footsteps a steady rhythm, until we stopped at a nearby relatively large stone building. I could hear the sounds of a mill spinning on its endless cycle close by. It was a soothing familiar sound, but why it was familiar bothered me for a moment; I couldn¡¯t recall where I¡¯ve ever heard the sound before.


    Not moments later, a man with a great black moustache opened the door and asked with intensity in his voice that chilled me.


    ¡°Is it all safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it has gotten worse. We can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    The man with the moustache nodded and beckoned us to come in, his eyes were a vivid amber even in the low light, one could say sunset yellow, which was acutely accentuated by his raven black hair and his pale skin.


    On the inside I found an older woman also possibly of Asian heritage with straight black hair. She greeted us warmly. Her smile could put a wolf at ease, and her same, strange amber eyes were filled with kindness. Her arm rested on a boy in his teens who was surely her son. He had the similar striking features as his parents.


    The people reminded me of Japanese people with their straight raven hair, but their unearthly pale skin and bright amber-like yellow eyes made me wonder. I have never seen that color eyes before. Not in real life.


    My curiosity about the people made me dig through the thoughts of the accompanying mind in the body. What I could discern was, that this small family was the people I trusted the most except for my mother and father.


    ¡®What?!!...¡¯


    The thought struck me like lightning, my heart pounded as if it wanted to explode, my father? ¡®It couldn¡¯t be. I¡¯m an orphan.¡¯


    Confusion churned through me, almost dizzying. I fumbled for answers, but I couldn¡¯t find anything in the confused mind that I was sharing. Though as I was looking for thoughts, I could feel my hand clutch a letter and a small ring in my pocket.


    A warmth and longing for my mother took hold of me.


    I recoiled, not out of disgust, but rather at the alien concept of it. I was an orphan with no family, not even ones I could remember. But here, now, the lifelike memories of family were inadmissible. My head started spinning. ¡®This is just a dream, this is just a dream, Calin, and impossible things come true in dreams. Pull yourself together.¡¯


    I tried to forsake the moment, blocking it from thoughts that would hurt me more than anything.


    The door burst open and numerous people rushed into the open hall, their faces had grave looks on their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Darrus, we failed... they knew what route we were going to take. It was an ambush. There were too many of them¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who was it? Wait... where is my wife?!¡± Darrus shouted.


    The man with the moustache grabbed hold of him and Darrus clenched his fist, but held his fury in.


    Then one of the men who had come running said, ¡°They wore sand cowls, I¡¯m not sure, it happened too fast.¡±


    ¡°Sand cowls ... the Serath?¡±


    ¡°Those... opportunistic slaving bastards!¡±


    The moustached man patted my ¡®Father¡¯s¡¯ shoulder trying to calm him down, saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry Darrus. Look at me. They don¡¯t know she is connected to you. You know just as well as I do, she would rather face slavery than let ¡®them¡¯ use you for bringing down the peace of the world around us.¡±


    My body seemed to spasm with fear for my mother, I tried to block it, but uncertainty that oozed from my counterpart drew me in, he didn¡¯t know what slavery meant. The notion was strange to him. I certainly knew what it meant. It was a terrifying thing.


    I looked back at the three. My father, Darrus steadied himself, before he said, ¡°I will get her back; mark my words.¡± He paused with a shuddering breath. ¡°If you are sure it is the Serath, there might still be a chance to get our people back.¡±


    The raven moustached man, whom my counterpart considered like an uncle, nodded in agreement and Darrus said, ¡°Good, but Sabs you have to listen to me, everything has gotten out of hand. But I don¡¯t want to cause more of a panic... I know for a fact the others are coming for me and my son. You know who I¡¯m talking about.¡± My uncle stiffened, his moustache twitched before he asked, ¡°Them? ... No ... We made sure to lose them in the delta. How did they find you?¡±


    Darrus shook his head and said, ¡°It is very troubling, but they are coming. However, I took some extreme measures to delay their plans, and beside that, I got word that my daughter is safe. If I must fight this battle, we have to see to it, that my son is also in a safe place. If they find him...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Darrus stood still, deep in thought and said, ¡°Sabs, you¡¯re like an uncle to him. Will you and Margret take care of him while I¡¯m gone?¡±


    The question tugged at me, I looked towards my uncle as he said, ¡°Yes, we will.¡±


    Fear traced across my mind on both sides and I said, ¡°No Dad, don¡¯t go!¡± Darrus turned towards me and crouched down to comfort me.


    Mystified, I realized with clarity I was half the size of the other people in the room, but Darrus quickly broke that line of thought as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be away long, and you will be in good hands with Uncle Sabs and Aunt Margret. They love you as much as I do, never feel alone when you¡¯re with them. And you know what? If you go with them for a while you can spend lots and lots of time with your friend now. That will be fun, won¡¯t it?¡±


    Warmth spread over me as I reluctantly consented, but I was oddly uncomfortable as he took my hand.


    Inexplicably, my hand was that of a small boy. This dream was getting out of hand, if it even was a dream anymore, I was so confused. I tried not to dwell on the fact.


    Loud bangs reverberated somewhere at the cottages close by, accompanied by shouts and screams.


    Darrus hissed something and the other people in the room stormed out of the room. A hand grabbed mine and pulled me through the back door, barring it behind us. The rain was starting to fall more heavily as we ran into the edge of a forest with extraordinarily big trees, I tried to focus on them, but everything flew past us in our escape from the cottage. But close by, there were mad shouts. I guessed with surety our escape had been noted, but my other half was oblivious. I truly didn¡¯t like being an observer.


    ¡°Scatter!¡±


    The pursuit was on. Five men took off into the forest, away from our group. I didn¡¯t miss Aunt Margret¡¯s hand tightening around mine as we ran. My lungs burned from the effort, but fear of falling behind kept my body going. Without warning, we ran through a dense line of shrubs and we were enclosed in a narrow dry gorge between two cliffs, there was no break in the run as we pressed forward at a blistering pace.


    After a minute or two, the shouts from behind echoed through the chasm, they weren¡¯t far away now, but I realized to my dismay Darrus and my uncle had stopped. It was in a place between two parts of completely different looking forests.


    I tried screaming at them to move, but my mouth didn¡¯t move.


    Darrus said something to my uncle and the man nodded before my father walked towards me. He crouched as he said,


    ¡°Cal... my son, I¡¯m sorry. I have to go now. But do not worry, you¡¯ll probably see me again soon. Know, me and ¡­ and your mother love you with all our hearts. I¡¯m sorry this couldn¡¯t be the birthday you deserved, but I will make it up to you next time.¡± The man paused and looked at me with a face that punched on my heart strings. He got serious, and continued. ¡°But you have to go with them for a while. You will be safe with Uncle Sabs, Promise me that you will stay with them?¡±


    Before I knew it, my body was crying. I could feel the anguish overwhelm my other half. Confusion pulled taught in me as that same moment was ripping at my heart, I didn¡¯t want to part from this man, even if he is just a very painful dream. Then my mouth opened as I reluctantly said, ¡°I promise dad.¡± And the man threw his arms around me and said, ¡°May the angels watch over you my son.¡±


    Not seconds later, branches broke somewhere close by.


    My Aunt grabbed my hand as Darrus moved ahead of our party, right between the different looking forests.


    He dropped a hand to the ground and his face pulled into a frown. Then, out of thin air, there seemed to form a silvery wall that was nearly invisible. Odd markings adorned its face. It lit up every now and then over its smooth surface.


    Awe infused me at the beautiful display, but at the same time Darrus moved a gloved hand over certain markings, sweat was clearly running down his face, and a look of intense concentration passed over his features. He lost the little colour on his face and he looked ill as he gasped for breath.


    Next thing, a soft ping came from the place where he touched last and two bright lines moved away from each other as if breaking the wall apart and the lines rapidly swirled as if thousands of lines were spinning in a circle.


    The ping grew louder and louder, almost deafening, as the lines tore away from each other. A massive hole pierced through the churning. Immediately, sounds of the forest were overwhelmed by the strange noise of waves crashing against rocks. My father shouted over the immense noise. ¡°Go! And be safe.¡±


    Aunt Margret dragged me through the gap in the barrier alongside her son, his amber eyes filled with confusion as I passed by him. Several metres away from the hole in the air, I collapsed painfully to my knees, but managed to turn around.


    As I looked, it was to my horror that my father was swinging a sword at a hairless man with rust coloured skin dressed in black leather armour. Even in the night, the crimson, red sun on that man¡¯s shoulder was strikingly clear.


    My uncle tried to get away from the fighting but couldn¡¯t manage as more of the black armoured men came crashing out of the forest. He ultimately gave up, and turned to stop the oncoming men.


    Shadows flickered through the gap in my peripheral vision catching my eye. But a piercing scream demanded my attention.


    A part of me feared for my father as I tried to head back, but when I looked again, the gap had closed in the barrier.


    The strange forest was gone, completely replaced by a sheer drop off, with a great mass of water stretched all the way to the horizon.


    My stomach swirled as I looked at the storm building, with the waves making thunderous crashes against the cliffs below us.


    Sheltered from the worst of the storm, there was a small beach hiding from the fury of nature. There were trees growing in the cliff wall, but the height was making my head swim. I tried to step away from the drop and sighed with relief when my counterpart also made the same notion.


    I turned and Aunt Margret was also looking back to where the gap in the strange wall should have been, her strong black hair waved in the wind as her striking amber eyes searched for where the forest of trees had been swaying peacefully. But it was all gone. Just the cliff and the stormy sea stood in its place, not even hinting at the place we just came from.


    Lightning struck over the sea. Aunt Margret looked around us towards the bushes and whispered something to her boy. Fear flashed in her eyes, but her voice was steady and motherly as she drew her hand through her son¡¯s black hair.


    She looked towards me and was reaching towards me, when a fierce wind blew over the edge of the cliff. Fear gripped me as my body was ripped closer to the shear drop off in strong gusts. I tried with all my might to get my body to fall flat, but it was futile.


    I was not in control of this body. And so I went over the edge.


    The boy rushed forward and grabbed at me, his bright amber eyes burning into my mind, all before there was just the dark grey skies in my sight. An instant later, I was falling, exactly the same way I had been falling in the dreams the past week, but unlike those ones, this time the cold wind rushed past me, gravity demanding that I fall to my death.


    A woman shouted out. But the waves crashing against the rocks drowned out my own screams of help.


    On my way down I slammed into a thickset of leaves of one of the trees growing on the cliff¡¯s side. Breaking some of my fall, but it was not before I hit my head painfully hard against something.


    Everything broke into flashes of water and sand ¡­ burning through my mind¡­


    What could have been a long time later, I came to. The waves were beating at my broken form on the beach. The images were blurry. I couldn¡¯t get hold of my senses as I lay there. Somewhere in the dark there was a warm glow of a lantern, or was it a flashlight, I absently wondered. It approached in the distance.


    To my muddled perceptions, I could make out three human shaped forms. One of them spoke almost in a whisper.


    ¡°I heard a woman screaming up top, but just found blood when I came there, how¡¯s the boy?¡±


    The closest person just stated. ¡°Then take a lad with a gun and see if you can¡¯t find the woman. The young boy over here broke a few bones. Though, the hit on his head is bleeding badly. I have to get him to the hospital. Go ask old Jurik if we can borrow his truck!¡±


    The distant voice grunted a reply and set off, yet it all sounded far away and distorted. I could feel the pain of my body, though it slowly faded as I disconnected from the body.


    Then the image shattered again¡­


    ***


    As the chaos settled and the images formed, I knew I was back in that cave. This was truly a nightmare by now, one I wished desperately I could wake up from.


    With great effort, I focused my mind and my arms slammed forward plunging my sword into the creature¡¯s thick hind legs. My heart rushed in excitement as the hunter part of my mind¡¯s exhilaration washed over me after making the blow.


    Yet it was but a moment and the good feeling was gone. Pain in my ribs took hold as the creature¡¯s tail connected with my body. I skidded across the ground, but somehow I ignored the pain peculiarly. Yet on several places aches were throbbing badly, this fight had been dragging on. I could feel warm blood flowing from a wound in my upper leg. It was necessary to finish this quickly. I couldn¡¯t handle any more hits. With that, I lunged forward to the now slightly limp monster and dodged its massive claw in a feint and reversed my swing, sinking the blade into the creature¡¯s side and sliced a long gash into it. Everything happened too fast for me to comprehend how the move was possible.


    The creature howled with pain and clawed back at my body. I screamed in agony as a claw dug into my already wounded leg, crippling me in the fight. I stumbled away from the monstrous body.


    Free, I stood there panting for air, hurting all over. I reached inside my fur coat to feel the extent of the damage. As I brought my hand up, we both in the same mind, was certain too much blood was being lost. The battle would end soon, but the hunter side of me didn¡¯t know if he could win. The great hound of the dark was a most formidable foe, a thought from his mind.


    I gritted my teeth and hoped it was not too serious before looking down to watch as the creature watched me with those maleficent eyes from the shadows. The fight would be decided in a few moments. There was a notion of escape. To live to fight another time ...


    But that wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Finally, I screamed a war cry alongside the hunter that shared my mind. We lifted the sword ready for what lay before us and charged ¡­


    A voice then shouted in the distance and something slapped at my cheek. With a burning effect, I lost the flashing images of the vivid vision ¡­¡±


    ¡°Calin!!!¡±

 Chapter 1: Questions without answers

    <h1>Chapter One: Questions without answers</h1>


    ¡°Calin!!! Wake up! There is nothing there. Wake up. You are not falling!¡±


    Calin¡¯s eyes flashed open. Cold sweat dripped from his brow. His throat was dry like paper, and coughing only made it worse.


    ¡°That was a dream? Is it possible? No...¡± The words almost stuck to his throat. But that was the least of his worries. No matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t shake the memory of the feeling of what he had just lived through.


    He had felt everything, from the wind on his skin, to the pain of the wounds. How the claw had sunk into his flesh.


    His hands were shaking as he reached for his leg. It surprised him to find no wound.


    He shook his head, not sure what to think about what just happened. His hands rubbed at the dull throb in his temples.


    Again a voice hammered into his already aching head.


    ¡°You gave me a right fright there, shouting like a mad man. You could have woken up an entire street! Small wonder you didn¡¯t wake Misses T¡ª¡±


    Shocked out of his daze, Calin spun his head with apprehension toward the door expecting the worst to happen, staring at the doorway with an unflinching gaze.


    But nothing happened. To his side, the tall lean boy with sandy brown hair and a sly smile on his face was looming over him. Jerry Jake, his best friend for the last seven years.


    Jerry reached for the light switch and Calin scrambled to try to stop him, but the light flashed on with a blinding effect. A groan escaped Calin¡¯s lips at the sudden shift from dark to light, but he said, ¡°Okay, Okay I¡¯m awake and Misses T is not coming, so you don¡¯t have to be so in my face about it, like I¡¯m going to run off.¡±


    Jerry snorted.


    ¡°Well after all you were saying in your sleep, I¡¯m starting to wonder if you won¡¯t jump up and run through the door disappearing into thin air.¡± Jerry laughed and flicked Calin on the forehead with his finger, the slight pain only lingering for a moment. It was Calin¡¯s intension to reprimand his younger compatriot, but it was clear of Jerry¡¯s immediate change in attitude that something was said that he regretted.


    Calin frowned, but then realized his roommate felt guilty of saying the word ¡®disappeared¡¯¡ª Calin just dropped his own shoulders. If Jerry had just not reacted to his own words, nothing would have happened. Now the memories of what happened at the strange Ruins of Mesa Versee were back to haunt him.


    Mesa Versee... how he wish he could forget that day.


    It was hard. The memories threatened to come to the forefront, but he shook it off and shrugged, waving Jerry off, he was okay.


    To lessen the tension that had suddenly materialized in the room Calin said, ¡°You¡¯re looking for trouble you know. If you don¡¯t stop flicking me I¡¯ll throw a whole bucket of ice cold water over you next time when you don¡¯t expect it!¡±


    Relief washed over Jerry¡¯s face and then he smiled as he jumped away in mock horror. ¡°Oooh and now I¡¯m supposed to be afraid? I¡¯m a master of the senses, I¡¯m always watching.¡±


    ¡°Hah! That¡¯s debatable,¡± Calin said, ¡°But who knows, maybe I¡¯ll get my chance. You can¡¯t watch me forever. So don¡¯t push your luck¡­ oh and Jerry, don¡¯t forget about the mill and all the other sources of water around us.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes narrowed in a ¡®you wouldn¡¯t dare look¡¯. But without a second to spare Jerry burst out laughing and moved away from Calin back toward the other wooden framed bed in the room. The bed¡¯s posts creaked as Jerry asked, ¡°So are you going to tell me what that dream was about? I¡¯m quite curious, you were shouting ¡­ freaked me out that one, but I¡¯m still curious, this seemed different than the ones of the past two weeks.¡±


    Calin paused while lifting an eyebrow. Jerry was glancing his way in anticipation, but he wasn¡¯t going to say anything.


    ¡°Oh, come on. Tell me! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll go tell Misses Talsen all about your nightmares, now am I?¡±


    It was all true, Jerry wouldn¡¯t dare!. The guy wasn¡¯t that brave, not nearly enough. A smile crept onto his face in agreement.


    Looking at the ceiling, thoughts of what he could remember about the dream flitted through his mind. The whole thing was crystal clear until he had seen that grey sky. Everything seemed so real...


    It couldn¡¯t have been real. There were strange barriers, forests disappearing into thin air. Definitely not to mention the scaled, talking monster he had fought. Calin closed his eyes, the vivid images flashing before his eyes, the feel of the things that happened. Those things do not exist. But I had a father there? ¡­I wish... I wish it could¡¯ve been real. He shook his head, and after realizing his line of thought he snorted and chuckled to himself. I must SERIOUSLY be going crazy, but still¡ª


    ¡°Earth to Calin!¡± Jerry exclaimed, waving his hands. ¡°Wow, welcome back Shorty, what were you laughing about?¡±


    Calin jerked at the intrusion to his unsettling thoughts. Sitting up, he glanced at Jerry, but then dropped his eyes to the cold stone floor in a frown.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ Or rather at how strange a dream I had. You are right. It was different from the dreams of falling. It was¡­ like I was really there. Seeing the forest and mountains disappear behind me, wishing I could go back. Even more strange was when I fought; it ... it was like I was really swinging the blade. It even felt like the swings were making my muscles tired. The blows I took were agonizing and yet it felt like I was not there, you understand what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Calin¡¯s eyes fell back on Jerry, and for some reason he was surprised to see a bewildered look on the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Gosh you are going crazy mate, I think you swallowed too much sea water diving for rock lobsters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right!¡± Calin said as he grabbed his black shoe, aimed and threw it at Jerry. The shoe barely missed the dodging boy, but Jerry quickly shouted back.


    ¡°Hey! Watch it!¡±


    Even with the miss, a smile spread Calin¡¯s lips as he replied smugly.


    ¡°Cold water mate, you know it is coming!¡±


    Jerry pulled a nasty face at him, but the last few years living with his roommate was enough to know that as he turned on his side and closed his eyes that Jerry was also smiling. The game was on.


    ***


    Waking up the next morning, a great yawn forced itself out. He had slept dreamless the rest of the night, which was more than a small blessing, Thursdays always promised the most work.


    After a few moments of staring at the jutting stones that came out of the wall, he slowly got out of bed. His eyes were still heavy with sleep as he made his way over to the small crude bathroom. He dragged his hand over his face in an attempt to wipe the sleep away, though achieving none of it.


    One look in the mirror made him cringe. The frozen storm in his blue eyes was rimmed with red veins from the rough night. It made him wonder if he got any real sleep at all.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    A frustrated groan escaped him. The day was going to be a long one. But there was no real helping it. Instead, he dipped his hands in the cold water and splashed his face, enjoying the cool effect hitting his face.


    Almost eighteen, he mused, remembering the date. He still didn¡¯t know what he would think when he actually turned eighteen, though his short length never showed that he was already getting to such an age.


    Somehow the fact that he was an orphan always made important dates like that seem inconsequential. Maybe eighteen would mean he would actually catch a girl¡¯s eyes. A chuckle burst forth. What a ridiculous thought. He was who he was; short and an orphan. Nothing I can do about that. With a small shake, he dropped all thoughts of a life that had never been his.


    With his hands wet, he moistened his hair, trying in vain to sort out all the strands standing up. But instead of forcing it to submit, it sprung up into the air again. Frustration flared up in him and he scrambled his hair in some serious coaxing, but it was a hard won battle as the minutes ticked by.


    Somewhat satisfied, he walked to his drawer and quickly donned a slate coloured shirt over his developing shoulders, cussing at the tight fitting long-sleeved shirt as he struggled into it.


    He was still growing, not much in the height section, but at the rate his muscles were filling out he would be forced to go buy new clothes with the little money he could scrape together. Working at the docks and the electricians shop at least helped out. Though, it was just a minor inconvenience. At least his pants still fitted probably as he buttoned up the slim cargo pants. He had scored two pairs from one of the richer kids who had outgrown theirs.


    There was a moment, when he passed his bed that he wanted to jump back in. Yet just the thought of sleeping reminded him of the insane rollercoaster ride of a dream he had. For once his bed didn¡¯t look so appealing.


    Normally he would classify a night¡¯s dream as either good or bad and then forgotten quickly as his day started.


    But the dream from the night before was different. It was far too vivid.


    In fact, it had been downright scary how real it had been. It stuck to his mind without mercy.


    Each and every night since that day two weeks ago had been filled with dreams of falling, but the dream he had the night before... that one frightened him the most of all the dreams he had ever had. Something didn¡¯t sit right after it.


    And an old yearning, a painful one, had resurfaced. To belong to a real family tugged at his heart. A deep sigh forced its way out. Why him, why did he of all people have to dream about having a family.


    It was still unfair that a child should go through his life without knowing his real parents; a cruel joke, he mused.


    Even though the dream was his mind¡¯s working, there was curiosity, if the people in it were somehow the true family he had lost, what would that mean? It was an almost impossible thought to process.


    But finally a chuckle slipped out for day dreaming after a fantastical world where he lived with his family, a world of mysteries. Jerry would mock him for weeks if he could read his thoughts. The boy popped into his mind then and he dismissed his own musings.


    Somehow being mocked would be better than handling the renewed pain alone, like everything else.


    ***


    Within moments Calin spotted Jerry sleeping and smiled. It only took a few steps to reach the boy¡¯s bed.


    He didn¡¯t have a bucket for cold water, this time. But a good fright would go miles too. Calin stood ready at the drooling unsuspecting kid, who was sleeping peacefully, totally happy with his lot. And then leaped on the part of the bed next to him shaking his roommate wildly and shouted urgently.


    ¡°Jerry! Jerry!! Get up!! You¡¯re late for work! Mr. Brans will have your hide if you don¡¯t get up now!¡±


    It had the desired effect. Jerry started up in surprise. Bewildered, the boy grabbed at his closest clothes, jumping up and down trying to get the long pants over his hips. All the while heading for the door, but before reaching it, Calin was already rolling on the bed laughing.


    The frantic struggle seized without a second to spare. Calin tried to calm his breathing as he glanced up, only to see Jerry casting him a suspicious glare before the boy looked at the clock. The con dawned slowly on Jerry¡¯s face, and his eyes narrowed with intent.


    Calin just shrugged his shoulders with a broad smile. It would have been smart to have gained some distance before the boy had realized, but Jerry was at the only door. The tall boy spoke with a harsh tone back at him, but there was a smile touching his lips as he said, ¡°You little... bugger! I can¡¯t believe you did that. I¡¯m not even working there this week.¡±


    Not able to help himself, Calin laughed all the harder. But after a moment he tried to compose himself a bit to reply, ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist buddy.¡±


    His compatriot jumped at him, but Calin dodged to the side throwing a shirt lying on the floor at Jerry.


    He was wrestling with the boy before too long, but the sounds of footsteps and a voice down the small tiled hallway stopped him and Jerry in their tracks.


    ¡°Boys! What¡¯s with the commotion? Are you two ready for work? You better be, or I will send you both to work at Mr. Brans for a week.¡±


    Fear welled up in Calin and as he cast his gaze at Jerry. It was clear the same was happening to him, before he jerked away from his counterpart, he and Jerry both trying to look like they were ready as the small rounded woman¡¯s heals clicked closer. Calin was sure his cheeks were red from the wrestling, no doubt about it. He tried to smooth his shirt, but there was nothing he could do about it now.


    He held his breath as the woman in her early forties entered their room. She wore her yellow flowered dress that made him always think she was stuck back in the sixties with her fashion, but he would never tell her that.


    Even though she took him and Jerry both in out of the kindness of her heart, she was downright scary half the other times. Even so, she had shown him something he never would have known on the streets. As always, he was grateful for everything she gave them. But at moments like these, he wished he could disappear.


    Before he could ponder the thought further, he remembered to breathe and the air gushed out without his permission.


    ¡°Got something to tell me Calin? You look all flushed.¡± Talsen asked.


    Swallowing hard, he glanced fearfully around the room seeing Jerry¡¯s head hung low as if to hide his mirth, but there was no time for that now and he replied almost with a stutter.


    ¡°No...Misses T...T, I splashed my face with hot water a minute ago.¡± It was the truth, but there was more, the wrestling and he did not want to be rebuked by Mr. Brans at the docks if she suspected he was hiding something important.


    True Talsen scolded with words at times, but Hugo Brans had a wicked cane he was not scared to use on wayward boys when he wasn¡¯t looking for the bottom of his rum bottle.


    The man was a good man under that rough exterior, but he had a brutal swing to his arm. Calin almost groaned at the thought, but Talsen quickly spoke her line of thought. ¡°Good to hear you have the sense to wash, unlike your friend here, eh Jerry Jake?¡±


    Calin almost was sorry for the boy, but then again it was certain she won¡¯t be too hard on him. Jerry had come to the house a couple of years ago to live with them, even though Jerry¡¯s now deceased parents left him enough money to keep him happy for many years.


    It was hard not to remember the surprise when he had first discovered the fact and that Jerry was using some of it to help Misses Talsen out at times. He always wanted to ask Jerry why he chose to live such a simple life, but always forgot. Then again, it was a guess, but Jerry always loved the adventure of things over a comfortable lonely life.


    The boy¡¯s expression spoke of his confidence in the fact that she won¡¯t rebuke him overly much. Yet they were both wrong a moment later as she scolded at Jerry¡¯s smile and said in a testy tone. ¡°Better wipe that smile of your face Jerry, and wash it while you¡¯re at it! You want to come help me at the launders?¡±


    Shocked, Calin glanced to see Jerry¡¯s frown and not surprisingly, the boy recovered quickly and protested.


    ¡°Come on Misses T! I hate working there, those ladies pinch my cheeks every time I pass them!¡±


    Desperately Calin tried to contain a bubble of laughter that was surging forward, but only succeeded when he spotted the woman lifting a stern eyebrow at Jerry. ¡°Eh? Or would you rather go work at Mr. Brans for a week?¡±


    Calin was sure that Jerry had realized his error. The boy jumped a little next to him, but quickly responded with an adamant denial. ¡°No Misses T! I will go to the shop and launders with you today.¡±


    Even standing so close to Jerry, Calin could only barely make out a resigned groan from the boy.


    With that, the lady of the house left the room and Calin tried to pinch Jerry¡¯s cheek, but his roommate swatted him away and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, Shorty... But you will be late if you don¡¯t go now.¡±


    Not taking offence from the all too common nickname, that so pronounced his short stature, he gave a quick salute to Jerry and hurried off out of the room.


    On his way out, while he wrapped a thermal scarf around his neck, the giggling form of Kelly ran into him. The seven year old girl of Misses Talsen was probably running away from her sibling. Calin swept her up in his arms and tickling her before setting the out of breath girl down again. Still huffing, she smiled but pointed a stern little finger at him.


    ¡°Caaaalin. No fair. I didn¡¯t see you!¡±


    Calin just laughed and ruffled her hair as he walked to the door and said, ¡°Sorry Kelly, but you know me, I¡¯m the tickling monster in the morning.¡± In a fast spin, he turned to her and wiggled his fingers at her. The girl¡¯s eyes got big and she squealed with laughter as she ran off through the house. Calin stood up and chuckled good-heartedly. He had a soft spot for the two kids of the house.


    But as he reached for the door, his smile faded slightly. His thoughts returned to the conversation in the room, he couldn¡¯t help but again notice how Misses Talsen was still soft on him after that event two weeks ago. Everybody was soft on him, even Jerry. They were all so infuriatingly accepting; ¡®You couldn¡¯t have done anything¡¯ ¡®You were unconscious when it happened¡¯. But he was there in the midst of the Ruins of Mesa Versee, right where it happened.


    There had been time to have done something...

 Chapter 2: ~TWO WEEKS EARLIER~ The electrician鈥檚 request

    <h1>Chapter Two: ~TWO WEEKS EARLIER~ The electrician¡¯s request</h1>


    The cool morning breeze made Calin shiver outside as it was gently rustling the leaves down the street of the barely eighty year old town of Lamb¡¯s Crest.


    He weighed the idea to don a long sleeved shirt against the slightly cold morning. Then again he guessed the cool breeze would surely give way to a warm day, as is custom at a seaside town on the south-west coast.


    Breathing deeply, he turned his attention to his surroundings. As if on cue, the morning sounded off with its many noises.


    Everything from people readying their stalls to people making their early start towards the few vehicles that do visit the small little-known town of scientists, farmers and fishermen.


    There were many protests hanging in the air over who will get the finest goods from the markets in these parts and who would be luckiest to get invited to go see the strange and mysterious Ruins of Mesa Versee. There were also the sounds of people arguing over prices while they make the necessary deliveries of food and supplies the town needed from its distant neighbours or even from the bigger cities far to the north on the other side of the bridge.


    Woolly clothes on the market stands hinted at autumn, only a few weeks away. The winter¡¯s rain hadn¡¯t started yet. The farmers with live stock were all talking about how they hoped the rain wouldn¡¯t be late this year, and the farmers with crops were begging for the rains to stave off for another two weeks so they could reap. Even without that in mind, there was much to like about the colder months, or rather anything that could take away the sting of the brutal sun especially for the days working outside. But as with everything in Lamb¡¯s Crest, the weather of the small coastal town was very unpredictable.


    He walked towards one of the open shops, only to be shocked by a red truck with out of town plates whizzing by him. Swear words flowed from the driver¡¯s mouth as the vehicle disappeared down the hill.


    I must watch where I¡¯m going! A small frown spread on his forehead. Outsiders! It¡¯s hard getting used to them.


    It was tempting to shout something back, but he resisted the urge and shrugged before he continued on.


    At the next corner, burly townsmen with heavy camping packs strapped to their shoulders, got into a small pickup truck close to Jacobs¡¯ farm house. Hunters, for sure.


    There had been rumours that some farmers closer to the hillsides had been losing more and more live stock to the rare predators, which shouldn¡¯t even exist in this part of the world but mysteries about the coastal island was indeed a long list.


    Calin returned his gaze to the hunters and smiled, even if his heart was slightly filled with envy. Those men probably will sort out the pest in the weeks to come. They were lucky. He would have quite enjoyed the hunt.


    Never able to resist, he looked back at the house with the white stone walls and the black roof that had been his home since his ¡®accident¡¯ as they had called it.


    The sight of the house was always bitter sweet. It was somewhat of a home, but also he remembered when he was begging in the rain with no roof over his head and the torn clothes with a ring and a letter his only possessions.


    There were no memories of a family, no memories of a past. No memories of laughter, only the ones of him waking up to a world in which he was a parentless blank slate.


    He had asked many about what had happened, but the most he ever got was half stories. The people who had picked him up ?after he had knocked his head severely? was not from this particular town, but from Drave¡¯s town, another pioneer village. They had said he had fallen from a simple tree onto a rock. The rest was a mystery as the fishermen he had asked, only knew bits and pieces.


    Though, what he would never forget was the night he was stumbling through the heavy rain of a tropical storm that he had begged for shelter yet was shunned away.


    But through the cold and wet weather a door had opened and a little round women had swooped him up with a warm smile and gave him nice food to eat and a roof to live under and his very own bed; the first light of his new life without memories of the past.


    For years after that, it was the talk of the town that a boy so completely lost his memory and what it would mean to them if it ever happened to one of them.


    It was a difficult time to live, knowing they were always pondering lightly about what he was living through so painfully.


    It was hard for him not just because he had no idea where his parents were, but nobody had ever come asking around for their lost boy.


    At first he had thought, no hoped, they had lost him and didn¡¯t know where to look, but he feared for the second reason behind it. The men from the town remember more keenly the other events of that time.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The lot of them were a heavily superstitious group and it could only have been stories, but he believed them on some instances. They had said there was a loss of much live stock, not unlike what was happening now. Of course the fishermen attributed it to some sort of animal, like spotted hyena with their strong jaws or something; which wouldn¡¯t be too farfetched if there were actually any sorts of scavengers in that part of the world. But even then the hunters were called upon alongside a search party who joined them to search for some missing people.


    Calin was lucky in that regard, it was because of that search party for the two missing boys from the town, that they had found him that night, cold and broken.


    It was only later that he had learned from excessive prodding for answers about the night of his accident that the two missing was found. They were two boys running away from home. They probably got the beating of their life. He chuckled as he was sure he could squarely place Jerry in that situation.


    Even the culprit behind the live stock was just a thief in the end. The thief had taken the meat he wanted and slashed the carcasses to make it look like animal attacks. In all consideration it almost worked in taking the heat off of the search. Bad luck for the thief that the hunters found the cabin out in the woods with damning evidence from the crimes.


    The mystery though, was that some person was found dead two days later with severe bite marks. Sometimes he wondered if most stories coming from these fishing towns¡¯ ever had any truth to them. That is fishermen for you.


    Thinking about it again, made Calin keenly wish there was more information of what had happened that night when he was found, yet that was a fool¡¯s wish. He lumbered on.


    ***


    Arriving a little time later at the small shop where he was to help that day, Calin smiled. The wooden frames hugged the windswept glass windows, with some spots cleaned, but the rest left in a hurry. It spoke volumes to him of what was inside. The electrician¡¯s shop was run by a man and a woman who truly were a dreamy lot, but he cared greatly about them. Calin was sure they were the best in fixing anything if it had wires of any sort.


    There were clearly things falling and clattering to the ground somewhere in the shop, and the sound of the two owners muttering at each other at their apparent clumsiness, drifted through the shop. Calin could not help but feel happy as he entered.


    Inside, he found as usual the cluttered chaos that could only be understood by the two owners. Order in the chaos they always told him.


    A greeting sounded from the back room, clearly the voice of the middle aged man named Eric Barnes, but Calin¡¯s attention was quickly drawn to the woman with a long wire draped around her neck under her rich auburn hair.


    She stood up with gusto and let out a held breath.


    ¡°Calin my good boy! It¡¯s great to see you working at our shop today.¡± She hurried over and continued, ¡°Well no use standing around doing nothing, you see those two boxes over there? Grab one and be sure to be careful you hear. There are lights and a lot of wires in there. I have a special treat for you today.¡±


    The boxes were presented quickly enough, and he lifted one of the heavy boxes to test it before glancing back at the woman already busy with a TV on the small table. He approached her tentatively, never quite sure when she would swing around or something. After a second, he asked her, ¡°Where do you want me to take it Misses Darly?¡±


    She just waved him off with one hand, but said, ¡°Oh sorry dear, I promised a treat. Did you hear? The Getsam¨¦s finally found a way into the inner chambers of the ruins yesterday.¡±


    ¡°No way?!¡± With a gasp of amazement Calin¡¯s attention was immediately fixed. The Ruins of Mesa Versee were one of the main reasons why the town of Lamb¡¯s Crest developed into the busy town it was today.


    Two hundred years ago in the early eighteen hundreds, something happened to the south west coast of Africa.


    Twenty kilometres off of the coast, close to three hundred kilometres of land presumably lifted out of the sea out of nowhere.


    But there were forests of living trees covering the entire expanse, with not a single thing to show that there had ever been salt water close to the place. Calin had only read a couple of the old articles about the uproar the whole affair had caused back then.


    Of course, this drew scientists from all over the world to seek answers to the utterly strange phenomenon, even though the means to study such a bizarre occurrence didn¡¯t exist back then. Still to this day, it gave up far too little answers.


    Yet, it caused enough of a buzz that the mainland opted to build a bridge to the new stretch of land.


    But it was the ruins of Mesa Versee that were found a mere thirty three years ago, that really and truly stumped the scientists. It was built into the bedrock and cliffs at the sea, the ruins of a city cut cleanly in half with no evidence found of any remnants of it in the sea.


    For decades the place had been a great mystery to the scientists, who, by this time were permanent residents with families and everything.


    There were two other things that made the ruins stand out as extraordinary. Nobody knew by what ancient civilization it was built. There was no evidence of any human remains in the old ruins. And the written language on the walls didn¡¯t match any of the ancient cultures already discovered.


    The second was certainly that it was built from a combination of materials that was as strong as or even stronger than modern concrete.


    To hear that they finally found a way into the heavily protected inner sanctum was truly exciting news; enough to be headlines on the international news channels.


    Then something bugged Calin, the woman had said a treat for him, but mentioned the ruins. With a frown he asked, ¡°But um, Misses Darly, why did you tell me about the ruins?¡±


    The woman stopped what she was doing and said, ¡°Firstly, because I know like any other young one, you find the ruins fascinating and two because I¡¯m sending you into the ruins to deliver and help set up the lights for Mr. Getsam¨¦ and the other scientists.¡±


    Calin gasped in shock and dizziness settled over him for a fleeting moment. He had never had the privilege of even coming close to the ruins, never mind going into them. A smile beamed out of him. Jerry would never believe him!


    He looked at the second box on the ground and an idea sparked in his mind as he asked, ¡°Um, Misses Darly can I um get Jerry to help me with the second box? It is quite a walk to the ruins.¡±


    The woman was busy grumbling over a misplaced tool as she absentmindedly said, ¡°Sure sure.¡±


    A grin popped onto his mouth as he almost let out an audible sigh of relief, but he suppressed it quickly as the woman shooed him away. ¡°You should hurry there now.¡±


    Nodding his head, he took off with a brisk pace down the road to go find Jerry, before the boy reached the Launders.

 Chapter 3: The Ruins of Mesa Versee

    <h1>Chapter Three: The Ruins of Mesa Versee</h1>


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you got us the chance to go to the ruins! Calin, you have to slap me, I must be dreaming.¡±


    Calin just laughed at Jerry on the walk down to Dashwood Docks. He was just as excited as his best friend for going to the ruins. There were hardly any words to express the feeling. But then a thought popped up and he cocked his head to Jerry and asked,


    ¡°Hey buddy, uh did you go tell Miss Talsen that you are off on an important errant with me?¡±


    Jerry stuck fast in the cobblestones. Immediately, the boy mumbled, ¡°Um, yes... why?¡±


    Calin stared at Jerry with suspicion and asked, ¡°Directly, in person?¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Calin groaned, ¡°Come on Jerry, you know what¡¯s going to happen when you get home tonight. Man, I can¡¯t believe you do these things to yourself.¡±


    But Jerry pleaded, ¡°I know, I know! But I couldn¡¯t risk that she tell me I can¡¯t come, it¡¯s the ruins Calin! I¡¯ll not miss it for anything.¡±


    His friend had a point.


    Calin could only shrug. In a sense he would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. But he would definitely have gone about it differently, so he looked pointedly at Jerry, and said, ¡°So, did you at least leave word of this to someone at the Launders?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Jerry said with a beaming smile, like he was proud of himself.


    A chuckle bubbled forth from Calin as he shook his head and continued down the main road of the town. His best friend never seized to amaze him.


    Soon Jerry joined him in laughing out loud and chatting excitedly about going to the Ruins, though it wasn¡¯t long before the start of the small trodden path that led from sea level into the cliffs to the west towards the Ruins, appeared.


    Just before going up the trail a shout came from behind.


    ¡°Oi! Watch out!¡±


    Calin spun around and was almost bowled over by a rushing scarlet haired girl. He braced himself, but thankfully the impact didn¡¯t come as the girl stopped herself just short of him.


    ¡°Whoa there Kara!¡± Jerry exclaimed. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    ¡°Whoops, sorry guys,¡± The girl said as she took big gulps of air while rushing her words. ¡°I was running... flat out from the house. My Dad called... me on my phone, he found something shocking!¡± Kara looked at the boxes and smiled, ¡°Those are the lights right? Good, it was hard working in the new chamber with just a flashlight. Oh, I¡¯m so happy. I finally get to show you guys around. The place is amazing! And everybody who come here are sooo stuck up. I¡¯m like the only truly passionate scientist.¡±


    Again Jerry said, ¡°Whoa there, take a breather, you don¡¯t have to say everything in five seconds.¡±


    Calin watched as Kara pulled a face at Jerry, but, she did stop to catch her breath before she finally said in a relaxed manner.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you are right. I was just so excited. But let¡¯s get moving. You won¡¯t believe what we found since yesterday in the inner sanctum!¡±


    The grinning girl bounded forward up the small rocky path and Calin followed with Jerry close behind.


    Calin always marvelled at Kara Getsam¨¦. Beautiful and her dark red hair was full of the same life she showcased, but she had never been the type to acknowledge the fact; she was more the practical, outdoors and over-excited type than some of the other girls in the town; who liked staying clean and wearing layers of make-up. In a sense it made her perfect for the direction she was studying.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    And to be honest, it was certain for someone with a passion for Archaeology you couldn¡¯t ask for a more extraordinary place than the Ruin city of Mesa Versee.


    If her father was right, they might as well have stumbled onto an entirely new ancient civilization far more advance than the ones already known. The implications of that alone were enough to make anyone excited.


    The path picked up into a steep climb. And the box became quite heavy after a while, and Jerry¡¯s puffs for breath from behind mirrored his own. Though, the sound was slightly masked by the waves thundering against the base of the cliffs.


    In front, a strong security gate, between the boulders made his heart beat pick up substantially. He was certain it wasn¡¯t just because of the physical exertion.


    Few people were ever allowed to see the still mostly unexplored city of Mesa Versee. It was still a young discovery. The scientists had too much to research before they could even begin to let the general public come to witness the massive Ruin city.


    The click of the gate being opened startled Calin out of his musings. A burly man with a broad chest and slight grey streaks in his short beard stared at him with his deep set eyes, to the point of Calin shrinking back.


    But a moment later he ushered them to enter through the portal with barely any words.


    As Calin passed the man he couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing the strange man, which was saying something, because every person living and working in Lamb¡¯s Crest knew everybody else, it was a developing town, but still small enough for that.


    This knowledge made him frown slightly and he hobbled forward to catch up to Kara as the gate was closed.


    ¡°Kara, who is that guy? I don¡¯t think I know him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean,¡± Kara whispered when they were out of earshot. She was tugging at the edge of her green long-sleeved shirt over the leather of her deep brown leggings as if the look of the man unsettled her.


    ¡°He is from out of town. One of our scientists hired him when Henri just upped and left Lamb¡¯s Crest without a word, two days ago. His name is Wanrey or something. He gives me the creeps. I can¡¯t believe Henri left us like this.¡±


    This was news. Calin knew Henri Baic quite well. The man was always happy to help out with the scientists where they needed the muscle or just a guard to keep an eye on the Ruins at night. It seemed almost like a passion for the man to help out the Getsam¨¦s. It was incredibly strange for him to have just left.


    Calin glanced back at the muscled man who was the new security guard and just shrugged. Nothing could be done now. If Henri had left, there had to be a good reason for it. Though Calin couldn¡¯t help but worry a bit about him. He really liked Henri over the years; the man had always been friendly towards him.


    As he looked back at Kara, her shoulders were slightly tense under the dark green of her shirt.


    But as the first showings of the worked stone of the Ruins peaked through the winding path through the boulders it was clear she was more relaxed.


    His heart wanted to pop out of his chest. They were entering the Ruins!


    ¡°Best day ever, right?¡± Jerry said from behind.


    Calin could only nod while walking into the first of the buildings of the Ruins of Mesa Versee. He had only seen pictures of the place even though he had lived within a couple of kilometres of it for the last seven years. It was unbelievable.


    The stone that made up the buildings were as smooth as glass. Masterfully crafted.


    He had heard that the Ruins dated back at least more than a millennium; some even say more than two. But Calin could see at a glance why the place was such a mystery. It was too precise. Everything looked like it was cut to the millimetre. Even modern twenty first century technology with laser tools would be hard pressed to achieve the precision showcased here.


    He placed the box down and his hand almost involuntarily lifted to touch the smooth surface of the wall. As he did, Kara came from behind and said,


    ¡°Amazing isn¡¯t it? Now you can understand why I always go on and on about the place. Nothing like it exists in the entire world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see now. But Kara, how? How was this possible so long ago?¡±


    The girl lifted her shoulders in a shrug and said, ¡°Nobody knows. In a way, the probability of ever really understanding it is incredibly slim. That is why it is so exciting; an ancient people with the tools to create a city like this.¡±


    Kara lifted her arms and spun a circle as she continued, ¡°Man! I would give anything to have met them, to ask the thousand questions I have. And for certain ask about the carvings on the walls.¡±


    ¡°Carvings?¡± A voice came from behind.


    Calin and Kara turned to Jerry walking through the doorway of the building they were in.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kara said, ¡°The carvings closer to the middle of the city. We can¡¯t yet figure out the written language as I told you before, but there are carvings of things me and the other Archaeologists can¡¯t even remotely explain¡ª¡±


    She paused and with a smile said, ¡°Talking about the middle of the city, we should go there and while you guys set up the lights, I can show you things. Come come, let¡¯s go!¡±


    A laugh escaped from Calin and Jerry joined in while watching Kara hop forward out of the room. Calin just picked up his box and followed the energetic scarlet haired girl.

 Chapter 4: The Impossible Well

    <h1>Chapter Four: The Impossible Well</h1>


    The gas fuelled generator area droned loudly in the empty halls of the current research area. It was a stark contrast to the absence of any modern technology in the ancient abandoned city. It was clear why the lights were so necessary. It was hard not to bump into things in the dark. Calin could only follow Kara who had the only flashlight on the move through the strangely windowless buildings that circled the core of the city.


    It wasn¡¯t like there were no efforts made by the civilization to enhance air-flow, because from numerous places, a breeze moved over him, but it was weird that there weren¡¯t windows. There was almost no natural light that came in once inside the buildings. It bothered him enough that he asked, ¡°Um, Kara, is it me or did these guys like their darkness?¡±


    Light flashed over his face as the flashlight in the girl¡¯s hands pointed in his direction and back forward.


    ¡°You are asking about the windows right?¡± She didn¡¯t pause to wait for an answer as she continued, ¡°I know what you are saying. We have been discussing this fact a lot lately, because as we could make our way closer to the centre of the city we were also surprised that at a certain point the buildings mostly didn¡¯t have any spaces for windows for letting in sunlight. The same cannot be said for the outer rim, which is really confusing to say the least.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± Calin smirked.


    The girl opened another door and she got a thoughtful expression as she turned back to him. Her voice took on a more methodical tone of explaining things as she said,


    ¡°The theory so far is that the centre of Mesa Versee was a place of pure cultural importance. Maybe they only allowed the bare minimum of light as part of their traditions. I¡¯m still searching for clues to explain it, but I don¡¯t know, there is something that cast doubt on that. I¡¯ll show you in a little while. Yet, for now we are stumped¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not that I am complaining!¡± Kara interrupted herself in defence. Calin hadn¡¯t even realized that he was frowning as he tried to think of what she was saying. He threw up his hands to show that he didn¡¯t misinterpret.


    ¡°No worries! I was also thinking about all this.¡±


    Kara clearly sighed with relief at his words, but then bubbled with energy as she said, ¡°The place is fascinating. And the best thing is, I¡¯m part of the team that is first to try and unravel its mysteries! Yay!¡±


    Calin smiled. He wished he was busy exploring the city like that. At the very least he and Jerry now had a chance to see the place. He turned to his friend as they walked and said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell the others of all this!¡±


    ¡°True words buddy. True words... Hey! There is Dr. Getsam¨¦.¡±


    Through the dark a small area was lit with a battery powered lantern and a slender man with glasses and a white coat was making notes in a little book, his ginger hair was ruffled.


    ¡°Ah, great timing lads!¡± Kara¡¯s dad exclaimed when he spotted them, ¡°I was just about to head back in and I really needed more light. So you are most welcome.¡±


    He approached them and quickly gave his daughter a hug. His eyes sparkled in the light of the lantern.


    ¡°Kara, you really won¡¯t believe it when you see it. I still can¡¯t believe it myself.¡±


    The girl frowned, a deeply worried look passed over her fair features as she said, ¡°Dad, what you said is impossible, you know that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, but it is exactly as I told you. Let¡¯s help set up all the lights and I will take you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± She pouted and Calin knew why, she didn¡¯t want to wait. Always the impatient type. He chuckled as he motioned for Jerry to help him connect the cables to the generator so they could start getting light in the place.


    As they opened their boxes and started rolling out the wires for the lights, Jerry turned to him and grinned as he said, ¡°Do you think these guys were vampires or just mad, living in the dark like this?¡±


    ¡°Funny.¡± Calin said as he shook his head and chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah I know, but seriously I think these guys were weird. Who would want to live like this?¡± Jerry threw up his elbow as if he was shielding himself and took on a strange accent. ¡°Noooo. Not the sun! I¡¯m melting, I¡¯m melting.¡±


    Laughter burst forth from Calin and Kara as she walked in on the act.


    ¡°Unoriginal!¡±


    ¡°Crazy as always eh, Jerry?¡±


    ¡°You know me.¡± He said with a smirk.


    Kara grinned back and was about to say more when the first big light came on in the dark circular room, then she spread her arms.


    ¡°Ah, let there be light! ... Thank you good sir.¡±


    She curtsied. Calin quickly smiled and took a small bow as he also replied in a formal accent, ¡°You are certainly welcome good lady.¡±


    Kara giggled and moved to a door that was at least three metres tall and wide.


    ¡°This door is the one we could not budge at all, not with tools or anything; it is more like a wall by now than anything else. So to get to the inner sanctum we build a pulley system with a small ledge on the cliff to get around.¡± Then she pointed to the carvings on the door, ¡°What¡¯s more is this. I¡¯ve been studying it for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Jerry said as he reached it first, ¡°Is that a crystal tree?¡±


    The girl nodded as Calin also moved closer. Immediately he could just stare, in the stone door there was a carving of a magnificent tree with crystals for leaves. It was truly beautiful. Enough so, that Calin knew if he had been a craftsman it would have been the crown jewel of his life and he would have hung up his crafting tools after creating such a thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Both he and Jerry gulped at the same time.


    ¡°I love it to bits, and the story in it is something that is captivating me more and more as I study it. But I haven¡¯t shown you the best parts yet.¡±


    As she said that, she stepped to the side she lifted a heavy duty spotlight from a stand and switched it on. With it the bright light fell more directly on the door. As she did, the carving lit up as the crystals that symbolized the leaves were now glowing with a turquoise light. Calin was speechless. He had no words to describe what he was seeing. Furthermore the scene revealed more as the intense light passed over it. Lines of smaller glowing crystals were moving away from the roots of the tree to a circular structure on the carving. As she continued to shine the spotlight on the tree, more and more of the crystals around the room started glowing. Calin was speechless and could now see why Kara was so animated about the Ruins. They were wonderful.


    Just then the girl said, ¡°The thing that is really bothering me is, that bright light make the crystals on the carving glow; but where are the windows then? Or even a small slit in the roof so that it could cast light on it? Why aren¡¯t there even signs of something that could give this light? Meh, as amazing as this place is, it really drives me mad sometimes. It doesn¡¯t give clues easily which really is uber frustrating. I lie awake for hours sometimes trying to figure it out!¡±


    ¡°Times like this I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t study Archaeology then,¡± Jerry said with a serious sounding voice. ¡°I would have broken stuff within a week.¡±


    Kara gasped and looked at Jerry with big eyes, but Calin just patted her arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him; he has the patience of a fly. We understand your passion. And I personally wouldn¡¯t have minded working in this place every day.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kara said in a small voice.


    ¡°Oi! I can be patient.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right, I still have to see it,¡± Calin said with a raised eyebrow and ignored the glare Jerry was giving him.


    But after a moment the boy swatted his back and said, ¡°Yeah, yeah, doesn¡¯t really do good denying the truth. I don¡¯t do patient so well.¡±


    The three of them laughed as they continued setting up the cables and their respective lights.


    After a while they reached the small platform and Calin gulped. The small platform swayed in the wind far above the crashing of the waves down below. It was only connected with four cables to the pulley system up top. But nothing about the thing said safe.


    A hand dropped onto his shoulder and he jerked slightly. He turned to see Kara as she smirked at him with a knowing smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was scared of it myself, but it is fine. You will be hooked up, so you can¡¯t fall.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t very comforting, but Calin took a breath and nodded. Kara just chuckled at him while fumbling in her knapsack, with flair she pulled on her sleeveless hoody. But what help it would be against the chilly wind, Calin didn¡¯t know. Finished, she got a broad grin as she wrapped a safety harness around his body and dragged him onto the platform with her, before clicking him in place.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    With much more confidence, the girl¡¯s father joined him with one of the boxes of lights, followed by a strangely subdued Jerry with the extension cord to provide power to the lighting in the next area in his hands.


    Dr Getsam¨¦ pressed a button and with loud groans that stung the ears, the platform was moved to the side. It was bad enough to be on the thing, but it didn¡¯t help Calin when a strong wind made the whole platform swing from side to side. He clung to the small thin railing with all his might.


    But just as he shut his eyes it came to a stop.


    ¡°There, wasn¡¯t so bad now was it?¡±


    Without waiting, Calin jumped off onto the ledge only to be pulled back by the safety harness. He landed with an oomf on his backside.


    The others burst out into laughter as Kara unhooked him. With a sigh he stood up. It would probably be the joke on him for the next few days. He just shook his head and took some cables and lights from the box on the metal platform. With it, he laid lights in the slightly smaller circular room than the previous one. As Jerry hooked up the power, the strange crystal-lined stone room came into view.


    Kara was immediately giddy next to him as she exclaimed, ¡°Yay! I can¡¯t wait to see what we find with more light. Let me show you the armoury! It is sweet!¡±


    But just then her father came and said, ¡°That can wait darling, I have to show you what is in the centre of the city. Everything else is second priority.¡±


    Tentatively the three followed the man through two rooms that were without doors. They were all filled with artefacts that hid in the gloom of the low light. Calin also spotted lots of scientific equipment.


    As they passed the other side of the crystal-tree door in the next half-circular room, there were voices coming from around the bend, with the occasional flashlight illuminating the curve. Dr Getsam¨¦ just said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that is just Dr James Wikus and Dr Cecelia with their assistants. We will go say hi after I have shown you the inner room. Oh, and Kara did you bring the colorant like I asked?¡±


    Kara nodded and removed her bulky knapsack and handed her father a small bottle. They then moved into the final room that was clearly the centre of the city. It was relatively dark as it looked more southwest than east, with only the ambient light from the early morning hinting at the features in the room.


    What really fascinated Calin was, that it was true what they had said, that the city of Mesa Versee looked like it was cut in half. Every room so far, as they got closer to the centre of the city, was almost a half moon in shape. And the side of it perched perfectly on the edge of the cliff.


    It was then that a small round structure in the middle of the room came into view as Dr Getsam¨¦ walked towards it. The man stopped at its side and said, ¡°Come look at something that truly defies the laws of nature.¡±


    Calin and his two friends tentatively approached. There were immediately startled gasps around him as they looked into what was a Well.


    It was cut perfectly in half and the same with the water that resided in it.


    ¡°Impossible...¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    ¡°Whaa...?¡±


    Everything in Calin echoed those words that were whispered in shock from those next to him. It was as if the water in the Well was suspended in mid air. Kara was shaking as she whispered, ¡°Dad, I think I¡¯m going mad, it can¡¯t be true what I am seeing right now, it is not possible.¡±


    The slender scientist came and hugged his dazed daughter as he said, ¡°No, no you are not going mad honey, you are seeing the same thing as all of us.¡±


    ¡°But it is impos...¡±


    ¡°Yes it is, but it really is a water-well with water hanging in mid air.¡±


    Jerry slapped his cheeks next and asked, ¡°But how?¡±


    The man pushed his glasses up a frown clearly on his face. ¡°What we are seeing here goes against everything I¡¯ve been taught over all my years. I can honestly say I don¡¯t have even the slightest idea how to explain it. The laws of physics tell us the water in this Well can¡¯t be hanging in the air. But there it is...¡±


    The doctor walked to the edge and used his fingers to get the gravity defying water to move, before dripping what looked to be a colorant into the right side of the small current. The swirling water moved the colour to the side of where the water looked to be cut off in half and it promptly disappeared, then a moment later it reappeared on the left side.


    The father and daughter¡¯s eyes were shining as they watched the experiment in the impossible Well.


    ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dr Getsam¨¦ said with wonder in his voice before he turned to Jerry and asked, ¡°Will you go get one of the bigger lights? I wish to set this up for further experiments.¡±


    The dazed boy only nodded before disappearing through one of the doorless portals at a brisk pace.


    The room was painfully silent for minutes as the three of them watched the water swirl with the small line of colour disappearing each time it reached the missing half of the Well and reappearing a few seconds later.


    After another minute Kara asked a small uncertain voice, ¡°Dad, what will this mean?¡±


    Calin watched as the man turned to his daughter and said, ¡°When we announce this to the modern world, it will truly change things majorly. It is the find of a lifetime.¡±


    Hands clapped together loudly from behind.


    It startled the three from the mysterious Well. When they turned, Wanrey stood there in the door applauding.


    ¡°Well done doc! What a discovery you made.¡± The bulky man was draped in a cloak as he stepped forward into the better lit area. Behind him were four other masked and strangely dressed figures.


    ¡°Wanrey? What are you doing in here and who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Not your business really, but let us say they are representatives of a hidden order. Which brings me to what you just discovered, you see, we were shown in the direction of certain things years ago, by these very gentlemen behind me. Though they never say what it is for or where it comes from. But that is beside the point. We stand with the sole goal of not allowing random people, like you, let the world know there are these unexplainable things. They are quite remarkable and we prefer to be the ones who control these... discoveries.¡±


    The doctor bristled next to Calin and through gritted teeth he said,


    ¡°So you are telling me, you are here to cover up the discovery that has the potential to change the world; just to keep it for yourselves?¡±


    Wanrey¡¯s eyebrows lifted in intrigue and he laughed. After a moment, he said, ¡°My my, doc you are smart. True... one can¡¯t expect any less from a man with two PhD¡¯s, now can you? But yes you are right. We like taking the best finds for ourselves and then when we had explored it¡¯s mysteries to the deepest extent we sometimes sell some of the find to the highest bidder.¡±


    The tension was high in the air. It was clear these men were the exact opposite kind of people than the Getsam¨¦s. Calin slowly moved in close to the Doctor and whispered, ¡°Doc, what should we do?¡±


    The man whispered, ¡°Run for the door Calin, you have to get help, go get the group with Dr James. He has a gun. I¡¯ll hold them off for a moment.¡±


    ¡°NO WHISPERING!¡± Wanrey shouted. ¡°Follow us without a struggle and you might see your families in a year or two. If you don¡¯t... well, use your imagination.¡±


    Calin was uncertain if he should run, but the statement made him steel his resolve. He eyed Kara sideways, fear shone in her eyes. He nodded to her. He was going to do his best to get them out of this situation.


    With a last deep breath he tensed his muscles, launching himself forward.


    Halfway to the door, one of the strangely dressed figures behind Wanrey moved with incredible speed and an armoured hand slipped from under the man¡¯s robe and struck Calin with some force, sending him tumbling on unsteady legs back towards the Well.


    His abdomen struck the solid stone of the Well and his upper body splashed into the water.


    The water flared up with bright lights, as without warning, warmth overwhelmed him. His body shook, unable to move. Out of nowhere, clear voices sprung up around him, even though his head was still under water.


    ¡°This one is different.¡±


    ¡°Locked.¡±


    ¡°Seven?¡±


    ¡°Indeed a mystery. Should we free him?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible?¡±


    ¡°We can try.¡±


    ¡°Not yet. He seeks safe passage for those around him and to protect their work.¡±


    ¡°Grant it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±No¡±


    ¡°Then it is decided.¡±


    A great light burst forth from the Well and with it the water out of its depths. Calin landed on his back dazed as his strength drained from him, the warmth of his body seeping into the water around him. With it his thoughts and consciousness faded into black.


    ***


    ¡°Calin.Oi? Are you alright buddy? Where are the others?¡±


    Calin groaned as he slowly woke up from his drowsiness and as he tried to sit up, he cringed. His muscles were slightly unresponsive. But with some effort he sat up and looked to Jerry sitting next to him. Just then he remembered the situation. He flew up onto his feet and looked for the people that had just been there.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Calin asked with growing fear as the empty room gave up no sign of any of the intruders or the Getsam¨¦¡¯s.


    ¡°Huh? I asked you first,¡± Jerry pointed out with worry in his voice. ¡°I was out on the platform getting the lights when suddenly the whole place lit up like a Christmas tree. It must have been a flash bang or something because I was blind for like minutes and when I could finally see, I came here just now. But... you were alone. What happened? Where are the Getsam¨¦s?¡±


    What? Calin looked around as his hands went up to his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There were people threatening us Jerry, Wanrey was here with some weird looking people, they were going to take us prisoner for finding stuff. I fell into the Well and then... I don¡¯t know what happened after that.¡±


    ¡°Wanrey? But I was on the platform. How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Calin said knowing he had no answers to the events of the last few minutes.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Jerry said with urgency, ¡°We have to find them. We can¡¯t let them kidnap our people.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I know, but what can the two of us do? Uh, maybe we should go get Dr James and the others first, they can help.¡±


    The boy nodded and Calin set off through the rooms with the small flashlights, but then something became clear. It had not just been four people in on the situation, all the lights and equipment that had been there was all gone, every single piece of it.


    This only forced anxiousness to rise as he moved to the area where the other scientists had been. But upon rounding the long bend, he hit a dead end. Not a single person was there. Confusion was high, but Calin continued his search, desperate to find the others.


    In the dim natural light, Calin came upon the crystal-tree door. It was standing ajar. This came as a shock, as Kara had made it clear there had been no way to open the thing. Nothing made sense. What is going on?


    The situation became dire as the search with Jerry dragged on and on for the next hour without a sign that anybody was ever there. Exhausted finally, Calin motioned to Jerry and sat down. The boy plopped down next to him, the same hopelessness in his face. All the scientists were gone, taken prisoner most likely and there was nothing they could do.


    After what seemed an age, a voice broke the spell.


    ¡°Hi Calin, Hi Jerry, what are you two doing here?¡±


    It was Misses Getsam¨¦.


    ¡°Where are the others? I brought enough lunch to feed a football team. Wait... don¡¯t tell me they left you all alone while they are off studying something? Seriously! I will have to have a talk with those two.¡±


    It was enough to make the tears, which had threatened to come for a long while, burst forth as he stood up, he could hardly see through his eyes as he croaked.


    ¡°I¡¯m... sorry... I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯M SORRY!¡±


    ¡°What? Calin... why are you crying, what¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, fear rising in her voice. But Calin didn¡¯t know how to say what happened, to tell her that her husband and daughter went missing.


    It was bad enough that Kara who was one of his only friends in the town of Lamb¡¯s Crest went missing. It ate at him. But all of them...


    The only words he could utter stuttered out.


    ¡°They are all gone...¡±


    ***


    The events that ensued were plainly just too jumbled for Calin as he tried to come to grips with what had happened, which wasn¡¯t helped through Misses Getsam¨¦ breaking down in tears, or when the local Police showed up making him answer as many questions he could, while he was just as baffled as they were about the strange group who wanted to steal the knowledge of the discoveries alongside those who had found it.


    At the same time he tried to answer the big question that was plaguing him, why had he been left behind by the group of kidnappers.


    But one thing was clearly certain, ten scientists including all their equipment went missing. Yet he and Jerry had not been taken.

 Chapter 5: ~PRESENT DAY~ An old letter and a ring

    <h1>Chapter Five: ~PRESENT DAY~ An old letter and a ring</h1>


    It was a busy day, just the way Calin liked it. It helped somewhat at keeping his mind away from that day, and the days that had followed. He had been the last one to see the Getsam¨¦s, the last who had spoken to them before father and daughter had disappeared alongside eight of their co-workers.


    The most frustrating part was that Wanrey and his fellow kidnappers had vanished into thin smoke as well. Yet the only thing that did make sense was that they had stolen the hundreds of thousands worth of equipment in their raid of the old Ruins.


    But what had been bothering Calin more than anything was the light and the voices arguing just before he had woken up and found that everyone was just gone without a trace except for Jerry.


    Something since that day hung in the air, something very wrong, out of place. It was more than just a kidnapping of ten people.


    ¡°Calin, that¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Calin asked as he was ripped from yet another session of brooding over the day at the Ruins.


    Just then he received a slap on his shoulder from Eric Barnes, who was also covered in dust from the climbing to change the entire street¡¯s busted lights. Calin wiped the sweat from his brow.


    Eric groaned while rolling his shoulders. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe someone would purposefully knock out every single light on the docks and the main street. It will take two days just to change the most important ones.¡±


    ¡°Yes it is strange Mr. Barnes. But at least we got some lights working again today.¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you to call me Eric? My surname is far too close to being the same as that drunken fisherman for my liking.¡± The man shook his head with a smile before he continued,


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m grateful for the help Calin. It would have taken me twice as long to do this job by myself. Let¡¯s head back to the shop now. We can go on where we left off tomorrow.¡±


    As they walked along Seaside road, the clear voice of a drunk man in the middle of a passionate story flitted in the air.


    ¡°¡­there I be thirteen years ago, standing on the wet deck looking over the western part of that stormy Atlantic, the open sea in all directions it was. It¡¯s then when I sraw it ¡­ the air became ashimmer, and the sea revealed land in front of me very eyes!! The sea be gone I tell ya, only land before me eyes. I thought me lost me mind, but the other sailors gasped I tell ya now, they sraw it too even though they say nought, I know it to be true!¡±


    The other drunken sailor laughed while shoving at Brans, replying in a slur. ¡°Url... Url, don¡¯t be listening to him he¡­ he be speaking like a madman he is¡­¡±


    As Calin came closer to the scene, he glanced to see ¡®Url¡¯ passed out snoring in the corner of the patio, under a small canopy that fended off the sun. The second sailor¡¯s name was Hin.


    Of course Hin wasn¡¯t buying the lucrative tale, but Brans made the error of grabbing Hin¡¯s arm and just like that, the man jumped up and tackled Brans, shouting. ¡°Ya need a good slapping that¡¯s what ya need Brans, ya drunken dog, yer stories are a load of bull I tell ya¡­just like that drunken mad hermit.¡±


    Brans slapped back at the man, shouting in an angry voice. ¡°No, it be true I tell ya, don¡¯t be so thick headed when hearing the truth¡­ I sraw what I sraw. It be truer than your stories of them giant squidies taking down ships I be sure!¡±


    Hin bristled.


    ¡°Now see here! Those giant squidies¡ª¡°


    Eric quickly pulled on Calin¡¯s arm and rushed them out of harm¡¯s way. As they trotted up the road out of earshot from the fishermen enjoying their off day, they both burst out in laughter.


    They both needed the support of the closest wall as they tried to catch enough breath through bouts of laughter.


    It was Eric who caught his breath first as he ventured to the front door of his shop and said, ¡°Ah...uh.... Always amazing to listen to those lot. Truly funny, but is it just me or are their stories getting crazier?¡±


    ¡°No, you are absolutely right! Ah man, can¡¯t wait to tell Jerry about this one.¡± Calin said as he entered the shop and almost ran over the scurrying Misses Darly.


    The woman¡¯s face lit up when she spotted him.


    ¡°Oh! Thanks a bunch Calin, you are always such a great help. Saved me a lot of time, you did.¡±


    The heat flowed through his cheeks before he said shyly,


    ¡°It was nothing. You know it¡¯s always a pleasure to help out here for me.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so modest! It is true.¡± Eric said from further into the store.


    She smiled sweetly. ¡°Well then, a real charmer you are. You are growing up so fast... almost eighteen too, can¡¯t believe it! It feels like yesterday that you came in here asking for your first... change of light bulbs...¡±


    The small woman got a faraway look and teared up about something. Calin couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she was thinking about.


    Then like she startled herself, she jerked out of her thoughts and reached into her pocket.


    ¡°Now here you go, this is something extra for you. Buy yourself something warm for the coming cold months.¡±


    Calin stared wide eyed at the money, it was more than he normally made in a month! He didn¡¯t know what to say and could only utter a hoarse. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± but before he could find any more voice the woman beamed a large grin and shooed him away.


    ¡°Now off with you! And send my regards to Misses Talsen.¡±


    After nodding that he will, Calin gave a sincere farewell before running off.


    He ventured back to Misses Talsen¡¯s house. Still a bit dazed at the gesture from Misses Darly. Over the years he had come to love working at that chaotic yet warm shop. It was one of the things that shone a bit of light in his small existence after the accident.


    Even a bit lost in thought, he immediately ventured into one of the clothes shops to find a tall lanky woman, Catherine, come into one of the isles to help him choose a jacket for the winter.


    After a while he came upon a black thermal jacket with a dark, ember zip. It was thick enough that he would be confident in the cold woods.


    As he chose it, the woman asked, ¡°Thinking of going with the hunters, eh?¡±


    Calin just chuckled and said, ¡°No, they already left this morning. But it is not far from my mind.¡±


    At her dreamy look, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It was no secret that Catherine was sweet on Joe, who ranked under one of the best shooters of the hunters.


    Calin almost expected her to ask him to talk to Joe about her. But finally her eyes came back in focus and she said, ¡°You would do good to join them one day.¡±


    Well, there is a hint of that request in there somewhere. He paid for his new jacket and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if hunting fowl through the year really appeals to me. But maybe with the rumours of animal attacks on the live stock, I think it is drawing my attention.¡±


    It was half the reason. He wanted to learn how to protect others. After having been so helpless in the Ruins of Mesa Versee, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of not being ready if anything ever happened again.


    Catherine ruffled his hair startling him and said, ¡°As would it to all boys, young Calin.¡±


    Calin just shrugged and said, ¡°True enough.¡±


    With that they exchanged farewells and he left the shop. Outside, he rolled his slightly aching shoulders, he was glad to be on his way home.


    As if the word was a trigger, he walked past a small building with children playing happily outside. Their laughter was like bells chiming its happiness to its surroundings. Their mothers sat there completely content with watching them at play while they knitted some scarves.


    Home, he sighed, the sombre thought intruded on his sunny disposition. Some people always tried to depict the true meaning behind the word, but they never could give it a meaning that made sense for him. What a puzzle.


    But he had decided a long time ago that he would discover it by himself and not be forced to settle for an idea someone thought would fit him. Everything in his life was and had been complicated, nobody... Not one single person could give him any of the many answers to the complete and utter mystery that his life had been before he was ten, before he was found alone on that beach, broken and lost.


    And now... there was the incident at the Ruins to top it all, he was anxious. It was as if there wasn¡¯t time left to search for those kinds of answers anymore.


    But he would search... search for Kara and her father. The secret organization that took them was somewhere in the world, he just needed to learn how to find them.


    The irritation of this difficult way settled in him and he couldn¡¯t help but bring his hands up to his hair to fight it. All he could do was shake it off as he strolled towards the window of the bookshop.


    His heart was already beating faster as it came closer. A deep pain settled into it as his fingers brushed the smooth glass.


    Inside, there were books hinting at a vast modern world, books of natural discoveries of man and the amazing ventures into space; books about the great pioneers in the twenty first century. Pictures of what large telescopes could see of a vast yet unreachable universe around Earth, but also books about the history of the planet.


    It was at once great being a human, to know all these breathtaking inventions and places were out there, and on the other hand it brought him back to the darker things the race was capable of. Kidnapping, thievery, murder¡ª


    He spotted the lady of the store. Her face was full of sorrow and deep ache pierced his insides; but more so, absolute frustration. He had been right there when her husband and daughter were taken. Right there!


    He could do nothing. He had been like a helpless sheep between wolves.


    Calin scraped together his courage and walked towards her. It was so hard to think of what to say to her even though he knew she didn¡¯t blame him for anything. But still...


    A sigh escaped him before he gently asked, ¡°Hi Misses Getsam¨¦... How are you?¡± He looked intently at her as he waited for her answer. Waiting for the tongue lashing he deserved for passing out as the kidnappers took her people. She looked at him and there sparked something in her eyes before she looked down again.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard, but some days are better than others. It¡¯s a hard thing to accept, Calin. I ... I miss them terribly.¡±


    Striding forward, the woman fell into his arms and sobbed silently. Calin stiffened, but comforted her softly. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he didn¡¯t have the right to be there for her now, not after what happened at the Ruins. Yet he stood there and held her as his heart warred with his mind.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Her husband was a geologist and an archaeologist, both PhD¡¯s, and their daughter Kara, who was homeschooled and being coached by her dad, had already been strong on her way to become an excellent archaeologist, even at her young age of nineteen. Calin had known them both for all the years since he could remember... since he was ten.


    Calin straightened himself and asked, ¡°So has there been no word from the Police?¡±


    The woman shook her head, her dark red hair falling over his shoulder before she said, ¡°No not a single word of progress for a week now. They keep saying they can¡¯t find the people,


    ¡®They even found a hideout of them in the town, but they can¡¯t find a trace of my family. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of the equipment they stole from the site, which is strange to the police because the culprits left quite a bit of their own gear in the house,


    ¡°At least they found some fingerprints that they are running through the database at the very moment.¡±


    The news about the hideout was new, but Calin couldn¡¯t help but stiffen with the news that there was no sign of the group. It was hard not to wish desperately that there was something he could do as the woman continued to hold onto him, shaking silently.


    But Calin took it all in stride as Misses Getsam¨¦ opened up completely to him and he guessed sometimes that it was because he had undergone a somewhat similar situation, to wake up one morning and realizing that he had lost everything and worst was he couldn¡¯t remember what he had lost.


    After his accident and the rehabilitation, to learn to speak and read, everything from scratch and then to walk again, he had searched for his family, the one that had abandoned him and seemingly disappeared into thin air. But there had been no clues, not even one.


    Calin shook his own trials from his mind. This was no time to think about something that happened seven years ago, the woman in his arms had wounds much fresher than his.


    With a shake of his head, he mustered all the composure he could.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re out there somewhere,¡± He said, ¡°You just wait and see. They¡¯ll find their way back.¡±


    He desperately hoped it was true. The last thing he wanted was to lose one of the few people who meant a lot to him in his tumultuous life.


    Something crossed his mind and he was about to ask a certain thing, when another woman strode into the shop.


    ¡°I came to return this book,¡± The woman asked, ¡°It¡¯s this box here, right?¡±


    Misses Getsam¨¦ straightened up quickly from Calin¡¯s shoulder and wiped away her tears. She nodded, and in a hoarse voice said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was clear she didn¡¯t want everybody to see how deep her grief was.


    Calin turned to find a way to give Natasha Getsam¨¦ a task, so she could find a moment to right herself, it was the least he could do for her. He looked to the fiction section and said, ¡°Is it possible that I can borrow an action Novel, Misses Getsam¨¦?¡±


    The woman grateful nodded at him and moved towards the bookshelf he was pointing to. ¡°Hmm, let me think... what kind of book will catch your fancy.¡±


    Calin watched as the woman, he often saw behind the counter of the Fruits shop, dropped her book in the return tray, she smiled briefly at him before she left the shop.


    Misses Getsam¨¦ just then came back with an action book, but Calin smirked when an opportunity to disarm the situation slightly presented itself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t by any chance have one that has a lot of sword fighting in it? I had the strangest of dream about fighting with a sword last night, you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you what happened... But it got me thinking.¡±


    The woman who had been in tears no less than a minute before, chuckled at Calin and said,


    ¡°Calin you never seize to amaze me. Your curiosity is refreshing.¡±


    He grinned and shrugged his shoulders playfully. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve always been a curious guy.¡±


    Within a minute she handed him a book and said, ¡°This one would definitely do the trick. Actually, it¡¯s one of my favourites. I hope you enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the book. I¡¯ll have it back in a few days.¡±


    He turned to leave. As he reached the door, a gentle hand touched his arm. He turned towards Misses Getsam¨¦. She hesitated only a moment before she softly said, ¡°Thanks Calin.¡±


    With a sudden frown, he asked,


    ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°For listening, and... making me smile again. Thank you.¡±


    A sincere smile split Calin¡¯s face and he hugged her again. ¡°My pleasure. I hope they find your family.¡±


    And with that, he waved his goodbyes and started through the door. He dropped the book in his bag.


    ***


    The slight sounds of his footfalls were all that was noticeable as he trudged up the road, deep in thought.


    He replayed the last twenty minutes in his mind over and over again. The guilt he had for what had happened and not happened at the Ruins was real, but Kara¡¯s mother didn¡¯t show the reaction he had expected. Something in him had wanted her to be angry at him for his inaction, yet she had cried on his shoulder...


    Calin slumped his shoulders as his mind worked to make up and down out of everything.


    Then from seemingly nowhere a woman snorted. He jerked his attention back to his surroundings.


    Misses Talsen stood at the entrance to the Jacobs¡¯ house. She walked from the door closing behind her, and waved him over. Calin¡¯s first response was to apologize for no reason, but he managed to hold his tongue and listened patiently as the woman spoke.


    ¡°Were you on your way on an errand?¡±


    He just shook his head, and she replied gruffly. ¡°Good, I need you to help Jerry load some wares from Mr. Jacobs¡¯ stock. The boy is already busy next to the house at the truck,¡± Upon turning away from him, she said over her shoulder. ¡°And be quick about it will you or I¡¯ll give you Jerry¡¯s chores for two days.¡±


    With a quick trot he swept around the side of the building. All the while, he watched her move up to the street towards their house next door.


    He couldn¡¯t help but speculate about whether the woman ever did smile. As he got close to Jerry, the boy¡¯s snicker became evident.


    ¡°Wow Calin, you sure cut it close today. All my chores for two days? I think I might have liked you make a slip of tongue or forget something.¡±


    Calin smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°Maybe you would have, but like I know you and I do, you would have done something to anger somebody somewhere within a few hours of getting free time and well, my guess is you would have sat alongside me doing extra chores either way by the afternoon, if it took that long.¡±


    A protest formed on Jerry¡¯s lips, but after a moment he conceded with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah well¡­ I guess you¡¯re right, it is truly hard staying out of trouble when I get so much free time.¡±


    They both laughed while Calin took up the spot next to the old truck, loading Misses Talsen¡¯s order of food and stock onto it. As they loaded, Jerry paused next to Calin and said, ¡°Have you ever thought of going to a different town or even one of the cities?¡±


    The question caught Calin by surprise as he stopped what he was doing.


    ¡°No... Not really... I don¡¯t know, maybe. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just because now that we are older the chance to go see places really opens up. I don¡¯t know about cities yet, but Draves town is a good option, it is outside the city but still a ways away. What do you think?¡±


    This was definitely a different line of thought as Calin tried to think of how to respond; as he did he picked up another box. It strained against his muscles as he carried it to the truck. Finally he huffed.


    ¡°You, going away? Ha! That will be so weird. Come to think of it, you know, the mischief and pranks in this town will reduce to next to nothing in no time if you leave. Besides, I think you¡¯ll miss it too much here, especially sneaking kisses to Mr Jacobs¡¯ daughters.¡±


    Jerry smiled broadly, then punched Calin on the arm and said, ¡°You wish, the other kids will take over, I¡¯ve taught them well to handle you,


    ¡°But you are right about me missing this place. And no I haven¡¯t snuck kisses¡­ yet. Strong minded lot those girls, especially Ashley and Evany, wouldn¡¯t want to get on their bad side.¡± Jerry lifted his hands as Calin stared sternly at him, ¡°Yeah yeah I know. They had been good friends to both of us. But hard to understand for me.¡± The boy got a mischievous look. ¡°Ah, but maybe for Ashley... it¡¯s because she likes you more.¡±


    Calin groaned as he carried a heavy box. Dropping it, he asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular,¡± Jerry said with a smirk. ¡°But then again, she is far too involved working on that farm.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but back to the other point, I take it there is no easy way of getting rid of you, hey?¡±


    Jerry snickered again before he replied while unloading a small package to the trolley. ¡°Nope, I think I¡¯ll keep haunting you, even if I¡¯m gone.¡± The boy mocked.


    With a laugh Calin interrupted Jerry¡¯s antics as he said in a mocking voice.


    ¡°Haha! Well if you go, I¡¯ll at last be free of your pranks, or maybe you¡¯ll freak somebody out with one of your failed attempts and they¡¯ll send some big lugs after you, without my help to get you out of trouble again. Hmm, I really think it is about time.¡±


    Jerry just snorted at Calin¡¯s remark and said, ¡±You wish again, I¡¯m a sneaky fox, you know how stealthy I am. Besides, I don¡¯t think I want to leave. I was just kidding around; I¡¯ll miss doing this too much.¡± Jerry swung one of the carton tubes at Calin¡¯s face.


    Calin ducked, but before he could take another jibe at Jerry¡¯s lame jokes, a strong wind struck up out of nowhere pushing the two slightly off balance. They both stopped as they stood there watching the wind hit the grain field next to them.


    A shiver ran through Calin, as he stared over the field of grain waving with big ripples in the strong wind.


    In the distance on the right stood the barn and the windmill, its blades spun almost out of control in the strength of the gusts of wind. Even the large dead tree that had stood like a statue for years, swayed to and fro.


    For a moment trepidation came over Calin as something drew his gaze to the left and unsettled his peace.


    Something in the image of the grain field in the flurry of air was out of place. He stared intently at the far edge of the rippling grain field that seemed alive in the wind.


    But as he stared, there was a sudden loud cracking noise filled with branches breaking. A scream resounded from the right. He spun in the direction and watched as one of the large branches of the old tree, next to the private, orphanage house, dropped like a dead weight.


    It was then that a large crash boomed on the other side. He stared shocked at Jerry, they both stood agape. A moment later they scrambled over the small wall around the grain field and ran full speed through the rows and rows of rippling grain stalks towards their house, to see what had happened. The few minutes it took to reach the scene was painstakingly long. There was a large branch that had crashed into one of the rooms of the house. That part of the roof was in pieces.


    Calin didn¡¯t wait for Jerry as he rushed into the house. Inside he found Misses Talsen with Kelly in her arms and Steve, standing close to where the tree had fallen. It was right on top of the roof, destroying half the wing where his and Jerry¡¯s room were.


    Upon reaching the broken door to their room, he found the roof had almost fully collapsed. Dust and rocks littered the floor and beds.


    The room creaked and groaned from the weight of the big branch. Calin ran into the room, ignoring the grave protests from Misses Talsen.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe!¡±


    Without regard to his safety or his hands he ignored the small cuts from moving the rocks as he dug through the rubble. The real pain was in his heart as tears threatened to spill, blurring his vision.


    It hurt. But he couldn¡¯t give up, so he continued the search.


    A piece of tile was stuck and he forced it out. Underneath he found what he was looking for, his lock box. Sudden joy infused him. It was still whole...


    The anxiousness in his heart slowly ebbed as he wiped his unshed tears, before they could find their track down his cheeks.


    The lock box held the only evidence of his past, the past that was ripped from him that night on the beach. It contained a ring, a dirty white small-boy¡¯s shirt, the ripped shards of some trousers and a letter fragment that was all that was left from when he was found senseless and hurt on the wet sands.


    He almost stopped to open the container, but the tree giving another lurch sent him clambering from the room to safety. He stumbled out to a safe part of the hall and sat down heavily.


    Misses Talsen was rebuking him for being reckless, but he wasn¡¯t listening.


    All his attention was on the crude lock box. He drew his knees up, and reached for the small hatch. With shaking hands he opened the box. He hadn¡¯t opened it in such a long time and now he almost could have lost it in the rubble.


    He slid the ring over his palm, but then dropped it into his pocket, taking the damaged letter from the box. It was from his mother, he hadn¡¯t read the letter in years. The memory always hurt far too deeply. Yet after everything that happened the last two weeks, the events at the Ruins and the strange dream from the night before, there was a great urge to read it just then.


    Being careful, he slowly unfolded the letter gently before his eyes scanned the smudged surface:


    My dearest Calin


    ...


    He took a shuddering breath and continued,


    I wish I could have been there for your tenth birthday, but I was sent on a very important trip. You¡¯re growing up so fast! I do hope you have a wonderful day. Please know that I love you with all my heart and I¡¯ll think of you every day until I¡¯m back. Tell your father to take you somewhere special. Stay safe.


    Love Always


    Your Mom


    P.S. I hope you enjoy the ring your father and I made for your birthday, may it bring you courage and show y.. ... ... .. ¡­..


    They never did come; never took him somewhere special. It still pained him greatly not knowing why they had left him.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the letter, Calin was certain he wouldn¡¯t even have known his own name or age. To be nameless would have been the last blow for him; especially when he started understanding again, wondering why he was alone in this world.


    After a while, he had surmised that the injury to his head was the culprit to his complete memory loss. The months it had taken him to learn to speak and read again had been a gruelling process, one that he cared to forget.


    He shifted his attention back to the letter and cradled the fragile page. It¡¯s sad about the last part, I wonder... but at least I know she loved me... back then, he thought darkly.


    Somehow the hope of having been loved once let a smile tug weakly at his lips even with the darker thoughts trying to worm their way through.


    With that he withdrew from the hallway, as much to get some fresh air as to scratch at a slight itch that had started to form on his right shoulder since the morning.


    As Calin walked past Jerry, the boy winked at him, knowing full well what the lock box meant to him.


    Misses Talsen motioned for him and Jerry to come to her. Calin almost half expected her to make them start getting the tree out of the way. Not really keen for chopping on a tree for a week.


    Glancing towards Jerry, he would have bet big that the boy was thinking the exact same thing, but as they reached Misses Talsen, she said,


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry boys. I had told Gerad Jacobs that the tree was looking worse for wear by the day. Well as you can see I was right, so while I get somebody to get rid of the tree and repair your room, would you boys mind sleeping in the old barn? I¡¯ll give you time to set up some mattresses and bedding. What do you say?¡±


    Barely a second passed before Calin looked at Jerry and they both replied immediately. ¡°Sure, thanks for considering, Misses Talsen.¡±


    She just waved them off, best way for her to say ¡®You¡¯re welcome¡¯ as the woman waddled away.


    Dazed, they waited for her to be out of ear range. Calin just about managed to hold it in and then broke out laughing while starting off towards the back. He wanted to check out the barn alongside Jerry, knowing full well they had just dodged a week of hard labour.

 Chapter 6: Hay and starlight

    <h1>Chapter Six: Hay and starlight</h1>


    ¡°Ha!¡± Jerry said out back, ¡°That was a surprise, I would¡¯ve sworn she would put us on chopping duty, but hey¡­ We get the barn again, NEVER expected that one, seriously.¡±


    Calin smiled and said, ¡°Yeah me too, it¡¯s going to be different, lodging there again after so many years. Come to think of it, we could probably get away with having some house-leave for ourselves at night. That will be awesome.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jerry was rubbing his hands together next to him as he agreed enthusiastically, ¡°We should hurry with our chores after we get our stuff here, I¡¯m so excited! What, it¡¯s been years since we tried something late at night. Remember that time we snuck into the Jacobs¡¯ apple plantation and plucked a whole basket full of apples and drew a picture with them before the workers cottage? I would¡¯ve loved to see the ground keepers face that next morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was amazing. Bummer that Evany caught us red handed. I remember her black mailing us for weeks after that, the little snake.¡± Calin chuckled at the memories, ¡°I still think it was your fault she caught us, Jerry.¡±


    Jerry¡¯s smile faded a bit and he muttered, ¡°I remember it differently.¡±


    Smirking, Calin pointed out, ¡°No you don¡¯t. You¡¯re the one who told me the next day that you wished you hadn¡¯t accidently kicked that bucket over.¡±


    Not missing the flash of remembrance on Jerry¡¯s face, Calin laughed and said,


    ¡°Those were nice times, good thing I smoothed things over with the girl. She was picking heavily on you.¡±


    Jerry shot him a dark look, but then hopped along as he grinned broadly at something.


    The boy shot towards the barn, without warning, shouting back at Calin.


    ¡°Last one there gets barn cleaning duty first!¡±


    Not so fast. Calin thought while grinning mischievously, he was faster than Jerry. He sprung forward at the boy before the distance between them increased and pulled Jerry back by his shirt and dashed past the boy.


    Sprinting ahead towards the barn, Jerry protested heavily from behind. ¡°Not Fair! You cheated.¡±


    Calin kept his pace while laughing and called back. ¡°Coming from someone who ¡®don¡¯t¡¯ cheat?¡± But just then his foot got hooked on a root sticking out of the ground and he stumbled heavily.


    Though he quickly regained his footing, it was too late as Jerry came sailing past him, all the while laughing at the sudden turn in favour.


    The boy ran into the barn, but then he came running straight back out saying, ¡°Eww! The whole floor is covered in dead rats. I¡¯m not touching them!¡±


    Staring at Jerry in utter disbelief, Calin couldn¡¯t remember the boy ever being so squeamish before.


    Jerry huffed at his expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do rats. Ever!¡±


    After regaining his breath, Calin said, ¡°I¡¯m not touching them either, though seeing you like rats so much you can have the honour.¡± Bowing at his own words.


    Not missing the boy¡¯s glare, Calin smiled, but it was wiped from his face when Jerry got a wicked glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Oh no, but correct me if I¡¯m wrong, Shorty, but you lost the race, so you get to clean up our rat friends there.¡±


    Surprised at the quick turn of events, Calin wanted to protest, but Jerry had a point, so he shrugged and mumbled under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m so going to get you for this one.¡±


    The tall boy¡¯s characteristic loud laugh echoed through the barn from behind him, Jerry probably had a superior smug look on his face.


    With effort, Calin resisted the urge to tackle the ¡®smug one¡¯ and went to work removing the dead rats with a shovel.


    After disposing of the stinking rats and most of the unwanted tools, dirt and some hay from the area behind the loads of barrels in the barn, Calin accompanied Jerry to get something to sleep on, with some pillows.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ***


    The two spent the rest of their afternoon dawdling about the edges of the Jacobs¡¯ farm. Jerry even got thrown in the back after making an off side comment to one of the Jacobs girls. Even so the girl in question was smiling.


    Calin kept his distance, just in the mood to watch Jerry¡¯s antics disturbing the girls from their work. The first hit was something light and small and Calin couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Jerry would take an apple to the head next. Through it all he just laughed at the boy.


    But then Calin¡¯s eyes met Ashley Jacobs¡¯ eyes as he caught her staring at him from her perch, on a ladder in one of the many apple trees. The moment he caught her looking at him, she jerked and almost tumbled from her ladder before going back to what she was busy with. Calin chuckled, going back to throwing small pebbles at a wooden pole.


    As Calin predicted, a discarded apple was the arsenal of Evany next as she chucked it with remarkable precision at Jerry¡¯s chest.


    Luckily the boy caught it, though it had been a close call.


    After a couple of hours they headed back and the night settled in, Calin brought a couple of battery powered lanterns for them and looked around the big barn for a nice place to make his den.


    The faded yellow paint that edged the walls gave the barn its old look. Though he was not entirely sure how old it truly was, but his guesses would be close to seventy years at least.


    Up top was the loft. He sighed with remembrance. It had been almost six years since he had last been up there. It always served as a quiet spot of solitude back when he was still confused about everything; especially his memory loss, the mystery of his parents, and getting to know the life he woke up to, being the main source of it.


    Looking around the two story barn, Calin decided to try and find a spot up the ladder on the wooden loft to sleep.


    With some effort, he moved some of the heavy barrels to make a pathway to the slightly hidden ladder.


    Once on the second story, he smiled to see a small window in the side of the yellow wall. Perfect. He quickly went to work to get his mattress and bedding there.


    Calin moved a few crates closer to the ladder and decided they could give him some workspace. There was a slight creak in some of the boards, but it didn¡¯t bother him overly much. He completed his bed and stood up.


    Jerry¡¯s grumbling sounded faint on the bottom floor, but he ignored it as he spotted a large stash of old fiction novels.


    Not able to help but smile, he dragged his hand over the dusty covers and picked up one of the books he had treasured so much those many years back. He dusted off the book admiring it.


    Though the books portrayed many things that any boy that had nothing would yearn for, they were never real.


    He dusted off one last book before he walked back towards his bed. He fell onto the bed with a sigh of relief and looked at the few stars shining out through the window and the moon winking at the corner of his sight.


    He rubbed his shoulder deeper into the mattress, making a quick mental note that he would have to ask Misses Talsen first thing in the morning for something to take the edge off the itch on his shoulder. It had annoyed him since the morning and it had only gotten more noticeable as the day went on.


    He let his hands stray to his warm pockets, settling in more comfortably. He frowned slightly when something pressed against his right hip.


    He quickly stuck his hand deeper in his pocket and drew the ring out. He hadn¡¯t taken notice of it in such a long while; the main part being the ring was always too big. Yet as he placed it onto his right index finger, it fit quite perfectly to his surprise. He smiled at the new knowledge and played with it on his finger, but something odd happened.


    The ring caught the natural light coming through the window, and the fine engraved glyphs on the two sides started to glow with a very faint blue, but disappeared soon after as he drew his hand closer to his face out of the dim natural light.


    Calin sat upright, not quite believing what he had just seen. The ring started to glow again as it caught the light again, this was news to him.


    He stared intently at the glowing ring. Then warmth enveloped his finger around the inside of the ring. He almost tore it from his finger, but it didn¡¯t become any hotter than a mild heat as it basked in the starlight for a short while.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    The glow he could understand. These days you could find numerous objects that could glow in the dark, but a ring glowing and giving off heat was something he hadn¡¯t seen before. He stared intently at the object.


    It seemed an hour had passed, but it was only a minute before he finally dropped his gaze away and fumbled with the warm ring on his finger, mumbling, ¡°hmmm I wonder if¡­¡± he looked back at the ring and hid it away from the starlight. And as expected, the glyphs stopped their faint glow but the heat ebbed away more slowly. He took it back into the starlight, just confirming his suspicions on natural light giving its glow and warmth. What an odd little thing you are.


    As he drew the ring off of his finger, Calin looked on the inside of the band. Three distinct gem-like materials completed the circle. On closer inspection he was quite astounded at the workmanship of the ring. It would take a small fortune to buy anything like this in a shop.


    What surprised him the most was the fact that he never realized it had any of those features before.


    Though, for years he couldn¡¯t bear looking at the ring without grief striking him. Still, not once over the years had he seen the finer details of it. But now it was painfully obvious; a true treasure.


    Calin pondered calling Jerry and even took the breath for it, but then again, he wondered if the boy would only make fun of it.


    With a chuckle at the preposterous boy, Calin went back to gazing at the ring on his finger, wondering anew if his parents really had cared for him, giving him such a wondrous gift.


    It felt true for the first time in his life, but it only lasted a moment before he shrugged. Seven years had passed and he was still here at the orphanage with no sign of his parents. It destroyed most of the hope of them caring for him. He plucked the ring from his finger and set it on the box next to him.


    A deep sigh escaped his lips, but before the all too familiar troubling thoughts could invade his mind. His drowsy eyes betrayed him for the safe confines of sleep¡­

 Chapter 7: Struck

    <h1>Chapter Seven: Struck</h1>


    Calin sat up close to dawn. Something was out of place, off. Darkness was still a heavy blanket outside, but the early birds¡¯ songs were loud and clear. Then it started.


    Immediately sweat started rolling off him in buckets. A sensation not unlike being in a sauna settled over him, but it was worse than that. His skin was starting to pulse in irregular beats of intense heat. He rolled hastily from his bed, desperate to find something cold.


    As he jumped at the slightly hidden ladder for his loft, he almost lost his footing, barely stopping just short of the edge in shock.


    Shrugging it off, Calin slid more than climbed down the ladder. It didn¡¯t even register as he landed with a sting on the hard floor. He stumbled forward in his anxious search, not caring in the least when Jerry groggily groaned as he woke up from the crashing around the barn.


    ¡°Calin...?¡± came the boy¡¯s voice.


    Jerry sat up thick with sleep, wiping at his puffy eyes. But ignoring the boy Calin scampered to his right. He threw open every barrel he could find, but none contained water, his skin was on fire.


    Jerry found his voice a bit more behind him. ¡°Calin... what on earth are you doing?¡±


    Calin glanced at the boy, but didn¡¯t stop his frantic search to answer.


    ¡°Are you alright mate?¡± Jerry asked more anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Calin¡¯s thoughts were hazy through the question, but he managed to croak out one phrase. ¡°Water¡­ I need water!¡± He almost paused at the sound of his own hoarse voice, but he scrambled towards the last accessible barrel in the barn.


    To his dismay it was only grain.


    He had to find water, his body was burning up. Somehow he didn¡¯t know if he could last much longer.


    It was almost unbearable, yet he was certain it was no fever, it had come on him much too fast. Something was wrong, so very wrong.


    The numerous crates that took up the back of the barn flew from his mind. They couldn¡¯t contain what he needed.


    With a hard push against the large barn doors to get outside, he almost fell to the ground as they swung open. Luckily he got his footing at the last moment.


    His blurred vision was only making his search all the more difficult as he tried to find something, anything.


    The field¡¯s wide expanse was easiest to make out, and to his left he spotted the windmill, its slow turning blades promised what he so desperately craved.


    At his back there was the sure sound of Jerry stumbling to get out of his sleeping bag, it was nothing but a slight hindrance in Calin¡¯s muddled senses. He turned his head to see Jerry, maybe the boy could help.


    No, he can¡¯t. Calin shook his head and stumbled on, he needed water and he needed it fast.


    ***


    Outside, he glanced back to mark the windmill as his location, but to his utter dismay it was not there anymore.


    Not the field making waves in the wind, not the houses waking up with their dim lights, making ready for the morning¡¯s business. Not the town he had lived in for the last seven years. Everything was gone.


    It was replaced by a deserted plain dotted with black scorched boulders. The sun enveloped him in heat high up in the sky.


    What¡¯s going on? Calin lifted his arm and was caught off guard by a scar of an old wound on his hand that he did not recognize.


    Then to his horror, he could see his whole arm was burned beyond recognition, it was still simmering. He froze in terror, but the need for something cold overwhelmed every other thought.


    It was look for water or die. But as he scanned his surroundings for anything, he slowly realized it was futile. There would be no chance in this water forsaken place.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The glare of the sun on the black boulders promised nothing but death, and the arid landscape reached as far as the eyes could see. There was no way out, all he could do was face his enemy.


    He prayed a silent prayer that his children would live safely away from these terrible murderers.


    The strange thought shocked Calin¡¯s foggy mind immensely, but as he turned he fell to the ground, only to register the pain in his crippled charred leg. He forced the sword into the ground and tried to give some support to his faltering body. His lungs resisted the air that slid into his throat with a burning sensation, and all he could do was pant as he lifted his gaze slightly.


    The only thing visible to him through his blurry eyes was the dark-bronze coloured armour gleaming on the legs of his pursuer.


    The armour had seen many battles, but it was the sword that came into view that held his gaze, it was black as night, with a wicked jagged edge on the one side, blood dripped from a few of the sword¡¯s bloodthirsty teeth.


    ¡°There is nowhere to run this time,¡± a voice said with venom. ¡°Do you hear me?! Not this time. Fifteen years I have searched...¡±


    Calin tried in vain to get his head to lift higher to mark the man¡¯s face. But he couldn¡¯t. The figure got closer and closer and Calin¡¯s only thought then was to deny something. What should I deny? He didn¡¯t know, but there was no other choice, not anymore.


    All of a sudden the words formed on his lips, a battle cry that echoed into the rocky terrain,


    ¡°YOU WILL NOT USE ME!!!!¡±


    Everything happened in a blur then, he swung his sword up, making the armoured man stagger backwards, giving enough time to reach into his bag to draw out a silver artefact. It had remained unused for years almost beyond number, but it was time.


    A last resort.


    Its only purpose was to deny himself from being taken, it was a final desperate act to stop them. Stop their insane plans.


    It didn¡¯t make sense for Calin, he couldn¡¯t even guess who they were or what plan, but every fibre of his being believed it was necessary. Heat radiated from the thing in waves, unstable in all ways. The real fear of burning alive fought to come to the surface, but he shook it off. It needed to be done. There was no alternative anymore. He hoped his children would forgive him.


    Then without knowing at all what his body was doing, Calin laid his burnt hand upon the ancient artefact. He dragged his shaking fingers in the intricate pattern he had feared his entire life.


    A great white explosion of light flashed into existence and engulfed him.


    In the distance a cry of outrage sounded ¡°No, it ... What are you doing?! NOOO!¡±


    And Calin fell into water.


    ***


    I¡¯m so sorry...


    Sounds echoed as he was sinking into the bliss of the deep cold water, Calin didn¡¯t even begin to feel the need to try and break the surface for air. In the wet embrace there was peace, it had been time.


    In the dark waters around him an arm suddenly plunged in. It was a pale arm, and without warning it reached around his chest and heaved him up.


    There was a reluctance to be forced to leave the soothing water on his skin, so Calin put up a fight. Yet as he broke the water and took a deep gasping breath he finally got control of himself.


    Jerry¡¯s telltale pale arm was around his chest pulling him up the edge of the windmill¡¯s dam. He heaved himself over with Jerry¡¯s help. Without real care of himself, Calin fell to the small flat roof of the tool shed against the dam¡¯s wall.


    After a minute he got up onto his knees and sat there panting. He lifted his eyes and Jerry was there taking great gulps of air, head still downcast, eyes wild.


    A second later Jerry shouted at him through breaths.


    ¡°ARE YOU INSANE?! What... uh... came... over you?¡±


    But before Calin could answer, the boy gasped in horror pointing at him.


    ¡°Calin! Your body is steaming!¡±


    With apprehension, Calin looked at his own arm, almost expecting the charred flesh to greet his eyes, but the welcome sight of his own intact arm surprised him. But there were steaming clouds coming off it like something extremely hot doused by water.


    Bewildered, he almost fell off of the small roof, before he gasped. ¡°I don¡¯t know what... happened. It felt as if I was on... fire, ugh, ugh literally. It¡¯s gone now, I think.¡± He climbed down towards the steady ground.


    Jerry was right behind him as the boy said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± He was still gulping in breaths.


    Calin almost said ¡®Heck if I know,¡¯ but refrained as he ventured towards the barn, he needed to pack his things.


    Jerry called after him, ¡°Maybe I should get Misses T. This is some weird stuff.¡±


    A fierce impatience with Jerry flared up out of nowhere and for no apparent reason he could discern, he just said through his gritted teeth, ¡°No.¡±


    Anxiety consumed him, he was anxious to go ... But go where? ... He stopped with the thought. He couldn¡¯t think of an answer, helplessness flowed through him for some reason.


    There was a need to help someone, but he didn¡¯t even know who needed his help. The questions were almost mind-numbing.


    The itch on his back wasn¡¯t helping him solve his conundrum either.


    Calin scratched at the awkward place, trying to rid himself of it, it not only persisted but it got worse. This night was driving his senses insane, he couldn¡¯t think clearly with the itch, Jerry nagging. That itch!


    The barn was not far off. But it was far from his mind. The urge to scream into the night was almost overpowering. It was so unfair; he should¡¯ve been there to help that man. Calin didn¡¯t even know who that man was, but the voice had on some basic way reminded him of the chaotic dream of his father, the dream that his wildest fantasies had created.


    The thought only made the feeling worse.


    The twice be cursed itch on his back made him want to tear his skin away to make it stop, he desperately needed to think.


    Then out of nowhere a great boom sounded and an immense weight hit his body with an incredible force, ground hit his face as lightning struck. The cloudless skies flashed through its bright and deadly passage.

 Chapter 8: Room of white

    <h1>Chapter Eight: Room of white</h1>


    The world spiralled around Calin. There were voices out in the distance, but whose it was, he couldn¡¯t guess. All he worried about at that moment was making the pain go away.


    His back felt like liquid rearranging itself over the surface, an agonizing ice cold liquid.


    Through it all, there was this force pressing down on his chest in small rhythms and a gush of breath filled his lungs, as if to remind him to breathe.


    Calin finally gasped for air and coughed heavily, but still slightly out of it, the only thing he could make out was an anxious female voice splitting into his thundering head. ¡°He is alive! Thank¡­ ¡­ he ¡­ breathes¡­ we have to¡­ hospital.¡±


    The rest just faded away into a blurred mess.


    Just then a great howl broke the silence, piercing through the night far away in the distant woods. It was wolves! I have to tell Jerry he was right all along¡­I have to tell Jerry... I have to ... the thought faded into black.


    ***


    Intense feelings swirled through Calin¡¯s befuddled mind and body, robbing him of any sense of time and place. Finally something settled in him and he opened his eyes to see a white ceiling. A frown split his forehead. Where am I?


    Before he could really try and ponder that question, hundreds of aches assaulted his body.


    He grimaced and rolled over on his side, thoroughly aware of the heavy throbbing in his shoulder. There was nothing to suggest what had happened.


    While he tried to figure out what had caused the discomfort, a voice spoke next to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, finally! You freaked me out, again, you know.¡±


    Turning to the familiar voice of Jerry, Calin tried to croak out a reply, but his throat was too dry. He finally managed to say, ¡°Water.¡±


    The boy seemed to jump at the task and just a bare moment later, Jerry brought water to his dry lips.


    Drinking heartily, he listened as his friend said, ¡°After your episode with the mill two days back I¡¯ll keep a frikken barrel next to my bed for in case.¡±


    Calin¡¯s eyes shot wide open at that.


    ¡°Two days?! You can¡¯t be serious. What happened?¡±


    Jerry shrugged next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue mate, though I only know that after you pulled crazy on me with the windmill, you stormed away and then this great blue lightning struck you out of the clear skies,


    ¡®I swear there wasn¡¯t a cloud anywhere. I thought it killed you! Even I was thrown back like five meters. It was intense! Then Ashley, of all people, came storming out of nowhere like a girl possessed and gave you CPR. The rest¡­well I think you¡¯ll figure it out¡­¡±


    Wow¡­ That¡¯s so outlandish. And Ashley giving him CPR¡­? Calin couldn¡¯t begin wrapping his mind around that one. His cheeks warmed up. Yet something confused him about Jerry¡¯s body languge, so he placed the glass of water on the bedside counter and glanced at the boy. Jerry had a ¡®Hiding something face¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave anything out,¡± Calin demanded in an even tone. ¡°Or I¡¯ll wrangle it out of you when I get my strength back.¡±


    But Jerry only shrugged at him before smiling wryly and said, ¡°Well, well, you look like your getting your old self back. Though before I tell you anything, can you please for heaven¡¯s sake explain to me why you went all demented and almost got yourself killed?¡±


    Taking a deep breath Calin said, ¡°You¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy if I tell you.¡±


    The boy glared at him. ¡°I already think you¡¯re crazy!¡± Jerry threw up his hands in exasperation. ¡°So out with it.¡±


    Not understanding half of it himself, Calin tried to make sense of what happened that night. But the more he thought about it the more he couldn¡¯t believe that it actually happened, but Jerry was there.


    After a minute he blew out his breath and started his tale of the heat and the vision.


    Jerry gaped in disbelief half the time, it was disconcerting, but he kept on telling. After he told the last part, before he got struck, Jerry just slumped back in his chair and said,


    ¡°Calin, I¡¯ve known you for seven years and I know you¡¯re not insane, but tell this story to anyone else and they¡¯ll throw you in the coo-coo house.¡±


    Nodding half heartedly, Calin stayed silent as Jerry continued, ¡°If I didn¡¯t see the water steam off of your body myself, I would¡¯ve thought you nuts mate, don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Calin said as he shook his head.


    He took a big gulp of water, trying to drown out the unwelcome thoughts that were bubbling up, but Jerry lured his attention away as he said, ¡°Calin seriously if half what you¡¯re saying is true this is sounding more like some mad stuff straight from a movie, I don¡¯t know what the heck is going on.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I, Jerry. Neither do I.¡± Calin admitted passionately. ¡°But for now I¡¯m going to assume it was a lot of things that happened at the same time, it was pure coincidental.¡±


    Jerry nodded weakly at the words, but it was all they could do. The next moment Jerry caught him by surprise with a question.


    ¡°So how did it feel being struck by lightning? It looked incredible to witness mate.¡±


    He gaped at Jerry, but shook his head in disbelief as he said,Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Jerry you are a freak, I got struck by it and you got flung five metres away... incredible to witness, are you kidding me? Haha! What am I ever going to do about you?¡±


    ¡°Um, let me think¡­ Yeah, tell me how it felt, that¡¯s something you can do for me,¡± Jerry said with a smirk.


    Calin started to laugh, but his back went through a sudden spasm and he fell on his side. He tried to reach the awkward place, but failed. He fidgeted with the bandages and finally just gave up.


    He slumped heavily back onto the bed gasping the words, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ wrong with my¡­ back?¡±


    Jerry looked at him dumbly for a few seconds and then jerked like realizing something and said, ¡°Umm¡­ your shoulder mate¡­ I¡¯m not going to lie to you, it¡¯s a mess. Sorry.¡±


    So that was what he was hiding, Calin groaned as another spasm went through his shoulder blade. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    Jerry looked helpless. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to describe it. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it, but yeah it looks like there is glass melted into your shoulder. The docs don¡¯t know how it happened either, they¡¯ve not seen many people hit by lightning you know.¡±


    ¡°Anything they can do about it?¡± Calin asked hopefully.


    Jerry shook his head gravely and said, ¡°Sorry mate.¡±


    Calin nodded with a sense of helplessness before looking to the ceiling again, trying to come to terms with what had happened to him. It felt like it happened to someone else. He thought, but the pain in his body spoke otherwise.


    Before he could find words the door slammed open, admitting the sure form of an upset Marigold Talsen. Her face red with what he could only guess as anger.


    ¡°Calin! Why on earth were you out in the open through a storm?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at that and glanced at Jerry, who only shrugged his shoulders with the notion. Calin sat up, aching all over as he said, ¡°Misses T, there was not a cloud in the sky! I couldn¡¯t have known lightning would strike out of nowhere.¡±


    The woman regarded him levelly before she asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Without a second to spare he pointed at Jerry. The boy shifted uneasily at being brought into the situation, but regardless of it, Calin said, ¡°Ask Jerry, he witnessed the whole thing, I just, well, remember hitting the ground.¡±


    Jerry nodded the whole time¡­ like an idiot, hahaha¡­ Calin thought, but said nothing as Misses Talsen settled for the answer.


    She sat down heavily next to him in the only other chair in the room, rearranging her curled hair that was hanging over her shoulders. He didn¡¯t know what to expect from the woman, it was a bit uncharted waters for him. Misses Talsen was always serious about most things, but it was partly due to losing her husband a couple of years ago.


    The woman took in a deep breath and said, ¡°I was afraid young man. I thought you were gone for a moment last night, but thanks for sticking around. Lord alone knows what the house would¡¯ve been like with you gone and Jerry without reigns.¡±


    Calin wanted to smile as Jerry sat up to protest, but he subtly pushed out his hand to calm the boy before he said, ¡°You know I would hate to leave you Misses T, but I guess Jerry would¡¯ve shown some responsibility if the need ever arose.¡±


    A smile tugged at Calin as he watched Jerry¡¯s chest puff up slightly. It was always fun to pet Jerry¡¯s false bravado. The boy wouldn¡¯t know how to handle the other kids on his own. They were like little green aliens to him. He would probably seek help from Evany or Ashley within a week.


    Before continuing his line of thought, Calin turned his head back to Misses Talsen and asked, ¡°Misses T, do you know how long I will be in here?¡±


    She was fidgeting with her hair next to him, then stopped as she said, ¡°They said they wanted to do some small tests, taking you are their first lightning struck victim to survive. They¡¯ll check on you till tomorrow and let you out if you stay stable. But how are you feeling my boy?¡±


    ¡°Sore,¡± Calin groaned as he shifted his weight again. ¡°But happy for the chance to be going home tomorrow, I hate hospitals.¡±


    They nodded thoughtfully at his statement and the woman stood up. She squeezed his hand before she shooed Jerry out of the room. Before she left, she said, ¡°Just scream if you need anything, I won¡¯t be far.¡±


    Waving her off, he lied back on the bed. Without really thinking about it, his mind wandered around the relatively bare room and he smiled at the white Orchids that stood in its vase on the small table.


    It brought his attention to the glass screen that looked into the busy but small little hospital, where the nurses and doctors were rushing about. I hate hospitals, the sooner I get out, the better. He thought with a feeling of being trapped creeping up in his stomach. Calin pondered to get up and try to sneak out. And like Jerry, he had the ability for it, but he wasn¡¯t one for sneaking around a hospital in a robe that left his back side open for all to see.


    Ultimately, he decided that an extra day won¡¯t kill him. So he settled deeper into the bedding.


    His shoulder was scraping against the sheets even under the bandages.


    Rubbing it deeper, Calin was surprised that his shoulder muscles still behaved normally, but there was clearly a different texture to it. He was going to have a scar and he couldn¡¯t help but groan in submission.


    As he let his breath out, he looked back to the window. There was a black haired young man, not much older than him walking to the counter asking a question.


    It was almost surely a Japanese man, which was slightly odd, but not overly strange because of their town¡¯s scientific foundations. All sorts of people visited the place to come study the many mysteries.


    But then a moment later, the man looked at him. A shiver ran up Calin¡¯s spine as the man¡¯s intense amber eyes met his, a feeling like falling again enveloped him, a cliff disappearing from under his feet, a boy with shining amber eyes grabbing at him¡ª


    ¡°Calin um? Do you have a last name young mister?¡±


    Calin jumped at the sudden voice at the door, he turned abruptly to the intruder only to see a small brunette nurse with a profile board in her hand.


    There hadn¡¯t even been a noise announcing the door being opened. But he pushed aside the fact with a shake of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have one ma¡¯am, I¡¯m an orphan, but I live over at Misses Marigold Talsen¡¯s house.¡±


    The nurse nodded at him and scribbled something on her sheet of paper and said, ¡°No need to call me ma¡¯am, my name is Christie. I¡¯ll be doing some tests with you today¡­¡±


    She kept on speaking, but Calin glanced back to where the stranger had stood.


    There was no one there.


    Must¡¯ve been a trick of my mind; He turned his attention back to the nurse just as she was finishing. ¡°¡­so are you alright with us doing some tests and asking some questions? It¡¯s only for future reference.¡±


    Calin nodded distractedly, but said, ¡°Sure, nothing else to do for me until tomorrow, guess this will at least keep me busy.¡±


    The woman beamed a smile at him and said, ¡°Great! Let¡¯s get started then, please turn on your stomach. Oh don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Rolling over, Calin flinched at her cold hands on his bare lower back as she peeled away the bandages to expose his shoulder. It was then that he looked at the mounted mirror on the wall.


    When she was done, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± As she turned to leave, Calin called back, ¡°Hey, Christie? Can you get me a second mirror please; I want to see what happened to my shoulder.¡± The small nurse¡¯s smile faded and he was sure there was sympathy in her eyes. With a nod, she disappeared through the door.


    He tried to quench the sudden anxiety that threatened to flare up inside him. But his breath came in quicker as the nurse returned. She quickly left the mirror at his side and retreated out of the room as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute.¡±


    Calin inclined his head, his throat tightening as he picked up the mirror. He stood up, and with a shaking hand angled it so he could see his shoulder blade. The moment he laid eyes on what happened on it, he gasped and it was utterly certain it would be part of him for the rest of his life.


    It was as if someone poured molten glass onto his skin and muscles; in an attempt to try and create a tattoo out of it as it ate into his flesh, but wasn¡¯t happy with it so destroyed it with more glass into his skin. Calin groaned and sat down with a slightly defeated sigh. He didn¡¯t know what to think. And when Christie showed up tentatively, he was glad he wouldn¡¯t be left alone with his thoughts. He motioned to her that he was ready for the tests and laid down.


    She hurried to him and shifted him into position, he tried to settle in more comfortably, but she kept tugging him into different positions each time before he could.


    There was a distinct feeling to him that it was going to be a very long afternoon. Yet he soon found his mind drifting to the mysterious figure of the man with the amber eyes. Or at least he tried to.

 Chapter 9: A strange encounter

    <h1>Chapter Nine: A strange encounter</h1>


    The next day as Calin finally got some decent clothes, he dressed as fast as he could just to get out of the place. He was still shuddering at the thought of all the tests he had to endure the previous day. All at the hands of the sadistic little nurse.


    She could have dissected me like a frog and it would¡¯ve been a kinder term for the ¡®tests¡¯, another shiver ran across his body. But still¡­ the woman only did what she was told to do. At least she was friendly, mostly.


    He stepped out of the small room, glancing back to the confining box. He hoped he didn¡¯t have to come back there any time soon. Jerry said two days only? Plus today, it felt like a week!


    Each step Calin took away from the room brought more of a spring to his step. He started humming a tune he never quite remembered where he had heard it, but it didn¡¯t really matter, it always made him smile.


    Then a voice from the side stole that smile and made him cringe. ¡°Goodbye Calin, thanks for doing the tests.¡±


    Turning to the smiling nurse, he said thanks trying to keep the slight tremble in his hands under control. He almost ran through the hospital doors when she turned away from him. Outside, Calin huffed for breath in the fresh air, quite glad to be free.


    He turned his attention to the sight before him.


    The white building that made up the pharmacy and hospital was built on the hillside. It overlooked the small town of farmers, fishermen and a lot of scientists. The last seven years were filled with of memories of the town.


    Calin lifted his face and basked in the last rays of the afternoon sun. Its fading rays cradled the town¡¯s hundred odd buildings. Most of them were closer to the seaside, but that was expected. Not to mention that it was closer to the strange ruins in the forest over the cliffs.


    Those forests tugged at him now as they called for him where they hugged the cliffs in the distance. The sound of a river faint from up there.


    For an instant, the woods made him wonder if he really had heard a wolf howl the night with the lightning. But just then he spotted the small tower of the only unearthed part of Mesa Versee above the cliffs. It was more visible these days over the forest and with the sight of it Calin lost his sense of freedom as he couldn¡¯t help but think of Kara and her father going missing because of Wanrey and his cahoots.


    It was too much for him, every time he thought of it he started beating himself up about his lack of action that day. All he could do was shake off that familiar line of thoughts as he turned his gaze to the right.


    There laid the all too familiar green pastures of the farms and plantations that opted for the more sheltered part of the valley between the hills, hiding their crops from the brutal winds coming from the sea. The river touched on the farms but then disappeared underground close to the Ruins.


    Those he had grew up seeing, the Jacobs¡¯ farms that were built around Misses Talsen¡¯s black roofed house was the most prominent, with its rows and rows of apple trees and the fields of grain with their tall stalks that swayed in the gentle wind. That was truly a family of farmers, committed to a life on the lands. He always wondered what Mr. Jacobs thought of only having daughters in that kind of life style, the only boy was still far too young to learn the ropes.


    Looking carefully, he spotted the house that had been his home for the last seven and a half years, and its barn. Seeing it made a question pop into his mind about what Jerry had done in the time he was in hospital. Probably any kind of mischief he could think of.


    The cobble stone road was uneven under his feet as he started his way down its snaking passage, not entirely sure what to expect from the people at the house.


    The street around him was bustling with people finishing off for the day. No one voice stood out through the controlled chaos, Calin sidestepped an elderly man who was tapping a young boy carrying shopping bags with a weathered cane. A smile escaped him at the scene.


    Around the next corner, he caught some of the sun¡¯s last rays telling their eerie story in an assortment of colours, the buildings basked in the cosy orange glow.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel as if the warm sunlight was guiding him somewhere. Then a laugh escaped him as two young children came running past his legs in their game of tag, shouting and laughing their way over the street.


    It was then, while he still watched the children that a heavy shove from a man¡¯s shoulder sent Calin stumbling towards the wall and he had to slow his own momentum with his hands against the cool stone.


    In the event of turning to the man to complain, his words stopped in his mouth as amber eyes came into view. It was the same Japanese man with the strange eyes from the hospital.


    ¡°They are close. We can¡¯t be seen.¡±


    Immediately Calin exclaimed, ¡°What? Wait! I want to speak to you!¡± He pushed himself off the wall, he started forward but the man was already moving back through the crowd.


    He worked his way through the people, but never got any closer. All the while he called. ¡°Wait! Please!¡±


    Finally a clear spot presented itself and he ran after the man. The stranger¡¯s long brown jacket trailed behind him in the wind. It was a desperate run after the man and he soon lost sight of the stranger in an alley way that Calin knew to be a dead end. I have him now, he thought with relief, but as he ventured around the corner, the alley was empty, not a sign of his target¡¯s passage.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    He slowly entered, not knowing if there was someone waiting for him in the shadows. He crept slowly forward deeper into the dark alley. The sun had long since withdrawn its welcoming sunlight from the darkening corridor.


    There was rustling behind one of the large waste bins. He slowly snuck towards the noise, hoping to find nothing.


    Upon reaching the metal bin, Calin whispered, ¡°Hello? Anybody there?¡±


    A cat sprung at him.


    Jumping on his shoulder, and with a great leap it bounded up to the gutter up high.


    Calin shuddered and fell back against the cold metal, holding his hand against his chest to stem the shock on his heart.


    Darn cat, almost gave me a heart attack! He tried to calm himself as he started back out of the alley and reluctantly gave up on his search for the strange man. What did he mean?


    He was slightly annoyed at losing the man with the amber eyes. Something about that person almost reminded him of something he had long since forgotten. That sat at the edge of his mind, just out of reach.


    He trudged out of the mouth of the small street, and with a sigh was swept along in the crowd. He looked down the long street that went straight to the docks; the sun was disappearing slowly behind the horizon. Soon, Calin turned left in Miller¡¯s avenue and trotted back to the barn.


    ***


    Upon opening the big doors of the barn, he expected Jerry, but the boy was not there, nor his bedding. That¡¯s weird?


    With swift leaps, he climbed up to his loft and placed his weight on his knees as he got on the solid wooden boards, only to almost fall off with Jerry¡¯s voice next to him. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    ¡°WHOA!! Jerry,¡± Calin gasped and fell flat to his stomach grabbing at the boy¡¯s ankle. ¡°I almost fell off you bugger!¡±


    Jerry just snorted at him, wrenching his foot loose before sitting down on a nearby crate. ¡°See the worry in my eyes. You know, I would have loved to see you fall your ass off.¡±


    Calin smiled, Jerry is Jerry, always will be. He sat up to see Jerry¡¯s bedding off to the right and turned back to the boy, grinning. He wanted to punch the boy, but said, ¡°I should¡¯ve known you would find your way up here while I was away, you¡¯re such an ass.¡±


    Jerry chuckled behind him and he ignored the boy as he got to his own bedding at the window. With a heavy sigh he sat down. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m glad to be out of that white prison.¡±


    There was shuffling somewhere behind him and then Jerry mocked.


    ¡°Calin I thought you liked the pretty nurse.¡±


    Protesting immediately, Calin said, ¡°Not one who probes you until you feel worse off than the accident you had! Nah I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°More time for me then, eh Calin?¡± Jerry teased.


    ¡°Sure. Just come here and let me throw you down the loft and then you can have as much pampering from the nurses you want for the next week, or more. But oh wait you¡¯ll be in too much pain to really want it anymore.¡±


    The boy glared at him, Calin expected a serious retort, but Jerry just burst out laughing and he gladly joined in.


    ***


    After calming down, Calin got up and stripped his clothes off for the day. He quickly donned a long-sleeved black shirt and dark shorts from his green rucksack that was still stuffed to the brim.


    While shoving his sturdier pants into the bag, Calin noticed a small note falling out of the right pocket. What is this? He picked up the folded piece of paper and opened it. Something was scribbled inside;


    Calin, I don¡¯t know if you remember me, but that doesn¡¯t matter now. I have a message for you and there are far too many eyes. If you hold the people close to you dear and fear for their safety, you will come to house number 37 in Seaside road. Come before dawn tomorrow, it¡¯s imperative that you come as soon as you can. You have been warned. They will come for you.


    The threat struck him like a blow. He didn¡¯t know what to make of it. He was certain the note came from the Japanese man with the amber eyes.


    Dazed, Calin looked back at the note. Those I hold dear? ¡®Who is he talking about? Kara and her dad? But that doesn¡¯t include the rest who were kidnapped¡¯


    ¡°Who¡¯s talking about whom?¡± Jerry asked from right next to him. Calin jerked at the boy¡¯s unexpected presence. He quickly realized though, that he had said some of his thoughts aloud. No use hiding it. Nothing was ever truly hidden.


    He threw the letter at Jerry and waited while the boy read it. Calin could barely reign in his thoughts as he waited for Jerry to finish, though it wasn¡¯t long before the boy exclaimed.


    ¡°We have to go to Misses T and call the cops!¡±


    The boy¡¯s look of anxiety twinned his own. Calin had already been in motion as he pulled at his rucksack for his clothes and quickly donning his sturdy dark navy pants and his newly bought black jacket, zipping up the ember zip up to his neck. Jerry was shuffling somewhere behind him, also slipping into warmer clothes, he didn¡¯t doubt.


    While lacing up his boots, there was a scraping sound somewhere in the barn, but he paid it no attention. They were finishing up without a single word, both of them shocked into silence by the turn of events.


    Of all the things that could happen, at that moment he could hardly imagine something worse. He hoped Kara and the others were unharmed.


    He glanced at Jerry, and seeing him in a brown jacket and jeans was almost comical, the boy always favoured shorts, but the moment was a bleak one.


    It was hard not to wonder what the boy was thinking. But before Calin could open his mouth, a barrel fell over with a loud crash on the bottom floor.


    The sound of the barrel and the thousands of wheat kernels scattering over the hard floor reverberated through the barn.


    The noise made both of them tense up. His apprehension mirrored on Jerry¡¯s face.


    The kidnappers had finally come back for them.


    With shaking hands he motioned for Jerry to be quiet as they both hid behind the crates.


    Jerry whispered harshly at him. ¡°Calin¡­ what should we do?¡±


    Scared the whisper was too loud, he motioned for Jerry to keep it down.


    While taking a deep breath, Calin whispered back. ¡°Peek around the crate and see how many of them there are, If it¡¯s only one we can jump him and clobber him before we make him tell us where they are holding our people.¡±


    Jerry nodded and Calin motioned with his fingers to the boy,


    Three,


    Two,


    One,


    Jerry immediately looked over the crate and Calin reached for an old rusted pipe, but a moment later Jerry gasped and sat down in the blink of an eye, terror written all over his face. Confused, Calin whispered to him quickly, ¡°Jerry¡­ are there many of them?¡± The boy shook his head, but sweat dripped from his brow. Calin stared at him and asked in a whisper, ¡°Then how many?¡±


    Jerry showed him one finger, but it was shaking heavily. ¡°Jerry what¡¯s wrong? Talk to me,¡± Calin whispered but the boy shook his head at him, almost as if holding his breath. He didn¡¯t know who could scare the boy like this, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to get an answer out of Jerry. So, he slowly got to his knees and looked over to see who was messing around in the barn.


    What came into view made his heart miss a few beats, his body started shaking. Jerry was half-heartedly tugging at him, trying to pull him down behind the cover again.

 Chapter 10: An Eerie Night

    <h1>Chapter Ten: An Eerie Night</h1>


    The note¡¯s meaning changed in a blink of an eye. Something straight out of a horror movie met his eyes.


    A large black creature, covered with jagged scales, was moving about on the bottom floor. Its thick tail dragged easily behind it, displacing the dust and straw in a loud scrape that sent chills up Calin¡¯s spine.


    It was not reptilian. It was something he had never seen before.


    The body was massive, truly built for power, a terrible power. The length of the thing could only be guessed at, sitting in around at three or four meters at least, and it would stand more than his waist was high.


    Its broad head was sniffing about and it came to where Jerry had been sleeping the night before and snorted as if the smell was wrong.


    But when it moved closer to the hidden ladder it sniffed louder and with each intake of breath its huge shoulders quivered as if excited about what it smelled. Calin stared at it wide eyed; his own body was frozen with fear.


    There was absolutely no doubt about being spotted soon, but he couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Sweat dripped from his brow, each drop was screaming with terror.


    Desperation to hide was prominent, but Calin¡¯s ragged breath and straining lungs was the only part of him that truly responded to his fear. The creature was sniffing closer to the stacked crates that hid the ladder. Its eyes were downcast, but it wouldn¡¯t be for long, Calin was certain. The muscles rippling in the creature¡¯s legs made it clear that it could easily make the three-metre jump up to the loft.


    Upon drawing in a breath, it was almost like the air hurt his throat with seeing the creature shake its black head at another intake through flaring nostrils. Its one large paw scraped over the hard floor, even through it all Calin spotted two claws missing on its one foot. The rest of the claws were making tapping sounds as it moved forward.


    The head lifted without warning, and a hint of crimson eyes showed. Intelligence shone in them. Calin¡¯s body shook badly with fear, knowing what was happening. The monster had the look that it could jump onto the loft with no problem whatsoever and it would look and see him any second.


    Just as he was sure the thing would look straight at him, a noise from the big doors stopped the creature.


    Two men in black robes entered. The big one of the two had a strange rust coloured head, which was void of any hint of hair. The other seemed normal aside from the fact that he was also dressed in a black robe. What was striking was they both moved in a way that marked them as men that knew every inch of what they were capable of.


    The one swept over to the creature and patted it with a playful swat.


    ¡°Werios, are you sure this is the area the woman from down the street said the boy would be. Oh, wait! Don¡¯t mind, it looks like Saiba seems to agree that the barn is it, look at her shoulders shaking... let¡¯s search the place, might get a better source of his scent for our pet or even the boy himself, he can¡¯t hide forever.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said the larger man of the two, clearly carrying the air of command. ¡°Let¡¯s get the boy and return to Mishael. I¡¯ve had enough of this place.¡± The man had a tattoo of a scorpion on a dune just above the ear. The tattoo almost looked as menacing as the man baring it.


    ¡°It reminds me, you know it won¡¯t be easy to get back, Werios,¡± the smaller one said in a subdued way.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that?! Shut up and search.¡±


    The other man ducked from the one called Werios as if expecting a blow. But the tattooed man ignored the smaller one.


    It was as if everything came back to reality as Jerry plucked Calin down. His paralyzed body surged with new life as he took in deep gulps of air. It was impossible not to tremble next to the boy. The tension was hanging in the night air like a blanket trying to smother them.


    What are we going to do? Despair hung over him like an axe.


    Strangely, it was Jerry who snapped him from the sensation of drowning in fright as the boy was first to speak, his whisper hoarse.


    ¡°They are looking for one of us Cal, are they the ones from Mesa Versee?¡±


    Glancing around, but not seeing anything on the men that looked the same as the kidnappers from two weeks ago, Calin shook his head and croaked, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know, their robes are different.¡±


    ¡°Different clothes or not, we need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°How? I don¡¯t know about you, but there is a frikken monster sniffing about!¡± Calin hissed.


    Jerry cocked his head to the right, and hope surged as Calin spotted the window. How could I forget? With renewed vigour he whispered, ¡°Grab your bag and I¡¯ll get mine. I hope it will take them a minute to go through the barn, but we have to move. Mind the wood Jerry.¡± His whisper got louder, even though it was imperative to stay quiet.


    Loud crashes sounded off down below as the men and their creature was probably trying to get to the harder to reach places in the back of the barn. Calin just hoped the ladder behind the first row of stacked crates would remain unseen.


    There was a shout below. ¡°Come out, come out little boy! Our friend here knows you¡¯re in here. Don¡¯t make this harder for yourself. She will find you.¡±


    The shout sent both him and Jerry scurrying to get their things. They would be found any minute. But even in their haste they had to crawl slowly over the old beams of wood, while hoping their escape would go unnoticed.


    A cringe split Calin¡¯s face as the wood creaked under his weight. But luckily the intruders threw things across the floor and the noise overshadowed his. It only took a moment to reach his bag. He closed it before dragging it over his shoulder as fast as he could.


    He took a moment to scrape together his nerves and crawled over to the windowsill, joined a mere moment later by a pale looking Jerry.


    He didn¡¯t waste time as he cocked his head at the boy and Jerry climbed through the window onto the small roof outside. Calin¡¯s heart sank as a loud voice from the man called Werios roared.


    ¡°MOVEMENT UP TOP!¡±


    A hiss escaped Calin¡¯s lips while clambering through after Jerry, whispering harshly, ¡°Go Jerry!¡±


    In the touch and go situation he tried to support Jerry on the way down to the lower roof as quick as possible. Hurry up, hurry up.


    Finally the boy stood secured.


    With some reluctance Calin let his own legs dangle over the edge and Jerry¡¯s hands cupped under his feet.


    On his way down, he glanced up to the window. Still no sign of them.It was a hurried climb down to Jerry. But as they both turned around to their final leg down the roof. A problem presented itself.


    It was a long way down to the ground.


    ¡°We have to jump that? Man!¡± Calin tried to make his voice confident after the first slip. ¡°Okay Jerry, we have to do this.¡±


    After building up the reluctant courage to jump, Calin and Jerry both made the leap down to the hard ground, his feet struck heavily, with Jerry collapsing next to him in loud grunts of pain.


    In his forward momentum, Calin¡¯s one knee hit the ground painfully, but surprisingly he was okay as he pressed himself up.


    Jerry¡¯s coughing quickly drew his attention. The boy was covered in dust and struggling to get up, clearly much worse for wear than him.


    Even then he still stumbled with the fading ache in his one knee as he moved over to Jerry.


    Upon reaching the boy, he grabbed Jerry¡¯s arm and hauled him to his feet. The first few steps after the jump was awkward, but they were soon running albeit limply to the closest tree from the barn. Almost halfway there a shout shook them slightly from their run.


    ¡°THERE!¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It came from behind.


    With a risked glance, Calin looked over his shoulder to see one of the men pointing out of the window. It wouldn¡¯t be long until they find their way down. He forced his legs a bit faster to get away. Jerry¡¯s grunt gave him certainty the boy had heard the shout as well. They ran as fast as they could.


    But without warning a great howl pierced the night, making Calin panic.


    We are being hunted, A growing horror surged in him. I really thought the howling was from a wolf that night... It was a serious thought to berate himself for not being ready, but it was pointless to say the least. All that was left now was to try and get away.


    They reached the tree and Jerry hesitated. Calin grabbed the boy¡¯s arm and said, ¡°We can¡¯t stop now Jerry! Let¡¯s go into the Jacobs¡¯ grain field. It will give us a chance.¡±


    After a shaking moment, the boy nodded and seemed to accept it as they set off to the tall stalks. It was a hundred meters away. There were furious shouts from the two men from back at the barn¡¯s entrance.


    Not even looking back, Calin ran with all his might; he was in reach distance of the grain field when he finally turned his head, the sight that greeted him made his heart thunder in terror.


    The black creature came storming at them on its powerful legs, with a speed that astounded him for something that big. Its thick tail was lashing like a whip behind it. It was staring with killer intent straight at him, not at Jerry who was to the right, but him.


    Not waiting any longer, Calin surged forward and shouted for Jerry.


    ¡°RUN!!¡±


    They crashed into the stalks.


    He ran his legs to burning point, but he didn¡¯t care. The growling breaths of the creature were getting closer. He pushed harder, with the grain stalks swiping at his face. It stung, but he shrugged it off and kept going.


    There was a small hope in the fact that they knew these fields like the back of their hands, it was the only chance they had. He embraced it gladly to get out of this nightmare. I don¡¯t even know where we can hide. There were no answers. And his hammering heart wasn¡¯t making thinking any easier.


    There wasn¡¯t time to ponder long on the thought as Jerry came stumbling through the grain next to him.


    ¡°Any ¡­Idea where¡­ we should ¡­go?¡± Jerry gasped through his labored breaths.


    Calin truly wished he had a solid answer as they ran together. He tried weighing different options through his head.


    But before he could say something, he tripped.


    Not able to stop his fall, Calin crashed forward to the ground, his hands dug into the rocky ground painfully. He almost cried out, but kept his mouth as Jerry dragged him to his feet. The growling was only twenty metres away, easily. With no time to pause, he looked at his bloody hands as his feet carried him on. The creature would be on them any second, his breathing became ragged. The fear was draining away at his strength. I¡¯m just an orphan. This is just a dream. This is just a nightmarish dream!


    It was in desperation that he tried to deny the truth. He wasn¡¯t ready to be kidnapped, or worse, eaten.


    Then the creature¡¯s breaking through the stalks was right behind them, it was close enough that Calin could hear the deep intakes of breath.


    But strangely, it stopped and howled again into the night. Even through his terror, Calin noted it sounded a bit different. He looked back, expecting the beast to burst through the stalks, yet as the seconds ticked by it didn¡¯t. Something had stopped it.


    Calin carefully and as silently as possible pushed through the stalks to get some distance before he ran. Just then he glanced down to his bloody hands. He gasped; the blood confused it! He shut his mouth after the gasp and quickly touched a couple of stalks as he ran and turned abruptly to the left. He stopped for a moment and called in a low voice for Jerry to follow him.


    ¡°Jerry, come this way, I think it¡¯s confused.¡±


    The boy barrelled after him and they ran the fifty metres through the last remaining stalks to a medium sized stone wall that marked the Jacobs¡¯ lawn. In quick succession he tore two strips from his shirt and tied it around his hands to stop any blood from getting on the wall before he jumped and climbed over it with his elbows.


    Jerry huffed heavily next to Calin as they both dropped down on the other side, slumping into a seated position.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I think the creature or whatever the heck that blasted thing is, was confused by my blood on the ground. It must be reliant on scent. The intensity from the scent of my blood must have stopped it? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Still wide eyed, the boy just nodded at him and said, ¡°Good, I was almost sure we were gonners a moment there. So what do we do now? I¡¯m sure that thing won¡¯t stay confused for long.¡± As if announcing the fact, there were shouts in the distance, probably the men trying to get their monster to get back on track.


    That brought Calin back to the question, it was a hard one. He wasn¡¯t sure where to begin, but he answered anyway. ¡°Maybe¡­maybe we should go to the house that the note mentioned.¡±


    Jerry gasped in shock as the boy spun back to him, ¡°Are you crazy?! I think those hairless guys were the guys who sent the note.¡±


    Calin shook his head no and Jerry looked at him confused. ¡°Then who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who, but it was a guy with amber eyes, the same eyes as a boy from my dream.¡± Calin was completely certain Jerry would think it farfetched at best.


    But the boy sighed in exasperation and said, ¡°I really really don¡¯t like it, but I trust you mate. Let¡¯s get a move¡ª¡±


    They were interrupted by a girl¡¯s loud voice, ¡°My my, what on earth gives me the pleasure of having Calin and the infamous Jerry Jake on our lawn this lovely night?¡±


    Calin spun on the girl, it was Evany Jacobs. Her voice was full of playful mock as she toyed with a lock of her blonde hair, but it was how loud she had said it that made him jump at her.


    With unintentional force he grabbed her arm and shushed her, but the girl said even more loudly, ¡°Ow! And don¡¯t shush me!¡±


    Calin¡¯s eyes pleaded at her.


    It worked in a manner. She must¡¯ve seen the terror in his eyes as she said more softly, ¡°Calin? What¡¯s wrong, you look like you saw a ghost.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not far off, just worse,¡± Calin said while keeping an ear out towards the grain field. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain this without sounding crazy, but you have to keep quiet, there is something in the fields, something none of us has ever seen. It¡¯s hunting us.¡±


    The girl¡¯s lips turned up in a smile, but he shook her and harshly whispered. ¡°No! This is not a joke, we have to get out of here and you have to get inside and lock all the doors.¡±


    There was low growling close by in the fields. It settled the matter as it clearly showed on the other two that they heard it as well. Evany gasped in the grasp of his hands.


    ¡°What was that...?!¡±


    Not waiting around, he motioned for Jerry to come and pulled the stunned Evany along. They reached the backdoor and quickly shut it behind them, locking it and shoving a chair under the knob.


    After he was sure the doors were secured, he spun on Evany and asked quickly, ¡°Where is your father? We need his gun.¡±


    The girl stared wide eyed at them and glanced at the door all the while as she started to speak in an uncertain voice. ¡°My dad¡¯s not here! He left this morning with my other siblings. You know they are as serious about farming as he is¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re babbling Evany,¡± Calin said testily without meaning to, ¡°Please hurry up, where¡¯s the gun?¡±


    She shook her head and arms before she answered. ¡°Uh¡­ I-I don¡¯t know where he keeps his gun¡­ Maybe, maybe we should see if we can find one of the hunters, Jorge¡¯s house is just across the street.¡±


    Not hiding the fact, he groaned in exasperation. ¡°Agh! I saw them leave a couple of days ago. They were geared for a few weeks of hunting¡­¡±


    The hopelessness of the situation settled deeper into Calin and he breathed out.


    ¡°We have to leave.¡±


    Before he could give in to the temptation to sit down, Evany shakily spoke up.


    ¡°What is out there?¡±


    There was hardly any will in him to find the words, not knowing the answer either. What was that thing?! He sagged against the wall, but Jerry spoke up from the chair against the opposite wall. ¡°Evany we don¡¯t know¡­ you know those monster movies we used to watch late at night when your parents were fast asleep?¡±


    Evany nodded and the boy went on, ¡°Yeah well this thing gives some of those ones a run for its money. I mean, I can¡¯t think of anything scarier running after me at this moment. And it did run after us¡­ Man! This is insane. It¡¯s like a nightmare you just can¡¯t wake up from¡­¡± Jerry shuddered next to Calin.


    Before the boy continued, he shot up his hand, ¡°Shhh, Listen.¡±


    They all sat quiet and suddenly there was this loud thudding of something big falling from up high. They all realized the creature had jumped over the wall. It quickly became apparent that there was something heavy pacing outside.


    They froze and Calin signalled as fast as he could for them to move to the front of the house, his own heart was trying to break out of his chest.


    While running down the long hallway to the other side of the big farmhouse he turned to find Evany leaning against the wall, she was gasping for breath. Not for the run it was sure, but for the reason that something was out there.


    I wish we didn¡¯t have to drag her into this nightmare, but it was too late now, at least she will be safe inside after we had left. He hoped for it as he moved back to place a hand on her shoulder, trying to console her.


    Maybe he was dodging, but he was scared beyond reason, and now I¡¯m trying to tell her not to be afraid?


    It was preposterous.


    But in the end something assured him that it helped her as her breathing slowed down somewhat. She followed him like a scared puppy.


    A couple of minutes later, they reached the front door and Calin pointed to the left and whispered to Jerry. ¡°Go check that room¡¯s window for any sign of the creature.¡± The boy nodded at him and dashed away into the room.


    Hardly wasting any time, Calin checked the room to the right. As he withdrew the curtain slowly the dark night outside made itself known, it was only illuminated by a handful of streetlamps down the street.


    Its empty stretch filled him with dread, not a soul would know what lurked through the shadows, and it scared him.


    They were alone this night, and he wouldn¡¯t dare get anybody else in danger by leading the creature to their doorstep. He was going to lead this thing away. The thought shocked him.


    I think they are after me, not Jerry. There was nothing to like about the fact, but somehow he knew it was true. Strangest of all, it consoled him to know that. If things went completely wrong he could hide the others and face whatever the men and their creature wanted, with knowledge that the people he cared for were safe. But he couldn¡¯t help but swallow at the hollow pit in his stomach of what he might have to face.


    The warning note from the man with the amber eyes sprung up in his mind. He was truly desperate to keep those people safe.


    Jerry¡¯s voice intruded on his thoughts as he stumbled in to the room. ¡°All clear buddy, if we want to leave, we have to go now. It¡¯s a big house. Maybe it will give us some time to get away.¡±


    It was a risk, but it was necessary.


    Then from under Jerry¡¯s arm Evany sneaked her head into the room, and with a shaking voice from the hallway door she said, ¡°I heard something at the back, its best to go.¡±


    There was something in the girl¡¯s words that made Calin wonder for a moment, I could swear she sounded like... No.


    Shrugging off the notion, he moved to the front door. His hand motioned for Jerry to stand ready.


    ¡°Evany listen carefully now.¡± Calin said firmly. ¡°When we go out, be sure to lock this door tightly behind us and lock your bedroom door as well. This thing seems to be after ... one of us, so you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    There was a slight hesitation that crossed the girl¡¯s face before she finally nodded at him.


    Calin opened the door, without further ado. The cold night air was slightly chilly as they snuck outside, hoping their passage would go unnoticed.

 Chapter 11: Nightmare鈥檚 choice

    <h1>Chapter Eleven: Nightmare¡¯s choice</h1>


    The door¡¯s lock clicked behind Calin while he glanced about for any sign of the creature.


    All clear.


    In a quick motion, he signalled for Jerry, that they should run across the street to the next building.


    With trepidation they started over the street. Calin eyed the two-track road alongside the Jacobs¡¯ house for any movement as he moved with quiet precision.


    He and Jerry had a lot of practice in sneaking around pulling pranks. Right now, Calin was infinitely glad that he had, albeit reluctantly, tagged along with the boy on so many of those little adventures.


    Next to the elevated road with the small brick wall, there was a drop down to a walkway. He slid over the wall and dropped behind Jerry. They both were staring at the direction of the fields. If the creature came now, they¡¯d be in big trouble.


    A noise sounded to his right.


    Panicked, Calin spun to defend himself, only to find, Evany sneaking behind them with a baseball bat in her hands. All he could do was gasp and pull the girl hastily below the edge of the wall.


    He hissed at her, but kept his voice down.


    ¡°Evany, are you insane?! I told you to stay inside. Go back now!¡±


    The girl shook her head determinedly and his heart sank with it. In frustration he grabbed her arm again and said in a harsh whisper.


    ¡°You insufferable woman! Go back, please.¡±


    Evany shook her head again, before she stated in a clear voice. ¡°No. And yes I am a woman. I can make my own choices.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Nineteen!¡± exclaimed Calin.


    ¡°So? You¡¯re almost eighteen, and Jerry is almost seventeen, so I¡¯m the oldest here. I¡¯m going with you if you like it or not.¡±


    Calin gasped in exasperation.


    ¡°There is a frikken monster lurking about and you decide to go all stubborn donkey on us now? Please safe us¡­¡± Calin couldn¡¯t help but plead then, ¡°Jerry try to talk some sense into her.¡±


    But the boy seemed twitchy as he said, ¡°Calin I don¡¯t know about you, but I think we wasted far too much time here, that thing can come around that corner any second, let¡¯s just get out of here. We can drop her off after we are certain she will be safe.¡±


    Expecting a protest bubbling up in Evany at the ¡®drop her off part¡¯, Calin silenced her and made the choice.


    The decision felt physical as he swallowed his frustration with effort and whispered.


    ¡°Fine fine! Just stay close, and keep silent. You¡¯re part of it now.¡±


    It was incredibly hard to admit, it was the last thing he had wanted for the girl.


    He resigned himself to it, but it came with a deep sigh. Silently he wondered what he got himself into with taking the girl along. He grabbed Evany¡¯s wrist and drew her after them into the night.


    ***


    The three of them ran silently behind the houses, or as silently as they could, Calin cringed half of the time when one of the others accidentally kicked at something and the noise echoed against the walls of the street. There was nothing he could do about it, so he pressed on.


    Concern carved at his nerves as he slipped into a small alley to check if they were still all clear, he wanted to be sure.


    His lungs heaved with heavy breaths, as much from the running as for the fear that coursed through him. After mustering some courage he looked around the corner eyeing every shadow.


    Nothing. The sigh was deep with relief before he turned to go back, but then the sound of someone crying in muffled sobs stopped him.


    He listened carefully. It was in the building he was shouldering. It didn¡¯t take long for his heart to start pulsing with fear again.


    The men had mentioned a woman...


    But he didn¡¯t think it possible. Maybe it was... No it can¡¯t be Misses Darly can it? The thought unnerved him greatly and he motioned for the others to come closer. ¡°I¡¯m going around the corner. I just want to check something.¡±


    Jerry was the first to protest, but he silenced him with two words.


    ¡°Misses Darly.¡±


    It worked, Jerry muttered something but motioned for him to go. Evany was silent as a statue. It was all but sure she felt this was a bad dream and that¡¯s it, but it wasn¡¯t. So he reached out and patted her shoulder.


    Inhaling deeply, he slipped around the corner.


    A soft thud close by stopped him for a moment and without warning the light above him went out.


    Before he panicked Jerry¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Sorry, I just wanted to give you some cover in the dark.¡± Calin let his held breath go, and smiled before he slipped around the corner in the shadows.


    What he found made him panic. He stormed towards the splintered door of the electrician¡¯s shop.


    It was hard not to stumble as he tried to shimmy across the wooden beams.


    One of his leaps caught a broken T.V and lost his balance careening forward into a beam. But it stopped most of his momentum.


    To his horror, there were blood stains leading away from it. His breaths came in faster, his throat dry.


    He couldn¡¯t handle the thoughts that were threatening to surface as he desperately searched for the two people who have always been friendly to him.


    In his search he squeezed past a rack and there was Misses Darly. His heart leapt with relief, but it was short lived, she was crying heavily.


    With no regard to himself he scrambled towards the woman sitting in her dirty dress on the ground.


    ¡°Misses Darly! Are you alrigh¡ª¡± but he couldn¡¯t get another word out as she turned to him with a true shocked expression and jumped him with a great gasp. She embraced him in a bear hug, all the while saying his name, ¡°Calin! Oh my boy! Calin...you¡¯re alright...thank goodness...I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Calin pushed her off gently, as much to get some air, as to stare at her in confusion.


    ¡°Misses Darly? I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m more worried about you sitting here crying on the ground, not to mention the front of the shop is thrashed. What happened...¡± He looked around suddenly, no trace of someone else.


    He asked with a grave voice, ¡°Where is Eric?¡±


    She regarded him, but then waved him off. In panic Calin wanted to demand an answer. But his question was answered a moment later by a male voice to his left.


    ¡°Calin? I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alright.¡±


    Spinning around he met a bloodied Eric.


    The man had a long cut on his forearm. It was enough to make Calin¡¯s eyes go wide as he said breathlessly, ¡°I¡¯m fine!! Both of you, but are you alright?¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They both answered in unison. ¡°Yes yes...¡± Misses Darly took over, ¡°We will be fine, it was you we were most worried about, after those men and their...¡±


    The woman shuddered at something she remembered. ¡°Those things! I¡¯ve never seen anything in the like, Calin I¡¯m so sorry. They forced us to tell them where the boy struck by lightning was. We knew it was you. But still, it was the hardest thing I had to do in my life, if they haven¡¯t threatened Eric¡¯s life I would¡¯ve never told them anything, you must understand... ... you must... I didn¡¯t want to...¡±


    It all was a shock to Calin, not for them telling on him, but that they didn¡¯t want to. It touched his heart, and he pulled the hyper ventilating woman into his arms and hugged her.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say, but was spared when Eric said, ¡°We really feared the worst for you when they set off with those three beasts.¡±


    The word hit like a hammer, and he asked in a heartbeat. ¡°Three?¡±


    ¡°Yes, three of them,¡± the man said, ¡°Did you see them?¡±


    Calin¡¯s heart jumped at the confirmation, he released the woman and turned his attention to the door and said half dazed. ¡°I only saw one. We got away from that one, and came here...¡±


    He turned to find two anxious faces, but then a frown crossed the woman¡¯s face and she said, ¡°We? Is Jerry out there?¡±


    It was a moment of realization, he gasped. The other two creatures could¡¯ve been waiting in ambush anywhere, he sprang away from the two electricians and ran for the broken door. As he cornered the big supporting beam, he was barrelled over by Jerry and Evany, they fell to the floor and the two of them dragged him behind a large T.V.


    With some effort, Calin tried to free himself from the grip, but couldn¡¯t quite get loose before he said, ¡°Jerry what...¡±


    ¡°Shhh, one of them is out there.¡± Jerry whispered.


    He stopped struggling at Jerry¡¯s words and nodded. Keeping quiet, he got to his knees and motioned for Jerry and a terrified Evany to follow. They crawled to where Misses Darly and her husband were.


    Before the two could say anything, he shot up his hands to make sure they stay quiet. Eric crouched next to him and whispered. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Leaning in closer Calin said, ¡°One of those creatures out front, I think... Do you have a back door?¡±


    He hoped so, as he watched the two electricians go pale at the words. Right then, all he wanted was to get out, for him and his friends. This is insane... he tried to calm his own ragged breath as Eric tilted his head to the back of the store.


    Without wasting another second, he nodded and signalled for Evany and Jerry to follow him with the two electricians shortly behind.


    Moments later they reached an old rusted door. It wasn¡¯t budging under Eric¡¯s grip, so Calin got up next to the man and they both pushed at the handle, his already sore hands ached at the strain, even with it being wrapped up.


    Everything seemed to creak in the shop. He was getting anxious. But all he could do was wish that none of it was that creature as they tried to get the door open.


    After long minutes, the latch sprung open and they fell backwards at the swinging door. Calin sat down heavily, but he was up in no time and checked if everything was okay outside.


    Satisfied, he signalled the others to come outside.


    Before he could think of which way they should go, Eric came up next to him and shoved a brand new knife into his hands. The blade spoke volumes of where it was bought; only an outdoors¡¯ shop featured such knives. The man spoke up after a moment. ¡°They seem to be after you... you might need it more than we do.¡±


    It was too sudden, Calin wanted to deny the gift, but Eric shook his head. ¡°No, you take it. Darly and I both have other means of defence. You know how we love odds and ends.¡± A glint was in the man¡¯s eyes.


    Calin¡¯s lips tugged up in a knowing smile, wondering what those two had up their sleeves. His mirth was short lived as the sound of breaking glass reached his ears.


    Immediately he spun to shut the door. As the rusted latch clicked in place, he slipped in next to the others, ready to go. It was tempting to run far away, but the moment made up Calin¡¯s mind. He was going to that house.


    His hand shot up for everybody to stay quiet and with that he set off, trying not to run, but not wanting to go too slow either.


    He settled with a careful trot.


    The footfalls grated almost like iron plates over the cobble stones with his adrenalin heightened senses. It made him cringe. I wish I had paid more attention to the Jorge and his hunting tips, those tips would sure have come in handy right about now.


    But it was too late now, so he bit his lip and kept on going. The houses were almost going past in a blur. While deep in thought, Calin almost forgot to stop as the houses came to a stop.


    He skidded to a halt in the middle of Seaside road.


    The water front was a few meters away as he regained his balance. The sound of waves moving under the wooden jetties was thick in the air. In quick succession he signalled the others to stop, but as he lifted his hand, his eyes went down the street.


    There, no more than fifty metres away, stood one of the black creatures. Its scaled body was facing away from him, even if just slightly. He froze. What now?


    In a split second decision, Calin dived for the side of the docks.


    In an attempt to get over the edge, he fell to his belly and slid over it. His hands gripped the wood hard as he lowered himself down to a beam close to the water, his boots stuck to the black substance of pitch as he waited.


    After a few moments, he risked a glance over the side. The dimly lit road came into view and he spotted the thing that had his heart racing.


    He watched the creature sniffing at the barrels at the corner.


    A groan escaped Calin at the sight. There was no doubt that he had sat on those for a minute when he had searched for Jerry the other day. It knew his scent, it was almost a certainty. All that remained was to figure out what to do next; how to get away from those things and their keepers. At least it looked distracted by different scent trails.


    But as Calin stared over the edge of the jetty a soft ¡°Pssst¡± met his ears. With a quick shift in his weight he got a look at the others hiding behind the house.


    He lifted one of his hands signalling that he was okay. Jerry signalled the same. Without waiting he quickly motioned for Jerry and the others to move away from the creature¡¯s direction, left, towards a large iron container. There were nods of understanding and the four of them moved out.


    They were making progress. But he shuddered an instant later as he remembered the creature. He was almost too late. It turned towards his general direction. Calin shot down below the edge.


    Though, not before he made out a great white scar adorning the side of the creature¡¯s eye bank.


    Much to his dismay, his grip was not as good as he hoped, but he endured the strain in his arms the second the sound of thudding footsteps closed in on him.


    Calin cringed as the breathing of the monster became apparent. In an attempt to stay hidden, he pressed his back against a vertical beam. He closed his eyes instinctively as he slowly slid the fingertips, of the hand still gripping edge, out of sight. The seconds ticked by like full minutes, before his fingers were completely below the deck.


    With the softest breath Calin could muster, he started to move his foot from the beam and searched blindly in the dark under the jetty for another beam to balance his weight. He stiffened as his foot thudded lightly against the wood in the dark.


    The next moment, there was loud sniffing noises above the boards¡¯ right to the left of him. No...the creature¡¯s massive body was shifting over the creaking planks.


    His blood turned cold when the thing growled above him. It reverberated through the small gaps in the wood.


    The air shifted through his hair at the snuffling.


    He had to tense all his muscles to keep himself from shaking with fear before he tried lowering his body as far as he could to get some distance, he clung desperately to the vertical beam as the claws started scraping loudly above him.


    The last desperate idea of jumping into the water and swimming away became more appealing by the second. He was about to jump into the water, when a loud unfamiliar voice came from somewhere above him.


    ¡°Shawra, stop that! Come here¡­ NOW! The others spotted the boy at the fields. They got some of his blood now. You¡¯ll get to go on a blood ¡ª ...EY!? Ey, MOVE IT! We can¡¯t let him get away.¡±


    There was no doubt that the whining that wailed through the air came from the monster. It sent chills through Calin¡¯s spine. He held his breath as another set of loud scrapes started above him.


    But a moment later there were angy grunts and a bright flash of light erupted through the small gaps.


    With it an unearthly screech filled the air. The sound made Calin clap his hands over his ears as it echoed through the abandoned street.


    Then it was followed by heavy footsteps fading away from him. With a hard exhale of breath Calin slumped against the beam and breathed heavily.


    The next moment he almost fell off the beam as a head came peeking over the edge. Hazel speckled eyes met his gaze.


    After quickly grabbing at another beam, he steadied himself. He sighed as Evany reached for him.


    ¡°Come on, they¡¯re gone up the road at a speed. Did you see that guy speak to that creature?! This is mad.¡±


    With a shiver in the cool night, Calin nodded and gladly took her hand as she supported him to where he could find his grip on the edge again.


    With a huff he clambered up, the girl¡¯s hands crept under his right arm while helping him up. Her eyes looked wide.


    Before he got both his feet under him, the girl was already running towards the others. He lumbered after her, feeling a bit stiff at crouching under the docks.


    Not able to resist, he glanced back to where the creature had scraped. The boards would not have held more than a few seconds longer from the look of the assault on them. He sighed in relief and stumbled to the others.


    They were all whispering with trembling voices as they snuck past the iron container. Quick enough, Calin was met by a quick embrace from Misses Darly, she looked a bit pale. Can¡¯t blame her. He gently patted her shoulder. He nodded to her that they should keep moving.


    As they moved past the next door, it burst open, almost hitting him in the chest. He jumped out of the way just in time. Instinctively he had drawn out the knife, pointing it with a shaking hand at the newcomers. But steadied himself and while holstering it, he glanced up at a very drunk Hugo Brans and Url Couper, their eyes were bloodshot.


    A yelp escaped him as Hugo grabbed him by the shoulders. The man mistook the sound for a warm greeting as Brans slurred at him. ¡°Calin ma boy!...hic... ya sure glad as I ...hic... be glad to see ya. Want a drink? We got pletty for ya.¡±


    Before Calin could utter a word, Eric and Darly stepped out of the shadows in front of him, dislodging the drunken sailor with a quick shove.


    Eric saved him the effort as the man said, ¡°Hugo, Url. Good to see you two in a happy mood. Why don¡¯t we all go inside to talk.¡±


    Calin was stunned at the ease at which Eric had kept the fear that was in each of them from spilling into his words. Both of the electricians grabbed one of the men by the arm, ignored their protests and dragged them back into the house. Darly reached back at Calin and he followed.


    As Jerry and Evany moved past him into the house away from the dangers outside, Calin found himself wondering what the robed man had meant as he said they got some of his blood.


    It troubled him greatly as he closed the door to the black night outside.

 Chapter 12: 37 Seaside Road

    <h1>Chapter Twelve: 37 Seaside Road</h1>


    It was a mess inside. The house was littered with beer cans and all sort of rum and whiskey bottles.


    A very special occasion, no doubt. When their wifes would return from Draves¡¯ town, there was going to be a storm for sure. Like always, Calin couldn¡¯t imagine deliberately making yourself feel horrible by drinking that much. He just shook his head as he treaded carefully moving through the disorder, to at least find some decent foot space in the small room.


    ¡°What are we going to do about them?¡± Evany asked through several grunts, swinging her baseball bat to gain some semblance of balance through her dance with the littered floor.


    For a moment the question confused Calin, and with a shake of his head he asked. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    Evany spun on him incredulous. ¡°The fishermen you dolt! Who else?¡±


    Immediately he threw his hands up as he shied away from the girl with the bat, but he said, ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I was just thinking about Eric and Darly.¡±


    A frown furrowed her delicate brow at his statement.


    But Calin quickly realized his error. ¡°Oh... I never did mention going to that house, did I?¡±


    ¡°What house?¡±


    It had been hard to explain his gut feeling to himself, never mind to the girl. And there was the note that almost surely sounded like a threat, but he breathed out heavily.


    ¡°A man bumped into me this afternoon. His eyes reminded me of a boy that... I really don¡¯t know how to explain this. He gave me a note, telling me to meet him at a house before anybody got hurt. I guess it was a bit late...¡±


    It didn¡¯t convince Evany in the least as she looked at him dubiously.


    ¡°It sure sounds like a threat to me!¡±


    It was then that Jerry came up next to her. ¡°Exact same thing I thought, but our dear Calin here is mad enough to believe otherwise.¡±


    With a quick punch to the boy¡¯s arm, Calin said, ¡°Shut up Jerry, before I hurt you. And I wasn¡¯t talking to you. Didn¡¯t you say you trusted me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I do mate, I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    It was hard to resist punching the boy again, but Misses Darly¡¯s voice chipped in from the other room.


    ¡°Jerry come and help me please, they¡¯ve decided to pass out.¡±


    As the boy left the room, Calin glared at the final smirk painted on Jerry¡¯s face. That boy... He shook his head and turned back to Evany, irritated all of a sudden by the whole situation, he said,


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming!¡±


    Evany glared at him, murder in her eyes. ¡°Oh yes I am! I¡¯m not going off on my own now.¡±


    As the girl said that, Calin gasped in exasperation.


    ¡°Misses Darly and Eric will be with you! You¡¯ll be far safer with them. You¡¯re NOT coming with us and that¡¯s it!¡±


    The baseball bat barely missed him as he dodged and it wooshed past his body, flabbergasted, he shouted.


    ¡°WHOA! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for thinking of leaving me behind! I¡¯m going with you no matter what. I¡¯ve been looking for something other than that everyday farm existence for years now... And guess what, you¡¯re it. Call it adventure seeking or whatever you like, so accept it or I won¡¯t miss my next swing.¡±


    Calin only stared at the strong minded girl, utterly confused to how, that reason could even remotely warrant running and hiding from nightmarish creatures. His mouth was dry, but after a few tense seconds he relented and muttered angrily.


    ¡°Fine! Have it your way.¡±


    Her glare disappeared and she beamed him a smile before leaving the room.


    What just happened? Calin stared after her in wonderment, shaking his head while following her.


    The others came into view and Calin realized that Hin was also there, out cold on a couch in the corner. If it had been Url, he would¡¯ve thought he had D¨¦j¨¤ vu from the other day, but this time there were three drunk snoring men.


    With a few quick steps over a couple of bottles, Calin reached the little woman. He wasn¡¯t going to wait around for the rest to decide to follow him to that other house. It was just too dangerous.


    ¡°Misses Darly, Eric,¡± Calin said, scraping together the courage for what he wanted to achieve, ¡°Thanks for all the help. I¡¯m so sorry to have dragged you into this so much already. But I... think you will be the safest here. There is someplace a couple of houses from here that Evany, Jerry and I must go to find answers. Seeing that Evany is stuck with us,¡± he glared at Evany, ¡°it would give my heart some peace if you two are saf¡ª¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°NOW LISTEN HERE YOUNG MAN! And listen well! I¡¯m not going to allow three teenagers to wander the streets with those things out there!¡±


    ¡°I agree with my wife, it¡¯s not safe out there,¡± Eric spoke up as well. Protests bubbled forth inside Calin. They didn¡¯t understand!


    But with no idea how to explain his feelings, Calin begged. ¡°Please... This manhunt has already placed too many people in danger. All I have as answer to why this is happening right now is a note from an amber eyed man... Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    For a moment, his energy deserted him and he sat down in a chair, rubbing his temples, then he continued,


    ¡°I need to find out what caused this insanity, and I don¡¯t know how the man will feel with five of us barging in there. Not to mention those things are chasing my scent, you, yourself had said they attacked you for info on my whereabouts. I need to do this and I need to know that you are safe while I do it.¡±


    To his utter surprise the two looked at each other for long seconds and after a drop in their shoulders they gravely nodded in acceptance.


    Huh?


    It shocked him so much that they would agree; that he wanted to protest that they didn¡¯t try to persuade him otherwise. But, he stopped the words that wanted to bubble out and kept quiet.


    As Evany stepped into the room, Misses Darly firmed her voice and said, ¡°I think Evany needs to stay, her father will be worried sick if he finds out something happened to her.¡±


    Calin groaned. She¡¯s going to freak out, he was sure of it!


    ¡°The heck they¡¯re going without me!¡± Evany shrieked. ¡°I¡¯m going with them even if I have to cuff myself to them!¡±


    The only people the outburst didn¡¯t surprise were him and Jerry.


    ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous out there,¡± pleaded Darly. ¡°Please stay here!¡±


    It was useless and Calin knew it. With a sigh he shook his head.


    Swaying Evany is about as easy as trying to sway a mother bear, protecting her cub, from mauling you at the very moment.


    The rest of the argument blurred past him, as his thoughts wandered to the house. 37 Seaside Road. There wasn¡¯t any surety if it will be as he hoped it to be. The odds didn¡¯t seem good at the present time. Everything is crashing down around me, I need answers.


    Though something deep inside told him that it was going to be a long time before he understood anything about what was happening.


    The events only fuelled Calin¡¯s confusion and irritation.


    Two weeks ago, my life was normal. Before that day at the Ruins, I could worry only about things kids worry about... But that lifestyle had evaporated in the wink of his eye, like grasping at straws in a strong wind, it had disappeared.


    Kara, her father and the other group of scientists were still missing, and there were these hunters after him now. Were the two scenarios linked? Given events, it was a bizarre notion. Even so, he couldn¡¯t rule it out just yet.


    With some effort, he forced the thoughts away, turning his attention back to the room. The red faced Evany huffing caught his eye instantly. She had her shoulders squared. It was mere seconds before Misses Darly¡¯s reluctant voice broke the awkward silence as she said,


    ¡°Have it your way then! You¡¯re just as stubborn sometimes as your sister Ashley! You know that?¡±


    Calin shrugged at Evany having her way... again. He couldn¡¯t help but smile though. The girl really was a nice girl, but sometimes, sometimes if she makes up her mind there is no stopping her.


    In this instance, if it was a good or a bad thing, remained to be seen, but he was hardly up for levelling that at the girl. With a flick of his eyebrow, he eyed Jerry. The look on the boy¡¯s face, made it clear he was thinking the exact same thing.


    Before anybody could say the wrong thing and tumble the whole delicate situation into another bout, Calin butted in.


    ¡°Misses Darly, I need you to do something for me. It¡¯s as much reason for you to stay here tonight as the other. If we are not back by tomorrow morning ... Misses Talsen needs to know. We¡¯ll try to be back soon¡­ No, scratch that, I¡¯m looking for a way to get those men and their monsters out of Lamb¡¯s Crest, away from everyone, and while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯m searching for answers.¡±


    ¡°Calin I... I take it back,¡± The woman pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t go out there. It¡¯s a really bad idea. I couldn¡¯t endure seeing one of you getting hurt. It would surely break Marigold¡¯s heart if anything happened to you, you know that right? And think of Kelly and Steve... they consider you without a doubt their brother!¡±


    Calin¡¯s shoulders slumped at that.


    ¡°I KNOW... But it¡¯s all I have... all I have to sort out this nightmare!! For them! You have to trust me. So please, I¡¯m begging you, tell them it will be okay... That I love them...¡± His voice broke to the end.


    The look the woman had on her face, almost made him risk it all to stay. Though, as he turned to the side, he admitted she was right. Misses T would take it hard, and the kids... the kids would... Tears threatened to come out. But with great effort, he pushed his feelings aside. He was doing this to keep them safe. The very last thing he could bear right now was seeing that family get hurt...


    I hope with time you¡¯ll understand...


    It was hard to step away with the woman¡¯s protests coming from behind. But it was something he had to do. Though each step taking him out of the room was filled with regret, there just wasn¡¯t enough time to speak his heart, to comfort them, even to share his fears to persuade the others. It had to do for now.


    Before he even touched the door¡¯s handle, his hands were shaking.


    Fear¡­ they never taught me anything about facing one¡¯s fears. I hope I¡¯m doing the right thing.


    Inhaling a lung full of air, he opened the door. Uncertainty awaited.


    ***


    The cold night air hit his face, the smell of the sea filling his nose. The street was empty to his relief and also his dismay.


    It was as if the world was turning a blind eye on what was happening this dark night. It was unnerving. He wanted to scream that the world wake up and see what was going on. But it would send the whole town into chaos. So he dropped the thought and looked around.


    There were still street lights which needed replacement as their absent light was casting ominous shadows.


    Assuming the other two were behind him, Calin started towards his left. The house in question was only a few hundred meters away, though it seemed much further.


    I¡¯m either stepping into the enemies hand or towards answers.


    As if reading his mind, Jerry came up next to him and said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s go find out.¡±


    With a slight nod, he glanced back to see Evany gripping her baseball bat tighter. Her hazel eyes sparked with determination, or fear, Calin wasn¡¯t sure.


    He strode forward.


    House for house, they crept closer to the end of the street, while checking every door¡¯s number, 34, 35, 36... Then to Calin¡¯s dismay the boarded up windows of 37 Seaside Road came into view.


    This doesn¡¯t bode well.


    He signalled Jerry and Evany to check around the side of the house, and in a low voice Calin said, ¡°See if you can spot anything inside.¡±


    They nodded and disappeared around the corner. Calin stuck to the deep shadows as he approached the windows of the two-story building, there were no cracks in the boards, nothing hinted at even a light inside.


    ¡°Man...¡± Calin said under his breath, and ventured to the second one through the thick shadows. Nothing.It¡¯ s so dark! A sigh escaped his lips as he stepped away from it.


    Without warning, a sharp point poked against his throat.


    He swallowed hard as the knife drew a drop of blood.

 Chapter 13: A Knife in the dark

    <h1>Chapter Thirteen: A Knife in the dark</h1>


    The sharp blade pricking his skin, made Calin¡¯s breath stop. There was nothing he could do. The game was up.


    With a cracked voiced, he croaked. ¡°Um, no need to do something stupid, I won¡¯t put up a figh¡ª¡± The knife pressed harder against his throat; it made him stop the next words. A confident voice came from behind, yet it was etched with some uncertainty. ¡°Who are you, and why are you trying to look into the house?¡±


    Confused by the scenario, Calin said, ¡°I was looking for a man living here, my name is Calin.¡±


    The blade softened considerably against his throat and the stranger said, ¡°Calin? You got my note?¡±


    He nodded, hoping he had made the right decision coming here. It was now or never.


    As fast as edge of the knife had come into contact with his throat, as fast, it left his skin. It was hard not to sigh with relief.


    But then all of a sudden the man pressed it hard against his throat again and threw his arm around Calin¡¯s shoulders. I was wrong!


    The man turned them both towards oncoming people. There came a gasp and Calin was sure it was Evany and Jerry the moment they came fully around the corner, even in the dark.


    The stranger¡¯s knife tightened and he shouted. ¡°STOP! What do you want with us?¡±


    Jerry¡¯s hands went up as he slowly moved closer.


    Calin wanted to shake his head at the boy, but the knife drew another drop of his blood. Another sharp intake of breath followed, Evany had seen as much.


    With a cautious tone Jerry was first to speak.


    ¡°Listen here mate, nobody has to get hurt here. We won¡¯t do anything, just let our friend go.¡±


    Half expecting the man to cut him, he cringed while trying not to swallow too hard as the blade pressed against his neck. But the man surprised him as he said past his ear, ¡°How do I know this is really your friend, or that you don¡¯t want him for something else?¡±


    Confused, Calin tried to confirm the claim but as he started to speak the man shook him and said a harsh, ¡°Quiet! Please.¡±


    With no real control over his body he started trembling, this is not going so well. He was desperate to find some way to slip out of the man¡¯s grip, but nothing presented itself at the moment.


    In another motion Jerry¡¯s hands showed for the man to calm down. ¡°I¡¯ve known him half my life, so please just let him go.¡±


    Calin almost groaned, Jerry wasn¡¯t saying the right things. He wanted to speak, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he would get another nip for his effort, so he kept his mouth shut and hoped he would get his chance to escape.


    An instant later his heart sank when the man started to drag him backwards. The stranger¡¯s words not helping his nerves either. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, now get back. You won¡¯t get him.¡±


    Calin¡¯s eyes pleaded at the other two, he was afraid, but he wanted them to stay clear of the knife. Evany shouted at him. ¡°Calin! We¡¯ll find a way, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    In that moment he didn¡¯t care if he got nicked as he desperately shouted back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Get to safety--¡± He expected the nick, but what made him stop was the knife and arm of the stranger dropping away from him. He turned slowly towards his assailant and looked into the amber eyes of the stranger, but it stood out even in dim light.


    As Calin tensed his muscles to be ready for a reaction, he paused as there was a slight flash of uncertainty in the man¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I had to be certain ¡­ sorry¡­ I was afraid they came for us.¡± The stranger said, slipping a good looking army knife into a holster.


    A frown split Calin¡¯s face and he asked, ¡°Us?¡±


    A smile of amusement tugged at the man¡¯s lips as he said, ¡°Of course us, you and me Calin.¡±


    Wanting to ask more, Calin started to speak.


    But then Jerry barrelled into the man.


    In surprise, Calin sprung away from the scene, but then realized what was happening and rushed at the tangled bodies grunting and groaning through the fight.


    Calin grabbed Jerry by shoulders and plucked him off the man, but Jerry¡¯s right arm got loose and swung again. Before he could grab at the arm the punch connected with the man¡¯s jaw.


    Redoubling his effort, Calin used his full weight to pull at Jerry, and dragged him away. The boy was protesting all the way trying the get free.


    ¡°What are you doing, let me go, I had him pinned!¡± but Calin shook him while looking deep in the boy¡¯s almond eyes and said, ¡°Enough! He let me go, he believes you now.¡±


    Jerry stumbled to his feet taking a deep breath before he eyed the strange man and said a soft, ¡°Ah.¡±


    With one last pointed stare at the boy, he glanced back to see the amber eyed man get to one knee, wiping at the drops of blood from the edge of his mouth.


    Calin was about to venture over to the man when Evany assailed him, her golden-blonde hair flinging past his ear as she hugged him. Calin¡¯s breath whooshed out of him for a moment at the impact, but as he caught his breath, he patted her shoulder and said in soothing tones. ¡°I¡¯m alright, don¡¯t worry, you can let me go now.¡±


    The girl removed her arms, her eyes slightly downcast as she softly said, ¡°Okay. Good.¡± Then as she glanced at his neck, she yelped and said, ¡°You¡¯re hurt! Let me check your cuts.¡±


    Calin shook his head keeping the inquisitive Evany at arms length as he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry! You can check when we are safe inside.¡±


    He winked at her and walked over to the stranger and presented his arm, the man gladly accepted and drew himself up.


    ¡°Your friend there got quite a punch to him. Not that I blame him for punching me, given the situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Calin chuckled, ¡°But don¡¯t tell him that, he already has a large ego.¡± Then he asked, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    The man had been smiling at him, but when Calin asked what his name was, the stranger stiffened visibly. His amber eyes flashed wide, confusion written all over his face. Long seconds passed by until the man almost dazedly presented his hand.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m Tyas Sabrial...¡± After a moment, Tyas shook his head, ¡°Ah, forgive me. I¡¯m sorry about the um¡­¡± he motioned at Calin¡¯s neck as he said, ¡°¡­cuts, I couldn¡¯t see you properly in the dark, and then they showed up.¡±


    Tyas tilted his head at the others and Calin spotted Evany fussing at Jerry¡¯s clothes.


    There was some amusement in the act, but then Calin said over his shoulder, ¡°Yeah well... I thought for a moment I made the wrong decision and walked into a trap. Especially after those weird robed men and their creatures came after me earlier.¡±


    There was a strange noise behind him and he glanced back at Tyas, the man had a truly shocked expression on his face. And with a serious tone in his voice that startled Calin, Tyas demanded.


    ¡°The black creatures? Are you certain what you saw? Are they close?¡±


    After tentatively nodding, Calin studied the man¡¯s face. There was a deep fear in it. Tyas was scanning the area with anxious glances.


    I am afraid of them myself, but he seemed to have come across them before¡­ He asked as much and the man only said, ¡°Get your friends, we need to get inside immediately. I¡¯ll explain what I can then.¡±


    A shiver ran down his spine, though, if the cool breeze was the source he wasn¡¯t sure. A quick flick sent his bag tighter over his shoulder as he called back at the other two. ¡°Jerry, Evany, hurry¡­We need to get inside!¡±


    They trotted over uncertainly, but before they could ask anything, Tyas hissed through the open door, ¡°Inside, hurry!¡±


    Calin shoved at the other two and they quickly entered the dark boarded house.


    Inside the strong smell of mould and rotting wood was evident. He coughed a bit as he removed his jacket and pressed it into his already full bag. A moment later he choked again waving at the dust in the air before he said, ¡°You live here?¡±


    The door¡¯s lock clicked behind him and a heavy wooden beam thudded into place. Two metal slots holding it securely. Calin eyed Tyas as the man let out a deep breath, the tension that had sprung up on the man so quickly, never left his eyes.


    Tyas rubbed his hands together to dust them off and said, ¡°Yeah yeah, I know it¡¯s not much, but I didn¡¯t want to draw much attention to myself.¡±


    Scoffing at that, Calin crossed his arms. ¡°And the wooden boards outside don¡¯t draw attention?¡±


    The man shrugged with a small smile while moving off and started dusting the spray bottles.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Something about the man¡¯s attitude made Calin suspicious and he ventured over to Evany and Jerry, and said in a whisper. ¡°Tyas acts around me like he knows me. Something is up, just be on your guard. He seems like he wants to help, but just for in case, okay?¡±


    They nodded and he turned back to the dark room, he made out a slightly green colour that adorned the cracked walls. He stepped over to where Tyas was busy spraying the floor at the door with something.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Calin asked with a frown.


    ¡°Oh¡­ this?¡± Tyas pointed at the bottle, ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is right, then we are being hunted.¡±


    Tyas scratched under his long sleeve, his ghostly pale skin catching Calin¡¯s eye before the man continued. ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time ago for me. I was hoping the presence of those men in this town would come without their dangerous pets, but no such luck... There is not much left, but this is to throw them off for a couple of minutes, if they come sniffing around¡­ Here catch.¡±


    Tyas threw a little bottle of the stuff at Calin and he caught it swiftly. He ventured a sniff he was repulsed by the powerful odour.


    Chuckling at him, Tyas said, ¡°Strong stuff eh? That liquid helped me out of a tight squeeze a few times. But it¡¯s very hard to come by. And I mean extremely.¡±


    The odour still burned through his nose as he cringed. As he handed the bottle back to Tyas, he shuddered and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be glad if I don¡¯t have to work with that stuff every day. It smells awful.¡±


    A grin split Tyas¡¯ face at that, but the man continued spraying the stuff at the door, seemingly deep in thought.


    Patiently he waited until Tyas finally said, ¡°Yeah well, sometimes something is thrown on you without you having any choice.¡±


    Calin blanched at that, and eyed the man, but Tyas quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°You wondered why I was so surprised about hearing that those men had their creatures here? It¡¯s because a month ago, I spotted the keepers of those beasts at the Northen end of Breakwater Isle. As you know that is, what, three hundred kilometres North of here? I didn¡¯t expect them to come so far so quickly, especially not with their creatures. As for why, I think you already got a hint of it. The stalemate has tipped, they finally found you. Took them close to eight years, but yeah...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confused...¡± Calin muttered as he tried to arrange his thoughts. Nothing of it made sense. But something Tyas had said earlier, made him ask.


    ¡°You said ¡®we¡¯ earlier?¡±


    Tyas glanced away from him. The man¡¯s eyes lingered on Calin¡¯s two friends before the man lowered his voice and said,


    ¡°Yes. As for me, they have a grudge against me. I was a thorn in their sides for a very long time. It¡¯s you they really want... The reason for that, though, I only have theories. Your friends, for the time being are safe, that is if they stay out of the way of those people. I¡¯m not sure why you brought them along? If you could please enlighten me, I¡¯ll be glad.¡±


    Calin sat down on a round wooden chair. It had three legs. This was the third confirmation he had in such a short span of time. It only settled the matter once and for all. He dragged a hand through his brown hair. Those men were following him.


    Just then, he realized he never introduced his friends, he looked back at Tyas and as much to buy time to think than anything, Calin said, ¡°Oh sorry its rude of me, the tall guy¡¯s name is Jerry,¡± He pointed at the boy who was stumbling around in the dark, then went on, ¡°He came along when those monsters came barging into the barn we both live in. The girl¡¯s name is Evany, she¡­ well I don¡¯t know why she insisted upon coming along.¡± The last was said a bit louder, he still wondered why the girl kept on pressing the matter; especially considering the situation.


    With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued, ¡°But please tell me one thing, Tyas, Why?... Why are they after me, and why are, or were they after you?¡±


    Uncertain if his voice sounded like pleading, he coughed, but he needed to know, so he turned his gaze back to Tyas.


    The man sat down heavily against the wall and slumped his head against the wall looking up at the ceiling. The sound of Tyas¡¯ shuddering breath unsettled Calin, but he waited patiently for him to answer.


    A few awkward moments passed and then Tyas said, ¡°As I said, they have a big grudge against me¡­ they¡¯ve been looking for me on and off for seven years now. And I¡¯m a hundred percent certain that had you not fallen from that cliff that day, it would¡¯ve been the same for you¡­ or rather you would¡¯ve been hunted day and night,


    ¡®Seriously, if they get your blood, we have huge problems... You have to tell me, did the doctors draw your blood when you were in the hospital? Tell me quickly!¡±


    Calin was so shocked to hear about the fall, it took him a few moments to even process the rest. His heart was hammering. I really did fall from a cliff!


    It was only after the initial shock that Tyas¡¯ insistent questions broke through to him. He couldn¡¯t get the words out, so he shook his head vigorously. The doctors hadn¡¯t drawn blood. But when he cut his hands in the fields¡ª


    ¡°Good! That is very good news.¡± The man sighed with relief. ¡°But back to the other point. Grudge or not, I guess I was lucky to have some knowledge how to thwart their efforts from my ¡­from my¡­¡±


    It was clear to Calin that Tyas was quite uncomfortable about something. But there were so many questions Calin wanted to ask. Yet, just as he wanted to start, the man placed a trembling hand over his eyes and it seemed like he was going to cry. Calin bit back his questions and waited.


    Evany and Jerry were animated in a discussion off to his side, but he couldn¡¯t make out what was being said.


    After a minute Tyas composed himself and Calin expected an answer.


    ¡°My mother,¡± Tyas said, ¡°She was bitten badly on the night you fell. Three days later she was dead¡­ she... she told me things while we got away, she seemed desperate that I should know certain odd facts, I didn¡¯t know she would die¡­ and I was too young to have done anything other than help us escape, but I listened to what she said.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice cracked a bit, but Calin kept silent and waited patiently for the man to continue, ¡°She gave me a bag full of gold nuggets and said I could use it to get food and shelter, she said something about the creatures that bit her, and scribbled a note of certain things. Seeing her in that much pain was horrible, but she insisted on going on.¡±


    As Tyas mentioned a note, he pointed over to a table, and in the gloom Calin spotted a piece of paper.


    ¡°After a while,¡± Tyas continued, ¡°I realized it was ways for me to win valuable minutes in getting away from them. And after a week of me running and hiding, they disappeared. At first I thought I was safe,


    ¡®I was too tired to care really, I was battered and bruised sitting in a tree trying to stay dry through the rain. But as the days went on without incident, I realized it was something my mom had said before she had died, and I know this will sound crazy, but she had said, that I should try to find you. But if ever I see blue lightning strike out of clear skies, that I should find you no matter what,


    ¡®She said that those who hunted us were after us for information on you. They stopped hunting me because I think they realized it was just me left. I guess the other times they came after me was out of pure frustration that they couldn¡¯t find you, and some... other things I have done.¡±


    Swallowing hard, Calin stared wide eyed at the man, and at a loss for words, he croaked.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just an¡ª What on good green earth has lightning have anything to do with this? This is crazy.¡±


    Tyas frowned and said, ¡°I was hoping you could tell me, because it confused me to no end. I used to really think it was a metaphor or something. Well, that was until it actually happened¡­ My mother didn¡¯t get the chance to tell me why though, especially nothing about the lightning. But believe me, it was how she said it that made me listen carefully,


    ¡®Her eyes were frantic, she knew she was going to die, but still she wanted me to know this? I listened. I¡¯ve had years to think about it, but I¡¯m still completely baffled, the only thing I can think of, was, that it must be something to do with what your family was doing. Actually, I was really hoping your dad had told you what you should do when it happened, or gave you a letter at least?¡±


    Through it all Calin was starting to see stars, my family?... His muscles just drained of strength. This was too much. The sound of footsteps running towards him was faded and distant. He sat up as much to stop from falling over as to clear his head. Evany was standing there all of a sudden looking deeply concerned.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked with worry.


    Calin didn¡¯t know how to answer, he was totally bewildered! It was impossible to try to express the feelings that rampaged inside him. On the one hand everything was unravelling around him, everything seemed hopeless. He was being hunted by things out of nightmares, but on the other hand, the man in front of him knew of his family. Calin¡¯s throat was dry, but he needed to know.


    He pressed Evany gently out of the way and he forced the questions out, the questions that had plagued him all these years.


    ¡°Where are my parents? Who are they? Why did they leave me? Why did they abandon me?!¡± Every question came out louder.


    He only half realized that Evany¡¯s eyes widened at each of his questions, but he squarely looked at Tyas and for the first time, the shocking contrast of his straight black hair on his pale face with the amber eyes was clear, those eyes were looking at him with such intensity.


    The man seemed to grit his teeth, not looking away, but then his eyes sparked with confusion as he lifted up both his hands.


    ¡°Wait, what? I know you have a lot of questions and I¡¯m probably the last person to know them all, but that¡¯s not the problem here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then who would know?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, please give me a chance to speak!¡±


    Clenching his fists, Calin tried to calm down. Then Tyas stood up and moved closer, his eyes were trained on Calin, searching for something.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you remember any of this yourself?¡± Tyas asked intently.


    It was the last thing Calin expected as he recoiled for a second, What? He tried to get words out, yet in his confusion it only came out as grunts and single syllables. But as he composed himself, Evany was the one to answer the question.


    ¡°Calin came to this hospital almost eight years ago. I was there that day. It was a scary sight to see a boy in such a shape, them carrying him on a stretcher his hair full of blood from several bad wounds. His body...¡± Evany shuddered, but she continued, ¡°My mom told me later that Calin¡¯s skull was cracked on a few places. I didn¡¯t think he would survive. Yet, after the life saving surgery, he was stable, but they had to teach him how to speak and to walk because all his long term memories were gone. Anyway, that¡¯s what I remember.¡±


    It bothered him how much he hated to hear it again, calling up memories of the dark times of his life. But he was grateful for her intervention, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer that question in his state.


    Tyas¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know... I guess we both had rough years since that day.¡± The man sighed and continued, ¡°Then you don¡¯t know where we come from, do you?¡±


    The question caught Calin completely off guard. A frown split his forehead as he shook his head no.


    Tyas seemed thoroughly perplexed at that, as he exclaimed, ¡°SANDS! This complicates things... Majorly!¡±


    ¡°Then where are we from?¡± Calin asked, more curious than anything now.


    With an uncertain voice, Tyas said, ¡°Calin, I know you don¡¯t remember anything, but there are rules. I can¡¯t tell you. Maybe if ¡­ No ... it¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    It was tempting to stand up and grab the man and threaten him for answers but Jerry was first to stomp toward Tyas.


    ¡°You better give him answers now or I¡¯m going to punch you again, rules or not, you better start talking.¡± Before Jerry reached Tyas, the man brought up his arms in defence saying.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, but I can tell him his parents didn¡¯t abandon him.¡±


    The statement made Calin sit forward with wonder. He quickly motioned for Jerry to calm down.


    Tyas relaxed somewhat and said, ¡°Your father sent you with me and my mom and dad to keep you safe... Guess that never worked out. Everything went wrong at that cliff. I¡¯m sorry. I tried to grab you¡­¡± The look on the man¡¯s face was pure apologetic before he continued, ¡°All that I can say about your parents is that they didn¡¯t leave you because they wanted to, they needed to keep you safe. Don¡¯t ask me why, your father Darrus was terrified of something the night we left our home. I¡¯ve never seen him so scared in my life.¡±


    Suddenly numb to the bone, Calin just sat there. My father¡¯s name really is Darrus... the dream? No it was just weird. But that name...


    Before the thought could sink in, something crashed to the ground outside, followed a second later by howl out on the street, right over the door.


    Calin was too dazed to move and Tyas was hissing something at him, but he couldn¡¯t comprehend through his fuzzy mind, and then the next moment Jerry and the man grabbed him under his arms and dragged him into the next room.


    He shook his head and steadied his legs under him as they ran. Tyas, who became more certain of Calin running on his own, leapt forward and opened a coffin like casket, its lid crashed open onto the stone floor.


    Clarity washed over Calin at what the intention was and he almost fell as he tried to stop himself before the casket. To his dismay it was filled with water.


    The next moment his bag was ripped from his shoulders and a hard push from behind sent him tumbling head first, clothes and all into the ice cold water.

 Chapter 14: Echoes of a watery grave

    <h1>Chapter Fourteen: Echoes of a watery grave</h1>


    The breath shot out of Calin, the cold shock of the water dug into his skin. All the sound around him seemed to disappear with the plunge into the coffin. He wanted out, but his clothes acted like snake vines commanded to keep him under.


    Desperate for air, he fought the battle under the water, though he soon realized it was futile, his lungs strained with the meagre breath he had attempted to take before being forced under the water.


    To his relief a pair of hands came around his sides and flipped him over. Calin shot out of the water for a breath, his lungs expanding with a loud gasp with the frantic intake of breath.


    Before he could disentangle himself from the water, a pair of hands pressed hard against his chest. He only had time to see it was Tyas before his body was consumed by the watery grave once more. He is drowning me!


    Dim light was shining through the dark water, beckoning him to his freedom. Though, all he was privy to at the moment was the echoes of his cold prison.


    There in the haze of the water, a drum beat of thuds became prominent. It became louder in his ears and he realized it was the anxious contractions of his own heart; its beat was leading the way for him in the dark liquid.


    Like iron shackles clinging to his flesh, the cold started to seep into his skin. Their only purpose was to break their captive of his will and lull him into his young demise.


    The heck, I¡¯m not going to die like this! He swung his arm up, but missed Tyas and before he could land his next swing, Jerry¡¯s blurry face came up and his hand freed Calin¡¯s face to gulp in the sweet oxygen that was entering his lungs.


    He wanted to shout at the two, why did they push me under? But as he opened his mouth, Evany¡¯s tiny hand slipped over his mouth.


    ¡°Shh,¡± She whispered. ¡°They are right outside. Tyas said the water will mask your scent. Calin why are they after you?¡± As she was asking this, her face came into view, her features screamed her fear and her hazel eyes pleaded for answers, but Calin didn¡¯t have any.


    After her hand left his mouth, he whispered uncertainly to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Evany¡¯s eyes were downcast with worry, but he didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment.


    Something slid underneath his neck and he gladly rested his head on the piece of wood for comfort, but also to think.


    At that instant his mind was a muddled confused mess with everything that had been said. His ears dipped into the water and the slower beat of his heart soothed him to relax.


    ***


    What time went by was lost on Calin as he jerked awake, having fallen asleep. While trying to sit up, he remembered what happened and stayed down. There was a lingering worry that his body was going numb from the constant cold. Not enough for hypothermia, though eventually it might lead to that. He didn¡¯t know how long, but he wasn¡¯t planning on finding out.


    As he turned his head he could see Evany sitting behind an old couch, its colour was a dull maroon; it could have been red once.


    Her shoulders were tense, and her brow furrowed while she wrote something on a sheet of paper.


    ¡°Evany ¡­ Come here.¡± Calin called in a low voice.


    The startled girl jerked slightly, but relaxed as she looked at him. She lowered the pen and crawled closer and sat down.


    ¡°What?¡± She softly asked.


    Calin tried to spot the other two, but couldn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said in a whisper, ¡°Tyas went out back to do who knows what and he sent Jerry to spray the last of that awful smelling stuff around the windows and doors.¡±


    With a nod, he tried again to see what was going on outside his cold prison. But then Evany¡¯s piece of paper caught his attention. He raised an eyebrow in query as he asked, ¡°What are you writing?¡±


    Evany¡¯s eyes flashed before looking away from him, but she said, ¡°It¡¯s a um¡­ um It¡¯s a letter for my parents that says I¡¯m going away for a while and stuff.¡±


    The statement made Calin sit up. But her hand on his shoulder stopped him and made him retreat back into the water. She had known he was going to react, that much was certain. With a frown and in all seriousness, he asked, ¡°Going where?¡±


    The girl coughed slightly.


    Calin groaned the moment she did. But she held up her hand to keep him from speaking and then said, ¡°Tyas said we are leaving in his truck as soon as possible out of town. So... I¡¯m leaving a um ¡­ letter, to let my parents know I¡¯m going where I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Evany¡­¡± Calin said in a warning tone.


    ¡°I know¡­ but please. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t come back!¡±


    The battle raged inside of him, but somewhere deep inside he was certain it was important to her. He shrugged finally.


    ¡°Hmm, okay fine¡­ but do me a favour then, write a letter for me and Jerry, to Misses Talsen, tell her that for her safety ¡­ hey! What did Tyas say?¡±


    ¡°I said that we must leave the town,¡± Tyas said in a low voice from the door, ¡°As soon as we get a gap. Calin you should send your friends home, if they go with us, they won¡¯t be able to find their way back. This is our struggle, not theirs.¡±


    ¡°Ha! We can speak for ourselves, thank you very much!¡± Evany huffed, ¡°And I will not stand for you insulting Jerry or my intellect. We can find our way back.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tyas said testily, ¡°I surmised as much, but you really don¡¯t know what you are saying in this instance. Calin can¡¯t vouch for me because he can¡¯t remember and I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jerry asked, unconvinced.


    Tyas¡¯s eyes seemed wild for a moment before the man slumped his shoulders.


    Calin didn¡¯t know what to say either, but then Tyas said, ¡°I just can¡¯t¡­ You won¡¯t understand.¡±


    While floating there in the water, something in his gut understood what Tyas was saying, but he didn¡¯t know where to place it. In the end, he splashed his hand in the water to get their attention.


    ¡°Hey! Everybody relax, we are all in this together now. Let¡¯s think about what we should do. So when we leave with your truck, where to then?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Relief shone on Tyas¡¯ features and he said, ¡°I have a small cabin not far from here, but we have to cross the river at a bridge forty kilometres from here. Maybe even go towards Drave¡¯s town for supplies, though I¡¯m still thinking about that. That is unless you guys are up for it to go through Mesa Versee.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Calin exclaimed.


    He didn¡¯t want go anywhere near the ruins at that moment. Tyas raised an eyebrow at him and Calin just shook his head, not wanting to talk about what had happened there.


    ¡°Can we leave for the bridge soon?¡± He asked in an effort to divert the sudden interest in the ruins. Tyas glanced to the window and back at him, but his features betrayed his feelings and Calin wanted to groan as Tyas said, ¡°No, not you, I think they are close by somewhere. I can slip out with the others, but the moment they catch your scent it¡¯s going to be the same story all over again. I¡¯m not going to risk that.¡±


    Tyas leaned against the wall and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take chances. My mom wouldn¡¯t have been so desperate to tell me, if there wasn¡¯t a very good reason that you in the hands of the enemy could have bad consequences. I¡¯m thinking they might use you for blackmail or something, though, I¡¯m really not certain. Just so I know, are you in a hurry to leave?¡±


    Calin shot Tyas a glance, hoping he would interpret it as ¡®Yes, dumbass¡¯ but he answered anyway in a flat voice.


    ¡°What do you think? There are creatures out there who would cause town-wide panic, and they are sniffing about after me for who knows what reason... I¡¯m starting to think there is some cruel joke in the whole situation.¡±


    He almost sat up in his frustration, but remained down as he continued, ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯ve been running about all night. And the people I care for are in danger because of me it seems. On top of all that, I can¡¯t feel my extremities anymore. It¡¯s bloody cold in here. So think about your question again, carefully.¡±


    The faces of the others were all turned to him. At the sight of Jerry¡¯s mouth hanging open, Calin glared. They won¡¯t understand.


    He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Do what you have to do, but get me out of here as soon as possible."


    Strangely enough, Evany was first to speak next to him, ¡°Calin, it will be alright.¡±


    Calin scoffed at that, but she silenced him and said, ¡°Shush! Stop it. It will be alright if I have anything to say about it, and if you three don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to finish those letters. Jerry Jake, you are going to help me, if you like it or not!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Jerry yelped as Evany grabbed his arm with force.


    Even in his grim mood, Calin tried to suppress a chuckle, but finally a smile tugged at his lips as the girl dragged a complaining Jerry off to the next room.


    To his surprise, Tyas stayed behind and sat down on the stone floor with his back against the casket. The man rubbed his hand through his black hair and lowered his head between his arms.


    Calin lifted his head a bit to look at Tyas. There was something about the man that seemed out of place. Tyas didn¡¯t act or speak like any other person Calin had ever seen before. He must be from overseas. My family must have done something to anger some foreign mafia or something. I wonder how he got caught up in this. The thought made him wonder what conspiracies were hidden in the world of 2020. Small villages never get the full gist of what¡¯s going on.


    Then, Calin took a breath and asked. ¡°Do we really have to leave?¡±


    After a few moments of silence, Tyas sighed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± He said, ¡°And when I said you should send your friends home, I really mean it. Calin... We are different you and I. We don¡¯t belong here, we never did. That¡¯s why we need to leave, and the dangers we face now are just part of the reason. I wish you could remember, because if you did, you would make sure your friends let us go on alone.¡±


    Calin clenched the side of his wet clothes, perplexed at the riddles of the man. He wanted to tongue lash Tyas, but something about how he had said it made Calin say, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean? I am perfectl? I was perfectly happy in this town before those things showed up and crashed my world.¡±


    Tyas scoffed and turned to him, gripping the wooden edge, Calin glared.


    ¡°You would say that,¡± Tyas said, ¡°But argue with me, something in you always was curious what life would have been like had your parents not disappeared?¡±


    His shoulders twitched at the words, and he desperately tried to hide those exact feelings, but something must have showed on his face as Tyas said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. I see it clearly on your face. Let me be perfectly honest with you, I¡¯m helping you only because my Mom begged me to, and because together we can find our true families.¡±


    Tyas sighed loudly, the man looked away from Calin before continuing, ¡°Or in my case just my father, but I have to say my mom¡¯s dying wish was that I find you before those men and their creatures found you. She wouldn¡¯t have made that request lightly, so I¡¯ll honour it by trying to get you back to where we belong.¡±


    The notion made Calin sink deeper into the water. Tyas was a very mysterious man and a lot of things bugged Calin, but there were clear signs that Tyas was honour bound.


    Honour, not something people have these days. Calin pondered for a moment longer, before he shrugged.


    ¡°Thank you for helping me Tyas, I understand your loss. So I¡¯m going to do all I can alongside you so we can find our families, I¡¯ll even accompany you where you want to go, but I need to know why?¡±


    Tyas looked at him questioningly for an instant, but then inclined his head at him, so Calin asked, ¡°But tell me something, did my family anger someone high enough up that they decided to send those people and their creatures sniffing after me?¡±


    The look on the face of Tyas was enough for Calin to know he couldn¡¯t say anything or maybe didn¡¯t know the answer. It was truly frustrating.


    He wanted to disappear back into the water, but finally Tyas said, ¡°Calin... I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I think it¡¯s more to do with something they want from your family. Your dad hid you away for a reason. That much I¡¯m certain of.¡±


    The answer was more like an evasion. With a glare at the man, Calin said,


    ¡°Seriously? Is that your answer? I¡¯m an orphan, Tyas, as much as I want to believe my family hid me away with good intentions, they still left me, to fend for myself. There is nothing these other people can take from me that belongs to me, because I have nothing. All I have is my friends and if they think they can use me as leverage against my father. Well, I think you¡¯d find that my family wouldn¡¯t even recognize me.¡±


    Half of those things were said out of anger, but he believed it at that moment.


    The tension in the room became tangible. He looked away, angry at what he couldn¡¯t really place, but angry nonetheless.


    Then there came a resigned sigh from the man. ¡°Calin... I know things might seem chaotic and unfair.¡±


    Calin shot him a ¡®you think¡¯ look, but the man ignored him as he continued, ¡°Try to understand, my hands are tied, I only know so much and all I want is to find my father, and yes I understand your being angry at being abandoned, but wouldn¡¯t it bring you peace to go find your parents and discover the reasons we are where we are today?¡±


    Calin made firsts under the water, heat flowing into his taut knuckles for a brief moment. It was hard for him to deny the fact even though he really wanted to, but in the end he nodded and his fists eased open.


    The decision was made, and it brought him some calm even if just a little bit. He was leaving this town to go find that which was denied to him so long. Yet the guilt for thinking of leaving Misses Talsen started to tug at him. But what Tyas had alluded to was true. First, his presence in the town was endangering the people he loved. No, it was endangering the whole of Lamb¡¯s Crest.


    But it was more than that, something deep down had always felt out of place, like he was meant to be somewhere else.


    But Calin shook it away as Tyas inclined his head at him. The man got up and moved to the door.


    Just before leaving the room Tyas spoke over his shoulder.


    ¡°Stay in the water. I¡¯m going to sneak out and see what is going on. And, seeing that your friend Evany is so obsessed with following us, I¡¯ll take her to deliver the letters and maybe get some of her things from her house after. She is foolish, but I won¡¯t say anything... yet.¡±


    Before Calin could protest, Tyas stated, ¡°Don¡¯t forget. They are looking for you specifically. Me and your friends, well, they will keep to the shadows unless they spot you, if they do however, they will throw caution to the wind to take shots at you. So don¡¯t do anything stupid. We will be back soon.¡±


    With that, the man left.


    Calin shot up onto his knees in the water, his clothes heavy on him as he tried to shout out after Tyas.


    ¡°Wait! Are you crazy?!¡±


    But no reply was forthcoming and he flopped back into the water.


    In the pressing silence, he tried to hum a song to calm his nerves, but it did everything but calm him as he imagined all the horrible ways the errand could go wrong.


    So much for peace, He grumbled under his breath. ¡°Doing something stupid? Ha! They are so thick! Who in their right minds would go out with things like that outside, not me oh no, but what does Calin know?¡±


    A stormy mood settled over him again as the truck¡¯s engine started out back. It rumbled away down the street until it faded away into the distant sound of breaking waves.


    For a moment he wondered why they get to be so lucky to move about so freely with those creatures lurking about when he was stuck in a warmth forsaken casket.


    The frustration of waiting for the others to return, if they would return, was gnawing on his nerves. It was because of it that he decided then and there that when they got back he was going to get out no matter what they say. He wanted to leave now.


    After a bout of angry grumblings and trying to sabotage the casket, he started to wonder which continent housed his family. Were they across the Atlantic Ocean, or the Indian Ocean?


    I¡¯m going to find them.


    With that in mind, he closed his eyes and imagined what he would do to find his parents.


    After a while, the beat of his heart slowly started to lull him back to sleep. No matter what... the last thought formed before he drifted off.

 Chapter 15: Lights of a roadside gas station

    <h1>Chapter Fifteen: Lights of a roadside gas station</h1>


    A hand on Calin¡¯s arm woke him up with a start. He sat up, but relaxed as Evany motioned for him to calm down.


    Watching her for any sign of what was going on, he kept silent.


    After she glanced toward the door, she whispered, ¡°Okay, get out quietly and get those wet clothes off, I left some dry ones on the couch.¡± Without saying anything else, she left the room.


    He wanted to leap out of the water with joy, glad to finally escape the cold prison. But he tumbled to the hard floor as he tried to put his weight on his numb legs. He grimaced and awkwardly got to his knees before rubbing his aching side. Silently without a word, he began to undress. The clothes stuck to his skin and only egged on his frustration.


    After a minute or two, he sighed in relief as he got his briefs off and sat behind the couch and donned the dry briefs and a pair of dark blue denims, almost black. It wasn¡¯t a familiar pair, must belong to Tyas.


    Next, he reached for a collared T-shirt. It was a dark emerald colour. He savoured the moment as the worst of the cold started to seep out of his body.


    While he was dragging the socks onto his numb feet, Calin realized the shoes left for him were heavy duty hiking boots. It was slightly baffling, but he figured it was the only dry shoes Tyas could offer.


    Just as he was lacing up the heavy boots, Evany¡¯s low voice came from beyond the door.


    ¡°Calin? Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure, I¡¯m just about done.¡± Calin said as he struggled with the odd way to lace up hiking boots, it was totally different to what he was used to with normal sneakers. With a grunt he finished as Evany came to stand next to him.


    He raised an eyebrow as he noted that she was in hiking boots too. But before he could ask her about the need for such boots, the pins and needles flashed through his legs. He cringed with the uncomfortable sensation and waited for it to end, before he dropped his curiosity and asked.


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Jerry is out back with Tyas. They¡¯re waiting, so we should hurry up.¡± Evany was already standing at the door as she said it.


    He slapped his legs and arms to get some life into them, stood up and silently followed Evany through the door.


    It was impossible for Calin to glance back to the coffin and not shudder. If ever I have to get into a coffin again, I better be dead. Not wanting to stay there any longer, he hurried after the girl as she moved through the old house.


    After a few seconds, Evany flicked the back door open and signalled for Calin to go. She placed her finger to her lips for him to be quiet as a warning. Outside, the alley was dark.


    There were no street lamps back there. It was unsettling that he now associated being outside with being in danger. His eyes flittered left and right just to be sure nothing waited for him. With another glance to the right he finally spotted the old sea green pickup truck.


    Jerry sat on the open back with a jacket already pulled tight around his shoulders; a small blanket covered him up to the waist. The boy waved at him to be quick. It wasn¡¯t necessary, but Calin nodded anyway and stayed low as he ran towards the truck. Evany was shuffling close behind.


    As he reached the truck, a quick hop sent him through the open door into the passenger side. The truck¡¯s seats were one long seat. He got in the middle and settled into the black leather with Evany pressed in next to him on his left.


    Evany tried to close the door softly, but it still made a fairly loud noise, Calin peeked out into the alley, hoping their passage would go unnoticed. It didn¡¯t help much as Tyas fumbled with the keys, and Calin couldn¡¯t help but whisper anxiously to Tyas.


    ¡°Hurry and start the thing.¡±


    Tyas twisted the key, but the engine didn¡¯t start, and with another twist, nothing, again.


    The third time the engine rumbled to life and they all sighed as the truck started down the alley, going east to the main road that eventually leaves the town.


    ***


    The truck slowly rolled on the cobblestones, the suspension not hiding the fact. Every bump was evident in the hard seats. Calin looked around at the dark buildings passing by. They slipped into the main road.


    What bothered him the most was the fact that all the nights events had happened without anybody in Lamb¡¯s Crest realizing. The town looked almost serene. But those creatures and the men were somewhere within its confines. Waiting for their chance.


    He pushed it aside and peered through the window, he made out the broken door to the electrician shop.


    A deep sigh escaped him. He hoped Darly and Eric would be alright, they wouldn¡¯t understand why he had to leave. It might even have hurt them.


    It tore at his heart at the thought and the further the truck went down the road the more doubt started seeping in.


    But somehow one reason was absolutely crystal clear. To keep the people safe from those nightmarish things that wanted him, he had to leave, at least until they could find a way to stop his hunters.


    With some effort, he tore his eyes away from the building as they drove on. A few seconds passed and the road opened to the farms on their left. The barn stood like a silent reminder beyond the grain field. The moonlight didn¡¯t show what was hidden in the shadows, that which hunted him.


    Somehow not knowing where those people and their creatures were, unsettled him almost as much as the memory of the thing running after him. He shook the thought from his head to try and calm his heart that started beating faster.


    The Jacobs¡¯ house slowly came into view and he glanced at Evany. She was deep in thought and biting softly on her bottom lip. He placed a hand on her forearm and asked, ¡°Evany¡­ Are you sure? We can drop you off. It will make me feel much more at ease, I have to admi?¡±


    He stopped talking as she looked at him and for a moment there was an anxious look in her eyes.


    Then she let out a deep breath.


    ¡°Yes... I want to. And no, I have to do this. I have this deep feeling... a feeling that I was meant for something different than what my dad wants for me on the farm. He would never give me that chance,


    ¡®I¡¯ve always dreamt of working some other place away from farms, maybe even in one of the cities, but he doesn¡¯t even listen to me when I try to explain to him. And yeah, I know the city is probably not for us small town people, but imagine the things we would see, the advances in technology. And the skyscrapers! That would be amazing. Don¡¯t you feel the same way?¡±


    Her question made Calin glance at Tyas. What the man had said earlier was true, there was something tugging at him to search for answers, but if I find my real family what will I do? What would it change? He inhaled deeply and decided something. I will come back to tell the people I¡¯ve grown up with here.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± He finally said. ¡°I wonder if we ever would get a chance to go overseas. Maybe work on a cruise ship as we cross the Atlantic Ocean or something.¡±


    The last bit was to maybe get a response from Tyas.


    The more he thought about the man being from overseas the more he was certain of it. Tyas looked Japanese through and through, but his strange eyes cast a bit of uncertainty over it.


    No answer came from the man, solely focused on the road. It was worth a try. Calin shrugged and listened to Evany fantasizing about working on a cruise-liner.


    A smile tugged at him and he looked over his left shoulder. But his smile faded immediately and his heart started to ache as the white walls and black roof of Misses Talsen¡¯s house passed by silently. There was no use in taking the sudden frown on his face away as Evany spotted it. She became quiet instantly and whispered a soft, ¡®Oh.¡¯


    At that moment he wished he could go back and tell Misses Talsen everything, but if he went back he would place her and the kids in grave danger. And there was no way he could do that.


    The fear that letters might not do justice for this was real... but there was no other choice. Just then, the coppery taste of his blood filtered into his mouth. His tooth had pierced the skin of his lip.


    A sigh escaped him as his shoulders drooped. He quietly vowed he would come back some day to explain the letter and his disappearance, he just wished they would go on without him until he could come back. The bright smiles of the kids flashed through his mind, forcing a shuddering breath from him to calm himself.


    He was sure Jerry was taking it hard as well, and he tried to catch a glimpse of the boy¡¯s face on the back of the truck. But Jerry¡¯s shoulders were sagged while faced away from Calin. It only confirmed that the boy felt the exact same way as him, there was no doubt. Jerry would, however, stand by him in a tough situation, they were best friends.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Before he could say a word, the house faded from sight behind them. They drove away from the edge of the town, the lights dimmed slowly behind them.


    The town he had grown up in for the last seven years.


    His thoughts were all over the place because of it.


    If he could, he would turn back time to when everything was normal, to go and give Misses Talsen a hug and tell her thank you for taking him in. But with the fading light so did the image of his wish.


    The hills flowed past them and finally hid the town¡¯s glow. All went dark except for the head lights. His heart was heavy as they drove on. He almost found himself asking Tyas to go back, but instead he kept quiet, this was for the best. It was for the safety of his people.


    Somewhat uncomfortable on the seats of the truck, he shifted around, but was glad he didn¡¯t have to sit on the back of the open roofed pick-up truck like Jerry.


    Evany¡¯s hand slipped over his knee and she asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Her smile was comforting, but he sighed and admitted what was on his mind as he said,


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m worried that we won¡¯t see this place again, but ¡­ Yeah you know what I mean.¡±


    Evany stared at him, and then turned her face slightly to the window, but all that could be seen outside was the dark silhouettes of the forest.


    Her face didn¡¯t betray her emotions as she was deep in thought. After a moment she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Calin. I think we will someday. I have to, I guess, my dad won¡¯t be too happy with me disappearing completely one night... Matter of fact, I think he would be beyond furious and Misses T as well. That¡¯s why I think we will come back. We need to.¡±


    She was absolutely right, they needed to, there was no choice in the matter.


    But as she said that, Tyas muttered something next to Calin. He tried to catch it, but was too late. Waving it off, he asked the man, ¡°So, where is our first stop?¡±


    With the question Tyas relaxed his tight grip on the steering wheel a little and said, "We''ll stop at the gas station a couple of kilometres outside your town. You know, that one with the bill board missing its E. There we¡¯ll fill up and buy some supplies for our trip. I don¡¯t think anything would be open in Drave¡¯s town anyway. We have to make do."


    Calin nodded and sat back in his seat, letting his mind wonder at what happened that day. So many things needed to be sorted out, but in the end when all is said and done, there will only remain one option, to come back to give those who are dear to them answers.


    ***


    The sudden halt of the truck sent Calin¡¯s stomach reeling. They had arrived, quicker than he expected. He shot a glare at Tyas but the man ignored him and got out.


    A second later, Tyas leaned back in and said, "Calin I need you to go buy something for me."


    Calin patted Evany''s knee and got out. The man was already filling up the car as he approached, the smell of the gasoline always made his head spin a bit.


    In an attempt to clear his head, he shook it, "What should I get?" he said, as much to distract himself from the smell than anything else.


    Tyas¡¯ hand disappeared in his pocket and withdrew some cash. "Here is a 50, go buy a couple of lighters, and at least two duck tape rolls, it¡¯s normally in the right hand back corner if I remember correctly."


    Nodding, Calin walked to the back of the truck. In the dim flickering light of the gas station he made out Jerry that looked like he was about to freeze. It was hard not to sympathize with the boy, but he smiled instead. Jerry had helped Tyas to throw him in that accursed cold coffin, so some payback.


    With a tap on the freezing boy''s leg he said, "Enjoying yourself?" Jerry glared at him and Calin couldn''t help but chuckle as he ventured away from the truck.


    The shop was seventy meters away and the short trip was a bit uneasy as the dark night seemed to seep into the lighted area, especially with the flickering lights.


    Shrugging it off, he walked up to the doors of the little shop. He pressed against the door and it gave a nice warm blast of air. It was welcome in the cold.


    Inside, he spotted three isles and the counter on his left. The man behind the counter was slightly on the large side, more chubby and a lot of muscles than fat. He guessed the man could pack a punch if there was any trouble.


    The attendant grunted a hello at Calin and went back to watching a show on the small TV on a corner stand. The noise from the thing was a welcome thing after the situations of the night.


    While in the closest isle he studied the worker. The man''s attitude was somewhat understandable. Must be boring to work the grave yard shift.


    A picture on the wall caught Calin¡¯s attention. It was of the big man holding a pretty brunette woman lovingly. Both had nice smiles in it.


    He silently browsed through the rows of bare essentials and finally located a nice set of iron lighters. He picked one up and flicked its flint to check if it worked. The flame sprang to life before disappearing again. The duck tape was easy to find. Calin took an extra roll for himself. Duck tape had a huge amount of handy uses. He headed for the counter.


    It took the big man a moment to realize Calin stood there, but he quickly got up and punched in the total before shifting the ring on his finger to more comfortable place. Out of curiosity Calin asked, "Quiet night?"


    The burly man''s deep voice startled him with the accent that was not from the island. "Ya, name¡¯s Jim by the way, there was only three sets of customers in the last three hours, there was an odd looking fella in here earlier looking around, searchin for something. But before I could ask any questions a small group of them drunk ones came barging in here. That was about an hour ago, they started making trouble, but I threatened them well enough till they left."


    The man lifted a baseball bat from behind the counter. It was hard to think that people were stupid enough to mess with this man. With a quick shake of his head at their stupidity, Calin smiled and said,


    "Yeah, sadly there will always be those types. My name is Calin. Do you have famil¡ª"


    The door burst open and a figure stomped inside. "WHEW!¡± Boomed the familiar voice of Tyas.¡°Quite a cold wind picking up outside."


    His hand slapped down on the counter with a few notes of cash. The large man grunted and took the payment for the gas.


    Calin shook off the adrenalin that had rushed through with the door bursting open. He rolled his eyes and reached for the lighter and duck tape and was startled to realize Tyas already had it in his hand. Calin¡¯s eyes flashed in amazement at how quick the movement had been and he started to ask, "Tyas how?... Never mind, is that everything?"


    Tyas nodded and left the shop.


    Calin shook his head again and turned back to the man behind the counter and said, "Good luck with the rest of the night. It was good to meet you." Jim smiled a toothy smile through his beard and Calin returned the smile as the man said, "Safe travels. And you watch out for them drunk ones. They can be mightily dangerous on the road."


    ¡°Will do!¡± He waved a goodbye and moved towards the glass doors. Across the clearing he could make out Evany scooting to the middle seat just as Tyas got into the drivers¡¯ seat of the truck.


    He paused, not entirely keen to leave the warm shop; but a few seconds later, he braved the cold wind and stepped outside. It wasn¡¯t strong but it bit through his jacket.


    Just as he was about to start toward the truck, the closest light went out. It cast the whole right side of the gas station in darkness up until the woods that were a hundred meters away.


    Startled for a moment he stared hard into the pressing darkness. He watched for any movement for at least half a minute before the light sprang back on, Calin sighed and shook his head at the flickering light and walked towards the truck.


    Halfway there a clicking noise filled his ears, but he ignored it for the flickering light. Click click Click click.


    Then it became louder.


    What made Calin glance to his right was the difference between the click, to the sound of the flickering light. As his eyes drifted over to the edge of the dim forest, there stood the massive form of one of the black creatures. It was staring straight at him. Mouth open, baring its teeth as it stalked closer to the light.


    Its claws clicked on the cement floor as it inched closer. Calin froze, his heart beat hammered wildly.


    There was only a second to decide. Being halfway between the shop and the car, he weighed his options.


    Not making any sudden movements, for fear of making the creature charge, he tried to figure out what he should do.


    Without wasting another second, he jumped forward and ran for the truck, Calin yelled at the others.


    "Start the truck!! Hurry!"


    Loud scrapes on the concrete announced the fast approaching creature. He dared not look as he forced his body towards the truck in a burst of speed. The seconds ticked by like minutes, 1... 2...3 halfway there... 4 come on start the truck 5 ... Please 6 ...Then the first swing of the engine announced the key being turned. Hope surged in him and then to his dismay the engine died again.


    Not able to keep himself from looking as he ran, he cast his gaze toward the creature. Everything seemed slow the moment he looked at it.


    Its powerful legs propelled it forward, the distance between him and the monster seemed to fall away at an immense pace.


    Calin pressed himself harder, 7... if he could only dive in and get the door closed he might stand a chance. 8... Almost there. A growl shook through him from the side and he jumped into the truck landing on Evany''s lap.


    Without a second thought, he twisted his body around and reached for the door. The cold steel met his hands and he yanked it close with force. But the broad black snout of the creature appeared inside the gap of the door, almost level with the window.


    The edge of the door struck its nose as Calin drew hard on the door and his legs to keep it away from the massive snapping head. He tried to slam the door again while he shouted at Tyas.


    "START IT, start it Now!!"


    Evany screamed behind him in terror and Tyas¡¯ anxious grunts weren¡¯t comforting. The creature''s snout was blocking the door but Calin kept slamming it to buy time. The thing¡¯s loud growling and snaps of its jaws filled the air; he kept slamming the door with little effect. Just then he reached for his knife with his one hand.


    Knife in hand he stabbed at the thing, but the creature shoved against the truck and the knife sliced through its lip. A few drops of blood splashed against the door and the creature jerked against the truck. The shock of it, however, sent the knife clattering through the gap in the door to the ground. Calin swore at the loss of his knife, but then the truck shook from the weight of the creature.


    Finally the engine roared to life.


    Tyas¡¯ foot slammed the gas and it echoed for a moment before the truck jumped forward in a jerk.


    With a hard slam, the door shut and Calin quickly shifted into his seat. Before they got a couple of meters the truck lurched to the side, the wheels on the left side lifting into the air for a brief moment.


    Heart thundering away, Calin glanced out to see the monster''s heavy body heaving against the truck. Another heave would send the truck rolling onto its side.


    Through the chaos, there was a gun shot followed by the sound of it being deflected off of something hard. The bullet clearly changed direction when it hit the scales of the monster. Shortly after, a second gun shot filled the air. The creature yelped and the truck fell back to its wheels, making all of them inside jerk with the force. For a few seconds the creature stopped and Calin cast a frantic glance to spot the source as Jim the shopkeeper.


    A gun! The elation of seeing a gun rushed through him. The creature needed to be stopped. All Calin hoped for was that the gun could do enough damage to the large monster.


    But just as fast as the hope had surged in him, it turned to horror.


    From the corner, a second creature came around the shop, the one with the white scar on its face. Behind him the big man with the rust coloured skin.


    Desperately Calin shouted Jim to run and franticly waved his arms as best he could to warn him. But it was too late as the robed man pointed to Jim and said something to the creature and Calin could just watch as the monster jumped with immense power. Its entire body sailing through the air as it landed right on top of the shop owner, and closed its jaws around his entire head and neck.


    Jim never had a chance; the man was dead before hitting the ground.


    "NO!!!" Calin screamed and with the moment that was bought with Jim¡¯s life, the truck sprang free and Tyas floored it forward.


    There were furious growls behind them as the other creature leaped after them and Jerry was pounding on the back window for them to go faster. The boy shouted out and Calin opened the small window.


    "WE¡¯RE NOT LOSING IT!" Jerry shouted with panic in his voice.

 Chapter 16: Escape to the Cabin

    <h1>Chapter Sixteen: Escape to the Cabin</h1>


    The truck rumbled down the road, Tyas was shifting gears next to Calin, the gear struggled to click into place and there was a big lull in the acceleration.


    Tyas was not getting it right. The stress was mounting every second and Calin just shouted. "Harder, press the clutch harder!"


    Through the commotion he glanced in Evany¡¯s direction, her mouth was open and she kept looking back, the freakish growls from behind were getting closer and closer. Jerry¡¯s shouts were getting more frantic by the second.


    "FASTER! FASTER!" Jerry was clinging for dear life on the back of the truck.


    Then the truck heaved to the side again, but less so as the creature only clipped the back corner. Tyas desperately corrected the sliding truck.


    Calin couldn¡¯t take it anymore and he leaned over Evany before grabbing the shift and shouted. "You floor the clutch and I''ll shift! JUST DO IT!"


    Tyas nodded franticly. Within moments the truck jumped in acceleration. The seconds passed by murderously slow, but the growls started to fade back.


    He looked back as the thing¡¯s howl of frustration split the air.


    Before long, it disappeared from view on the road behind them. We''re safe... Calin slumped his head back against the truck¡¯s small window. The tension of the moment left him subdued. After what seemed like minutes to the lot of them, Tyas panted, "Thanks... I''m sorry I panicked."


    Calin nodded and said in a tired voice. "Let''s get to that cabin of yours."


    Dropping his shoulders into the chair, the image of the man who had died, for the desperate few seconds they had needed, started haunting him. The image of the creature with the white scar killing the man in one bite bombarded his mind.


    A hand slipped over his knee, it startled him, but he glanced sideways at Evany to see her eyes at the brim of tears.


    He wanted to say something, but words escaped him. He had to be strong for her, yet his numb body held no strength. Just then Evany said in a broken voice.


    "Calin, I''m so sorry! We shouldn''t have sent you out to the shop."


    Calin gripped the side of his head closest to the window. His emotions shifted violently inside him, overwhelming him. He wanted to scream.


    "There is no way we could have known.... it¡¯s my fault... my fault he is dead. His name was Jim... He had a picture of him and his wife on the wall... He was ... I WISH THEY HAD GOTTEN ME FIRST! IT WOULD¡¯VE...It would¡¯ve... stopped this madness."


    Before he could continue, Evany slapped him hard across the face.


    She grabbed his chin with force and drew his face back to hers, fury sparked in her eyes.


    "DON¡¯T YOU DARE SAY THAT! Your life is equally worth saving! And I''m damn well going to see you get to safety, even if I have to drag you myself!¡± She glared at him, ¡°And if I ever hear you say anything like that again you''ll have a reckoning from me, do you hear me?"


    The slap and her words made him stare open mouthed at the red faced Evany. Trying to utter a word she stopped him.


    "SHUSH, be quiet! And Tyas you drive."


    The man next to Evany just said, "Yes Ma''am."


    Seeing Evany fume was already enough for Calin to keep silent as they drove on.


    The intensity of the events left him tired and he was suddenly glad for the silence.


    Tyas wasn''t scared of taking tight turns on the uneven gravel roads, but Calin didn''t care a bit. After a while they came to the only bridge that crossed the river. On the other side, Tyas turned onto the road that went back along the river. Calin had never driven on the road before. Yet even if the night didn¡¯t hide everything but what was caught by the headlights of the truck, he didn¡¯t care. The thought of which direction the road was going quickly disappeared.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He just wanted to get away, far away, from any sort of thing not human. He shoved all other thoughts from his mind and as the truck lumbered on, as exhaustion finally claimed him.


    ***


    Calin jerked awake not by will, but from someone pressing his arm, he glanced sideways. Evany was staring with soft eyes.


    In a gentle voice she said, "Sorry to wake you, but Tyas says we are close, and that when we reach the cabin, there are some things that must happen."


    In a groggy voice he groaned in reply, "Alright, is Jerry still okay?"


    She nodded and a slight tilt in her pink lips betrayed some amusement on her part, but she remained silent and Calin turned his attention to the road. It was still dark outside and the truck''s lights painted an eerie landscape of gravel and trees. The thick trees that flew past them told him they must be closer to the ocean than he had expected.


    He sat up straight but got a spasm in his back. Another groan escaped him, stiff from sleeping in the awkward seat. After some stretching, or as much as he could manage inside the moving truck, he asked, "Did I sleep long?¡±


    Tyas nodded. ¡°Three and a half hours. It¡¯s good because I''m not sure when there will be time to get sleep again in the next two days."


    Calin looked to the trees again.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure those are yellow wood trees... I thought we were headed for Drave¡¯s town?" He asked.


    Tyas geared down and eased up on the throttle as he said, "No, but there is a road that leads there from the cabin.¡±


    A slight frown creased Calin¡¯s brow something still bothered him from the conversation. As he shifted more upright, he voiced his confusion.


    "I thought you said back at your home that we are going to the cabin to get away, aren''t we going to stay there?"


    "No, it is far too dangerous for you to take that risk. We are just getting what we need there."


    Now something was up, but instead of querying about it, he asked, "What do we need from there?"


    "You''ll see," Tyas said in his all too secretive way.


    Scoffing at that, Calin said, "You are a very cryptic man. Why can''t you just tell us?"


    Through it all Evany had stayed quiet between them, but with that she chipped in.


    "Yeah, I really want to know why you can¡¯t be more straightforward with us?¡±


    Tyas sighed in exasperation, irritation all but evident on the man¡¯s tone as he said, "Would if I could okay? But let¡¯s just get to the cabin and go from there. I¡¯ll try and explain then."


    Evany muttered something away from Tyas and Calin barely made out the "you better" from the girl. With a smile he reached behind him to slide open the small window, it jerked a bit, but with some shaking it came loose opening up to the cold air outside. Calin called out.


    "Jerry are you okay? We are almost there."


    The clattering of Jerry''s teeth became evident. "I''m -clickclick- Bloody -clickclick- Freezing!!"


    With a big smirk on his face Calin said, "Yeah, he''s alright."


    The car came to a halt a couple of minutes later. He drew his jacket tighter around him as the door invited even more of the ice cold wind, Calin had new respect for Jerry, poor guy must''ve frozen on the back...


    He followed Tyas out of the truck and jumped out onto the gravel road, the small rocks crunching with the landing. He breathed in deeply, the cold air refreshing as it was, was stinging his nose. The night was still dark around them but Calin was sure dawn would be creeping up on them in a short while.


    Leaning back into the truck, he smiled at the shivering Evany, he reached behind the truck¡¯s seat and found a blanket and to his surprise, enough food to feed ten people for a week. As he handed Evany the blanket, she said, ¡°Thank you. It seems autumn has arrived a bit earlier, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He nodded absentmindedly, still wondering about the food, Tyas must have been living from his truck the last few weeks. With a shrug he turned his attention back to Evany. ¡°You know it¡¯s been a chaotic night so far, I¡¯m beginning to think you are as crazy as Tyas seem to be for pressing to come along.¡±


    Evany glared at him, but when he smiled, she returned it and said, ¡°You¡¯re such an ass, but I guess you¡¯re right about it being crazy.¡±


    Calin raised his eyebrow at her but smiled warmly when he said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    It caught Evany off guard. She frowned heavily and asked, ¡°What for?¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders he said, ¡°For not giving up on me I guess, and slapping some sense into me.¡±


    The last bit made Evany blush with embarrassment. ¡°Oh, um I¡¯m really sorry about slapping you. It just happened in the moment.¡±


    Calin threw up his hand. ¡°No no, really no need to say sorry. You were right. So again thank you.¡±


    She just waved him off still embarrassed by her outburst. With a quick smile he stepped away saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Tyas.¡±


    As he moved off, he took in his surroundings for the first time. Except for the cabin and the small gravel road, the place was secluded in the thick forest. It would be hard to find even if you were looking for it.


    The cabin was large enough to support at least four people. The roof was partly covered by moss and so was the wood supply. It seemed to have been left unattended for a while.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been too bad hiding away here if it came to that, yet Tyas had mentioned they would be leaving.


    But where? Calin could only ponder that question as he stepped toward the front of the cabin.

 Chapter 17: Decisions, decisions

    <h1>Chapter Seventeen: Decisions, decisions</h1>


    The interior of the cabin voiced much the same image Calin had received outside, overgrown.


    The rumble of an old generator filtered in and a single light started to cast some illumination over part of the interior. Many other lights showed no sign of life.


    Slowly, he stepped over broken planks in the rotten floor. The wood creaked beneath his heavy boots. It almost made him feel like they were trespassing and shouldn¡¯t have disturbed this place.


    It left him wondering what Tyas could possibly want in a cabin that was overrun with cobwebs.


    He made his way over to where the man was busy drawing away old torn paintings from the dusty walls. Calin¡¯s curiosity got the best of him.


    ¡°What are you d¡ª¡± but was silenced immediately by Tyas¡¯ upraised hand. He pulled a mocking face behind the man and looked around for anything that could bide his time.


    There was an old fireplace. Its walls ran dark with soot, clearly once being used regularly. Beside it, there stood a large mirror, cracked on the one side, but it was still showing the reflection of the slightly unused cabin. Curiosity tugged on Calin as he approached the tall mirror.


    With some trepidation, he lifted his shirt and shifted his body at an angle to again see the scar the lightning had left on his body. The glass that had melted into his shoulder blade almost made him sick to the stomach. But he drew his nerves together and used the free time to study the strange scar.


    Even with the awkward angle looking over his shoulder at the mirror, he could make out that the edges looked like there was a darker grey ink that was trying to infiltrate his skin. Calin shuddered finally, not liking the idea to have such an ugly scar.


    With a sigh, he moved away from the mirror. He stepped on a rotten floorboard and stumbled to the side, he struck something that made a noise of metal hitting metal before he regained his balance.


    It threw his attention off of the scar as he reached down between the thick white cob webs. His hands circled an object and he drew on it, the weight of the thing made it heavier than it had seemed, but as the object came clear, it was an iron fire poker.


    A good find, especially after he had lost his new knife through the chaos of the attack. Bitterness over it still gnawed at him.


    Dusting it off, he was at least glad to have a crude but decent type of weapon, even if just for the time being.


    Though, before he could test the iron, a dull thud split the air. He spun around and noticed Tyas was gone and there was a hole in the wall.


    Calin tensed, not knowing what had happened. Cautiously he moved towards the location. On the approach to the dark recesses of the gap in the wall, a hand came reaching around the edge. By instinct he jerked the poker up, but before he could swing the iron rod, Tyas¡¯ face became clear in the dark. The man jerked back from Calin¡¯s iron weapon and said, ¡°Hey! Watch it with that thing. You could have poked my eye out.¡±


    Only slightly ashamed, Calin lowered the weapon while Tyas stepped out reaching for an old flashlight. The man flicked at the switch but it didn¡¯t go on. Calin smirked at it and tapped his fire poker against the wall in time with Tyas¡¯ flicks of the switch.


    Tyas shot him an impatient glare. ¡°Stop smiling and get me the batteries from the counter in the corner, please?¡±


    Calin¡¯s grin broadened, but he complied and quickly fetched the batteries.


    After a few failed attempts of getting the batteries in, the man finally got it right and the room brightened under the extra glow from the flashlight.


    Tyas¡¯ satisfaction was evident as he said, ¡°There, now that¡¯s better. You coming?¡± The man turned away from Calin and stepped back into the dimly lit hole. As much as he didn¡¯t like closed off spaces he shrugged and followed.


    The space inside quickly broadened into a hidden room, a musky smell hung thick in the air. It was a cube-like room and three meters across inside, but strangely the place was untouched by spiders. Just then, Calin realized the room was full of hiking and climbing gear. Hiker¡¯s rucksacks and knapsacks adorned the left wall, and the right was covered in all sorts of tools of survival.


    In no small manner, it dawned on him that Tyas had spent his life surviving on his own and was prepared for almost any eventuality. If the man¡¯s telling of his mother was any inclination, Tyas really did take after her.


    It was a good skill set to have, but at what cost did he do it? To be alone all those years was not something Calin would¡¯ve wished on anybody. He knew all too well what that was like.


    A frown creased his forehead as he picked up a climbing axe and asked, ¡°Tyas, why do you have climbing axes?¡±


    Tyas, who had been busy stuffing a rucksack with all kinds of stuff, stopped. A dark look passed over the man¡¯s face for a brief second.


    Calin wondered what secrets lay hidden in that mind, but he pushed aside the thought when Tyas said, ¡°Guess you can say I¡¯ve been through a lot of places the last couple of years. Sometimes running away, most of the times looking for something.¡±


    ¡°What were you looking for?¡± Calin asked out of curiosity. But Tyas glared at him, clearly frustrated, and without answering the question the man asked in a somewhat distracted voice.


    ¡°Calin, can you go fetch your own stuff and start packing it into one of the larger rucksacks? Also get the others to come. We need to discuss some matters.¡±


    The reactions from Tyas were enough to raise suspicions in Calin, but he didn¡¯t press the matter as he held the man¡¯s gaze for only a second longer before he left the hidden room.


    The moment he stepped outside the cabin, the dawn started to seep over the edge of the trees, the soft blue tugging at the dark heavens and finally giving way to the telltale pink of the early morning. He paused and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. With that, he ventured on towards the truck.


    Jerry had clearly had enough of the cold back of the truck. He and Evany sat snuggling in the front of the truck for any heat under the blanket Calin had given her and the one Jerry had used on their way here.


    The driver¡¯s door was stuck in the cold and Calin had to lean back, almost to the point of being off balanced. Finally the door swung open and he grinned as much for himself stumbling as for two huddling for warmth inside. ¡°Comfy you two lovebirds?¡±


    Both of them glared at him and he chuckled before he said, ¡°Okay okay, chill you two, I¡¯m just kidding. Anyway can you hand me my bag? We need to go inside, Tyas wants to talk.¡± While moving slightly forward he made the sound of calling a cat and received another set of glares as Evany handed him his bag. It was a running joke between him and Jerry after Evany had black mailed them a long time ago, she was a wild cat.


    Another chuckle burst forward as he left the two struggling out of the truck into the cold air. He hurried into the house and waited at the gap in the wall only long enough to make sure the other two noticed him.


    While crouching to enter, Evany shattered the silence as she growled. ¡±I hate spider webs. It feels so gross.¡±


    Calin ignored her pleas as he blew out air after being startled. He entered further into the hidden room. Inside, he was just in time to see Tyas tying something heavy, wrapped in cloth, to the outside of his rucksack.


    While unfastening the top of his bag, Calin asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    Tyas looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°If everything works as plan, I¡¯ll show you this afternoon.¡±


    Calin narrowed his eyes slightly, but without saying anything he picked up a large hiking bag under the closest shelf, it was clearly meant for weeks of hiking.


    With some adjustments, he slowly started to place his clothes and essentials into the larger rucksack and was about to stuff in a compass when Tyas handed him a large heavy parcel. It was wrapped tightly.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    It was heavier than it looked as Calin weighed it in his hands.


    ¡°Tyas, you¡¯re being overly cryptic,¡± he accused just as the other two scooted through the small passage with their own affects.


    With a shrug at him, the man said, ¡°It¡¯s not because I want to be, but you¡¯ll see soon enough. Just wait another couple of hours and some of it will be explained.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t like secrets,¡± Calin conceded after a few seconds.


    Just then Evany perked up and asked, ¡°Secrets? What secrets.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t worry.¡± Calin waved at her, ¡°Here is hiking rucksacks for you two.¡±


    With a slight heave, he sent them flying the short distance to Jerry. The boy caught it swiftly. But in the act Tyas¡¯ hands jerked surprisingly. It was as if the man wanted to stop something. Calin spun on him and demanded.


    ¡°What now?!¡±


    Tyas¡¯ frown was deep, but he waited impatiently, and the man finally said, ¡°It¡¯s just that now that we got away from those things, I had guessed that Evany and Jerry could go on from here to Drave¡¯s town. It¡¯s just a few kilometres northwest of here.¡±


    ¡°Okay...?¡± Calin braved as all three of them stared in confusion, not sure what the man meant.


    Tyas¡¯ hand was in his pocket and drew out the keys of the truck and threw it at Evany. The girl almost dropped the unexpected projectile, but with some juggling she got the keys in hand. Without hesitation Tyas started describing how to get to the town. ¡°You take the road left from here and when you reach a T-junction you turn right and you and Jerry will end up at Drave¡¯s town.¡±


    Alarm bells were ringing in Calin¡¯s head. The manner in which the man spoke seemed out of place. There was something he didn¡¯t want to tell them.


    Calin narrowed his eyes and stared harder at the man, Evany was about to speak when Calin interrupted her and said, ¡°Huh, what are you getting at? Why should they leave us?¡±


    There was an intense look of panic on Tyas¡¯ face as he stammered, ¡°Because...um...¡±


    ¡°Because what Tyas?!¡± hissed Evany from the side.


    ¡°BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY BACK FOR YOU WHERE CALIN AND I MUST GO!¡±


    All of a sudden everybody was deathly quiet, Tyas was breathing deeply with frustration.


    Calin glanced around in shock at the outburst. Finally his eyes settled on Evany, her face was full of confusion, but her voice was soft as she spoke again. ¡°What do you mean Tyas... please tell us.¡±


    Calin locked his eyes on Tyas, the man had a look intense concentration, a vein in his forehead revealed itself. But then Tyas¡¯ countenance dropped, like something he desperately wanted to say but couldn¡¯t.


    With a defeated voice, Tyas said, ¡°I wish I could, I really do.¡±


    ¡°Bull¡ª¡± started Evany but Calin gave her a pointed stare which made her swallow her word. With that he walked over to Tyas and cautiously asked, ¡°Are we going over the sea, to a different continent Tyas? Is that what you mean?¡±


    Then Tyas¡¯ eyes flicked up to him, something passed over his expression before the man said, ¡°Yes ... yes, I was just thinking that our means to get there doesn¡¯t give us the option to just decide to come back. Something like that.¡±


    At close range Calin stared into the man¡¯s deep amber eyes, something in them made him wonder. But then again, it is what I was thinking. With a sudden grin at Tyas, he smacked the man over his back with amusement.


    ¡°Was it that hard to say we are going abroad? Hahaha, Tyas you¡¯re such an odd man.¡±


    That solved, he turned on the other two and said, ¡°Looks like you two have a choice to make, because I¡¯m going with Tyas, there are too many questions that need answering for me to stay. But it looks like we might not easily get a chance to come back.¡±


    Tyas coughed from behind and said, ¡°Absolutely certain.¡± And to the other two he said, ¡°If I were you, I would take the truck and leave for Drave¡¯s town, you can even come back to the cabin later if you wish. I have no more use for it after today.¡±


    Calin couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the man was so desperate to persuade the others to leave. Tyas had been secretive the entire time since they met a couple of hours ago, but he had a strange sense of honour and Calin wasn¡¯t going to question it.


    With a flick of both his shoulders he went over to his own belongings. Everybody else was mulling over the prospect whether to go abroad or not.


    Picking up one of the climbing axes again, he asked over his shoulder, ¡°Hey Tyas can I have two of these? It would make a better thing to swing with. I lost my knife.¡±


    With a distracted grunt the man approved. ¡°Take whatever you need. Make sure to pack one of the small gas stoves.¡±


    After that the room went into silence again, only the shuffling of people packing bags disturbing the air.


    A few minutes later, Calin finished and only added some final additions, like a small headlight into a side pocket alongside the compass he had handled earlier. It had a little thermometer in it and a whistle.


    But before he could tie it closed, Tyas stepped over and handed him a black cloak with a midnight-blue moon on the centre of its back. It was exquisite material, soft to the touch, almost velvety on its interior, but it seemed strong. On the inside it was lined all around the edges with the same blue. Raising an eyebrow Calin asked, ¡°And this? What is it for?¡±


    With a helpless shrug Tyas said, ¡°For in case.¡± The man stepped towards the others also giving them cloaks. For Evany a black cloak adorned with dark green markings and a tree on its back. For Jerry a dark brown one with a charcoal lining inside with a fist holding a branch on the back.


    They both turned to Calin with questioning glances but he could only shrug before they continued with what they were doing.


    From the side Tyas grumbled under his breath and noisily donned the overstuffed rucksack and Calin quickly followed suit.


    As they stepped towards the door Tyas sighed heavily and turned to the other two and said, ¡°If you want to take your chances, find us behind the cabin in fifteen minutes.¡±


    Calin watched as Tyas bit his lip in frustration a look of deep thought glazed over the man¡¯s eyes before his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°Know this, it¡¯s going to be a hard journey.¡± Tyas said, ¡°I can guarantee it. You can take anything in the cabin, if you can carry it, but if you decide to follow me and Calin, remember we might only have our rucksacks for weeks to come, so choose wisely.¡±


    Making a move to leave, Tyas seemed to remember something and said, ¡°Oh and there is food in the truck behind the seats. If you are wise and decide to go to Drave¡¯s town, I wish the best for you.¡± With that Tyas left the room and a deep sigh escaped Calin.


    The more Tyas spoke, the more Calin believed the curveball life had thrown him was going to bring hardship for a long while. He stopped next to Evany, and said, ¡°I know it sounds like a tempting journey, but I don¡¯t want you to make this choice if it means only to follow me for adventure¡¯s sake.¡±


    Evany looked up, uncertainty plain across her face. She shuddered in a breath while playing nervously with a lock of golden hair before she said.


    ¡°I know, I know, but this is my cleanest break from what my father forced on me for my life. It is probably stupid, but I want to go. Besides, by the looks of it, you all could surely use someone with some logic.¡±


    Calin huffed at her but smiled and then moved over to Jerry. The boy held up his hands and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, you know as well as I do that I don¡¯t have any reason to stay behind, Misses T has always had enough on her hands. She will understand... eventually. I hope she does, at least. Though, I am not looking forward to the boat trip. I never enjoyed being on the sea.¡±


    There was no denying the reasoning, since Misses Talsen lost her husband she had to shoulder double the responsibility. Calin only nodded, especially for the part about the boat trip, I don¡¯t either. Glancing at the door finally, he said, ¡°Meet you outside then.¡±


    ***


    Calin manoeuvred himself and the large rucksack outside and found Tyas busy adding food parcels to his bag from the truck. With fairly heavy strides, with the extra weight on him, he moved towards the man and had to think fast as Tyas tossed him a food parcel. Catching it, he was soon next to the man and said, ¡°I take it the food is for the journey on the ship?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for the journey.¡±


    He had hoped to get more from the man but it didn¡¯t work. Finally to break the awkward silence, he said, ¡°So, these are all things that can last long?¡±


    Seeming more relaxed at the change of subject Tyas nodded. ¡°No veggies I¡¯m afraid, but I¡¯m sure you will be fine without?¡±


    The last seven years screamed yes to that answer, ¡°I¡¯m used to taking what I can get.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tyas said as he finished his packing. Calin wasn¡¯t far behind. From his left, Jerry and Evany approached the truck. Calin slung his rucksack over his shoulder when Tyas ventured around the back of the cabin. Evany was already packing food as he said, ¡°Make sure to take enough for a week, I know it¡¯s heavy but Tyas packed for that.¡±


    The other two nodded and Calin hiked after Tyas, the hiking bag already weighed heavy on his shoulders, he tried to roll them, but it was certain that it was going to be a tough hike, especially with the added weight of the mysterious parcel that weighed him down.


    Reaching the edge of the forest, there was a small path marked by sandstone. Without hesitation, he started along it.


    And over at a large fallen tree, Tyas was busy filling up a water bottle at a tap, the man waved Calin over before he said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s early dawn, we have about three hours time to reach the cliffs. So be ready for a hard hike.¡±


    That caught his attention, and with a frown at Tyas he asked, ¡°Cliffs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they look over the ocean.¡±


    Calin shifted uncomfortably, the image of the dream still raw in his mind, but he accepted it and took Tyas¡¯ place filling his own water bottle. ¡°So we wait for the others and then we press for the cliffs?¡± Calin asked with meaning.


    He specifically watched Tyas¡¯ face carefully, and when the man cringed slightly, Calin lashed out.


    ¡°Seriously, what is your problem with my friends following me? It¡¯s done, we have made the choice. So accept it for goodness sake.¡± With a glare at Tyas, Calin almost shook his open water bottle at the man, but stopped at the last moment waiting for Tyas¡¯ response.


    Tyas looked panicked, but a few seconds later the clear sound of him breathing deeply broke the tension in the air as the man said,


    ¡°Look Calin, I¡¯m worried that¡¯s all. I know your motivation for this and mine. There are big things that need answering, and the danger of staying is too great, but their motive is only in following you, maybe one or two other small points. BUT, they don¡¯t know what they are getting themselves into.¡±


    Calin threw up his hands at that and a splash of water flew through the air.


    ¡°Neither do I!¡± He shouted in frustration while folding his arms. Tyas tried to calm him down with little success, but after a moment the man said, ¡°Yes, I know that. I really, really wish I could tell you. But trust me when I tell you that in a few hours when I get the chance to tell you, that you will be the only one that can truly accept the truth. Or at least I hope so.¡±


    Frustrated to the point of screaming, Calin wanted to shout at the man for being thick, but when Evany and Jerry entered the small path to his right he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses anymore.¡±


    At that instant he didn¡¯t care if Tyas¡¯ eyes screamed for patience. He would follow this man, but it will be in silence.


    Summoning the deep rooted patience he had for his friends, he waved at Evany and Jerry and told them to fill their water bottles.


    A minute later, they all set off after the amber eyed man. At the rate things were going, Calin guessed a truly clouded future lurked ahead.

 Chapter 18: The Call

    <h1>Chapter Eighteen: The Call</h1>


    The sand-stone crunched under his boots as Calin trudged after Tyas, no words had been said for over an hour and he was all too aware of the tension in the air.


    Every once in a while he glanced back, taking small comfort in his friends hiking behind him. But it was difficult to see the clear uncertainty painted across Evany''s face and the forced determination on Jerry''s.


    Not for the first time he wished he had an inkling of what lied ahead to give them some comfort, but it was not to be had. The future spelled mystery in no uncertain terms.


    Thinking of crossing a storm ridden sea to reach a different continent was sending thrills tumbling through his belly and also terror.


    It was either stay and run from those hunters the rest of his life, or he could follow an almost wretched cryptic ridden man to some sort of safety and find the answers that were nagging at him.


    Without admitting it, he started wondering which one was the best option.


    Calin almost shouted at Tyas to stop his mucking about, frustrated beyond belief with the man, the situation and the secrets. The secrets...!


    Furthermore, his legs were burning and the rucksack was chafing his neck, which would surely turn into some sort of rash. Not to mention, it was pressing into the still tender scar from the lightning that still baffled him. The fact that it really looked like there was glass melted into his skin was more than just a shuddering thought. Not a thing he wanted to think about.


    "For crying out loud, aren''t we getting close yet?!" Calin muttered gruffly under his breath. Yet the only thing that the forest was revealing was the next bend in the path.


    But Tyas wasn¡¯t in sight anymore.


    Immediately his pulse quickened, with it, he forced his legs to move a bit faster.


    Panic surged in him when he came around a bend, but there was Tyas, busy getting some food from the side of his rucksack.


    A great sigh of relief whooshed out of Calin and he headed for a relatively flat rock to drop his rucksack on. The blasted thing was starting to feel heavier than when he had started out.


    With a huff he dropped it, cringing slightly at the still tender small gashes on his hands from the night before. After a moment, he rolled his aching shoulders slipping his hand into a side pocket to retrieve a pack of salted nuts.


    He savoured the first taste of food in almost fifteen hours and turned to Tyas, who was helping Evany get her rucksack to the ground.


    Calin rolled his shoulders some more and asked, "Tyas, how far do we still have to go?"


    Tyas finished with Evany and dusted his hands off before he said, "After we eat something, if we press hard we would be there in little over an hour."


    A groan escaped him as he took out his frustration on the nuts that he was grinding between his teeth. Evany was first to query their destination.


    "Where are we headed?" She asked.


    Calin almost wanted to say ¡®Middle of nowhere¡¯ but he held himself in check, wondering if Tyas would finally tell them his little secret.


    "To the cliffs, then from there we wait until the right time and find our path." Tyas¡¯s voice betraying a sense of uncertainty made Calin sit up, he couldn''t place anything at the moment but something was up.


    Staring at the man hard didn¡¯t draw any more information out, so finally he shrugged and continued to delve into some fruit that could probably only last a day or two at sea.


    He utterly enjoyed every bite of food he could stuff into his body. Satisfying at least his hunger for food if not for some cold hard truth, it was better than nothing.


    Better get going, he walked to Evany and asked, "Ready?" With a quick nod she finished some dried biscuits. It only took a moment to help her with her rucksack.


    Calin was keenly aware hers weighed half what his did. He groaned, wanting to glare at it.


    But it was quickly forgotten, however, as they headed off again.


    ***


    The longer they hiked, the more heavily Calin¡¯s calves ached. His body wasn''t use to hiking with a twenty five kilogram thing on his back. It must have been two hours from the cabin!


    Since the small break it had been nonstop, but so far it hasn¡¯t shown any sign of cliffs. The sun peeked through the thick trees, but its morning rays barely gave any warmth.


    All that took his attention off of it a bit was the birds chirping somewhere in the dense vegetation. The trees had started to fade only to reveal tall shrubs that aspired to be trees as they created a semi archway alongside the pathway.


    He jumped when a bush rustled next to him, but when a squirrel ran up one of the few remaining trees. He smiled and continued on the constant hard path.


    If not for everything that had happened, Calin would have labelled hiking as therapeutic, even though his body was complaining the whole time. At the very least it took his mind of his significant problems, his scar, Misses Talsen and the others he had left behind in a bid to keep them safe. It was a difficult conundrum to sort through... Yet more than anything, Jim ran through his head. Calin¡¯s presence for ten minutes at that gas station had widowed a woman... It only enforced his reason for not staying in Lamb¡¯s Crest, nobody deserved to be put in harms way because of him.


    Calin kicked a pebble with all his strength and it scattered loudly through the leaves of a shrub. A sigh escaped him, no use to dwell in the past. Evany was right. There was nothing he could have done. And even if those things had gotten to him first at the gas station it wouldn¡¯t have insured the safety of Jim.


    As clear as that was, the pain in his heart didn¡¯t ease even one bit. Things had changed so drastically for him. But having his situation so direly affect others? It didn¡¯t sit right with him, not even for a moment.


    It was incredibly hard not to wish for simpler times.


    Evany would quickly rebuke him for being so hard on himself.


    With one last sigh, he picked up his pace and wound his way through the seemingly never ending path. The sun started peeking out only every so often. It¡¯s warmth hidden from the troupe.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    After what seemed too long, Tyas let up on his hard pace in front. Calin almost bumped into the man as he stopped dead.


    Tyas turned around and he looked like he was in a hurry as he said, ¡°Calin, listen carefully, when we reach the cliffs now, we have a couple of minutes. But when I say now, you have to do what I say. I¡¯m asking you to trust me. When I go you must follow, no hesitations, no matter what happens or what you see. We only have one shot at this. It¡¯s the only way I know how to help you to safety and for us to go find our parents. So trust me, just one shot remember. ¡±


    A deep frown split Calin¡¯s face as he asked, ¡°Why?¡± But Tyas held up his hands.


    ¡°Trust me, please?¡±


    Letting out a held up breath, he said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do this. I hope you will fess up when we are on the ship. No more secrets.¡±


    With a nod, Tyas started forward again as Calin turned to the other two coming in behind him.


    As they reached him he said, ¡°Tyas said we must follow him and do exactly what he says when we get to the cliffs. He said we only get one shot so let¡¯s grit our teeth and get it over with.¡±


    The fear of the unknown was hanging between them, but after a few seconds, Evany and Jerry both nodded at him before going after Tyas again.


    The path seemed to become more overgrown as they moved on, up to the point when Calin had to comb his way through thick swaths of shrubs.


    As he was starting to wonder if he had lost the path, he pressed out onto an open rock ledge.


    The sound of waves thundering against the sheer rock bathed him as he stepped from the brush. There was a slight breeze drifting over the area, but it wasn¡¯t as cold as the morning air that they had faced. It was refreshing.


    The sun was climbing the early morning sky. Its rays were like an old friend that had been missed. It felt like days since he had felt warm.


    With a slight shake of his head Calin looked up, and to his surprise he made out the moon in high orbit as well. A minute passed before Jerry joined him on the plateau as the boy stumbled from the brush. A few seconds later the grunts stopped as Jerry said, ¡°Wow, would you look at that. I wonder if there¡¯s going to be an eclipse.¡±


    Evany stepped in between the two, having waded through much more eloquently than either of them.


    Standing there in awe, they all stared up at the moon close to the sun, but then Evany said,


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t see a sh¡ª¡± but Tyas quickly interrupted her as he drew their attention to their right.


    ¡°Come on! Hurry we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Without any hesitation, they followed Tyas to the right. Calin pressed back into the overgrown path first, it led along the edge of the cliff after the man. Clambering through the brush he made out Tyas¡¯ desperate calls for them to hurry and he increased his pace, while ignoring the several slight scrapes from the twigs.


    The disappearance of the shrubbery was unexpected as he stumbled into a small clearing, but before he could right himself, the weight of the rucksack sent him tripping hard onto his knees.


    He grimaced from the sting of falling on his knees, but looked up. The area was relatively small, clear of any brush. Tyas came towards him and helped him to his feet. With a groan, he wiped the dirt from his own pants. His hands ached slightly. There were still a few days of healing necessary to close the gashes on his palms from his fall at the grain field.


    Picking up his gaze, he surveyed the area again and his heart began to hammer.


    It couldn¡¯t be... With a shaking voice he whispered, ¡°This is... This is...¡±


    Tyas had a look on his face that Calin couldn¡¯t describe. Just then the man said, ¡°This is where you fell from the cliff, Calin.¡±


    He stared numbly at Tyas and stumbled forward. Not caring when Evany came faltering through the brush as well.


    The walk to the edge seemed to go by excruciating slow. But as he reached it, there was no doubt of the place. Halfway down the twenty meter drop to the beach there was a tree growing from the cliff face.


    As Calin looked back, away from the edge, a very different scene flashed before his eyes.


    There stood a woman screaming with her outstretched hand, dark shadows moving in the corner of his eyes.


    A boy with amber eyes grabbing in vain at him as he started to fall.


    A jolt shook through Calin as he trembled. It was all too much. Placing his hands on his head, he shook it to try and clear it. Not even registering it when Evany came closer, her voice was as unsure as her hand softly settled on his shoulder and she asked, ¡°Calin are you alright? You don¡¯t look so good.¡±


    He dug deep into his courage, trying to form the heavy words in his mouth.


    Though, without warning, his shoulder suddenly began to throb sharply. He almost doubled over, but kept his balance, he turned away from Evany in the blink of an eye as a shockwave pulsed from his scar through his body.


    As he grunted, he looked up. The air above the cliffs¡¯ edge started to shimmer slightly, there was singing coming from somewhere and he had no clue where.


    Something tugged at him, coaxing him to come closer.


    Without telling his feet to step forward towards the edge of the cliff, they did. His eyes were out of focus. Like he was looking for something but couldn¡¯t quite see it clearly.


    But before he could even remotely fathom what was happening, Evany screamed.


    With a jerk, Calin spun to see Tyas wrestling with possibly one of the robed men from the night before.


    Startled, Calin sprang at the man without hesitation and punched him, dragging the man off of Tyas.


    The next moment he fell on the man, hiking gear and all and started punching, in the haze of the fight, Calin made out a tattoo of a tooth sticking out of sand on the man¡¯s rust coloured head. But with the frantic fight it dissipated into the background. Being dislodged, Calin tried to keep the man down. However, it was too late.


    Calin ducked under a swinging elbow, adrenalin pumping through him. On his spin under the arm, Calin grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder with his one hand and brought his other arm¡¯s elbow heavily down the tattooed aggressor¡¯s back bone, sending the man off balance. But a leg kicked back and struck Calin¡¯s hip.


    That wasn¡¯t the least of it. The man was incredibly strong. Calin warily watched the robed man approach, with fists twice the size of his own and a significant advantage in height. It was imperative not to get caught in a grip.


    A shout vaguely reached him. ¡°IT¡¯S STARTING!¡±


    Evany was screaming again.


    The scream distracted Calin only a second. Everything started to get dark around them, but it was long enough for a fist to connect with Calin¡¯s jaw.


    Spots momentarily dotted his vision as he scrambled to his feet away from the big man. His vision cleared and what lied in front of him made him gasp.


    The moon was eclipsing the sun, and at the edge of the cliff, a silver wall of shimmering liquid was forming. Strange flashes of light sparked across the surface, hinting at something behind it.


    The edges looked to him the same as oil thrown into water. The one seeking to mix with the other, but it couldn¡¯t. Calin was wide eyed, but somehow he focussed himself as movement next to him caught his attention.


    To his surprise, his assailant had abandoned the fight and was running full speed to the silver wall. The odd action cemented an uneasy gut feeling in Calin. Without hesitation he took off after the robed man. And with a final lunge, he grabbed the hairless man¡¯s robe, yanking him back, to the ground.


    In that moment, Calin noticed Tyas shouting and shoving at a reluctant Evany and Jerry.


    They stumbled towards the silver wall looking scared as he had ever seen them, but with no say in the matter.


    Then they vanished from sight.


    Shock lanced through Calin as he tried to fathom what had happened, but a fist swung his way again and he dodged only a second too slow.


    The fist struck him hard in the face and he stumbled back, but as he expected another assault, there was a grunt and a loud thud. He used the moment to regain his balance and he looked to find the strange skinned man on the ground, unconscious and Tyas with a rock in his hand.


    Tyas mouth was moving as he said something, but there was immense noise as a storm wind buffeted them.


    Frustrated, Tyas shouted at him. ¡°CALIN! HURRY, WE NEED TO GO, NOW!¡±


    Calin was about to ask where, when Tyas ran into the silver wall and vanished.


    Fear gripped him as he pushed his way through the thundering wind towards the thirty meter wide wall. As he got close, a large hole pierced the mass and he caught a glimpse of the others panting on the ground in a forest clearing.


    Glancing up, the moon had already moved in front of the sun in a Total eclipse, it was dark as night for a few moments until the sun peaked from the edge again.


    Calin stared at the wall again, his whole body was shaking.


    There is no way I¡¯m going in there.


    Fear utterly ruled his mind and he was about to step back away from the unknown phenomena when a loud snarl split the air.


    His heart missed a beat as a nauseas feeling gripped his gut. He spun around. There, through the thick brush, came the large black creature with the white scar, storming towards him.


    There were only moments before the thing would hit him and he stumbled backwards.


    As the creature jumped with its powerful legs, Calin knew his time was up. There was nowhere left to run. It would only take three seconds.


    His mind whirled through a hundred things in that fraction of a second. The last was a hope that the others would find their way without him.


    He looked up to stare at the creature in its crimson eyes. He would embrace his last moment with honour.

 Chapter 19: The girl in the wall

    <h1>Chapter Nineteen: The girl in the wall</h1>


    Calin slammed his arms together in defence out of pure instinct.


    The silver walls of the gap shot towards his hands like two masses of liquid flowing together in a rush. The wall closed shut in front of him in the instant as the thing would''ve struck him.


    Though, the shock of the massive creature hitting the barrier reverberated through the shimmering air and slammed into his chest. The force sent Calin flying backwards.


    As he struck the hard silver floor it cracked beneath him, then shattered and he fell, barrelling down towards the water of the sea.


    Before he could brace himself for the impact, he stopped just as quickly as he had fallen.


    Hanging suspended in the air above the crashing waves, he pressed down with his palms. By some means his rucksack was still weighing him down. Surprise flashed over him that the thing had stayed on through all the chaos. But then he started worrying about his current situation.


    Forcing air into his aching lungs, he risked pushing down harder. There was a strange sensation beneath his hands and as he got to his knees, a ripple flowed away from him in what went beyond imagination. The ripples seemed to become substantial as a liquid in the air, but then faded away after a few moments.


    Calin was dazed, everything he was ever taught was lacking. It was as if all the scientists were looking at the world through a sand blasted mirror. It was mad, it was all crazy.


    A thought struck him and a nervous laugh crept out of his belly.


    I''d like to see the faces of the scientists who see this. They will probably freak out! He imagined Kara¡¯s face and smiled sadly. She would have loved such a discovery.


    A voice startled him from the side.


    "Who''s there, who''s laughing?"


    It was a young voice. And for a frantic moment, Calin looked around to find the source but there was no one. He was tempted to call out, and opened his mouth to do so, but an instant later there came a ghostly visage of a little girl no older than fourteen towards him.


    With a gasp, he fell on his back trying to scramble away from the girl, but she laughed and chided him in an amused way. ¡°Oh my, why did you fall off, Tisk Tisk, I bet it was one of the others¡¯ fault. Let me help you back up to your perch, where you belong. Mother wouldn''t be happy if she found you lying down here.¡±


    A flash blinded Calin and the girl stood right in front of him and she reached down. He cringed, truly afraid of the ghostly girl. His comfort zone had long since vanished. But as her hands touched him, warmth ran through his body. She lifted him as if he was but a hundredth of his real weight.


    It froze him with fear. Most of it was not for the girl, but the freakish situation.


    She started to walk up stairs. They seemed to appear out of nowhere. The girl carried him tenderly as if he was precious.


    As she reached the top where he had stood, just before the creature had struck him, she set him down and seemed to rearrange him specifically.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°There,¡± She said. ¡°Good as new, I hope the other kids don''t let you fall again, I would really hate if they break you. You''re my favourite. Sometimes I swear I can hear you laugh, but mother says it¡¯s impossible. ¡®Sculptures don¡¯t laugh¡¯ blah blah blah." She mocked, but then she sighed and there was reluctance in the girl¡¯s voice as she said, "I have to go now. Bye bye."


    Calin waved dazedly after the ghostly girl as she disappeared. What on earth?


    Sitting there a moment longer trying to figure out what just happened; he remembered the other pressing matters. He glanced around, anxious to find his friends, but they were nowhere in sight.


    There were two walls only four meters away from him on either side. They reached high into the sky and started to arch to one side. A shimmering ripple ran over them every few seconds. Were the ripples calling him? Calin started to panic, what now?


    It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that he had no other option than to try one of the walls. But a sickening feeling came over him.


    The creature was through one of them.


    He was sure of that, but which one? Calin just stood there, indecisive, the choice heavy on his shoulders.


    For some reason, he could not discern why, he wanted to try the wall the strange little girl had left through.


    He moved toward it, tiptoeing and testing every step on the glowing floor for any sign of it breaking again and then he reached the wall. While he stood there, his breathing became erratic. He tried but failed to calm himself.


    With a hard shake of his head, he cheered himself on, but terror gripped him.


    But he couldn¡¯t stay here.


    With that thought, he took a deep breath and gathered all his courage. He lunged forward through the shimmering liquid.


    ***


    The wall consumed him, it was bending around his body, the hair on his arms stood on end like there was static, it was energizing. But then his body started spiralling out of control, and before he could open his mouth to scream, he crashed face flat onto hard ground.


    Stunned by the hit, he groaned and forced the air out of his lungs in a great heave. It threw up a cloud of dust.


    With a grunt he pressed himself to his knees. Then franticly he glanced around for any sign of the monster, but to his utter relief he spotted his friends.


    Jerry came scurrying over, and helped him to his feet. A weak smile split his face at Jerry and then he breathed deeply.


    Evany was staring wide eyed at Calin and with a loud huff she sat down in the dust. It puffed up around her. "Thank goodness, you''re alright,¡± said the girl. ¡°Don''t scare me like that, you ass!"


    As he stepped forward, he stumbled over the root of a tree, but Jerry caught his right arm, again steadying him.


    "You alright mate?"


    Calin nodded. "I''m alright, but I don''t think I''m sane... Am I the only one that just went through that crazy glowing hole, or wall whatever, in the air or not? What the heck was that?!"


    He looked desperately at Jerry and Evany for confirmation, they both shook their heads in disbelief and Jerry said, "No mate, we went through it alright, what it was though, I''d be Moses'' uncle with a long beard and everything right about now if I knew."


    Even in the light of it all, he chuckled at the image the boy created, but the weight of the situation siphoned away any humour.


    "Where are we?" Calin asked with more than a slight trepidation.


    While looking around, he hoped to see the cliffs and the sea, but there was just an almost endless forest around them with huge mountains peeking through the canopy. Not even a hint of the sound of waves crashing in the air.


    Without warning, Calin jerked when Tyas walked out of the shadows, leaving a stump the man had been quietly been sitting on. "Welcome to¡ª¡± but Tyas was tackled by Evany. She punched and kicked at the man while shouting.


    ¡°YOU LIED TO US! You said we were going over sea!¡±


    Calin watched as Tyas tried to fend off the angry girl, not in the least tempted to help the man at that moment in time.


    Finally after a minute, she huffed again and sat back giving chance for Tyas to roll away, the man gasped through coughs.


    ¡°You done?¡±


    The girl nodded with a glare as Tyas coughed again. He stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I said yes to going to a different continent. It wasn¡¯t the entire story though, but I couldn¡¯t tell you because I could literally not tell you. The words couldn¡¯t come out of my mouth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± Evany muttered in a quivering voice.


    They all frowned at Tyas, but Calin asked, ¡°What do you mean? And where are we?¡± There was an awkward tension in the air as he waited for Tyas to finish another bout of coughing.


    After taking a shuddering breath, Tyas said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Welcome to one of the lost continents of Earth.¡±

 Chapter 20: Hard questions

    <h1>Chapter Twenty: Hard questions</h1>


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! What are you talking about?!¡± Calin exclaimed staring at the man, who had dragged them through the barrier. But before Tyas could answer, Calin shook his head and went on asking,


    ¡°Are you telling me that we are on a different continent right now?¡± He glared at the man as he waited for the answer.


    It was not lost on Calin as Tyas shifted uneasily back to the tree stump and said, ¡°Yes we ar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bull! That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Evany interrupted with her one hand up in an accusing manner.


    Calin¡¯s first reaction was in a sense the same as Evany¡¯s, but before he could voice his disbelief, he looked again to his surroundings. He couldn¡¯t rightly state where they were, so he looked back and stared hard at Tyas, not believing it for a moment.


    ¡°We need more than that!¡± Calin pushed the words out, his mind was working overtime.


    It was not hard to see that Tyas seemed on edge.


    ¡°Okay fine! Technically you have been living on a different continent other than Africa all this time. The island was named as part of Africa when it first appeared, but in truth it is physically part of a separate one all together. And this is it.¡± Tyas gestured to the surroundings and went on,


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys ever wondered why no sign of seawater was ever found on the island? The impossible mysteries of Breakwater Isle, well, that silver wall is the start of an answer I don¡¯t have all the details of. And the cliffs and sea disappearing is just the beginning of it. I can keep going? So you tell me.¡±


    Calin started to open his mouth, but kept quiet as the words sunk in.


    No way?


    Immediately he started to pace, there was really no way that they could be on a entirely different continent when there had been an entire sea to separate them. But what Tyas had told him revealed the inconsistencies that had been bugging him to no end. Breakwater Isle had been one big mystery since it was found. And this crazy theory was the first to explain certain things... But still...


    Finally Calin drew in a hard breath, and said, ¡°You have a point, though I can¡¯t make a conclusion yet...¡± He was starting to sound like Kara.


    Calin eyed his surroundings. It was just too difficult to admit it all. It wasn¡¯t something he wanted to do, but as he looked up, to at least find the cliffs that could set the stories straight, he found nothing.


    The shrubs and trees on the side of the mountains were almost the same as the ones on the cliffs, but only bigger.


    But behind him there was a part with trees that looked completely different than anything he had seen in his life. They were windswept trees that showed their constant survival in a brutal environment.


    Apprehension slowly started bubbling up in his throat and through the utter confusion, he swallowed hard.


    Not able to help himself, Calin glanced at his other two friends trying to cling to what was real, what had been real for him the last seven years.


    Yet even through the confusion, something big didn¡¯t add up, so he spun on Tyas again and asked, ¡°Okay let¡¯s say hypothetically that Breakwater Isle wasn¡¯t part of Africa, but by some utterly crazy manner we ended up on some other one. Not that I¡¯m saying we are, but let¡¯s do for a moment. Which one is it? Asia, South America North America, Australia, Europe? This sure doesn¡¯t look like Antarctica. So which is it?¡±


    Tyas threw up his hands in exasperation. ¡°None of those! Didn¡¯t I just say we are on one of the LOST continents of Earth?! Its name is Sambria!¡±


    ¡°What!? Are you crazy? How?!¡± Jerry exclaimed. ¡°How can there possibly be more continents? How can everybody in the world just look past a whole continent without knowing it, eh? It¡¯s the twenty first century for crying out loud!¡±


    The tension was high. Unease hung tangibly in the air. Calin wasn¡¯t close to being sure what to do. But just before the shouts could turn into a fight, Evany chipped in and shouted.


    ¡°ENOUGH! Let the man speak, maybe he can explain, okay? I¡¯m really scared... I want to know what is going on.¡± The last was said full of uncertainty as she wrapped her arms around herself.


    Calin nodded and reached out to calm his friends down, even if just for a bit. A second later he dropped his own rucksack to the ground next to a big bush and sat down heavily, waiting somewhat impatiently for Tyas to speak.


    The amber eyed man sat up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I know and what my Mom told me, if you¡¯ll give me a chance?¡±


    Everybody stayed quiet and Calin motioned for Tyas to speak.


    The man rubbed his neck as if the conversation was causing tension in his muscles.


    ¡°The reason why nobody ever found these continents, is because they were... they are hidden. Don¡¯t ask me how, the legend tells of an ancient people sent out to keep the world of humans safe from¡ª¡±


    A loud scoff came from both Evany and Jerry at the ridiculous nature of the statement. Yet Calin decided to silence them with a pointed stare. Crazy answers were better than no answers at all. But the way Tyas said it, seemed absolutely sincere. Though, it didn¡¯t take away the fact that the story was starting to ring hard with the word, myth.


    Tyas sighed and in a subdued voice said, ¡°My father said there were ancient murals that depict that those who created the barrier, made it so strong that the lands inside it would be like it never existed... Yes yes, I know what you¡¯re thinking, it seems truly farfetched, but you saw the silver wall today. And believe me, I checked over the years on your side. Not people, not cars, not planes ever saw any hint of it.¡±


    Tyas was animated while explaining, but then he frowned.


    ¡®No wait... Once I came upon some sailors who seem to think they hallucinated small stretches of land in the middle of the ocean for the briefest of moments and even that was about as much I ever heard. Maybe even the stories of the Bermuda Triangle could be thrown into the same boat.¡±


    Calin sat up at the part of the sailors. Hugo Brans? What are the odds... Even through the dubious sounding nature of the tale, he couldn¡¯t refute that claim. Riddled with confliction, Calin listened to the man¡¯s tale.


    ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point.¡± Tyas¡¯ hand rubbed a stray lock of black hair out of his pale face and continued. ¡°This is my opinion, I¡¯ve had years to think about it and somehow it seems that the World Barrier is so complex that planes fly into one side and immediately appear on the other side, an entire continent away and not be any wiser. The effect is truly and utterly complete, trust me.¡± Tyas pointed up to the sky, ¡°Even the pictures of Earth sent back from space revealed only what you know as Earth, the seven continents and all. I tried¡ª¡±


    A million questions ran through Calin¡¯s mind as Tyas spoke of things that were beyond imagination.


    Finally he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, his confusion was running rampant. He tried to voice a question.


    Out of nowhere loud voices spilled forth from the forest.


    ¡°I HEARD SOMETHING! OVER HERE!¡± The distant voice exclaimed from the trees. Then a few moments later another loud voice lifted out of the trees.


    ¡°Aint this the place where the good captain repeatedly told us to check, Feron... Feron? Ey! Where are you... Oh, listen there, I heard something, I¡¯m sure of it this time...¡±


    Calin and the other three froze where they stood. He immediately mouthed at Tyas.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    The amber eyes of Tyas flashed with a nervous look, but he whispered. ¡°Hide. Now.¡±


    Not needing any further encouragement, Calin and the others all grabbed their belongings and rushed for cover in the large bushes. He fell into one and got scraped over his face by a twig. Shrugging off the sting, he made sure he was hidden between the large spades of the thick leaves.


    It was just in time to see two figures in black armour step into the clearing. On their chest plates there was a crimson sun. Their heads clean shaven.


    Trembles swam through Calin. He wondered if it was because of hiding from the men, or the fact that he could swear he had dreamed about just such armoured men only a few nights back.


    There was no mistaking it.


    It made his head throb even more as the confusion kept piling higher and higher.


    He couldn¡¯t think on the matter further. One of the armoured figures, with a tattoo of an eye above his ear, spoke.


    ¡°Pror, I don¡¯t see a thing. It breaks my mind that you¡¯re still on about this! It has been weeks since that incident, and now every single noise out here makes you twitchy.¡± It was a gruff voice, one that carried a certain disdain for his comrade.


    ¡°No... listen to me Feron. I swear I heard something! And didn¡¯t the captain say that this area was one of those places we always need to keep an eye on? He said that if Werios and the others ever come back with news of the child, we should take them to see h¡ª¡°


    There was a smacking noise and a small yelp.


    ¡°Shut your trap Pror, you talk too much. I don¡¯t want to be reminded for the thousandth time what our orders are. Sands! Why do you keep on bringing up Werios. He has been gone for years... Ugh... Why do I have to patrol with you again... let¡¯s go ba¡ª Wait, do you see that¡­ something¡¯s been here recently. Maybe you¡¯re right...¡±


    Calin drew in his breath behind the foliage as the men started searching around.


    A gasp almost escaped his lips as one of the men unsheathed a long steel sword.


    This is not real, this is not real, this is not real, he tried to convince himself, but his aching body said otherwise and Calin sank slowly deeper into the leaves of his hiding place, hoping his friends were safe.


    Then the one called Feron stepped closer to where Calin was hiding. He held his breath longer and slowly slid backwards, hoping not to make any noise as the man started poking around in the bush with the sword.


    With his retreat, Calin accidently hit a thick branch with a soft thud, he cringed and the sword came poking right by his left arm. His lungs were straining for a breath of fresh air, while holding it.


    To his dismay the sword disappeared and poked right back in. The blade nicked his arm.


    He couldn¡¯t hold his breath any longer as the sharp sting drew a drop of blood and he exhale loudly.


    ¡°Feron!!¡± The shout swept through the air coming from Pror, sending the man poking the bush stumbling back, startled.


    Not even realizing his mistake, Pror said, ¡°Feron! I just remembered, wasn¡¯t this where Quinter and his men picked up that group of straggler humans the other day? It could be where they stayed you know.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Calin exhaled and inhaled the fresh oxygen gladly. The other man¡¯s shout had been very timely.


    Feron retrieved his sword from the brush and his boots loudly thudded moving away. ¡°I remember, but ... No, that was on the other side of the mountains!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Pror asked.


    ¡°Yes, your memory is worse than our good captain¡¯s squire,¡± Feron said with a chuckle. ¡°And that¡¯s saying something¡ª¡±


    The surrounding sounds echoed scuffling and of metal hitting metal. Calin dared a peek and watched as the two armoured men shoved and grappled each other.


    Finally, Feron shoved Pror away and said, ¡°Stop! You know it¡¯s true.¡±


    Pror was glaring at his comrade, but then Feron held up a hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Strangely enough, Pror relaxed and clapped Feron on the shoulder agreeing. With that the men¡¯s banter disappeared into the forest and after a few more tense seconds it disappeared altogether. Releasing his bunched up muscles Calin fell back against the branch, his chest heaving up and down.


    Half a dozen minutes later, he checked if the coast was clear and stumbled out of the thick brush.


    ¡°Humans? Seriously, who talks like that?¡± Jerry said as he crawled from a spot not two meters away from Calin.


    Jerry had been that close? He shook his head and stood up.


    While dusting of his clothes, Calin said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but maybe Tyas is right.¡±


    Jerry scoffed. ¡°Ha! Even if we were somewhere else, what other race could there possibly be but humans?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised with the answer to that.¡± A voice announced from the side.


    Startled, Calin and Jerry both spun on Tyas coming from the right with Evany in tow.


    ¡°Agh, come on Tyas I¡¯m tired of all the, ¡®Legend has it¡¯ kind of bull. I¡¯m up for we try and get back tonight, maybe sneak past that monster and his friend. What do you think Evany? Cali¡ª¡± Jerry asked before Tyas interrupted him.


    ¡°About that...I was trying to tell you before, but you kept misinterpreting it.¡±


    The man¡¯s tone alarmed Calin.


    ¡°So what is it?¡± He asked tentatively, fearing the answer.


    Their guide opened his mouth about to say something, but closed it again. Calin could clearly make out the sudden panic Tyas was in. After a few more uncomfortable moments of shifting his weight to and fro, Tyas rushed the words out as he said,


    ¡°There is almost no way back to the Earth part you know! There I said it.¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Calin started,


    ¡°ARE YOU SAYING THERE¡¯S A CHANCE WE¡¯RE STUCK HERE?!¡± Evany¡¯s voice pitched louder with each word, her fists were balled at her sides.


    More out of anxious confusion, Calin wanted to grab Tyas by the scruff, but Jerry beat him to it. As the boy shook the man, Jerry stated harshly.


    ¡°We want answers NOW! Or you are getting a beating. So spit it out.¡±


    Through it all, Tyas was sweating but something passed over his expression. It caught Calin¡¯s attention so he tapped Jerry to calm the boy a bit.


    The tension was strung high, but somehow Calin¡¯s stare drained it a bit.


    ¡°Okay okay, you can let me go now. Please? I¡¯ll talk, but you¡¯ll have to listen patiently.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯ll listen patiently alright, but the moment you start yapping lies, you¡¯re getting my fist in your face. Do we understand each other clearly?¡± Jerry was red in his face and when Tyas nodded the boy let go of the man.


    With an awkward shrug Tyas straightened his shirt glancing to the forest around him before he said. ¡°Okay first before we speak of these things, can we find a more secure place to talk?¡±


    Jerry was about to protest when Calin stepped in, stopping the boy with a glare. ¡°Chill Jerry, it¡¯s the smart thing to do, alright?¡±


    It was easy to see that Jerry was conflicted, but finally the tall boy said, ¡°Fine have it your way then.¡±


    As they started to leave the area, Calin eyes searched one more time for the cliffs that had so suddenly disappeared.


    Why it wasn¡¯t there was a mystery. No, most of what happened the last two days was a complete mystery. Yet some of the mad stories Tyas were telling was the only thing that remotely made sense. The thought of being on a different continent made him shake his head wildly.


    No, there has to be something else... Yet somehow that thought didn¡¯t feel as sure. With a great shrug, Calin followed Tyas through the forest, hoping that somehow there was a way back.


    ***


    Once in a while Calin glanced back to check if the others were in tow before he pressed on. They walked for fifteen minutes when they reached the foot of the spectacular mountain range that went on as far as the eye could see in both directions.


    As they came closer, there were huge boulders that had probably dropped from the immense looming peaks. Some of those slabs of rocks could have been as big as a small house.


    Tyas led them between a few boulders with no hesitation, like he had long since memorized a path in a distant past. A narrow, concealed crevice revealed itself that sliced the mountain cleanly in half, but was only as thick as two or maybe three people wide at its widest.


    Tyas glanced back and smiled before moving onto the flat area hidden from view, making his way between the sheer rock walls. Calin followed with apprehension, his eyes were darting up at those sheer rock faces, his heart anxious. If boulder came falling now, they¡¯d be done for.


    But as he stepped into the narrow crevice, the fear of it dissipated. Around a small indentation in the rock walls came an area with a bit of breathing room. Tyas was already dropping his rucksack and motioning for Calin to do the same.


    Happily dumping the heavy bag, Calin almost lost his balance as he lowered the thing. He sat down with a huff, not caring a thing of sitting in the sand as he rolled his aching shoulders while waiting for the others.


    Man, my shoulders are dying. I hope we stay here a while, he laid his head against the rock wall and lazily watched Evany move in next to him. She sat down and immediately slipped her arms around her knees, holding them against her chest. She looked extremely worried.


    That same worry was coursing through him. Calin pushed his own fear aside for the time being and tried to ease her. But it wasn¡¯t hard to guess she needed answers, they all did. So with a tired voice Calin said,


    ¡°Okay we¡¯re here, so fess up.¡±


    Tyas stared hard at a rock in the sand, his amber eyes flashing with emotions Calin couldn¡¯t read. The man turned to look at Jerry.


    Finally the man looked to the other two and said, ¡°Calin and I needed to come here. But I tried warning you. I tried to get you and Evany to stay home. Or at least go to Drave¡¯s town... Numerous times!¡±


    A heavy sigh flowed out of the man as he went on, ¡°That didn¡¯t work, now did it? You two kept insisting on following me and Calin. The thing is, this barrier, or the World Barrier, if you will, was created to keep whatever is here on these lost continents inside; to keep it secret, words and physical. And I¡¯m quite certain it succeeds extraordinarily well. There is something I need to tell you and it¡¯s going to be hard to hear.¡±


    The man looked stressed as he fumbled with a small rock. With a pointed stare from Calin, Tyas finally, with reluctance said,


    ¡°Even if you wait for the next eclipse or whatever causes the walls to appear, and you go back through to the seven continents of the Earth you know, chances are great you will lose your mind. I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    The man paused and everything stayed deathly quiet. Calin was sure the others were holding their breath.


    A look of utter disheartenment passed over Tyas as he continued, ¡°You know that mad hermit who lives at the closest cliffs to your village? Well I had the chance of talking to him once... and it only confirmed it all... poor guy.¡±


    Calin stared at the man. That old Hermit? It couldn¡¯t be.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it, there were many stories about the crazy things the hermit told when people visited him. It had always been fun to sneak there with Jerry to listen what the poor soul was rambling on about.


    Not four days ago, he had talked to the women who had taken it on themselves to feed the hermit. But this was the first anybody has ever spoken of the origin of the old man who lost his mind so utterly.


    Tyas twisting a piece of rope around his hand drew Calin out of contemplating about the hermit.


    Then Tyas said, ¡°And I know what you¡¯re going to ask next. How did I and those robed men with their creatures end up on your side of earth?¡±


    Seeming to look around for something, Tyas answered his own question.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say a certain man this side has the ability to open it up. Just one man, one man who can give permission for those who step through not to go mad, sad part is, he is being hunted. My dad had been part of the group trying to stop it,


    ¡®These hunters want to use Calin to flush that man out, because Calin is his son... I¡¯ve only pieced together theories for their reasons over the years. Things my parents used to talk about,


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but without Calin¡¯s father there is not a single other way back to that side. That much I can say without a doubt. And as chaotic as things had been the day Calin and I landed on your shores, well suffice it say, you¡¯re stuck here. As I said, Calin and I had to come, but I really tried to warn y¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is really no way back?!¡± Evany cried out.


    When Tyas shook his head gravely, and her chest started to heave.


    Calin¡¯s heart pulled into a knot. Too many emotions bombarded him, but seeing the look on Evany¡¯s face engraved itself in him. She was distraught. Without even thinking further, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.


    She started to sob against his chest repeatedly saying, ¡°No no no no ... this can¡¯t be ... No no no, I meant to go back ... No no no.¡± Calin held her tight as she cried. He was too confused to think, it all suddenly felt too real. Far too real.


    I never expected this. What now?


    Through all the jumbled thoughts, he continued to soothe the crying girl in his arms.


    His reasons for following Tyas was written in stone, to find answers to his own past, to find answers on why he was being hunted. To guide the danger away from his loved ones. But now it had all turned into a mess.


    For the first time, he desperately wished that he had actually tried to persuade the others to go home.


    It was too late now.


    And the worst part was that, he wanted to say something to comfort the girl, but he couldn¡¯t think of one single thing.


    It was his fault she was there. Outside her house he had chosen to let her follow. Since then he had made jokes of their journey and not listened to Tyas when it had mattered and now... now the face she had was branded into him. Guilt webbed itself around him and hung like weights.


    Even in the horror of the situation, Calin knew he had to be the one to stay strong for the other two. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do as his own fear threatened his sanity.


    He could just hold on to the crying girl.


    After a while, he looked over to Jerry, the boy was struggling with something, evident from the frown on his face.


    Jerry looked to Tyas and asked, ¡°I ...how... um you said Calin¡¯s father? How can that be ... Of all that is ... Okay wait, you said Calin¡¯s um father can open it? Why don¡¯t we just find him and let him help us back through?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nowhere near that simple,¡± Tyas said perplexed and a shake of his head. ¡°Calin¡¯s father¡ª¡±


    Then thunder boomed above them.


    Fat rain drops immediately started dripping through the gap right down the steep sides to the sandy floor.


    Tyas dropped the conversation and called for the others to help. ¡°Hurry! See if we can find a cave or something.¡±


    To Calin¡¯s surprise Evany surged to her feet and grabbed her rucksack. Calin stood up and watched the others scramble around searching and he followed suit grabbing his own bag and slinging it onto his shoulders as he ran along the path between the mountains.


    D¨¦j¨¤ vu washed over him.


    It almost stopped him in his tracks, but just then the storm worsened and the rain started to fall in heavy swathes and soon it was cascading down over the rock in small streams. Thunder roared to life in the sky.


    A sense of resignation formed as he slid around a corner and almost fell.


    His boot had slipped through the already slick mud underneath an overhanging rock. He had almost ran past it, but then realized there was something there. Looking down, he found the rocky overhang gave way to a dark fracture in the rock. Leaning in further, he tried to make out what was in the dark, but was met only by blackness. It looked plain, uninviting. He moved away from it slowly only to jerk as thunder cracked loudly again. With a great gulp, Calin swallowed his nerves and crept in.


    The bright outskirts of the cave was left behind as the interior started to get more detail. The cave had a small flat area and then it sloped upwards only to give way to a wider flat area at the back, he couldn¡¯t see the edges completely in the dim light. It was at least seven meters wide and not even half that in height.


    After checking if there wasn¡¯t anything he had missed, Calin decided to go find the others. The moment he turned, there was a shadow behind him.


    He yelped and fell back scrambling away, only to realize it was Tyas crawling in.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, he said, ¡°For goodness sake, you scared me. Couldn¡¯t you have warned me or something?¡±


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t see you crawl in here,¡± Tyas said tentatively. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the others.¡±


    Grunting at the man, Calin watched as Tyas left the small cave. Alone in the dark cave, he decided to crawl to a part with more vertical room and started feeling around in the gloomy darkness of the space. Soon enough he found some debris with his groping and started brushing away the small twigs and moss until there was some relative sitting area before he lowered his rucksack. With some fumbling in the dark, he located his small headlamp in the side and donned it. He was happy that it was working as he flicked the switch and the light brightened the small cave.


    To his utter surprise, he found an old fireplace. Someone must have hidden there too. Calin crawled closer and could make out small boot tracks in the dust, but what worried him was that it was tracks of modern boots, with a clear familiar logo imprinted in the ground. Someone from the modern Earth has been here.


    It was then that Calin realized his line of thought and frowned. Have I so readily accepted that we are on a different undiscovered continent?


    It was a very disturbing feeling and he shook his head trying to place his thoughts in order about what had happened.


    The truth of the matter was: He had stood on the cliff where he had fallen off. He had miraculously surged through a shimmering wall with odd markings to find himself in a place that doesn¡¯t make sense. He had since seen armoured figures with red suns on their chest plates, everything almost like the dream. What¡¯s going on? A shiver ran down his spine, and all too suddenly a deep chill grabbed hold of him, and he was certain it wasn¡¯t from the rain.


    Out of the cascading rain there was scraping and a without a moment to spare a wet Evany scrambled up into the cave, followed by Jerry and Tyas. Calin lighted their way for them, but shone it into Jerry¡¯s eyes, the boy complained.


    ¡°Easy on the light mate, I can see well enough.¡±


    A smile tugged at Calin for a moment before it fell back into a frown. There were difficult things to come to terms with and at that moment he pitied Evany the most and Jerry too.


    They had no reason to be here except for superficial ones while thinking they were just going to leave the country for a while. He had thought the exact same thing himself, but it was a moot point now.


    Now it was all chaos and he silently understood why Tyas had said he was probably going to be the only one who would come to terms with the truth.


    He was the only one who needed to be here, for answers. Tyas had been right. The cloud of responsibility hung heavily over Calin now.


    What did I get myself into?


    It was another hard question, one that had no answers yet.

 Chapter 21: The cave and the fort

    <h1>Chapter Twenty One: The cave and the fort</h1>


    An eerie silence settled into the cave. The shock of what Tyas had said, and then the sudden rain had utterly subdued everyone in the cave. The questions had dribbled down to nothing.


    It was as if no one was brave enough to ask the hard question of what now.


    A sigh dropped Calin¡¯s countenance as he silently watched Evany sitting crawled up against Jerry. He sat there gently caressing her shoulder while she sat with her eyes closed. And other than the slight frown that was on her small brow, and her damp cheeks, she looked peaceful to him.


    Though it was all but certain to him that she couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t be able to get to terms with what had happened. That she had left her father¡¯s farm to defy the life the man had been forcing on her. To find a new life, a new job, something that was her choice instead of solely her father¡¯s. In the end it was clear to Calin that Evany had every intention to go back to visit when she could get the chance. That was the person she was. She loved her family, even though she wanted to chase her own journey through life.


    Only now that dream had become a nightmare, and Calin felt sad for her; feeling intensely responsible for her plight.


    Ultimately the frustration with himself and the situation, raged in him. It caused him to throw up his hands as much to take his mind of the matter as to scoot to where Tyas was situated.


    And not caring whether or not the others could hear Calin asked, ¡°Why?¡± The man stopped rummaging through his bag and looked at him.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have told us before you forced them into a seemingly one-way trip. Why?¡±


    Tyas¡¯ shoulders dropped in a defeated manner before sitting down.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t force them; you of all people could see that. But to tell you ... that was a completely different matter. I told you several times before we got here that I wished that I could. I wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    Dubious of the claim, Calin crossed his arms. But curiosity got the better of him and he lifted an eyebrow while sitting down crossed legged on a mossy area. He waited as patiently as he could for the man to elaborate.


    ¡°I tried a hundred times to force the words out of my mouth believe me, but somehow the effects of the barrier even extend to that. It was created to keep this part of the world secret. It was created to stop anybody from ruining that. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    The last was asked with a plea in the man¡¯s bright amber eyes, which contrasted against his pale skin and raven black hair even more in the dim light.


    A deep frown knotted in Calin¡¯s forehead as he started to see the picture, even though the whole principles of the how and why was unfathomable, he slowly began to understand what the man meant. The silence between them was tangible as his mind ran to wrap itself around it, but finally he asked, ¡°So, you wanted to tell us, but it wouldn¡¯t let you?¡±


    Tyas nodded sadly and Calin sat back, pondering the new truth. He glanced at Jerry and the boy inclined his head in acknowledgement of what Tyas had said, still holding the distraught Evany.


    Then Tyas caught his attention. Calin hoped for more answers as the man asked, ¡°You know that cloak I gave you?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Calin said uncertainly, wondering what Tyas was leading up to.


    ¡°I want you to get yours,¡± The man was already fishing out his own cloak. ¡°They are quite waterproof and there is something I wish to do while there is cover from the rain.¡±


    Calin looked hard at the man but said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The crawl to his own bag sent up puffs of dust, though not bothering him in the least as he got the black cloak from his bag. The small blue moon on it mournfully reminded him of how the moon eclipsed the sun. It had so drastically changed their lives. With a slight grimace he donned it. Jerry grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Calin what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Calin admitted. ¡°But Tyas wants me to go check something while it rains.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t kno¡ª¡± Calin was interrupted by Tyas shuffling in next to them. The man had a dark green cloak, with its hood still on his shoulders as he said,


    ¡°Jerry... Calin and I are quickly going to scout out the house where I lived before I came to your side of Earth. I¡¯m not sure where those other men came from and I want to make sure what lies ahead while the rain gives us some cover.¡±


    With a quick glance around the dimly lit cave, Tyas said, ¡°Jerry, use some of the twigs and wood from the previous inhabitants to get a fire up for you and Evany, but try to make it close to the entrance. No use in smoking yourselves out while we are gone, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to come along?¡± Jerry asked tentatively, but Tyas quickly said, ¡°No, I want you to watch over our gear and after Evany. We will be back shortly.¡±


    Jerry was about to protest, but Calin laid a hand on his arm and motioned towards Evany hugging her own knees. With a sigh Jerry nodded.


    Before Calin could crawl toward the exit, Tyas said, ¡°You know that heavy parcel I gave you? Well unwrap it. We might need it.¡±


    He looked questioningly at Tyas but his curiosity also got the better of him and he unhooked the thing. As he folded the cloth open a gleaming steel sword came into view. Calin marvelled at the short sword, the first real sword he ever held in his own hands.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    He slid his fingers over the smooth edge and couldn¡¯t help but gape at the sensation of holding the weapon. It¡¯s beautiful.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A few seconds later Tyas said, ¡°That sword was mine and the one I have was my mom¡¯s.¡±


    The gleaming blade in his hands drew his undivided attention. So much so, that he had to drag his eyes away to look at Tyas as he opened his cloak to unsheathe the sword from its scabbard. It was a bit longer, but just as gracefully smooth. Calin hurriedly un-wrapped the rest of the cloths to extract the scabbard, and found it to be with delicate designs of leaves woven in the hard casing. He smiled like a boy opening a Christmas present and took the sword and let it slide into the scabbard with the sure sound of steel sliding against steel. Calin almost forgot about everything that happened the last few days as he belted the sword under his cloak. Almost.


    Quite happy with the weapon at his side he turned to Tyas and the man broke him from his reverie. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Calin lost his smile as he looked at Evany. A deep sadness settled on his heart. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Her eyes looked dazed and an uncertain Jerry was trying to sooth her. Exhaling heavily, Calin finally nodded to Tyas and they left the small cave.


    Heavy rain drops hit Calin¡¯s cheeks as he got outside. There were black clouds above and he wondered if it reflected the day¡¯s events. With some effort he stood up from his crouching position and flipped the hood of his cloak over his head.


    There was an inner lining of the cloak. It was the same midnight blue as the moon on the back. The small patter of raindrops started against the cloth in a soothing pattern, but his heart was heavy, not for himself, but for seeing Evany¡¯s anguish.


    It had been his choice to bring her along after she snuck up on them that night on the street. And now?


    With a look back at the dark crevice in the rocky overhang, Calin decided he was going to step up for the others. Help them however he could. Especially Evany, she had lost the most.


    Finally Tyas came to stand next to him and the thunder striking high above highlighted his green cloak with light.


    Without a word, the amber eyed man started forward and ushered Calin to follow him into the storm.


    ***


    The trees and rain became a blur each stride Calin took; his thoughts were jumbled with hundreds of questions, but with far too few answers. Here he was on a different continent. Or so it seemed, but the more he thought of it the more he became sure of it. Much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    The swathes of rain cascading past him made everything seem slow. Everything seemed unreal.


    Then the sickening thought hit him. There was no way back. He had left Misses Talsen and the other kids to fend for themselves and there was no way he would be able to go back. There was no chance he would be able to send them any of money he would¡¯ve made. The fantasy of working just overseas, gone in an instant as the silver walls of the barrier had closed him off from the modern Earth. Just overseas? An awkward chuckle escaped his mouth.


    His heart ached with guilt and his legs became heavy; giving up seemed so much easier at the moment. Tears blurred his eyes, only the form of Tyas in front of him in his sight.


    Without warning Tyas stopped and Calin almost ran into the man, jolting out of his dark thoughts.


    Their tempo considerably slowed down as he followed Tyas up a small hill. Near the top, Tyas moved towards a tree in a low crouch. Calin moved in next to him before he whispered,


    ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± No answer. He quickly voiced it harder as the heavy rain masked his voice.


    Tyas silenced him and he motioned over the edge and he looked.


    On the other side there was a small valley, but it was as everything became clear all of a sudden. Huge trees were dotted around them between much smaller normal looking trees. He had been too wrapped up in his guilt to notice. The space where they came out of the forest on the hill was also dotted with those big trees. Their roots were as big as small houses as in some places they arched out of the towering trunks of the trees. The forest seemed intimidating in an instant. Ominous even.


    But Tyas slapped Calin¡¯s back and stared intently at him and cocked his head to the valley below. Calin gulped, but looked again, and in the centre away from the worst of the big trees, there was an enclosed area with stone houses with straw roofs, some larger than the others.


    A small stream ran on the other side of the place, but what caught his attention were the wooden palisades that surrounded the whole area, with armoured figures scouting along the edges of the three wooden guard towers.


    Calin shrunk back down the edge of the hill and snaked closer to Tyas, keenly aware of the mud smearing his cloak at the bottom. When he reached the man¡¯s side he asked, ¡°What are we looking for?¡±


    The man was looking over the edge again and motioned for Calin to look again, he pointed towards a stone cottage which looked big enough to house five people.


    ¡°There, you see that house? That¡¯s where I used to live before we had to escape through the World Barrier.¡±


    Calin watched the house closely and suddenly something sparked his memory ... they had stepped towards a small cottage. A man with a great big moustache opened the door...


    Wide eyed, he sat there, and with no reason other than the suddenness of the memory, Calin said, ¡°There was a man there with a moustache.¡±


    ¡°Yes...wait...What did you say?¡± Tyas asked with uncertainty.


    Calin turned to the man. ¡°I remember a man with a big moustache opening the door.¡±


    Tyas stiffened and Calin wondered what happened, but still he was caught slightly off guard when Tyas looked at him with intensity in his eyes and asked, ¡°So you remember again?¡±


    With a quick shake of his head Calin said, ¡°No... I don¡¯t know, I just remembered a man with a big moustache.¡±


    Not a second passed before Tyas sighed and drew his cloak tighter. ¡°Last time I saw my dad he had a big moustache.¡± With a softer voice and a frown, Tyas said, ¡°I miss him...¡±


    It surprised Calin to see the man that had shown nothing but a hard exterior the long hours since they had met, suddenly show cracks. He was about to say that it will be okay, when Tyas straightened up and said, ¡°But that was then. Now we have a problem.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean we have a problem?¡± Calin asked.


    With a quick motion back to the stone cottage, the man said, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a fort here, something¡¯s wrong. This village used to be a peaceful place and now there are some of those black armoured and robed men there on the towers. Of all the people of this world to occupy this villa¡ª¡°


    With some confusion to what was the problem, Calin asked,


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So? So my house and town where I used to live when I was fifteen, before having to leave, is now over run by the very people that is hunting you.¡±


    It dawned on Calin and he understood the man¡¯s feeling of hurt of losing his hometown, but it still didn¡¯t explain to him why it was a problem, ¡°We can just sneak past the town, can¡¯t we?¡±


    Frustrated Tyas said, ¡°No, that¡¯s not my point. My mom told me that if I ever got back here that there is something buried next to the house that I must get. And not to mention it¡¯s the only lead I¡¯ve got. If we can¡¯t get to that house we might never find our parents.¡±


    The statement unsettled Calin greatly and he said, ¡°So you¡¯re saying we have to sneak into a fort with people, who would assault us on sight patrolling around, to go dig up something your mother told you to find?¡±


    With no hesitation, Tyas nodded and Calin chuckled nervously. ¡°Oh... That¡¯s fine then.¡±


    The man started over the edge and Calin grabbed at him. ¡°Hey what are you doing Tyas?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sneak in. My house is just there at the edge.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane?!¡± Calin exclaimed. ¡°We need to warn the others.¡±


    He redoubled his efforts to try and halt the man¡¯s progress.


    But then with a move that was too fast for Calin to fathom, the man had shrugged free of his grip and stood more than an arm¡¯s length away.


    ¡°How...?¡± He only had a moment to wonder, before Tyas said,


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. The rain is probably the best cover we are going to get to sneak in and I¡¯m not sure how long we have before it stops.¡± The man pointed to the trees branches blowing frantically in the wind and rain. ¡°See, the movement will hide ours.¡±


    Tyas started down the slope slowly and said back, ¡°You can go back or you can help me.¡±


    Standing like being caught in headlights Calin looked around. Already panicking as the amber eyed man snuck down the slope, the only cover was some much smaller trees down the hillside.


    Man... man, man. Why do I keep getting myself into trouble...I hope I¡¯m not going to regret this.


    With that he scrambled after Tyas towards the fort.


    To be continued in Arc Two

 End of ARC ONE

    Okay! The previous chapter marked the end of Arc one from Nights of Sambria And the Wish of Light.


    I wanted to take a pause between the arcs and talk about certain points.


    When I started brainstorming up the plot for this story, I actually wrote a scene where a fantastical race discovered someone in a cave. But, then slowly I realized that I want my characters to be modern, so that it would not happen where the main character is born in a fantasy world and was brought up with big differences between their and our world. So, I took a step back and started writing Calin the way he is now and his friends with him. Secondly, I didn''t want to write two or three chapters and bang characters are in a fantasy world, it is weird when I see writers do that, so, I didn''t want to go that same route just to get to the good stuff.


    That in itself is the reasoning behind how Arc one progressed.


    EDIT: Thought I''d add the pronuciation table for NoS.


    <h1>Pronunciation:</h1>


    Ayelet¡ª Ai-Je-let


    Abra Jenkins¡ª Ah-bRha, Jen-kins


    Amanker¡ª Ah-Mhan-Cur


    Arcas¡ª aR-Kis


    Ashley Jacobs¡ªAsh-Lee, Jay-CubsUnauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Breakwater Isle¡ª(Just like you read it)


    Briae¡ª Bry-ae


    Calin¡ª Kay-lynn (Nickname: Cal)


    Cecil¡ª Si(d)-Seal


    Christoff¡ª Chris-TOfF


    Christie¡ª Chris-Tee


    Catherine¡ª Kath-e-rin


    Darly¡ª Dahr-Lee


    Darrus¡ª Dar-Ris


    Drave¡¯s Town¡ª DRAYveS Town


    Evany Jacobs¡ª Eh-Vah-Nee, Jay-Cubs


    Elizri¨¦l¡ª E-liz-ReAL (Nickname: Eli¡ª EE-Lai)


    Eric Barns¡ª Eh-Rick, BahRns


    Ethanier¡ª eF-Fun-neer


    Feron¡ª Feh-Rin


    Gemmer¡ª GEHm-Mur


    Gerad¡ª Jerrad


    Henri Baic¡ª Hen-ree, By-ek


    Hugo Brans¡ª Hue-Go, BRan-s


    Hin¡ª Hin


    Igrar¡ª Eeg-rar


    Igri¡ª Ee-GRee


    James Wikus¡ª Ja-mes Vee-Kus (Or Wie-Kis)


    Jerry Jake¡ª JEr-Ree_ Jayke (Just like the average Jerry)


    Jael¡ª Jail


    Jorge¡ª GeOrge


    Kara Getsam¨¦¡ª Kha-Rha _ Get-Sa-May


    Kailuvia¡ª Kai-loe-via


    Kirri¡ª Key-Ree


    Kelly¡ªKehl-lee


    Lamb¡¯s Crest¡ª Lamb¡¯s Cr¨¦st


    Leafling¡ª Leaf-ling (Just as you read it)


    Mictoria¡ª Mik-Tor-Re-Ah


    Mishael¡ª Mi-ShAi-eL


    Markas¡ª Maar-cus


    Margret¡ª MAAR-Grit


    Marigold Talsen¡ª Mah-ree-Gold _ Tahl-Sen


    Mesa Versee¡ª Meh-Sah WeR-See


    Moons¡¯ Reach¡ª(Like it¡¯s read. Moons¡¯ the plural form!)


    Nasyri¡ª Na-sai-ree


    Natasha Getsam¨¦¡ª Nah-Ta-sha _ Get-Sa-May


    Needlewood¡ª (Just as you read it)


    N¨ªsir¡ª kNEE-Sir


    Osai¡¯es¡ª O-Zai-ehs


    Pror¡ª Prawr


    Quinter¡ª Qwin-Tuhr


    Rae¡¯keric¡ª Rai-kay-ric


    Rift Arc¡ªRift Ark


    Sabs¡ª SAhbs


    Saiba¡ªSaai-Bah


    Seanmor¡ª Shan-more


    Serath¡ª Seh-rath


    Shawra¡ªSha-Wrah


    Steve¡ªSteeVe


    Ta-Reen¡ªTa-REEn


    Tyas Sabrial¡ªTie-as, Sabe-real (Nickname:Tai)


    Tzaven-Gard¡ª Tsa-V¨¦n-Gard (Almost like: Card ¨Cdis¡¯gard¡¯-)


    Url¡ª Earl


    Werios¡ª WhE-Ri-oss


    Wanrey¡ª Wan-ree


    Xyri¡ª Xai-Ri


    Yera¡¯s Crossing¡ª Yeah-rah¡¯s, Crossing


    Yerandier¡ª Yeah-rahn-deer


    Yria¡ª I-re-ah


    Now to questions.


    Did you enjoy the story so far? Who is your favourite characters SO FAR? Do you have a favourite chapter?


    I really do want to hear what you guys think before I start posting Arc Two of the story. See you in the comments below.

 Arc Two: Chapter 22: Unexpected discoveries

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Two: Unexpected discoveries</h1>


    The cold rain started to find gaps, forcing Calin to draw the cloak tight around his body. All the while he scrambled from tree to tree after Tyas.


    It was nothing but frustrating to find himself in another dangerous situation. Yet he was scared enough of being left behind in that creepy forest, that he stumbled along. What was worse, the sword at his hip didn¡¯t make him feel any better of sneaking into a fort full of men who didn¡¯t have his best interest at heart.


    To read about sword fights and to actually stand the chance to face one was a vastly different picture all of a sudden.


    The fort laid just over a hundred meters away, Calin glanced up and the guard on the closest tower was headed to their side, they would be spotted for sure. With a swift jump he sent himself forward and grabbed Tyas¡¯ arm dragging him behind a tree. He quickly signalled for the man to stand still. Tyas tried to look around the tree but Calin whispered, ¡°No! The guard will see you. Just give it a minute, will you?¡±


    Nothing crossed over the hard expression of the amber eyed man to give Calin any inkling to what he was planning, but it could wait. They crouched low and after a minute Calin glanced around the corner. The guard was still there.


    The wet bark of the thick tree scraped against his body, while he waited in anxiety for the guard to move away. Soon he couldn¡¯t help himself any longer and risked a look again; relieved to see the guard moving to the other side. Without hesitation, Calin hissed at Tyas, ¡°Run for the fort!¡±


    They both shot from the cover and ran as fast as their legs would carry them towards the wooden palisades. Their frantic scramble ate away at the distance, but even under the cover of the rain the watchman was bound to turn around any minute and spot them. But he needn¡¯t have worried about Tyas as he was substantially quicker than him. Faster, need to go faster. He gritted his teeth and just focused on the sprint through the rain, hoping to stay hidden.


    Just as he was about to hit the palisade, the guard turned again, but Calin¡¯s luck held for the moment as he lunged forward, unseen as he struck the hard wood of the palisade with a soft thud.


    Tyas was breathing heavily next to him and with some basic hand signals the man queried if they should continue. Calin started to say something, but his laboured breathing wasn¡¯t allowing any words to come out. He took a moment to catch his own breath and nodded that they should set off again along the edge of the wooden wall. Silently Calin followed Tyas as they headed for the part of the wooden wall that was closest to the house they wanted to reach.


    It took only a couple of minutes before the house came into view through one of the small gaps in the palisade. The man stopped and wiped his face of the excessive rain from the run. Calin followed suit and waited for the plan. No more than a second later, Tyas whispered, ¡°Good, now see if you can find a place where we can squeeze through, I¡¯ll check to the right and you check the left okay?¡±


    Calin agreed and he set off to the left. There were numerous gaps in the palisade, but they all seemed too small, gap after gap he was met by disappointment.


    He was about to give up when he found two of the wooden stilts that had not been aligned properly closer to a corner. After some slight hesitation he started to slip in and was halfway through when he became stuck.


    Panic consumed him as he tried to get free. A few seconds later there were armoured footsteps thudding around the corner, over the cobblestoned pathway that led through the small village. He franticly struggled with all his might, but he wasn¡¯t budging. He couldn¡¯t fathom why he would get stuck in such a reasonably sized gap. He had always been the small one. Yet here he was now stuck and about to be found. The heavy footsteps sounded closer by the second, there was only seconds left to get out, but he couldn¡¯t.


    A sudden shove from behind sent him tumbling through the gap and he wasted no time in scrambling to the closest building to hide. His heart was beating with fury as he fell against the wall of the house, more than just reaching it.


    Tyas was there at the gap peeking at him, signalling if he was okay. Calin waved that he was, but he let his hand fall to his chest hoping to calm his own heart before he glanced around the corner. Two guards walked past the gaps between the two houses, before moving away. There was no doubt he would have been seen had Tyas not shown up. He moved his head behind the cover again, careful not to alert them to his presence.


    A sigh slipped out and he motioned for Tyas to come through. The slender, but relatively tall man easily slid through the gap and Calin wanted to scoff at it. But he just smiled sarcastically as Tyas snuck in the rain to where he was hiding. As the man slid in next to him under the slight overhang of the straw roof, Calin said, ¡°Thanks for the shove.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, I couldn¡¯t find a gap.¡±


    ¡°So, where to next?¡± Calin asked, still having a hard time to calm his nerves.


    The man didn¡¯t answer him, but motioned for Calin to follow. He set off after the man as they slowly snuck around the stone house. They reached the corner that turned into the open courtyard. Tyas peeked around the edge, before he instantly jerked back. It was clear why, as a loud commotion erupted all of a sudden. There was a series of grunts, and Calin leaned over to listen to hear what was going on and immediately recognized a voice as one of the men from the forest as the guard shouted. ¡°The human girl is trying to escape, after her!¡±


    Hard footsteps echoed from around the corner, the guards were running after whoever tried to escape. Calin¡¯s curiosity was peaked, but Tyas quickly whispered, ¡°Hurry! Now¡¯s our chance to get to my house.¡±


    He sprung after Tyas as they sprinted for the next house. As he ran he risked a glance to his left and for a moment could make out a girl with dark red hair running away from pursuing guards, but then he fell in next to Tyas behind the stone house. It was the house they had marked from the hill top, there was no doubt.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± wheezed Calin as he tried to catch his breath. It was tempting to find out, but Tyas grabbed his arm and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we don¡¯t have time for distractions, come.¡±


    With a reluctant nod, Calin started after Tyas who was looking for something along the wall of the stone house. Sneaking around in a fort full of armed men quickly made him restless and he asked in a low voice. ¡°What are we looking for Tyas?¡±


    The man only briefly glanced back at him. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely certain,¡± Tyas answered distractedly, already continuing the search. ¡°My mom told me to look for a stone with markings on it.¡±


    ¡°What kind of markings?¡± Calin asked while rubbing his shivering arms to get some warmth after the rain had bypassed the protection from the cloak through the run.


    The man coughed before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Shocked, Calin grabbed Tyas and hissed at him. ¡°You drag me into a fort full of armed men and you don¡¯t even know exactly what we are looking for?! We should leave. Now! I don¡¯t want to get caught.¡±


    ¡°I might not have listened too well what exactly the thing looked like,¡± Tyas admitted in frustration. ¡°But I do know somewhat where to look.¡± Then in a more subdued way the man said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but trust me okay?¡±


    Calin glared at Tyas and reluctantly agreed. We have come this far. He let go of Tyas¡¯ cloak and whispered, ¡°Fine, but if we don¡¯t find it in the next five minutes we are getting out of here.¡±


    The man nodded and they set off again. Calin tried searching for anything that was weird as they made their way alongside the wet wall. He needn¡¯t have worried as Tyas almost immediately exclaimed, ¡°I found¡ª¡± Tyas cringed at his own loud outburst and more quietly said, ¡°Sorry... here, I found something.¡±


    Stalking closer, Calin made out a stone close to the bottom that had three spheres on it. The rain had washed away some of the dirt that had started to obscure it. But it was still clear. With a smile he asked, ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Now we dig,¡± said Tyas enthusiastically. The next moment the man pulled out an axe from the left side of his cloak and Calin couldn¡¯t help but realize it was one of the axes he had brought along. Casting the man a querying glance Calin waited for an answer. A cringe settled on Tyas¡¯ face before he said, ¡°Sorry, I forgot to tell you I grabbed one of your axes.¡±


    There was no use in being ticked off by it, so Calin just shrugged. The man smiled at him before starting to dig into the hard dirt. Without needing to be told, Calin decided to stand watch. He slowly approached the corner of the house and peered around.


    There was still sporadic shouts coming from farther away in the fort and he couldn¡¯t help but worry about the girl who was trying to escape from these people.


    The next moment two guards came into view, dragging a girl between them, she was struggling and hissing with every forced step. It was not about them rough housing the girl that made Calin suddenly gasp in horror, but who it was.


    ¡°Kara?!¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe his eyes as he looked at the girl. ¡°No it can¡¯t be...¡± He was dazed and took a double take just to be sure.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Each moment he looked at her he became all the more certain of the cold reality that it was his friend, Kara Getsam¨¦.


    ¡°No...¡± the word was more a cough than anything else. With it his chest tightened. The guards and the girl disappeared into the largest building of the compound. A few moments passed before her hands snaked through some bars in a side room.


    An incredible urge to run to her almost sent Calin flying around the corner. But Tyas got to him first and grabbed his arm. ¡°Calin I got it.¡±


    ¡°Got who?¡±


    ¡°No, I said I got it, I found what we were looking for. Wait...what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Tyas hesitantly, seeing the blood drain from Calin¡¯s face.


    Calin didn¡¯t know what to say, all that was certain was that the girl, probably her father and the rest of the missing scientists, who had gone missing two weeks ago, had ended up here in a prison and he didn¡¯t know what he could do.


    Through his silence Tyas shook him, all the while asking, ¡°Calin talk to me, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Calin shook his head to clear it. ¡°That girl who tried to escape now... I know her.¡±


    Totally incredulous, the man stepped back. ¡°What?! Are you serious?¡±


    Calin nodded gravely and said, ¡°Her name is Kara, she went missing alongside her father and some other people. They couldn¡¯t find a trace of them... I never expected...¡±


    As Calin said that, Tyas dragged a hand over his forehead under the hood, with a low growl.


    Though not sure what it meant, Calin still had a fierce sense of duty towards the Getsam¨¦ family. He had soothed the mother for her missing family members and now he was in reaching distance of the girl. Without hesitation, he said, ¡°I want to free her Tyas. No... I need to.¡±


    For once, Tyas was the one who was reluctant and he started to say, ¡°We can¡¯t Cal¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a load of rubbish, we have been at your every beck and call the last, I don¡¯t know, couple of days it seems. Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    He was not going to budge as he openly glared at the man.


    Tyas had dragged them from their hometown all over the countryside and into a one-way trip. If he was going to live with that truth he needed to own some reassurance.


    Finally the man seemed to understand that he had no say in the matter. Tyas threw up his hands in defeat and said, ¡°Okay, fine, we will try to free the girl, but we are going to need the other two¡¯s help if we even remotely stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calin nodded in agreement. ¡°But I want to see if I can speak to her for a moment through that window first. I need to know if she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± blurted Tyas, but Calin gave him a look of defiance and said, ¡°Probably as crazy as you are, remember? I didn¡¯t want to sneak in here in the first place. So we¡¯re even, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Tyas¡¯ head shook in disbelief, but the man motioned for him to lead the way.


    ***


    Calin took a deep breath and looked around the corner. The guards had gone back into what, he assumed to be a combination of a barracks and a small prison. He could only spot two guards patrolling inside the fort and the three guard towers intended for spotting people approaching the fort.


    He took it as a good sign and motioned for Tyas to follow as he snuck to the next house. Around the next corner he tried to guage his chances of making the good run to the barracks. It was a risky shot, but if more guards didn¡¯t show he could make it.


    Satisfied, he turned back to Tyas and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to make a run for it. I need you to see if anybody comes my way, throw a rock or something. I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but Calin be careful will you, I didn¡¯t drag you all this way for safety, if you¡¯re going to mess it up now.¡±


    Calin smirked and said, ¡°True, but after what I¡¯ve been through the last two days I don¡¯t think this would get me down.¡±


    He started around the corner and was about to make a run for the barracks when the two guards rounded back on their patrol. The one was Feron, the dune tattoo ominously staring at Calin.


    His cloak got caught for a second on the rocky wall as he squeezed in closely to remain unseen, he slowly slipped back to wait until they had passed. Finally the sound of their boots disappeared again and he swiftly made a run for the barracks.


    Never had he been more obvious as at that moment, running over the courtyard, open for all to see in a hostile camp. But there were no eyes trained in his direction, he desperately hoped it stayed that way.


    He slowed to a trot when he could hear voices from the big building. He checked the door for any chance that one of the guards could come out.


    Luckily none did, though he accidently thudded harder into the wall of the prison than he would¡¯ve liked. The next moment, a small voice filled with irritation came through the barred window.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there? If you want to gloat about my failed attempt, it won¡¯t help you at all.¡±


    Calin slipped towards the window and looked inside. There, sitting on a small bed in the corner watching the ceiling was Kara Getsam¨¦.


    Her deep wine red hair was wet from her escape attempt. It cascaded to her shoulders where her fingers were tugging a few strands out of what Calin could surmise, frustration. She didn¡¯t look down and out after failing to escape, her eyes looked focused, like she was planning the next attempt, her posture had a surety about it. She was taller than Evany, but her body was in good proportion, hugged by her green T-shirt and brown skinny jeans, not too tight, testament to her exploratory nature and love of being outdoors for archaeology.


    Calin almost smiled, just glad to see her alive; he moved his face against the bars and whispered,


    ¡°Kara!¡±


    Her gaze dropped down from the ceiling to the bars, and the second she spotted Calin her eyes popped open wide. She shot to her feet.


    ¡°Calin?¡± She asked tentatively at first. ¡°... no ... It is you!¡±


    With a tightening in his chest, he nodded. Her sudden jump surprised him, it only taken her a mere moment to reach the barred window. She wasted no time as she reached through and grabbed one of his hands as she sobbed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here! Oh my word, I was starting to lose hope.¡±


    Her face showed every drop of desperation and her green eyes shone with tears brimming on the edge as she asked,


    ¡°How... how are you here?¡±


    Calin squeezed the girl¡¯s hand with support, his heart already full of tumbling emotions with finding one of the missing Getsam¨¦s. The question she asked was by far the question he truly had no idea how to begin answering, so he opted for the only route he could.


    ¡°That is very long and complicated story, but Kara! I can¡¯t believe I found you,¡± He suddenly sobered up and asked more seriously, ¡°...are you alright?¡±


    Through the few tears that escaped, the girl nodded and said, ¡°Well, as good as can be locked in a prison.¡±


    Calin squeezed her hand again, glad she was alright, but squared his face in determination as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will find a way to get you out. The people back in Lamb¡¯s Crest were desperate to hear any word of you. They will be overjoyed to know you¡¯re still alive...¡±


    It was a small slip on his part, but it immediately darkened his mood the moment he mentioned the town, I won¡¯t be able to take her back, won¡¯t be able to take her to her family... He had to find his father. He would demand it from the man to take the others back home through the World Barrier.


    Then a thought struck Calin and he glanced fearfully around the cell and asked, ¡°Kara where is your father and the other scientists?¡±


    The girl¡¯s mouth started to tremble as she was on the verge of bursting out in tears, Calin feared the worst. His heart dipped in the sorrow. He held her hand tight and said, ¡°It will be okay.¡±


    Kara started to breathe deeply steadying herself before she gushed.


    ¡°They took him! Calin, they took him and the rest of our group and left me here alone. They handled me like I¡¯m a kid.¡± His eyes shot back to the girl. The frustration was evident on her face.


    But what she had said was a surprise, a welcome surprise that they were still alive and he asked, ¡°Where did they take them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... they spoke too fast, they said something about the moon and Reach, but I couldn¡¯t make it out. As crazy as this place is, I¡¯m afraid for my team Calin. You have to get me out.¡±


    With a quick nod he was about to say something when a rock thudded into the ground a meter or two behind him. He glanced back towards Tyas and the man was franticly waving his arms. Calin only had a few seconds, so he hurriedly turned back to Kara and said,


    ¡°Listen to me, I have to go, but we are going to plan a way to get you out, I promise.¡±


    Uncertainty was plain on her face, but her nod was with her customary smile as Calin let go of her.


    ¡°Hurry, but please stay safe.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Calin said back and ran from the small window towards the closest cover. He dived into the corner and tried to steady his breath. Not a moment had passed, when the two guards came walking past the area where he had just stood. He pushed himself deeper into the corner behind crates. The wood was course and started sticking to the material from his cloak as he moved.


    The footsteps stayed steady and the guard who came into view was the same one from the clearing. As they passed, he moved slow and steady, staying low to the ground and keeping the two in sight. He stepped into better cover and waited until they disappeared behind the next building. With it, he dashed out of cover to the next structure. Though before he reached it, he glanced back to see the girl with the red hair, watching him with hope and fear in her deep green eyes.


    ***


    Silence greeted him when he met up with Tyas. He followed the man back to the gap in the wall.


    The run up the hill was filled with distraction. Calin¡¯s thoughts were pounding on his heart. When Tyas suddenly jerked him behind a tree he was shocked out of his turmoil. The reason became strikingly apparent as a guard moved into view around the outside of the perimeter.


    The guard¡¯s torch flickered as fat rain drops tried to extinguish the fire. The danger disappeared with the light into the swathes of rain. Calin breathed deeply.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The glare from Tyas needed no interpretation. It had been a great risk. Yet no further words were exchanged.


    Tyas started off away from him at a blistering pace and it was hard to keep up. He had not the slightest idea how he was going to break the news of Kara to the others, but he would face that when he got there.


    The rain had turned their path into a muddy mess and he started to curse the infernal ground that was weighing down on his already heavy boots. To Calin¡¯s relief the area where the cave was soon came into view through the trees.


    It didn¡¯t take long to find the hidden crevice and Calin crouched down into it.


    Evany came storming towards him, anger brimming in her eyes, but before she could slap Calin, arms wrapped around her body and she was pulled back by Jerry. The boy grabbed her arms in a tight grip to stop her. The girl struggled and shouted. ¡°Let me go now!¡±


    Calin shook his head slightly while he watched her squirm against Jerry and waited until she had vented her frustration into her struggling.


    Finally she let up and she glared at him saying, ¡°We will be back soon? Ten minutes I thought, but no... you were gone for more than an hour!! How should we have known you were alright?¡±


    With a pointed stare Calin looked at Evany and then to Jerry, who nodded and let go of the glaring girl. Her hazel speckled eyes screamed her feelings as she walked slowly forward. But in her demeanour it was clear she didn¡¯t know how to feel or what to do. Calin surprised her as he pulled her into a hug, almost hitting his own head against the low ceiling before he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there were some things that we needed to do while it rained.¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± The girl demanded as she squirmed free and escaped towards the small fire they had lit. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven you yet.¡± He glanced at Jerry and the boy only lifted his hands submissively.


    It was hard to understand Evany. She was scared and she didn¡¯t want anything to happen to them, yet she wanted to assault him the moment he came into the cave. He smiled at her huddling close to the fire.


    It was then that Tyas crawled in next to him. It startled him as the box they had dug up, tumbled from Tyas¡¯ cloak to the hard ground with a clatter.


    All other thoughts disappeared as a frown creased Calin¡¯s forehead. The source of their only lead they had laid there. ¡°Let us hope it contains some answers, even more so some hope, we all need it at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Let us hope,¡± Tyas agreed somberly. But there was other news.

 Chapter 23: Of stones and Messages

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Three: Of stones and Messages</h1>


    ¡°Evany, I have to talk to you. Back at the fort... Kar¡ª¡± The locks of the mysterious steel box clicked open, making him stop mid sentence. His nerves tensed. The secret of the box made the news of Kara silently slip from his mind. His breath quickened the longer it took, the box consumed his focus.


    It was the only hint that he and Tyas had at the whereabouts of their parents, the only lead to solve a lot of the mysteries. The contents terrified him.


    He almost shouted at Tyas to hurry, but the words didn¡¯t make it out of his mouth before Tyas threw the lid open.


    Inside there was a round item wrapped with paper. The letter on it was sealed with blue wax. Beneath it there seemed to be tiny gold coins and some silver, but the letter was where Calin¡¯s attention really was. Tyas untied the letter to reveal a meticulously polished rock. The man placed the stone back in the box and held the letter up in the light of the fire.


    Calin waited with great anticipation for Tyas to read the letter, but his eyes were drawn to the smooth rock. He drew his gaze back to the letter, but again his eyes flicked back to the stone. With a shake of his head he tried to regain his focus. The solid object shone in the firelight, something other than a shadow flickered in it all of a sudden.


    What? He looked closer at the stone, not even hearing Tyas read the letter out loud.


    Each time a glimpse of something presented itself on the stone, Calin¡¯s eyes unfocused.


    He forced himself to take his gaze from the odd stone, but it availed him nothing. Soon he was concentrating on the stone, the strain almost physical. He dropped from his crouch to his knees.


    A weight pressed down hard on him. It was as if he was compelled to see something, though the longer he stared at it, the heavier the weight became on his shoulder.


    What is that? Calin¡¯s eyes were stinging, everything around him started to fade from sight. All he could see was the gleaming stone. And all he could hear was his heartbeat pounding in his chest.


    Somehow it was like his eyes were forced not to see what was right in front of him, yet in complete contrast he was compelled to discover its secret. He gritted his teeth and pressed forward as he leaned in closer. Through it all his shoulder was throbbing, it almost became unbearable.


    It was to his surprise when a bright light traced over unfamiliar markings, it flashed over them at an incredible speed. He couldn¡¯t fathom what he had seen.


    Finally he was forced to look away, his eyes shot away from the stone. The strain was too great.


    He collapsed to the floor, drained of strength. Everything above him seemed blurry. The sound was muffled around him.


    Faintly, he made out dark forms approaching him and tried to bat them away, but his hands were like lead. He dropped them heavily back to the ground. The closest form made a noise and he tried to comprehend what it was, but nothing.


    He dragged his heavy hand over his chest. Each pull was a great effort, until he could rub at his burning eyes. It did nothing to soothe him.


    Frustrated, he dropped his head to the side, and from the muffled sounds around him he swore he could hear a child laughing. It seemed so out of place.


    Through the confusion there was a light from where the laughter was coming from. He blinked, desperate to find any picture that wasn¡¯t blurred to his burning eyes. He struggled against the weight that was trying to claim his last strength, but there was nothing on him. He gave up finally and all the imagery melted around him.


    ***


    Dreams, jumbled into fiery flashes of images, nothing made sense to Calin as it danced around him. Hundreds of ancient words formed in the air, and then disappeared in a flash. A girl laughed in the distance, the words formed again, his thoughts were too much of a jumbled mess to make anything of it. Calin tried to crawl towards the moving words but he couldn¡¯t move fast enough. The more he tried the more he failed, until he roared and jumped at one of the words.


    As his hand grabbed the light, a single word thundered into his head and he woke up screaming it. ¡°TRUTH!¡±


    A gasp for breath drew much needed oxygen into his lungs. Calin panted and tried to get up, but Jerry grabbed him and pushed him down, all the while saying, ¡°Relax Calin you¡¯re safe. Relax. What happened?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Truth,¡± Calin said, still panting for breath. A frown crossed Jerry¡¯s face and the boy said, ¡°Yes we want to know the truth.¡±


    ¡°Truth.¡± Calin chanted the word again and the others glanced at each other. Evany sat down next to him and took hold of his hand. The worry in her eyes was intense as she asked softly. ¡°Calin, what happened, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Truth.¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice became more uncertain as she pleaded.


    ¡°Please tell us.¡±


    Calin tried to get the words out, but all that left his mouth over and over was the word truth. A trapped feeling settled over him and he gently batted the others away and crawled towards the box with the stone. Almost immediately, Tyas grabbed his arm to draw him away, but Calin swung his weight towards the man and sent Tyas tumbling back.


    He crawled closer to the box and Jerry was about to grab him when he jumped forward to finally lay his hand on the stone.


    A jolt shot through his body and Calin almost screamed it as the words flowed through his mouth.


    ¡°TRUTH! Truth guide your arm when there are lies in your reach. For lies is a darkness that only brings despair. Truth be our armour against those who would steal it from our lips and may faith be our shield with light burning as our sword when peace is forced away from us¡ª¡±


    Panic settled on Calin. He gasped through the words for breath, almost like fire was eating into his lungs. But he couldn¡¯t remove his hand from the stone. The burning settled deeper into his lungs and he grabbed his stuck arm with his free arm and with every ounce of strength he pulled away and fell away from the stone in a tumble, not able to complete the message.


    He gasped for breath as the fire in his lungs started to dissipate. Evany was by his side in an instant and was checking him and feverously asking him if he was okay, but he placed a hand on her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. Give me a second to breathe.¡± He drew slow deep breaths into his lungs glad for the oxygen as he sat up. Though deeply disturbed at what just happened, he looked to Tyas. His stare dug into the man with its intensity as he asked,


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret message, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The man stared wide eyed at him while nervously fingering the letter. Calin grunted and got to his knees and more forcibly asked again. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t care less as the others stared in utter confusion at what had just occurred. He needed an answer from Tyas.


    The man swallowed hard, his amber eyes flashing with uncertainty.


    ¡°That was the last thing my mother said to me before she died. How?...¡±


    Calin¡¯s breathing started to calm down, but still, nervousness settled over him before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but something happened when I laid eyes on that stone.¡±


    ¡°Can somebody tell me what on earth is going on?¡± Jerry exclaimed from the side, but Calin had less a clue of what had happened than the boy had.


    Then he spotted the letter again and asked, ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the letter says at the moment,¡± Evany interrupted. ¡°All I want to know is what happened to you. You scared the living daylights out of us!¡±


    There wasn¡¯t time to explain something he didn¡¯t understand himself. So Calin looked at Jerry and said, ¡°Jerry you remember the night of the lightning?¡± The boy nodded at him uncertainly, but he continued. ¡°Well this was close to the story I told you of what happened, explain it to her.¡±


    ¡°What story? What is he talking about Jerry?¡± Evany asked, utterly confused, but to his relief Jerry grumbled but agreed, albeit with a raised eyebrow before he drew the girl to the side to explain. Calin didn¡¯t waste time to ask Tyas the same question again about the letter.


    Tyas opened the letter and gave it to him:


    If you read this Tyas, or Calin, then something has gone terribly wrong. For fear of what might happen, it is of the utmost importance that you go to Moons¡¯ Reach and speak to the owner of the guild: House of Es, his name is Seanmor. Give him the message contained in the box. He is the only one able to read it. Stay hidden, no matter what, and good luck.


    The first part caught Calin truly off guard. By some disturbing circumstance his name was in the letter, but the moment Tyas read ¡®Reach¡¯ he remembered Kara and froze.


    ¡°Agh! I almost forgot about Kara!¡±


    Evany spun on Calin, throwing Jerry off balance. She more demanded than asked, ¡°Kara? Don¡¯t you dare make this worse for me!¡±


    Calin raised his hands to disarm the girl as he said, ¡°Whoa there, yeah I get it, but Tyas and I found her¡ª¡±


    ¡°What!!¡± Evany exclaimed as her eyes got wide. ¡°And you were just going to leave that out?! What happened to her?¡±


    With a shake of his head Calin crawled to the girl and took hold of her shoulders gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, but she was in a prison in the fort we scouted out.¡±


    He was thrown back by the girl as she jumped to her feet. She hit the ceiling of the cave hard before she collapsed again holding her hand to her head saying, ¡°Ow! Ow...Ow that hurt.¡±


    Calin crawled closer and tried to get her hand away to take a look, but she swatted his hand away all the while grimacing in pain. With a glare at her, he said, ¡°Evany let me take a look will you?¡±


    The girl reluctantly let go and Calin spotted a bit of blood, but when he touched close to the wound she hit him on the chest and said, ¡°OW! Be careful.¡± He just swiped at her hand. ¡°Yeah yeah, but hold still.¡±


    To his surprise, Jerry brought him a small aid kit. He raised a questioning eyebrow at the boy and Jerry just said, ¡°I, uh thought it would come in handy when we were in Tyas¡¯ cabin. Here you go.¡±


    Calin quickly got anti-inflammatory salve from the kit and gently applied it to the squirming girl. After finishing, he sat back and said, ¡°There, good as new. Now be more careful.¡±


    Evany shot him a glare but she finally blew at a lock of golden hair on the side of her face and said, ¡°I know, but will you tell me about Kara now, please? We¡¯re best friends.¡±


    Calin smiled, but then got more serious. ¡°We were going to try and help her escape, but we needed Jerry and your help.¡±


    The girl looked like hope blossomed in her eyes and Calin was glad there was something in this dark day that could bring hope to her sad heart. He grabbed one of his axes and scooted closer to the fire and motioned for everybody to huddle up.


    He started drawing an outline of the fort on the ground and Tyas helped as they started to formulate a plan to get Kara out of the camp

 Chapter 24: Close Encounter

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Four: Close Encounter</h1>


    Even with the cover of the rain, Calin crawled carefully to the edge of the hill. Down in the valley the fort loomed ominously. It marred the idea of the place once being a peaceful village, bustling with life. The thought of the men with the red suns running the place now only reinforced his absolute determination to rescue the girl from them. A quick adjustment of his hood shielded him from the rain drops that kept hitting his face. All the while he studied the fort for what they were going to attempt. He swallowed hard at the lump in his throat as he nervously scanned for any movement through the rain that gently patted against the cloth of his hood.


    On the sentry towers there were only three lonely figures of the guards, but to his dismay there were now five guards patrolling on the inside. They must have increased them after the escape attempt. He suddenly wished he had tried to bail out the girl earlier. But Tyas was right in the matter; they needed all the help they could get.


    He kept his gaze locked over the camp trying to spot any other possible patrolling sentries, but after a minute he was content with five.


    Inching back down to the others, Calin said, ¡°There are three guards in the towers. They are watching the perimeter with a keen eye. We have to be careful. Inside I saw five patrolling.¡±


    ¡°Five? Man, I was hoping our luck would hold,¡± Tyas said while he was busy making sure the items they would need were secured on his belt.


    ¡°Yeah well,¡± Calin agreed with a helpless shrug. ¡°At least we still have the element of surprise. Okay everybody ready? Remember we move from tree to tree and check every time before we make the next dash.¡±


    Satisfied as the others nodded Calin couldn¡¯t help but feel dread for the task that lay ahead. He breathed in deeply a couple of times before scrambling over the hillside for the first tree.


    A few seconds later he thudded into his second tree and looked back to see Jerry coming up to the first. With a quick peek around the edge of the tree, he was satisfied with the guard¡¯s position on the sentry tower and he dashed for the next.


    In silent succession the group made their way down the steep hill behind him. The second to last tree Calin almost slipped on the muddy slope.


    He grabbed at a branch and with luck he stopped his momentum. With a tense grunt he pulled himself upright, accompanied by a sigh of relief. But it was short lived when out of nowhere Jerry came sliding past the tree down the slope.


    Calin desperately grabbed at the sliding boy but missed. All he could do was watch as Jerry slid at an increased tempo down the steep hillside.


    Immediately Calin looked up past the tree and the guard was busy coming their way. He panicked and was sure Jerry would be spotted.


    With a cringe he looked down. To find to his surprise that Jerry had somehow reached the palisade in time.


    The boy had his hand over his chest. Even through the rain it was clear that Jerry¡¯s eyes were wide with shock. With the guard approaching, he moved back behind his tree. He glanced back and motioned for Evany to stay behind cover as her head came peeking around a tree three meters from his position. Promptly she disappeared from sight and he pushed his back against the tree and waited, trying to calm himself a bit after the slip up.


    After a few moments he dared a look. The coast was clear and he scrambled to the next tree.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Calin reached the palisade with a short sprint as he slid in next to Jerry.


    ¡°Jerry! What happened?¡± Calin asked without hesitation. The boy lifted his hands in defence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mate. I slipped while I was running for the next tree... Man that was too close.¡±


    ¡°Far too close,¡± Calin agreed as he patted the boy¡¯s shoulder and stepped past him. A minute later everybody was there and Calin set the troupe off towards the area with the gap.


    They were making good time, but the next moment the gate of the fort swung open right in front of him. He skidded to a halt as the large wooden gates stopped at a ninety degree angle. Jerry almost crashed into him, but Calin pushed the boy back against the palisade and they squeezed into the corner of the gate, waiting in fear.


    The seconds passed by incredibly slow and the anxious faces beside him mirrored that feeling.


    The sound of hooves reached his ears and he couldn¡¯t resist peeking through a tiny gap in the gate. There came a horse, the biggest he had ever seen, it was black with white around its hooves and a beige spot behind its ear.


    The man riding it was attired in a long waist coat, with a hood coming from within the collar. The man had an extravagant fiery orange and burgundy shirt that showed proudly on his chest. Calin studied the man carefully and surmised he could be the captain those other two guards had been speaking about.


    The captain turned the horse back only long enough to shout at the guards. ¡°I won¡¯t be gone more than half an hour, see to it that no more accidents happen, or I will have the lot of you lashed for your pure incompetence.¡±


    Kara must have been a thorn in their side, good girl! They don¡¯t take us Cresties easily. A grin split his face, but it was short lived as the massive horse galloped out of the gates.


    They stuck like rats to the wood, open for the birds to pick if the captain so much as turned his head. Calin held out his hand to keep the others from moving a muscle.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    He held his own breath until the horse finally disappeared between the trees. With a whoosh Calin let out his breath and wasn¡¯t surprised when the other three also exhaled loudly.


    Through some effort he scraped his nerves together and realized the gate stayed opened. Not able to help himself he silently cursed and moved to Tyas. ¡°We need to find another gap,¡± he whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can make a run for it past the gate.¡±


    The man agreed with a nod and soon Calin led them the other way around. Each gap they came to was too small.


    Even with each small disappointment, he trusted his gut and soon they found a reasonably sized gap.


    To Calin¡¯s frustration he again needed help squeezing through the tight fit, he couldn¡¯t understand it. He was shorter than Jerry and Tyas but somehow they just slid through without trouble.


    On the other side his friends were huddled behind the closest house.


    ¡°Jerry you know what to do,¡± Calin said. ¡°We need that distraction sooner rather than later. Join us at the barracks if you can after.¡±


    The boy nodded and sat ready for when they would move out. Next, Calin looked to Tyas and said, ¡°Are you sure about your plan to sneak into the barracks? I can help.¡±


    Tyas just shook his head. ¡°It will be easier to sneak past any guards if I¡¯m alone from the other side.¡±


    It still troubled him that the man was going in alone. But regardless of it he shook Tyas¡¯ hand. ¡°Good luck...¡± Calin said tentatively before signalling to his side. ¡°Evany you follow me, let¡¯s go.¡±


    With some trepidation Calin stepped towards the corner and peeked. All clear... Okay, here goes nothing.


    A hard flick of his hand signalled the others and Tyas rushed around the house immediately to his front. After a few moments there was no sign of the man and Calin signalled for Jerry to go. The boy disappeared around the other corner leaving him alone with Evany.


    Gathering his nerves, he motioned her to follow as he rushed towards the closest crates. Before he wanted to jump for the next crate Evany grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Calin are you sure this will work?¡±


    Incredulous he glanced at her. ¡°Evany, couldn¡¯t you pick a better time to voice your doubts?¡±


    At her frightened look he sighed and with a comforting smile he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll stay with you, now let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    She breathed deeply and he took her hand, heading onwards.


    Upon reaching the next crate between the two stone buildings Calin got his first glimpse of the open courtyard in front of the barracks. He glanced around for any sign of the five guards, but panic brushed against him as he only spotted three. Where are the other two? Man!...


    He wished he had more time, but the captain¡¯s untimely return could ruin their escape. He looked at his digital watch, truly glad he had not taken it off through the chaos of the previous night.


    Alright, we have twenty minutes left,It bothered him that they had already lost ten minutes, but he was going to use the remainder of time to the best. The moment the three guards walked away from his direction he ran for the barracks dragging Evany along by the hand.


    Through it all his heart was beating wildly. The other two guards could be anywhere. He prayed as they ran for the barracks. Through his dash he repeatedly glanced around, just to make sure they went unobserved. His luck held only until they hit the building.


    He pushed Evany around the corner towards where the small barred window was. Kara¡¯s cell. But before he could step around he looked back past the barracks where the other two guards came into view.


    It was Pror and Feron. He was glad they had made it before those two had come into view. He was about to head after Evany when he caught movement other than the two guards. He glanced back and froze. It caught him completely off guard as they coaxed a black creature from around the corner. Calin¡¯s heart stopped for the briefest of moments. His own cards suddenly looked like a severe disadvantage.


    Though, even with his plan feeling a lot less secure, the small hope he had was that the creature was much smaller than the ones that had chased him halfway over the country side. Nevertheless, it was very bad news.


    No! Calin groaned and slipped around the corner, only peeking around. Evany queried behind him. ¡°Calin?¡± but he motioned for her to wait as he listened carefully.


    The two guards were a slight distance away, but Calin could still barely make out their loud banter. ¡°... glad the captain convinced Mishael to send us one of these very rare beauties, don¡¯t you think Feron? I can¡¯t even imagine how they even got one in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Only you would think Nighthounds are beauties,¡± The guard named Feron said quite seriously, it was to Calin¡¯s surprise to hear the tension in the big guard¡¯s voice as he continued, ¡°You know the stories about them, what if she attacked us? No¡­ the sooner I get away from that thing the better.¡±


    ¡°Come now, Feron,¡± Pror said without hesitation. ¡°This is not like you. Don¡¯t mind it, you can see she likes me already.¡±


    Calin watched the man pet the hard scales of the dark creature lovingly. A shudder in disgust ran through him. Even though the creature was much smaller than the ones he had barely escaped, it still sent his spine crawling.


    Having heard enough he slipped back and just checked if the other three guards were still out of sight before he turned around. Only to find Evany already busy speaking to Kara through the prison bars, the girl had tears streaming down her cheeks as she was, in a way, reunited with her missing friend. Calin walked to Evany as she said, ¡°...will get you out of there soon.¡±


    At the small barred window, Calin looked into the prison. Kara was smiling with tears running down her cheeks. She wiped it the moment she noticed Calin.


    ¡°Kara, hang tight,¡± he gladly said. ¡°We¡¯re coming in.¡± With a nod from her, he gently pushed at Evany to follow him. They still had a job to do.


    A second later he stepped around the back corner of the barracks only to tumble backwards.


    There was a guard standing ten meters away from them. His back facing towards them as the man started taking a leak.


    With some trepidation Calin gathered himself again and glanced around the corner. This was their way into the barracks and now it was compromised.


    He groaned with the failure of this part of the plan, but before he could step back to rethink their next step, he noticed Tyas looking from the back door, three meters away. The man motioned anxiously for them to hurry. Calin gave him an incredulous look, but Tyas motioned all the harder and Calin threw caution to the wind, dragging Evany by the hand as they scrambled as silently as they could towards the door behind the guard¡¯s back, suddenly very glad for the rain as it covered their somewhat noisy entry. He pushed Evany into the door and glanced back.


    The guard was finishing up and Calin cringed as he squeezed into the back door. Tyas closed it softly behind him, but Calin whispered, ¡°Hurry, hide! He¡¯s coming back.¡±


    They scrambled down the small corridor into the big room. The place had beds and small wooden tables with crude cutlery and a skull of a thing with giant teeth on the wall that took up half of the space on it. Calin didn¡¯t even want to know what it was.


    The others flopped around trying to find a hiding place. Through it all he was keenly aware of the lack of other guards in the mess hall and thanked his lucky stars for it.


    With an awkward flop Calin fell behind one of the small beds as the door¡¯s lock clicked.


    Immediately it was followed by the footsteps of the armoured figure. Calin just laid as flat as he could behind the bed while he waited in fear. The wall pressed tightly against his ribs in the small space.


    Don¡¯t come lie down...Don¡¯t come lie down, he repeated in his head, hoping to will the message to the guard.

 Chapter 25: Fool鈥檚 Luck

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Five: Fool¡¯s Luck</h1>


    In an instant time became tangible. The seconds ticked by slowly. The guard was mere feet away from him. Footsteps thudded closer and Calin almost gasped at the panic that swarmed through him, but then there was the sound of a wooden chair being dragged back and the creaking of it as the guard sat down.


    Gradually Calin let his breath out, as silently as he could and slowly placed weight on his elbow against the wall. He lifted his head up to the edge of the bed.


    The guard was different than Feron and Pror, a much darker skin. The sentry sat at the small wooden table picking at something, which must have been edible, with a thing that looked relatively like a fork.


    To Calin¡¯s surprise, the man had ridges protruding from under his smooth golden hair. It moved like a ¡®v¡¯ into the man¡¯s broad neck and disappeared over his shoulders under his armour. The sight of it was enough to make him take a double take and look again.


    He wanted to try to figure what those ridges were, they looked like scales. But Tyas¡¯ head popped up on the far side the room. The man was gesturing something to him.


    Calin squinted, not entirely sure what Tyas was trying to tell him.


    A frustrated frown split Tyas¡¯ face. With his hand Tyas pointed at Calin and then to the guard and motioned in a chopping motion.


    A grunt split the air and Tyas disappeared behind the small bed on the other side of the room. There was no mistake in what Tyas had shown him to do. But how?...


    Calin frowned deeply, the very thought of how to go about knocking someone out has never even occurred to him, but he was the closest to the guard. It was the only way. He tried to ask in hand signals how to do it, but what resulted was a series of hand signals that didn¡¯t make sense whatsoever. Calin gave up and threw up his hands up as if to say, ¡®Okay, okay let me do it.¡¯


    He slowly turned his body around in the small space, holding his breath before he got to his knees. He held his muscles tight and gradually stood up, before tiptoeing around the bed. Calin stepped foot for foot closer to the guard. The alien v-like scales on the guard¡¯s neck mocked him like mini disfigured smiles.


    When he got to within striking distance of the sentry, he just stood there, lost. No idea of how to do the deed. Then he remembered his sword and he softly fished for the hilt.


    The moment he got hold and drew the blade out, the sure scraping of metal against metal sounded in the room. The guard¡¯s head looked sideways at Calin and sprung to his feet.


    Without thinking, Calin jumped on the man¡¯s back before the guard could turn. And roughly grabbed hold around the man¡¯s chin. He tried to get his arm down; but the sentry wrestled his arm free and all Calin could do was hang on for dear life, as they spun around and around. The chair and small table tumbled to the floor loudly as the guard tried to dislodge him.


    Finally, he could not hold on any longer and he crashed to the ground hitting his head against the side of the bed. He looked up and the guard¡¯s dark armour glinted in the light from a lantern on the table.


    The guard grinned evilly at Calin, drawing his sword. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that boy! Now I¡¯ll have to gut you where you lay.¡± The man lifted his sword to stab him.


    His attempt to crawl away was foiled with the bed blocking him in striking distance. The moment the dark sentry stabbed forward, there was a loud crack and wood flewaround the man¡¯s head, dropping him unconscious to the floor.But not before the blade cut a gash in Calin¡¯s exposed shin. He yelped out in pain, but the pain was soon forgotten as he glanced up at Evany standing there with a broken chair in her hands.


    There was a wild look of disbelief on her face for what she had done. She was panting madly while still holding the broken chair aloft.


    Calin leaned back against the wall and scanned the room. Tyas was there with sword in his hand, but there had been too much distance to cover to have joined the fray in time.


    With a grunt Calin stood up, the sting in his shin announcing itself prominently, but that would have to wait. He tenderly placed weight on the leg.


    Satisfied it could carry his weight, he walked to the shell shocked Evany, she hadn¡¯t moved a muscle and her lungs were heaving for air. Calin got to her and she started.


    ¡°I had ...I had to...¡±


    Taking hold of the broken chair in the girl¡¯s hands, Calin said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright you can let go now.¡±


    Evany shook her head uncertainly with quick jerks, but after a moment she let go, Calin dropped the chair to the ground and took the confused girl into his arms and hugged her. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡±


    Her head nodded gently against his shoulder and he drew her tighter to him.


    Through his peripheral vision, he spotted movement from the side and let go of Evany just as Tyas was aiming his sword against the guard¡¯s neck. Calin jumped forward just in time to stop the man from killing the guard. ¡°What are you doing Tyas?!¡±


    ¡°He would have killed you and don¡¯t think he won¡¯t raise the alarm the moment he wakes up. We need to kill him.¡±


    Calin grabbed the man¡¯s arm hard and hissed. ¡°No! We don¡¯t. He can¡¯t even defend himself.¡±


    ¡°Let go of my arm Calin,¡± Tyas glared at him, but Calin didn¡¯t let go as he said, ¡°No, we are not killing this man.¡±


    The tension was building as he stared hard at Tyas, but then Jerry came from the small corridor. ¡°Whoa, easy there Tyas, I agree with Calin. Let¡¯s get Kara out and lock the man in there.¡±


    The tension only ebbed when Evany chipped in as well. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go get Kara, please you guys?¡±


    Stepping back, Calin lifted his hands in surrender, but kept his eyes locked on Tyas.


    After a moment the man hesitated before doing the same, but he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like leaving evidence like this, I¡¯ll go with your plan now, but remember we¡¯re not on your side of Earth anymore. These people are ruthless hunters and worse they kill without mercy, Calin you of all people should know. Remember Jim from the gas station, they didn¡¯t hesitate to set their creatures loose to kill a bystander.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know...¡± Calin said with a sour taste in his mouth. ¡°But we are not like them. I¡¯m not going to stoop down to their level and lose who I am.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    A silence settled. Tyas had a hard look and didn¡¯t reply.


    Calin let it go at that and dropped to his knees and searched the man for a key to the small prison. Close up the guard looked strange. The ridge like scales was part of the man. Calin¡¯s first thought had been disfigured, but he wasn¡¯t sure of that anymore, the guard was ... different. It only brought more questions to the already considerable amount he wanted to know about the strange place they were in now.


    With some effort Calin started to flip the guard, the dark armour weighed heavy while he pressed the man over.


    Then Calin spotted the same blood like red sun on the chest plate. It was like a slap in the face, but he pressed on and brushed around the guard¡¯s waist to finally find a ring full of keys.


    He got up and walked towards the small prison and started testing each key. But the keys didn¡¯t fit. He caught Jerry¡¯s eye and the boy was tapping his watch.


    ¡°Hurry Calin,¡± Jerry said. ¡°I know the distraction you sent me to do won¡¯t last long. There was only one horse and it wasn¡¯t easy to set running.¡± The boy hesitated and with some fear in his voice continued, ¡°Calin, but they have a¡ª¡±


    Calin flung up his hand up and with a pointed stare interrupted the boy immediately and said, ¡°I know! Just ... give me a second. There!¡± The right key slid into place at last.


    ¡°But Cal¡ª¡± started Jerry.


    ¡°We will worry about that when we get there,¡± Calin said through gritted teeth, he didn¡¯t want Evany or Kara to get too worried, especially with that creature, or Nighthound, as the guards had called it, outside.


    There wasn¡¯t much time left. With a swift flick of the key, he unlocked the door and walked in tentatively, not sure if Kara would assault him or not.


    The next moment wine red hair came flailing around the door and the girl leapt into his arms, with the air whooshing out his lungs as she hugged and said, ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡±


    With a smile, Calin let go. Her green eyes were bright with joy.


    He was startled the next moment as out of nowhere Evany appeared between him and Kara and was embracing her lost friend in a big hug. They were laughing and crying, but Calin glanced at his watch, their half hour was going by much faster than he would have liked, they only had ten minutes left to get out of the fort. He moved forward and gently pushed the two girls apart as he apologetically said, ¡°Sorry girls, but we really need to get out of this place now.¡±


    Kara inclined her head resolutely at him. ¡°Good riddance, I can¡¯t get too far from this place.¡±


    The girl stepped out of her prison and the moment she laid eyes on the unconscious guard she took an intake of breath before striding towards the guard with loud stomps. Calin wondered for a moment what she was up to.


    Kara hissed and kicked the man hard.


    She yelped in clear pain from kicking the armour, but it had vented some of her anger. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said finally.


    He wanted to get out of there too. But first they had a small job to do, so he turned to the others and said, ¡°Jerry, help me drag the guard into the prison. I don¡¯t want him to make it harder for us to escape.¡±


    Calin grabbed the guard under the shoulders and Jerry under the man¡¯s ankles. The weight of the armoured figure brought forth a deep grunt, but soon enough the man was in the small cell.


    After dropping the guard Calin couldn¡¯t help but look at the man¡¯s black and red gauntlets. It had deep red metal knuckles and sturdy but soft leather as gloves inside the metal outer shell. And after almost being skewered, the decision was an easy one. He crouched down and removed them.


    It was a strange process to get the armoured gauntlets strapped over his hands and forearms properly. He never would have imagined he would be in this position. After some pulling and shoving, Calin succeeded in securing the gauntlets to his arms.


    They were a tight fit and the weight very unfamiliar, but what he was planning to do required every precaution he could muster.


    As he finished, he locked the door and was about to put the keys on the table when Kara said, ¡°Wait, no need to leave those behind.¡±


    A sadistic smile met his gaze as he glanced at the girl. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, she had a point. With some amusement he stuck the keys back into one of the pockets inside his cloak, but the girl stopped him again. ¡°Oh, sorry can I have the keys quickly,¡± She asked sweetly. ¡°I need to get my gear from these buggers, check the coast and I will be right with you.¡±


    Calin was somewhat impatient at getting a move on but he handed her the keys before she slipped into the next room. But then again, it gave him the time he needed to address a certain problem. Watching for a moment longer he called. ¡°Jerry, Tyas can I quickly have a word with you two.¡±


    Not surprisingly Evany was quick to respond. ¡°Why not me?¡±


    ¡°Evany...um...¡± Calin started, unsure of what to say to the girl. ¡°Just a second will you, go and help Kara, please?¡±


    She eyed him levelly, but finally nodded and disappeared into the next room.


    Not wasting a second, he turned back to the guys. They had questioning looks, but Calin looked to Tyas and said, ¡°We have a big problem.¡± The man frowned slightly.


    ¡°They have a Nighthound,¡± Calin said almost as a whisper, not wanting to alert the girls to the significant problem.


    ¡°A what?¡± voiced both Jerry and Tyas.


    Quick to answer, Calin said, ¡°One of those black creatures that chased us.¡±


    Jerry had the look of realization, but it was Tyas who exclaimed. ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    Calin threw up a hand to keep Tyas¡¯ voice down and he was about to speak when Jerry got serious and said, ¡°Yeah, I also saw it, when I went to the stables.¡±


    ¡°This is bad, you know as well as I do, just how well those things track,¡± Tyas stated in pure worry.


    ¡°I know...¡± Calin said and took a deep breath. ¡°But I intend to kill it, while Jerry gets the girls to safety.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jerry asked in confusion to his part, followed by Tyas¡¯ incredulous, ¡°How?¡±


    It was a very good question, but with slow intake of a breath Calin raised his hands to calm both the guys.


    ¡°If you would listen then you would understand. The creature is much smaller than the ones that chased us halfway here, it looks very young. I think we can take it. While we do that, I need someone to get the girls away safely, Jerry.¡±


    ¡°So you need me to help stay and hunt?¡± Tyas asked after a moment of thinking. With a nod Calin agreed and was about to say something more, when the girls came back into the room. Kara had a brown raincoat in her hands. The raincoat was overly large, probably intended for carrying rucksacks beneath it, or in her case the same knapsack she had while in Mesa Versee.


    She quickly tossed the rain jacket over herself, her knapsack making a big lump under it from the supposed gear she was taking with her.


    To Calin¡¯s surprise, both girls had daggers in their hands. He raised an eyebrow at that and Kara said, ¡°Some souvenirs for the trip. Oh and we got a local map ...I think.¡±


    He tried to comment, but Jerry chipped in and said, ¡°As much as I like to hang around in a hostile barracks and relax, I think we really really need to get the heck out of here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tyas and Calin said on the same time. He motioned for Tyas to take the lead and he made sure everyone was in tow.


    As he ran to the next house, Calin realized there were three guards running with a rope in hand parallel to them on the other side of the courtyard. They weren¡¯t looking their way, only focused on catching the big war horse Jerry had set loose.


    But Calin didn¡¯t want to risk it. With a surge forward, he alerted Jerry and slipped behind the closest cover.


    The next few houses Calin could occasionally get a chance to scan outside the gate, all the guards were running like wild chickens in the field to get the massive brown horse under control. But the muddy expanses were giving them a hard time. Calin smiled.


    ¡°Nice going with the horse. What did you do?¡±


    The boy chuckled over his shoulder and said, ¡°Oh, poker to the butt sent him reeling out the stable doors. The captain won¡¯t be happy with this lot. I felt bad for the horse though, I even said sorry as it ran out into the rain.¡±


    A chuckle escaped Calin at the picture and it was clear Jerry was also trying to hold his laughter in as they ran towards the gap in the palisade¡¯s wall. Tyas was already busy helping the girls through and telling them to make off towards the place they had come from. Jerry quickly followed.


    Standing there before the gap, Calin was already apprehensive of what needed to be done. Jerry looked back through the wall and asked more than said, ¡°I could help you two?¡±


    Calin shook his head. ¡°No, I need the girls to be safe, but um... stay out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°What if something happened to you guys?¡± Jerry asked with apprehension. Calin steeled his face and said, ¡°There won¡¯t.¡±


    With that he started back towards the house where Tyas was already waiting.


    There couldn¡¯t be any doubts now. It had to be done, even if it scared him.


    While the two of them started towards their quarry, from behind Jerry asked in a low voice. ¡°Fine, but what should I tell the girls?! Calin they are going to skin me ali¡ª¡±


    But the rest was lost as Calin cornered the building, off to go hunt a hunter.

 Chapter 26: Hunting the Predator

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Six: Hunting the Predator</h1>


    The camp seemed ominously silent, except for loud shouts coming from the soldiers in the distance. It was clear they were frustrated that the horse was giving them such a hard time at the same time knowing they had to catch it before the captain came upon the scenario.


    With a flick of his wrist Calin checked the time on his digital watch. It only helped to fuel the tension. He looked past the smallest house and drew his gaze toward the open gate.


    Their time had run out, all they could do now was hope that time wasn¡¯t as precise here as back home. The captain was late. Even so, they had to hurry.


    Problem was he couldn¡¯t see the Nighthound. It frightened him almost as much as the idea of taking the thing on. There was a small relief though in the fact that the creature wasn¡¯t outside of the fort with the guards.


    Before setting off, an odd question popped into his mind and he looked at Tyas and asked, ¡°What was this village called when you lived here all those years back?¡±


    The man thought for a moment before answering him. ¡°Needlewood Village; it used to be a logging community. The barracks was one of the larger saw mills. That building over there...¡± Tyas pointed to a building right at the far end of the fort. ¡°That was where the lumber edger was. All of that was run by donkey powered mills.¡±


    It was hard to miss the pain crossing the man¡¯s face and Calin moved closer and said, ¡°I bet it was a good place to live back then.¡±


    ¡°Yes it was,¡± Tyas admitted in a strained voice. ¡°We should hurry, as much as I think this is an extremely dangerous task, I want to be done before the captain gets back.¡±


    With a nod Calin snuck around towards the barracks with Tyas right behind. He was quite surprised that all the guards had left the fort to chase down the big war horse, but then again it must be one of the captain¡¯s prized horses. Calin snickered at the chaos Jerry had started. It wasn¡¯t long after until the far side of the barracks came within reach.


    He was about to go around the corner when he spotted the closest guard tower. It was empty. A frown split his face. It had been manned no more than a few minutes ago.


    With a few steps back he squinted past the only building that obstructed the open courtyard, a small wooden well house. He looked past the gate on the far-side of the fort and counted the guards running after the horse. There were only the ones that had been patrolling inside the area.


    He started to voice his suspicion when growling reverberated through his body to his core. He spun around, nothing. But as he approached the corner, the black creature came into view.


    He quickly signalled Tyas to be quiet and made a maw like signal with his hands. His heart beat was increasing rapidly, but at least he wasn¡¯t alone.


    A quick glance at Tyas only revealed the set determination in the man¡¯s face. With a nod Calin reached down and drew his own sword. Even without the armoured gauntlets the sword would¡¯ve been alien to him, but he didn¡¯t have time to worry about it now.


    He stepped around the corner.


    The creature was gnawing on a bone and Calin couldn¡¯t help but shudder to think what kind of bone it was. He eased his feet forward and a twig cracked beneath his boot. With a cringe he stopped, almost sure the creature would hear him. But somehow it did not.


    Then from behind them a door crashed open and a man tried to shout, ¡°The girl escaped!¡± but it came out as a wheeze followed by a cough. Calin spun around and there was a guard. Tyas was already facing the armoured man with his sword drawn. The guard looked at Tyas and said, ¡°You! You¡¯re one of those kids that got through and... by the silver sands, it¡¯s my lucky day, there is the other one too. The captain will be most pleased to see the two of you after all these years. Be good lads now and drop those swords. Otherwise I¡¯d be inclined to take the lot of you by force.¡±


    ¡°Just you try!¡± Calin hissed. He was about to move to join Tyas when the crunching of bones stopped behind him. A sickening feeling swept through Calin and he froze before he fearfully glanced over his own shoulder.


    There stood the Nighthound looking straight at him, its two meter long, waist-high body was quivering with excitement. In the event shaking off streams of raindrops from its black scales as it looked Calin in the eyes. He swallowed hard and shuddered at the grim evil that lurked in the creature¡¯s crimson eyes.


    With trepidation Calin tried to coax his unresponsive muscles to turn his body to the new threat. He glanced back hopelessly then to Tyas who was already circling the guard. They were taking measure of one another.


    Calin tried to clear his suddenly dry throat and croaked. ¡°Tyas ... I would love to help you, but the creature is looking at m¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t even finish the sentence when the sound of gravel beneath claws met his ears. He swung his sword arm out of pure reflex and met the creature with a glancing blow. Its weight still sent him tumbling to the ground.


    He rolled to his knees awkwardly and only had enough time to see the creature¡¯s open jaws coming at him. He threw up his sword arm again and was sent skidding into the wall with a slam.


    As he looked down, the creature had latched onto his arm and the large white teeth were scraping against his armoured gauntlet. The teeth to Calin¡¯s befuddled mind were as long as his own index finger, and there were six of them. Two large ones on top were accompanied directly by two smaller ones just beside it. The bottom two scraped on his gauntlet with its cruel intent. The maw was closing again and again around his arm.


    He tried to dislodge himself. But a yelping escaped his own lips as the steel was bending against his fore-arm. The teeth were set to penetrate the gauntlet at any given moment, there was no doubt.


    Frantic, he shifted his other arm free from under his leg and swung the armoured gauntlet into the creature¡¯s side and again on its neck with as much force as he could muster. Each punch hardly seemed to faze the creature in the least.


    Desperate to break free, he tried again, but the attempt failed again. He looked into the menacing eyes of the assaulting Nighthound, the terrifying notion that his own fear was only fuelling the creature¡¯s ferocity was almost at the forefront of his mind.


    With an anxious grunt, he tried again to dislodge its jaws. To his dismay the metal gave way with a pop under one of the top sets of teeth.


    He punched wildly and grabbed hold of the hard black scales on the things cheek and worked his hand up.


    The pressure on his long sleeved shirt alerted him. The sharp edges of the teeth were pressing down seeking entry into his arm.


    He jerked on his trapped gauntlet, but it didn¡¯t move. All he could do was edge his free left hand higher onto the creature¡¯s face. He pushed hard to try and force the jaw to dislodge from his gauntlet, but that didn¡¯t help either. The creature¡¯s right eye looked at him with the sure arrogance of something that was on top of its food chain.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Calin gasped when something presented itself and he jumped on the opportunity and pressed down onto the creature¡¯s eye with all his might.


    It yelped and with a slip of tooth and metal grinding against each other, the creature sprang free and pawed at its hurting eye.


    He scrambled to his feet and brought his sword in line of the creature. His lungs heaved.


    It didn¡¯t help as he looked down at the damage done to his right gauntlet. The Nighthound was just a baby compared to the others who had chased him, yet it had bitten right through his steel gauntlet. And it made him infinitely glad of the decision to take them from the unconscious guard. If it was just my arm, he could only shudder at the thought.


    For the first time through his ordeal, he could make out the clear ring of swords clashing against each other. He couldn¡¯t see Tyas, but he hoped the man was faring better than he was.


    A second later, he watched the creature lift its head from its paws. The snarl painted across the creature¡¯s muzzle placed fear in his heart.


    Calin was keenly aware of the fact, that even with it being much smaller than the ones that had chased him, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to stop it, much less kill it.


    With a shaking sword arm he started circling the creature. The Nighthound was watching him with pure hatred. It wasn¡¯t hard for Calin to see that it was waiting for a moment to strike again. The Nighthound¡¯s large tail was waving from side to side, like a snake ready to launch.


    A profound wish surfaced that he had followed the others to safety. He didn¡¯t have any illusions of really standing a chance against the monster. But the thought of it hunting down Kara and probably finding her without much trouble with the strong scent left in the prison cell, made him swallow some of his fear and steel himself, It has to die.


    He was determined, but also downright scared of the thing. With a great intake of breath, Calin lunged forward.


    For a moment a different scene flashed before his eyes. A cave he swore he could remember as his own memory, but was not. A dream of a man he had followed in a kind of outer body experience while he was fighting something. He considered the worth of that memory.


    He shook his head to clear it, Focus Calin. Luck would not win him this battle. But as he spread his feet slightly he was far from ready to really face his opponent. He couldn¡¯t even finish the thought as the creature acted first and lunged forward. Calin sucked in a breath and awkwardly swung at the creature with his sword, but only the flat of the blade struck the thing before the sting of claws scraping his leg sent him stumbling.


    He tried to keep his sword aimed at the creature, which was again pacing like a true predator, calculating. Calin was just glad for the moment of respite the thing gave him.


    Using the moment given, Calin stared at the creature but tested his own leg. It was aching, but still in shape. He had to be better than that. He couldn¡¯t defend well enough to be sure the next time wouldn¡¯t be more serious than that. He silently scraped together what nerves remained and prepared himself for the next attack. But then a grunt of pain split the air from around the corner.


    The sudden panic for Tyas was distraction enough.


    The creature seized the opportunity. Somehow the realization popped up in Calin, having endured the exact same thing only a minute ago. He jumped desperately to the side and slashed down. His instincts were true for once as the creature growled in pain. But unexpectedly it reversed its landing to jump at Calin again. The agility of the move astounded him and he wasn¡¯t even remotely ready for it. With a jerk he brought up his arms to defend himself. The muscled shoulder of the creature slammed into him. The force sent him flying backwards into a wall close by.


    The wind gushed out of Calin¡¯s lungs. Even through his oxygen starved haze, he spun away from the thick paw slashing at him. It only caught a grazing shot on his back. But it was enough to make him clench his teeth in pain. But as he expected the next attack from behind, he franticly looked around and just a metre away there was a door. The top half was open.


    With a great leap forward he fell awkwardly over the thing, onto the hard solid floor inside.


    His sword went clattering to the side and a grunt was forced from the impact. There was only a moment, as he got to his knees, before a loud crash of claws scraping against wood sounded behind him.


    He scrambled towards his sword, but then a heavy weight fell on his right side. It crushed him to the floor, his knees ached badly, but without wasting time he swung his left arm around, landing his elbow against something hard. He pressed with all his strength before the weight suddenly shifted off him, he caught a glance of the creature struggling to get back to its feet from its clumsy leap.


    There wasn¡¯t any time to think his situation over as he clambered to his feet away from the creature, but to his apprehension, also away from his sword. Which was now wholly out of his reach.


    He only had a second to check his surroundings for anything that could give him some cover. The place inside looked like an old Stone mill, a large pillar like cylinder stood two meters away from him.


    Its thick wooden beam connected to a network of smaller gears above it. To the right, another cylinder stood on the other side of the large bed-stone. There were worn out tracks around the wooden beams, probably from livestock powering the mill.


    With a glance back, the Nighthound got to its feet and shook its muscled neck to clear its head. A low growl that rumbled from it, its eyes trained at him.


    Moving slowly to the side toward the cylinder, Calin did not take his eyes off the Nighthound. His arms stretched out before him, in a way to fend off the creature, but it was an almost useless defence.


    Before the Nighthound could make the first move Calin jumped for the old machinery.


    Chaos erupted.


    As he got behind the large cylinder, it lurched to the side. The gears above cracked with the force of the creature slamming into it, Calin ducked for cover as the heavy gears started crashing down around him.


    He started forward, but then with a force he got yanked right back by the creature¡¯s jaws clumsily snapping at the back of his right arm. The cloth beneath his shoulder ripped with the bite. A lance of pain shot through his arm as a tooth clearly pierced the skin on the side of his arm. With a jerk he plucked himself away stumbling forward past the bed-stone.


    The large mill-stones were the only things between him and the predator.


    A sudden crash reverberated next to Calin as stone clashed against stone. He glanced back to find the creature trying to get to him over the bed-stone. The heavy mill-stones, used for grinding all sorts of things, swayed threateningly as they were brushed by the powerful body of the Nighthound.


    Purely out of instinct, he dodged to the side and the powerful creature missed him by the smallest margin and tumbled into the other wooden cylinder with a loud crack. In the confusion he had a clear line to the door. He ran to it in hope of freedom.


    A hefty blow from above struck without warning, and a gear dropped from his collar bone to the floor. In a stupor he fell forwards, hitting his head hard against the solid bed-stone.


    Completely dazed, he tried to sit up, but his limbs weren¡¯t fully responsive and his vision blurry. Even through the haze Calin could still make out the black scaled monster that was walking towards him with its killer intent.


    There was nothing he could do. He hardly had any strength in his arms to even attempt to block the creature¡¯s crushing jaws.


    A glance to his side revealed his sword almost in reaching distance. He tried shifting his weight to get his hand closer to the handle of the sword, but his body was almost numb, like lead was pumping through his veins.


    The creature was almost on him and to his utter terror there was no time to reach the sword. As a last effort he cringed away from the teeth that would sink into him.


    Then a mighty crash sounded next to him, the ground shook with force and he fell over.


    Jolted from the shock, he looked back and there was one of the massive mill-stones on top of the now seemingly dead Nighthound.


    Calin dropped his head to the ground and breathed for what seemed the first time since the battle had started. His lungs gladly drew in the air deeply into his severely aching body.


    Somewhere a door slammed open and he awkwardly grabbed for his sword even though he was fairly certain he had no more fight left in him.


    Footsteps closed in with a hurry and to his utter relief Tyas stepped around the bed-stone. With a groan, his head sagged back down while the man kneeled next to him.


    ¡°Calin! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... I¡¯ll live ... damn ...¡± Calin grunted as he tried to sit up. ¡°But please make sure that thing is dead dead will you?¡±


    The man moved around Calin, stepping over the gears that had dropped from above with some effort. It was then that Calin spotted that there was blood dripping from Tyas¡¯ sword. He glanced at the man¡¯s clothing and made out several cuts on Tyas¡¯ green cloak. Troubled by the fact, Calin pressed himself up until his back was pressed against the bed-stone before he asked, ¡°Tyas, are you okay? I¡¯m sorry I ...ugh... couldn¡¯t come to help you.¡±


    A glance back at him was accompanied with a frown on Tyas¡¯ face as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well by the looks of it you had a much harder battle than I did.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh...¡± Calin groaned before he asked, ¡°So what happened on your ... side of things?¡± He didn¡¯t really expect an answer right then as he watched Tyas step over another gear while eyeing the creature¡¯s head that stuck out from beneath the mill-stone.


    Sudden movement caught Calin¡¯s attention. As he looked at the creature, the thing¡¯s eyes opened. He just shouted at Tyas. ¡°Kill it! Kill it now!¡±

 Chapter 27: Aches and Bruises

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Seven: Aches and Bruises</h1>


    The stone lurched as the creature shifted under the massive stone, it was looking straight at him, challenging Calin to come closer. Just close enough for one more bite.


    He tried to shift away, but his aching body couldn¡¯t move. Every muscle in his body was slow to react.


    It opened its jaw to bite Calin. But then Tyas leapt forward over the last dislodged gear and chopped hard at its neck. But the scales did not budge at all. Tyas immediately lifted the sword and plunged the tip of his sword down behind the Nighthound¡¯s head.


    It didn¡¯t go in.


    Sweat dripped downTyas¡¯ face as he dropped his weight onto the handle of the sword with gritted teeth, but still it only managed a couple of centimetres. Tyas growled.


    ¡°HELP ME! It¡¯s not working!¡±


    Calin summoned the last vestiges of his strength, trying to get his body to respond. And only barely got himself up off the ground. He stumbled more than anything else to the side of the anxious Tyas. And with a cry of desperation he threw his own weight onto the sword.


    Even with it, it looked unsuccessful. Calin and Tyas exchanged worried glances. The scales were like overlapped plate armour!


    But Calin summoned every reserve of strength and pressed down. Three seconds passed with nothing happening, so he pushed even harder. Then with a crunch, the tip was forced between two scales and dipped inside. Sickening sounds filled the air as it slipped into the remarkably tough skin and flesh of the creature.


    Slowly the red eyes of the Nighthound closed.


    Calin¡¯s breaths came in puffs as he stared at the dead thing, not sure if he should believe his eyes.


    The atmosphere was tense, but nothing moved. Yet Calin didn¡¯t take his eye of the Nighthound as Tyas pulled with all his strength to dislodge the blade. Veins were popping on the man¡¯s forehead and arms. Luckily it came loose moments later with a few black scales dropping on the floor.


    Calin eyed the out of breath Tyas and joined him in panting for breaths. It was certain Tyas was thinking the same thing, they had been lucky. And not just a little bit.


    He slowly bent down and picked up the scales. Still, he was astounded by the strength of the natural armour of the creature. But it wasn¡¯t long before Calin¡¯s attention shifted with a grimace. A massive amount of aches suddenly sprung up all over in his body. The creature had taken its toll on him. He shook his right arm to shake the bent gauntlet into a more comfortable position, but it only succeeded slightly.


    Tiredly, he motioned for Tyas to take the lead. Calin glanced one last time at the young Nighthound. A shudder ran down his spine. He wouldn¡¯t soon forget this.


    The short distance to the door was long as he limped to it. It would lead him outside the old mill-house leaving the dead creature behind.


    Even through the pain, Calin was glad, secured in the knowledge that the men from the fort were without a tracking hound.


    ***


    Calin walked outside, each step sent jabs of pain through his tired body. It was like he had not slept for days, even thought it was not true.


    With an arm that hung almost limply by his side he snuck after Tyas, or rather attempted to sneak. While struggling to get his body to better respond, Calin spotted the guard that had challenged them, lying still and an amount of blood was on the ground. A shudder ran through him and he stared at Tyas in disbelief.


    Just then Tyas slowed down in front of him checking the courtyard for any activity. Calin grabbed the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Did you have to kill him?¡±


    Tyas spun on him, an incredulous look on his face.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead. So relax...¡± There was anger sparking in his amber eyes before he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t like this. This isn¡¯t the earth you know anymore Calin. This is Sambria, many people here are ruthless. They are survivors living on a continent filled with far too many dangers.¡±


    ¡°So? Just because a lot of people think it is okay to be ruthless, it does not in the least make it okay. Even knowing what you said, won¡¯t take away my free will to choose.¡± Calin stared intently at Tyas, but finally sighed. This wasn¡¯t the time.


    But still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was glad that Tyas had spared the man.


    As much to keep silent as anything, he nodded a moment later. Tyas inclined his head to the side and said, ¡°Just keep a look out, I¡¯m quickly going to drag him behind the crates.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    With a wave at the man, Calin walked towards the small wooden structure that separated them from the open courtyard and the gates beyond. The day seemed to get darker beyond the raining clouds, only barely able to make out anything past the far gates. After a few moments he gave up when Tyas tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Calin followed tiredly as they ran from house to house.


    The rain was getting heavier and an ice cold wind swept along in thick swathes of pouring rain. He drew his cloak tighter around him, but he could only do so much to keep the cold from seeping into his battered muscles. Before long the hard wood of the fence was a welcome milestone. And as he was being pushed through the gap there were voices not far from them. ¡°...how could I leave such idiots alone for even such a small time¡ª¡±


    ¡°...Captain we don¡¯t know how the horse got¡ª¡±


    ¡°...do any of you know how much¡ª¡±


    Thunder cracked in the distance, more than one in succession. The loud booms silenced the voices in intervals.


    Calin pushed through to the other side of the tall palisades, concern swept up in him. It won¡¯t be long until the escape would be noted.


    ¡°We need to hurry.¡±


    He set off up the muddy hill. The slopes were slippery, but the trees gave them some chance to get up further. He glanced back towards the guard tower on their side, it was still empty.


    It was probably the tower of the guard Tyas had fought. Calin didn¡¯t count it as luck. The captain was back and they only had minutes to become scarce.


    Upon reaching the top of the hill first, Tyas was already looking back at the fort. Calin forced his legs to make the last few steps up the hill and moved in next to the man. The rain and dark imposing clouds that was residing above them covered Needlewood Village in the valley, as if hiding the chaos of the day.


    Tyas mumbled something next to him and he could only make out a sombre, ¡°...goodbye.¡± from the man.


    The concept was strange, Calin didn¡¯t know what it was like to have loved a mother and grew up in a town only to see her die and the town overrun by the very people they were running from. Yet it was certain that it would be a painful experience.


    He wanted to say something to console Tyas, but nothing came to mind. It was distracting. Somehow his entire being utterly rebelled against the idea of there being no hope sometimes. He shook his head, waking up a new set of aches in his neck, but with a sigh he finally patted the man on the back.


    ¡°There is always hope.¡±


    A moment of silence settled between them.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Tyas said a few seconds later. ¡°And I know, even though sometimes... sometimes it¡¯s hard to remember.¡±


    He looked one last time over the village that became a fort and turned to follow Tyas who was already heading into the darkening forest.


    Then something strange caught his eye. It kept bothering him that it was getting darker and darker, but it was only early afternoon. Calin could hardly make out anything past the first few trees.


    Just to make sure he checked the time on his watch, he was surprised to see that it was still hours to go for the evening.


    Concern started eating at his tired mind and with great effort he trotted a bit faster in the hard rain to catch up to Tyas. ¡°Hey! Wait for me...why is it getting dark?¡±


    The man kept walking, but Calin could spot the small droop in Tyas¡¯ shoulders. The man didn¡¯t look back as he said, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark because the sun is setting.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Calin exclaimed, ¡°But it¡¯s not even three in the afternoon. It can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Like you can¡¯t possibly have come through a silver gap in the air to a different continent? Besides, the mountains are high enough for it to get dark so soon.¡± Tyas commented without hesitation. Calin didn¡¯t miss the sarcastic undertone, but he kept his thoughts to himself, though still confused as he said, ¡°Okay...¡±


    It bothered him greatly that night had come so swiftly. The day had barely been nine hours long, if that.


    He quietly trotted after Tyas, not happy with what happened so far. He hardly called being on this continent safe.


    As he settled into an almost comfortable trot behind the man, a shout pierced the rain in the distance.


    Calin looked immediately into the darkness from under his hood, but could see nothing. The day had fled totally and now they were in the dark. The rain obscured everything. All they could do was silently continue on.


    His boots were soaking wet as they splashed through the small puddles that were popping up everywhere, and not for the first time he wondered how much further it was. But then Tyas stopped him with a hand.


    In front in the dark, a light flickered in and out of existence, but Calin recognized the bright white colour as his own flashlight and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably Jerry, it is a flashlight Tyas.¡±


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Tyas hissed. Within seconds the man ran towards the light. Calin just groaned, but adjusted his pace after him. It took every ounce of the strength he had left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He shouted after the man, but nothing.


    He gritted his teeth through the pain in his legs and ran through the dark. After a while they spotted the figure with the spotlight. It was Jerry.


    As Calin approached the area of light, Tyas ran at Jerry, the boy only got out, ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡ª¡± before Tyas grabbed the flashlight and fumbled with the switch and plunged the area back into darkness.


    This only added to the confusion as he stared at the move, but before Calin could ask, Jerry protested. ¡°Hey! What did you that for? Turn it back on, I can¡¯t see a thing.¡±


    Though slightly blinded from the short duration of light, Calin stumbled in next to Tyas, blinking to get his eyes to see again in the dark.


    The man looked back anxiously in the direction they had come from. The reason for the scene silently became apparent and he mumbled under his breath.


    Jerry, however, was clearly still oblivious, as he tried to wrestle the flashlight from Tyas, but not faring too good, being night blind and all, stumbling over everything. Calin grabbed Jerry by the arm and drew him towards the crevice they had come through in the sheer rock wall, ignoring the pains that sprung up in his arm. After a while, the boy started seeing better in the dark as he found his footing again.


    Upon entering a pathway through the mountains, Calin said, ¡°Tyas turned off the light because we need to stay hidden. One of the men from the fort saw us clearly, but he was knocked out...¡±


    Jerry glanced at him as if to ask, you, but Calin shook his head and nodded his head at Tyas.


    In the little natural light, Calin patted the rock wall to find the dip that signified the cave, trudging through the mud. He couldn¡¯t help, but look back into the raining night. He was tired of running. His body was done, much like a wounded creature that needed to go tend its wounds. He was short of breath by the time the overhang glided under his hands. He somehow managed to kneel down to get into the cave.


    Just as he was about to crawl in, a hand pulled on his shoulder.


    ¡°Um, Calin, the girls aren¡¯t happy at the moment, so yeah just a warning.¡±


    It was hard not to cringe as he crawled in towards the firelight.

 Chapter 28: Early Night

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Eight: Early Night</h1>


    The moment he got inside he was assaulted by Evany. She hit him with a stick and he yelped while trying to dodge, but she hit him again and again.


    Finally the shots to his already pained body made him collapse hard to the ground. He lifted his heavy arms with quite some effort and held his hands over himself to protect his face with the last bit of strength he had left. But when the next blow didn¡¯t come, he lowered his hands as much out of curiosity as it was for his strength had deserted him.


    Silently he looked up, and the first thing he noticed was the tear-streaked face of Evany in the flickering light. She fell to her knees next to him. And all he could do was lay there, dazed with pain. He wanted to reach forward to pat her and tell her it was okay, but the day¡¯s events had caught up to him.


    When the girl¡¯s hands reached towards him, he recoiled and lowered his face. But he didn¡¯t miss the shock on the girl¡¯s face at his withdrawal. Regret was written all over her face.


    Not a word was said as she surveyed his torn cloak and the tattered upper arm of the sleeve.


    With a searching expression, she looked at him with an open mouth.


    Finally in a very small voice full of anguish, Evany said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to... I was just so... I¡¯m so sorry Calin... are you okay?¡±


    It was too much, Calin¡¯s walls finally broke down, and he shook his head. Tears were not far from his eyes.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± Evany said softly and shifted closer, ¡°Shhh it¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe now. Let me look please?¡±


    There was no real choice for him. His body was quite unresponsive as he relented. First off she checked under his cloak, scanning his chest for major wounds. There were none, and she eased, but then her gasp made him start: she was looking at the damage to his gauntlet.


    And that was the last thing he wanted to do; to tell the story of his pure dumb luck of not getting killed.


    The girl looked set to ask about it. But Tyas came in close. The man had a first aid kit in his hand as he sat down next to Calin. The man wasted no time in dabbing at the wound on Calin¡¯s right arm with a salve. Evany spun on Tyas and glared. ¡°How could you drag Calin back into danger? That was just wrong. Both of you could have gotten killed.¡±


    It had been Calin¡¯s idea to go back. He tried to chip in but Evany turned her glare at him and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t, it¡¯s been like this for almost most of the previous night and most of today. We¡¯ve been running around after Tyas, being chased half across the countryside. Hardly knowing why and then you go and do this!¡±


    ¡°Evany¡ª¡±


    ¡°No Calin, I need to say this.¡±


    Finally Calin grabbed her arm, much to the protest of his exhausted body and smearing the salve Tyas was applying across his arm.


    ¡°Evany! It was my idea! Leave Tyas out of this one, he¡¯s only been trying to help us. Without him we wouldn¡¯t have found Kara.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    That blew the wind out of Evany¡¯s sails and Calin breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to him and a heavy frown furrowed her soft brow as she gently asked,


    ¡°Why... why did you go back?¡±


    He looked over to the fire where Kara was warming herself, but the question screamed from her eyes as well. Another sigh escaped him and he said, ¡°You will be mad at me if I told you.¡±


    ¡°I am mad at you!¡± She glared with a fist poised to strike, but then her features softened immediately as she corrected herself. ¡°...I was mad at you... but please tell me.¡±


    He considered telling them, but flinched at Tyas when the salve burned slightly as it settled into the open wound on his arm.


    A few seconds later he gave in and started recounting the events that led them back into the fort and the others silently listened.


    ***


    After a while, he had wanted to unhook the thin camping mattress from under his rucksack, but the effort was too much for him.


    To his utter gratitude Kara and Evany took it upon themselves to get his crude camping bed ready.


    Calin understood both their reasons for doing so. Evany for assaulting him when he was already hurt and Kara for the fact he had pulled a rescue operation for her.


    As fast as he could manage in his current state, he settled into his sleeping bag and dragged his left gauntlet off, but to his dismay the right one was stuck. With a discouraged groan he gave up.


    He looked back to Tyas, who was busy repairing both their damaged cloaks. Though, why the man had even thought of bringing thread and needles was a mystery.


    With a shake of his head, he drank slowly from his water bottle, welcoming the cold liquid on his parched throat.


    Calin was not quite ready to tell the next part of his story, but he scraped his courage together and started recounting his fight with the creature. It was exactly as he feared. Both the girls were animated about how stupid he was for going back to fight the creature and how they couldn¡¯t fathom men¡¯s pride and such.


    Within minutes he was already frustrated to his core when he finished. Just for some understanding on the girls¡¯ part of why, he exclaimed,


    ¡°Kara, Evany, enough! Please, I think going within five hundred meters of those creatures is too close, but I had to. Kara you won¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about, but Evany for crying out loud, can¡¯t you think of any reason why I would go waltzing back to kill one of those creatures when I could escape?¡±


    A moment passed and Evany¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and her gaze went down in slight embarrassment before she said, ¡°Because the thing could track Kara¡­ Sorry...¡±


    As much to vent his pent up frustration at the situation rather than at Evany he groaned and said,


    ¡°Finally! Wow, it¡¯s hard to make a point with you two.¡±


    Not a second later, he smiled at the two girls, but he spotted Kara¡¯s confused face and said,


    ¡°Those creatures, they have incredible noses. It¡¯s not perfect, but if they got your scent, which with you staying in that cell for who knows how long, would have given it more than enough substance to find you quite a distance away...trust me I know...¡±


    He had learned that the hard way. It still amazed him how easily those creatures had found him each time after the first encounter. It didn¡¯t make sense. He did not miss the grim nods from both Jerry and Tyas.


    Kara sat up straight and then she crawled over to Calin and pecked his cheek and embraced him in an unexpected hug while whispering, ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±


    A grimace splayed his features at the aches that sprung up all over his body in the hug, but he smiled sincerely and said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome...¡±


    After letting him go, she blushed ever so slightly as he no doubt assumed she realized he was hurt. Then something sprung to his mind and he looked to Tyas and asked,


    ¡°How on earth did you defeat a fully armoured man?¡±


    It was hard to keep his curiosity contained as he waited, but the man smirked while he dragged the thread through another part of the green cloak. Eventually much to their irritation, the man said,


    ¡°Well... It worked to my advantage that he was halfway drunk.¡±


    Though not entirely satisfied with the answer, Calin couldn¡¯t help but smile at the short explanation.


    ¡°You all should try to get some sleep,¡± Tyas said all of a sudden while dipping the needle and thread in again. ¡°We need to get going early in the morning.¡±


    Calin was the first to wholeheartedly agree to the suggestion.

 Chapter 29: Waking to stars

    <h1>Chapter Twenty Nine: Waking to stars</h1>


    Calin waved his sword frantically in front of him, but no matter what he did he couldn¡¯t hit anything.


    The shadows descended on him, their crimson eyes mocking his feeble attempts to defend himself. There was no one there, no one with him. He was alone.


    A cavern surrounded him. And on all sides dunes were rolling past him in the dark, like endless waves. Through the chaos some shape formed in the distance, a massive man shaped shadow walked down a large dune towards him and he looked up in terror as the shadow¡¯s mouth opened into a great maw to consume him.


    The moment the thing came for him he jerked awake with a loud gasp.


    Shaking heavily, Calin sat up, but a hand on his cheek made him calm as sudden as the thing had come at him. When he looked down, he found Evany¡¯s eyes on him. ¡°Shhh, Calin it was just a bad dream, it¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe.¡±


    A few aftershocks ended the last of his trembling. For an instant, he wondered if it would leave his severely aching body worse for wear. But he nodded at Evany as he whispered back. ¡°I guess fighting that monster did a job on me. But thanks.¡±


    A soft smile splayed on her lips in the dim light of their shelter.


    It wasn¡¯t long before his breath became easier. He opened his eyes glad that they were somewhat adjusted to the dark.


    He tried to look over Evany to the others in the damp cave. The smell of rain and moss was heavy in the air. But as he shifted around to take in his surroundings more thoroughly, everything in his body started to ache. He groaned. Before I went to sleep it was bad, but this ... He just let his head sag back down.


    -- -


    ¡°The others are still asleep, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just after midnight if my watch isn¡¯t lying.¡± The small whisper from Evany took his attention away from his body, even if just for a moment.


    With a small shake of his head, Calin tried to shift the aches away, but did not achieve anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s more a fact of realizing I took a greater beating yesterday than I thought.¡±


    Even though it was dark, her frown was clear, but he disarmed her as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll live. I¡¯m just very sore.¡±


    Silence filled the air, he just waited for her response, but after a while her eyes went downcast as she said,


    ¡°Calin, I um ... happy birthday.¡±


    His eyes popped wide in shock. I forgot!


    It was the same day as on the beach eight years ago, the day which he was found with a letter in his pocket from his mother, congratulating him on his tenth birthday.


    Staring at Evany in disbelief, he marvelled that she had remembered even through everything. Though, the girl must have misinterpreted the look on his face, as she quickly whispered, ¡°I know it¡¯s not much¡ª¡±


    Without a second to spare Calin silenced her and said, ¡°I really forgot I was going to turn eighteen, and you remembered through all this... Wow, thank you. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Something made him sure that if there was some light, the girl¡¯s cheeks would be pink with her blush. Calin smiled deeply at her. She was such a good friend.


    He pulled her in for a hug. She just nestled her head into the junction between his neck and his shoulder and held on tightly as she whispered,


    ¡°Thank you for being there for me...I¡¯m so sorry I broke down yesterday...it was ... I was... but... thank you Calin.¡±


    The gesture sent heat through his heart, and strangely the predicament they all faced seemed a little bit less dark at that moment.


    ¡°You are welcome, and I mean it, always,¡± Calin said as he let go of her. ¡°Now get some sleep.¡±


    The pillow welcomed his head, lying back down. He watched as Evany¡¯s eyes closed and she fell into a more peaceful sleep.


    Long minutes passed after he had rolled on his back. The low ceiling of their small cave was slowly starting to divulge its secrets, he mused. But he couldn¡¯t help but rather take some time to sort through everything from the last few days.


    The fact that this was a different unknown continent; that he was here, with his friends nonetheless, was crazy. Yet it was starting to sink in, even if it was a painstakingly slow process. If it was a good thing or bad, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure of that yet. Though everything bad that had happened to them until now had led to some good, it was something to hold on to.


    Then a thought popped into his head of the utter weird things that had happened, the cliffs and the wall. The silver wall that reminded him of something forgotten; something he couldn¡¯t truly place. Then the strangest event of them all probably was the little girl in the wall who had carried him to the top. I wonder who she was...


    The images after that just flashed through his mind. The images after that just flashed through his mind. The fort and then the message in the stone, he wondered what had happened there.


    What unsettled him the most was that his friends had also touched the stone and nothing had occurred? Something that defied logic had transpired. And everything was a bit hazy about the experience. Well, everything defied logic the last few days.


    It was that thought that got him to reflect on his fight with the smaller creature, he again grudgingly acknowledged that he had only taken down the thing by sheer dumb luck and by Tyas showing up. But what worried him most was, if a small Nighthound was that hard to kill, the older ones would just be¡­ He wildly shook his head from even the thought of it. He stared at ceiling and went over the battle in his head.


    Still, it was a hard thing to cast off his disappointment in himself, but the image of freeing Kara came crashing in through those thoughts and he sighed with relief. Even though the situation was less than ideal at that moment, it was all, every moment of it, worth it just for the fact that he could find one of Misses Getsam¨¦¡¯s missing family members.


    For him, it was something extremely important to work towards. But he hoped with every bone in his body that he could find Doctor Getsam¨¦ and his co-workers and above all find a way one day to get them all back home. It was paramount. The image of Kara¡¯s mom with tears streaming down her face would haunt him until they do.


    With that thought, he closed his eyes and dropped back into a dreamless sleep.


    ***


    Calin woke up, and for an instant, he was utterly confused as to where he was. Disorientated, he tried to jump to his knees to find out what place this was but failed as he got tangled in his sleeping bag, which sent him tumbling hard onto the hard ground on his right. Somewhat stuck he tried to compose himself. It took a few seconds before remembering that he was in the cave. The strain of the effort sent cramps up his muscles and he groaned as his heavily battered body made itself known to him.


    He turned on his side and tried to look out the mouth of the cave for any light, but his angle was wrong. Nothing seemed to have changed except for Tyas sitting at the relit fire. Calin¡¯s shuffling must have alerted Tyas, as the man looked his way.


    Upon making eye contact, Calin waved his mostly uninjured left arm in a small arc. Though for a moment realized the uncomfortable position he was in, with the stuck gauntlet on his right forearm.


    He struggled in the restrictive material but finally fell on his back. The painful process of getting up, had to start. With considerable effort he was able to escape from his sleeping bag only for the cold of the cave to hit him. He shivered and quickly crawled towards the welcoming fire.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The heat slowly seeped in his hands as he rubbed them together above the small flame, as he was satisfied with their progress, Calin said, ¡°Good morning Tyas... or is it even morning?¡± he leaned over the slight decent to look out of the opening, the silent dark was still hanging outside. Confused he glanced back at Tyas as the man said,


    ¡°It¡¯s about 4 am.¡±


    Calin shook his head at the revelation and brought up his own watch to confirm it. This is not right...


    Taking a deep breath Calin said, ¡°I don¡¯t say I like how odd it is to have slept a full night and still only just wake up after four in the morning.¡±


    Smirking at him, Tyas said, ¡°Yeah, it takes getting used to. I almost forgot what the days were like this side.¡±


    The notion was unexpected to Calin and with an apprehensive frown he asked, ¡°So what are the days like here then?¡±


    He waited in hope for Tyas to tell him it¡¯s normal.


    ¡°The days in the mountainous parts of the North are only eight hours long, mostly due to the size of them. But the deeper into the south you go the less it becomes.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Calin exclaimed a bit too loudly, before lowering his voice. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s a large reason why they often call the southern parts the Moons'' Hemisphere because night is normal here and the Sun Hemisphere for the exact opposite reason.¡±


    This stunned Calin to his core as he sat back and asked through a daze.


    ¡°Really?¡± For some reason, he slapped his own cheeks, but asked in the same breath, ¡°What did you call this continent again? The name keeps slipping in my mind.¡±


    Tyas nodded and said, ¡°Yeah really ... And it¡¯s Sambria, there is a story behind the name, but I never really paid attention as my mom told it to me. I was too young, I guess.¡±


    Calin just nodded, still trying to deal with all the things that were so different now. Tyas poked at the fire with a stick and said,


    ¡°Forgive me, I should¡¯ve considered telling you about the nights here... You know it¡¯s hard for me to tell you all of this. It¡¯s what you and I both grew up hearing,


    ¡®We used to play together in the Morning trees when your parents were away, conjuring great and noble fantasies of what we would both accomplish in Sambria one day,


    ¡®That we might one day visit the haunting but famous silver sands, that are only found in a few places; the great forests of Yria, which is one of the most astonishing forests on the continent. Or search for the many mythical things like the Star Caverns in the dangerous underground. Or join the legendary Tzaven-Gard in Moons¡¯ Reach to defend its pass from the dark things that lurk in the mountains with wit and swords alike. Or even venture beyond the great Veil. However crazy that must have sounded. It¡¯s difficult to forget.¡±


    Calin didn¡¯t miss the shine in Tyas¡¯ eyes as the man recounted the dreams of his... their childhood. The man chuckled at the memories but lifted a hand to rub away a dark lock of hair as his smile disappeared from his face.


    A silence fell around the fire, long enough that it was thick and awkward before Tyas finally broke it again, and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for me... Hard, that you can¡¯t remember any of that.¡±


    As he sat there hearing hints about his childhood; a happy childhood, Calin¡¯s mood darkened. It sounded like a childhood that was full of wonder and an odd sense of certainty.


    The idea was alien that he came from this strange land.


    With no clue how to accept the fact, Calin started poking at the ground with his finger and without real interest, he asked, ¡°What are the Morning trees?¡±


    Tyas¡¯s gaze was on him, of that he was sure, but he continued dragging his finger through the dirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s um...¡± Tyas started after a moment, but it was followed by a sigh. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough. That¡¯s if the rain has stopped.¡±


    ¡°What does the rain got to do with¡ª¡° Calin spotted the picture his hand had drawn while his thoughts were on Tyas¡¯ response. He was shocked to see he had drawn a small stick boy reaching for his parents. With a jerk, Calin recoiled and could feel the tears building in his eyes. He destroyed the sand picture as fast as he could and bitterness crept into his voice.


    ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start waking up the others in a minute.¡±


    Tyas¡¯s voice was full of concern, but Calin didn¡¯t want his sympathy. He needed time to sort through the chaos in his mind.


    So, without a word, he just turned around and crawled back towards his own crude sleeping place.


    It took him past Kara.


    For a moment, he was surprised to see her eyes were open as she watched him move by her. He ignored the fact and kept on crawling.


    Questions were written all over her face, but Calin just shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do now was talk about what was discussed by the fire. He needed to think, alone.


    Upon approaching his own sleeping bag, he sat down next to Evany and started stuffing his sleeping bag into its small cover. His thoughts were a jumbled mess.


    I came from this place... I ...


    He shook his head violently and placed his face in his hands trying to process the thought. Calin lifted his eyes and glanced around anxiously, but nothing gave him a clue to the numerous questions he had.


    With no choice but to give up, for now, he sat up and pushed it aside. There would be time for it later when he was less confused. He fumbled with his small headlight and placed it down beside the backpack before he reached forward and shook Evany awake gently.


    With a squeak, the girl yawned and stretched.


    While she slowly woke up, a small smile tried to tug at his lips and his heavy heart.


    A few seconds later, Evany asked through another big yawn.


    ¡°Is the sun up yet?¡±


    The question caught him off guard. He was not exactly sure how to answer her as he sat there, twisting his finger through a patch of moss. After a while, he answered.


    ¡°Nope, but we have slept for eleven hours or something.¡±


    Evany sat up with a jerk and said, ¡°Eleven hours? That long? But shouldn¡¯t the sun be up by now then?¡±


    Shaking his head Calin said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll bother you with it later. For now, start waking up and then pack your things. I think we are going to leave in a short while.¡±


    The girl¡¯s gaze burned into him while he was talking, but as he finished, he didn¡¯t know how to go about to telling her about the fact that the days here consisted of several hours less sunlight than normal. The decision was made for him as he thought about how much she already had to deal with.


    Calin donned his small head light and turned around bathing his side of the cave in light. For a second the dark rock and creamy layers in between the thick slabs fascinated him, but soon enough he started rolling the thin campers mattress and strapped it on top of his backpack with the elastic ropes, along with the almost non-existent pillow. When he was satisfied with his backpack he dragged his cloak over his sore body and crawled to Tyas, who had started packing his things.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to check outside,¡± Calin said, but he paused.


    Jerry and Kara were in a heated conversation in hushed voices, talking just outside the warm light from the fire. Tyas was next to them, but the man ignored them flat. There were hints of the conversation that was clear when Kara gasped,


    ¡±I¡¯d have pink fluffy ears if I would believe that story! ... ... No way that we are on a different continent... ... It doesn¡¯t make sense, I... ...¡±


    ¡°Come on Kara, I¡¯ve given you enough evidence to... ...¡±


    It irritated Calin at that moment and he decided to let Jerry sort it out.


    Without real reason, he lifted the arm with the bent gauntlet. The sudden memory of the creature¡¯s jaws snapping around it made him stiffen.


    He tried again to get it off, but finally gave up after a few tries and just ventured outside the cave.


    ***


    Outside, the smell of fresh air after the rain bathed Calin in nostalgia; he always liked the gentle rain. It brought newness to the earth. It brought life.


    Dripping noises filled the air from every crack and nook in the sheer walls of rock, but it was clear the rain had stopped. He walked down the pathway to the first place the forest came into view. Calin sprung up onto a relatively small rock and sat there.


    He stared into the shrouded forest, the hulking giants of trees lurking in the darkness. Even their roots were as big as the numerous normal trees around them.


    But even that fact couldn¡¯t tear away the one question bombarding his mind.


    Why did I follow Tyas?


    It had seemed so clear back at the Cabin... before even crossing through that mysterious silver wall. Answers about his family? Maybe it was even just escaping in the fear of being hunted by those brutish Nighthounds, or was it seeking the excitement of the adventure like Evany? Or was it something entirely different?


    But that day in the Cabin, there was an air of safety. It was even possible that those monsters wouldn¡¯t have found him there.


    Yet now it was real. The excitement Evany was seeking had evaporated in an instant. All because of a series of decisions he had made. Those thoughts warred inside his mind. Long minutes passed, but one fact remained unhindered.


    He had made the choice on more than one occasion that Evany could come. Was it wrong? I could have been more adamant that she couldn¡¯t follow ... Should I have stayed?


    But, we found Kara...


    That changed things. Yet, maybe Evany wouldn¡¯t have been with him if he had made the other choice.


    Regardless ... What came next was the true question, though chasing down the clue on Kara¡¯s dad and the other scientists was a good start. But how do we get back¡ª


    ¡°Good, it stopped raining.¡±


    Startled, Calin turned to the source of the voice. It was Tyas.


    ¡°Any idea where we should go first?¡± Calin asked, staring back into the forest, even with the little light there was.


    There was no answer for a few seconds, but then Tyas said, ¡°That¡¯s a complex question¡ª¡°


    ¡°I want to go back to Mesa Versee...¡± A girl¡¯s voice said.


    Both Calin and Tyas turned around. Kara stood there; pure determination in her eyes.


    ***


    ¡°I would normally ask why first, but how is currently higher on my list. Didn¡¯t you listen to what Jerry said?¡± Tyas asked with his hands up to the sides.


    Kara straightened up.


    ¡°I know what you guys keep telling me,¡± She lifted her hands and made quotation marks with her fingers. ¡° ¡®Different continent¡¯ and all, but when I woke up after that great light show at the Well, I was still in a building that resembled Mesa Versee¡¯s inner room, although different, it had what looked like the other half of that strange Well. And I want to go back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s uh, news... But even if that is true, why would you want to go there now?¡± Calin asked, trying to understand her reasoning. But Kara stiffened visibly. Her eyes flicking back to the cave, a worried look on her delicate features.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to Jerry and Evany, and let¡¯s say for a moment that the story is the truth... Which I find very hard to believe! In fact, I don¡¯t believe half of it. But... the way Evany cried when Jerry said there is no way back to Lamb¡¯s Crest... It rattled me. I can¡¯t say I understand what is going on. Everything is out of whack!¡± She threw up her hands and pressed her fingers to her skull, blowing out a deep breath.


    ¡°But, for Evany¡¯s sake, I want to check something out at the Ruins. Maybe there is a way back for her...¡±

 Chapter 30: An odd request

    <h1>Chapter Thirty: An odd request</h1>


    The only sound in the vicinity was the wind brushing past his ears. The sting in his cheek from his teeth biting into the soft flesh didn¡¯t distract him from the turmoil of emotions that tore through him, hope and fear was at the utmost in his mind, but it was more complicated than that, especially with Evany and Jerry. A way back...


    He wanted to go back, but couldn¡¯t. Would they go back without me?


    He opened his mouth to speak, ¡°I¡ª¡°


    ¡°I think Kara is right,¡± Tyas said with a firm voice, his face full of calculations. ¡°If and I heavily emphasize if here, if there is a way back. It would give us options. But nevertheless, the men from the fort would be on the hunt for us, and anything we can find to keep them from locating us is a plus at the moment. Are we agreed then?¡±


    Calin was taken by surprise, but nodded.


    ¡°Then good,¡± Tyas said. ¡°I¡¯ll get the map we got from the fort. So get ready to leave.¡±


    With that, Tyas left and slipped back into the cave. Calin was still reeling from the possible chaos that could come from the course of action that was just set in motion. The hope of it excited him, but the moment he would reveal that he was going to stay with Tyas and Kara on this side, what would happen then? But he decided to see it play out. He would deal with the chilli pepper in the room if it explodes.


    He wiped the sweat from his forehead and moved towards the cave. But a hand grabbed his arm. Kara was standing there, clear conflict written over her face. Then fear flashed over her. It made him pause.


    The girl seemed to take in a deep breath and in a quivering voice she asked,


    ¡°Calin, why did Tyas talk to you like you came from somewhere in this strange place?¡±


    The question caught him off guard and he recoiled and stammered, ¡°Kara¡ª¡±


    ¡°He is wrong right?¡± the girl blurted out, her eyes searching.


    Shocked, Calin tried to think of something to say, or how to explain the complex things that had happened to him. Not to mention the mystery of his life before Lamb¡¯s Crest that still continued to elude him. But the way she looked at him, made it clear that it would shatter the foundation she was holding onto throughout all the madness. And considering the strong mind of the girl, it got to him that this was shaking her.


    His shoulders drooped as he sighed. ¡°Kara, in a way I wish I could just say he is wrong. But I¡ª¡± He stopped and shook his head. ¡°No, never mind. Let¡¯s go back into the cave. We have to pack our gear.¡±


    But Kara¡¯s body started trembling as she pleaded. ¡°Calin, please... I need to know.¡±


    He was taken aback. But before he could say anything, Tyas came through the opening of the cave and said, ¡°Guys I¡¯m sorry, but we need to get going.¡±


    But when Kara didn¡¯t move, Calin stayed as well.


    ¡°Now!¡± Tyas growled. His face was an impatient mask.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    In defeat, Calin slipped his hand over Kara¡¯s shoulder and she looked at him, her eyes brimming with questions. He shrugged. It would have to wait. He motioned with his head to the cave and she nodded slightly and pulled away from his hand. Her figure disappeared into the cave.


    He gave Tyas a firm stare, but the man just silently followed the girl in to get everything ready.


    ***


    At the fire, Calin sat with his backpack under his arm. Kara was studying the map but stayed silent. Her frown was contorting her face and it was certain she was not in a good mood.


    After a minute, she threw her hands up and said,


    ¡°Agh! This map doesn¡¯t help me. The way my group left Mesa Versee was through a tunnel. But I don¡¯t know where it is on the map.¡±


    Tyas moved closer to the map, pointed to a place and said,


    ¡°That is Needlewood Village... the place where you were held prisoner. And that over there is my estimate of where Mesa Versee possibly could be. But how we get there through the mountains is the problem.¡±


    Kara puffed up her cheeks and blew it out to one side. ¡°As I said, there¡¯s a tunnel that¡¯s easy to follow from the Ruins themselves, but I¡¯ll have to go there to see if I can find the place where we dropped our rope.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s decided,¡± Tyas said and shouldered his backpack. Then we leave right away.¡±


    Jerry played with a smooth little stone, flipping it in his hand. He squeezed it as Tyas moved and asked, ¡°What I can¡¯t understand is your hurry in all this? Why do we have to leave now? The sun is not even up yet.¡±


    The rustling stopped as everyone stared at Tyas. Calin just waited, curious himself. A flash of anger passed over Tyas¡¯ face as he said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get anything? Everything we did at the fort just painted a big bull¡¯s eye on us. On top of that, with Calin insisting on not killing those two guards, we left witnesses. One of which recognized me and Calin. Is it not clear that staying is dangerous?¡±


    Other than the fire crackling, silence filled the cave. As one, everybody got their travelling gear and moved to the cave exit. The sudden wordless action clearly caught Tyas by surprise, but Calin patted him on the shoulder and said,


    ¡°Everybody is scared, you know? Heck, I am terrified. But that aside, this cave was our first safe haven in the last few days. They get what you are saying, trust me. But ease up on them a little.¡±


    A small frown settled on Tyas, but a moment later the tension just ebbed away off of his features. A little wry smile replaced it as the man said,


    ¡°For someone who is terrified, you sure are holding up well.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha... Funny,¡± Calin said, not holding back the sarcasm from the comment. ¡°But I guess I don¡¯t really have a choice in the matter.¡±


    Tyas only chuckled and bumped him on the shoulder before slipping out of the cave.


    ***


    With the rain having stopped, the dark forest seemed all the more gloomy, setting Calin on edge. He followed Tyas and Kara, but kept his focus on the surroundings. The bare minimum light that was filtering through the openings in the forest canopy, accentuated the huge roots of the strange big trees that seemed a bit out of place in the forest that was far more normal sized.


    As the hour passed, it was clear some areas had many of the huge trees. Then again, there came stretches that contained none.


    But the deep shadows in the many thick arms of those trees made him swallow his saliva with difficulty. He couldn¡¯t imagine being hunted by the Nighthounds through that forest. Fair enough, with Jerry and his substantial climbing skills there would be options, but the rest of the party he wasn¡¯t so sure.


    He was suddenly exceedingly glad that he had, had the courage to go back to defeat that young Nighthound at Needlewood village.


    Up ahead, the mountains started twisting to the right. Kara leaped up onto one of the big roots of a tree and dashed up to its starting point. Calin was unsure what she was doing and immediately unsheathed his sword. But seeing Tyas unhurried attitude, he relaxed and slipped his weapon back into place.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dark to be sure,¡± Kara called down from her vantage point. ¡°But I think this was the place where we came out two weeks ago. Bring a flashlight.¡±


    Without pause, Jerry ran past him and clambered up to where Kara was. And with that, a light beamed into the darkness and illuminated the side of the cliff.


    But certain enough, where the major bend in the mountain was, twenty metres up, there was an oval hole in the rock. A modern rope hanged from it to the ground.

 Chapter 31: Passage through the mountain

    <h1>Chapter Thirty One: Passage through the mountain</h1>


    Calin approached the overhang, but Tyas surprised him as he grabbed the rope and climb it at a blistering pace. The man used the almost imperceptible slope of the rock to push his feet against the wall and move up, half walking half pulling himself upwards.


    Tyas reached the hole within a short span and disappeared. Minutes passed and just silence met them. Concern was shallow as it crept its way into Calin. He was about to call up, but a face popped out from the pocket in the rock.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear up here! Tie your rucksacks two at a time on the rope and I¡¯ll pull them up.¡±


    Next to him, a grumble from Jerry mirrored his own feelings. But he shook it off and fixed the first two rucksacks to the rope and tugged on the line three times. They lifted off the ground and were hoisted up to the hidden tunnel. Calin repeated it until all the gear was up top with Tyas. The rope plopped down next to him and he stared at it with apprehension. In school he had never been all too good with climbing the rope in gym.


    Now the rope in front of him was going up twice the height as the one at the school. With a slow breath, he mustered all his courage and took hold of the life line. He pressed his feet to the stone and leaned a little back like Tyas had done.


    The first few metres were fine. But more than two thirds of the way up, a gust swept past him, and his one foot slipped on a loose stone.


    In distress he righted himself, but looked down. The deep-seated fear of falling flared up inside him, making him shake as he gripped the cord with all his might; his knuckles turning pale because of it.


    His eyes squeezed shut and his breath came in pants. I¡¯m going to fall, I¡¯m going to...


    ¡°CALIN! Relax,¡± Kara¡¯s voice cut through the air. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Listen to me. You are almost there. Take a deep breath and open your eyes slowly. Then look up.¡±


    Somehow the words settled in his mind and he tried to calm his erratic breathing. He listened to the sounds of the forest around him, the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, and bit by bit he matched his intake of air to it.


    When his heart had calmed a little, he opened his eyes and looked up. There was an outstretched hand. Calin reached up and grabbed the hand. And as if he weighed almost nothing, he was hauled up into the mouth of the tunnel.


    Flopping back onto the flat surface of the passage, Calin gulped in air as the adrenalin was still running rampant through his body.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Tyas asked.


    Holding his breath, he sat up and rubbed a hand over his sweat covered forehead. With it, he let the air out slowly and said,


    ¡°Yes. But man, that was scary... So, thanks for the help.¡±


    ¡°No worries. Want to help me pull up the others? It would go a lot easier that way.¡±


    Calin looked at him intently and just shook his head in wonderment as he said, ¡°Tyas, with that strength of yours, I can¡¯t imagine why you¡¯d need my help.¡±


    The man shrugged and said, ¡°I appreciate the compliment. Though, I have to admit thirty metres is pushing it.¡±


    A smile tugged at Calin¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± He said.


    A moment later, a call sounded from beneath and he looked over the edge and Kara¡¯s face appeared all of a sudden in front of him. He gasped and fell back on his butt. As he glanced back up, Kara clambered into the passage, and dusted her sleeveless hoodie off.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Calin said in awe. ¡°I knew you were a good climber, but that was something!¡±


    She tilted her head slightly, and smiled. But then she walked to him and punched him.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± He asked, rubbing his arm.


    ¡°You know why,¡± She said, but when he glanced at her, she winked at him and a slight smile tugged at the edge of her mouth.


    Her reactions were as alien to him as the events the last few days. Though before he could read into her attitude, Tyas tapped him and motioned to the rope. Calin just shook his head and pulled at the rope as Evany had started the climb up. The rope pulling upwards caused her to look up with wide eyes, but Calin just motioned for her that everything was okay.


    With Tyas tugging at the rope, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to get the light weighing girl up the rock wall. Next was Jerry, but the boy raced up the wall as if he had done it a hundred times. A sigh escaped Calin¡¯s lips. It was like he was the only one who had trouble with the climb. He almost wanted to demand how the others didn¡¯t feel fear from it. ¡®Am I the only one with a fear of falling?¡¯


    ¡°Nope, I was scared too.¡± A girl¡¯s voice broke the silence. It was Evany.


    Calin grimaced and dragged his hand through his brown hair. ¡°I said that aloud, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do that sometimes.¡±


    The others replied in unison. And He slapped his palm to his forehead.


    ¡°So embarrassing...¡± He said and then to change the subject he shouldered his rucksack and pointed down the passage through the rock. ¡°BUT that aside, I think we should continue on.¡±


    His cheeks were warm as he briskly walked down the tunnel. Before he could have gone more than ten metres, a gasp sounded behind him. He turned around and Kara was dragging her hand over some grooves in the rock. Dust fell in droves as she swiped as much of it off as she could. Intrigued, Calin approached her.


    As he came close she softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll be,¡± Then her voice picked up in volume as she glanced at him. ¡°Look here, Calin. These are entirely different glyphs than what we found in Mesa Versee. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t see it when I came through here with my Father and the oth¡ª¡°


    She froze, and turned her face away from him, but he didn¡¯t miss the tear that rolled down her cheek. Calin gently placed his hand on her shoulder. But then she straightened up.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± She said with a firm voice, still looking away. Before he could say anything, Evany wrapped her arms around her friend from the other side. Her eyes locked with his gaze and with her small smile and her body language, he could tell that she got this. Calin smiled back at her and ruffled both of the girls¡¯ hair to some protest, but he winked at them and then motioned for Tyas and Jerry to follow him. He casually walked down the passage, albeit cautious.


    The tunnel became dark. The last of the natural light disappeared after only a few metres. The course rock under his hands the only direction. But Tyas spoke up behind him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise for us to go without light. We don¡¯t have any idea of what lies ahead.¡±


    Without speaking, Calin got out his head light and shone it into the tunnel, briefly blinding him. Okay, here goes nothing...


    ***


    Apart from a few natural cracks in the sides of the passage, there was no indication of it stopping anytime soon. Half an hour had already passed, and the confined space of the pathway was becoming more and more pressing.


    But Calin held onto the information that Kara had given him a while back. She had insisted that it would open up soon. Though, that was fifteen minutes ago. Agh, I don¡¯t like this at all... His muscles were sore from being tense so long, and the stiffness of the previous day¡¯s battle wasn¡¯t helping any.


    Just as he was about to turn back and pepper Kara with more questions, the tunnel turned and the side gave way on the right to the dark, cloud-covered sky. At last! Calin bounded happily forward and looked out over the space below. There were some of the big trees further out.


    But what caught him off guard, was not the hulking shapes of those trees, but the great twin gates that was built into the granite. As the light flashed over them, it was clear the gates looked like massive eagles with their wings forming the twenty metre high doors. From them, two huge walkways journeyed out. They were at least ten metres off of the ground, supported by black buttresses that straddled over a small river that disappeared under the mountain to the right.


    Where the solid stone walk-ways dipped to the ground, there were crystal like trees with another two eagles guarding them. Calin remembered something from the day at the ruins and what Kara had done. Without pause, he shined his light on one of the crystal trees. And sure enough a faint light spread into its branches. The roots that bordered on the eagles started to light up and its eyes flared up with a soft green colour.


    Like guardians, the eagles stood keeping watch over the gates of what probably was Mesa Versee.

 Chapter 32: Trees of light

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Two: Trees of light</h1>


    The scenery blew Calin away, it was beautiful. He had dreamed his whole life of having adventures, breaking free of his orphan status. But this moment alone was better than any adventure he could conjure up.


    Soft whistling sounded off to his immediate left and it echoed into the open space. Jerry stepped in next to him.


    ¡°That sure is something...¡± The boy said, with awe in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    Just then out of the tunnel, a scrambling noise burst forth, as Kara and Evany came bounding out, panting.


    ¡°Man,¡± Kara said as she exhaled loudly. ¡°I thought it had been bad in the day. But¡ª¡°


    She stopped as she looked down to the crystal trees glowing faintly. Her smile burst forth from her face as she looked to Calin excitedly and said, ¡°I was right! I called it. I said that those crystal trees would light up if you shined a flashlight on them.¡±


    Then Kara got quiet, and even in the little light, her face got all serious. And after a moment, she said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it. During the day when we went through here, the crystal didn¡¯t show any indication of giving off light. Even in the shadows... It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Her features contorted while she was brooding. But none of them seemed to have any answers as Calin looked around. Yet, when he looked to Tyas, the man was staring at him with an intensity that made Calin take a step back. Though, it lasted only a moment as Tyas¡¯s face relaxed with a shrug.


    Then he tilted his head down for a second, and stepped past Calin. As he did, the man said, ¡°The answer lies in the nature of the Morning trees.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what are the Morning trees?¡±


    It was like something snapped in Tyas as he growled and walked off on the open pathway in the mountain side, he headed in the only other direction, towards the big structure at its end.


    The reason for Tyas¡¯ outburst was clear to Calin, but at the same time it confused him deeply. The man was frustrated that he couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Jerry said from the side.


    Calin sighed and said, ¡°He wants me to remember something, whatever that might mean.¡±


    It was at that moment that he looked back. Kara¡¯s eyes had pleading in them. He almost let his own frustrations take over him as he wanted to scream at her silent question, I don¡¯t know!


    But he controlled his emotions and just shook his head with a big sigh, leaving a confused looking Evany and Jerry behind as he followed Tyas to the other end of the pathway in the rock.


    As the other end of the high cliff-side tunnel came closer, the flashlight revealed what looked like a big watch tower that was moulded out of the granite mountain. Hundreds of small slits adorned its face and Calin realized that it was arrow ports. Probably to make sure the secret passage was secured against infiltration. He continued to marvel at the workmanship of the place. It blew his mind.


    Getting closer to the watchtower, he looked back down at the great eagle gates and noticed how overgrown some places were. If Kara was right and this was Mesa Versee, strange as that may be, then it truly was abandoned a long time ago. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder for what reason.


    Up front, the passage opened up even more and a smooth ramp led up into the watchtower. Tyas was waiting at the bottom. The man looked at him and then dropped his head a little and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really don¡¯t know how to handle this situation. We had been friends, for years before that day you fell from the cliff... Suffice to say, I¡¯m still figuring it out. But,¡± Tyas paused. ¡°To the point, this ramp is very slippery so hold onto that stone railing as best as you can. If you slip, there is a possibility you could go off the cliff.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Calin said, drawing the word out. ¡°I really, really wish you hadn¡¯t told me that.¡±


    A confused expression flashed over Tyas, but Calin nodded towards the drop off and the man realized. Strangely, a small smile came to Tyas¡¯ lips before he started up the slick marble ramp.


    Calin watched as he waited, and after ten minutes, Tyas reached the top. Still Calin waited, he had it down to needing to warn the others, but in his heart it was more about being terrified of going up a dangerous ramp that was as slippery as soap while only a little over a metre from a vertical drop off of at least eighty metres.


    But, he sighed, certain that he had to scale that thing to get into the watchtower. Just before Jerry reached him, Calin breathed in deeply a couple of times to calm himself.


    ¡°Hey, Jerry, this is a really slippery part. Tyas said that we should hold on tightly to the railing. So I was thinking, let¡¯s each take a girl and let them go up right in front of us.¡±


    As the boy looked at their route, he pulled his lower lip down on both sides making a noise of worry.


    ¡°That¡¯s nasty. Are you going to be okay with that?¡±


    Calin steeled his face and nodded. Not trusting his voice at that question, he stayed silent and scraped together his resolve.


    When Kara and Evany reached them he let Jerry do the talking. He flatly ignored the subject and only said, ¡°I¡¯ll take Kara.¡±


    It was a small miracle that she was not hung up on that previous question at the moment. With his left hand holding onto the railing, he grabbed the right side of her sleeveless hoodie. At the very least, there was a small strip of the ramp closest to the railing that was normal rock with a decent grip, but it wasn¡¯t very wide. So he had to be careful to keep his feet on only the little strip. And he was certain it would be all too easy to lose balance and go onto the slippery marble.


    Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Calin moved up the slope with Kara. A quarter of the way up, he had already logged the experience into the top three scariest things he had ever done. The top two being: his run-ins with the big Nighthounds and the small one.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    It certainly didn¡¯t help when Kara said, ¡°It was less scary going down than up.¡± But still her voice was strangely steady, and that in itself helped Calin to stomach his fear.


    His eyes were wholly focused on the railing and the strip of rough stone the entire time, and when the ramp flattened, Calin shouted out in glee. Only to be silenced by Tyas.


    ¡°Silent! We don¡¯t know if anybody is around.¡±


    It was a fair point, so Calin calmed down and Kara was following suit. Inside the watchtower was an assortment of devices that Calin assumed was meant for defence. What was strange was that everything seemed as if it had been left in a ready position. At the one end, there were more familiar pieces of weaponry, ballistae the size of a car.


    As they moved to the back of the watchtower, through different rooms, marble doors came into view. They stood ajar and revealed two sets of staircases winding down into the mountain.


    Calin looked to Kara and asked, ¡°Do you know how to get to the Well from here?¡±


    Without a word, she glanced at him, like she was considering something. But then she shook her head and then pointed before she said, ¡°That one.¡±


    With just that, she descended the closest stairwell. Calin sighed, everything about Kara was screaming that she was going to badger him with questions, and soon too. He pushed the thought aside and followed her.


    ***


    Ten minutes later, after passing a few hallways, they came into a big room and stepped onto an oval walkway. It was situated on the second floor with an open view of the first floor foyer over the railing. What was surprising, however, was that in the middle on the bottom floor stood a living tree that reached the third floor.


    The roof had a circular glass window that overlooked the tree. Calin smiled at it, the idea of having a tree on the inside of a building was always cool. But as he turned his headlamp to the side, Kara was already going down the stairs. He made haste after her.


    On the bottom floor she stopped and Calin almost ran into her.


    ¡°Kara, what¡ª¡°


    She lifted her hand and he bit off his question. Her eyes were wide as she slipped the hoodie off her head, letting her scarlet hair fall free. Next thing he knew, she bolted forward and ran through an archway that led out of the room. Calin groaned and glanced to the other three.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go get her,¡± He said, not understanding what was going on. He dropped his rucksack and sprinted after her. But as he caught up to her, he grabbed the edge of her long sleeved shirt, and with a firm voice said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Everything is here...¡± Her voiced cracked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Calin stared at her in confusion and was about to ask what she meant, when he took in his surroundings. His light flashed over it, there was a circular room with an open door and a round structure in the middle. Left and right of them were many familiar looking scientific instruments and equipment scattered about, but only on the one half of the room.


    Then it struck him. The one side of the room was strikingly familiar to the inner room of the Ruins that he had seen a bit more than two weeks ago. But what was evident without a doubt was, it wasn¡¯t just half of the room anymore, with that unique ¡®sliced down the middle¡¯ scene. It housed the entire room, and the Well was also intact.


    As much as confusion flared through him at that moment, it was Kara¡¯s reaction to it that caught him off guard. She fell to her knees and started crying. Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed. Calin dropped down next to her and placed a hand on her back.


    ¡°Kara...?¡± He said. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°NO! Don¡¯t you get it?! ... If ... the entirety of the room is here, then what happened back then couldn¡¯t repeat itself... And if that is true, and what Jerry told me is true¡­ we are stuck here!¡±


    Taken aback, he stared at her, her green eyes wide with anxiety. She was the strongest person he knew. Seeing her like this, it got to him. Then something misplaced popped up.


    ¡°Wait,¡± He said carefully. ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t believe the stuff we told you.¡±


    Her crying stopped. But she looked away from him, her hair hiding her eyes as she said, ¡°I kept denying it. But the more I see, the more I can¡¯t stop thinking about what I have experienced the last two weeks. From the day at the Well, to waking up here with the rest of the scientists in this room, Wanrey and his cahoots running out of the Ruins.¡± She slammed her hand to the floor as she mentioned Wanrey. ¡°But then I saw the trees of light and all the way through to this moment, this room wasn¡¯t intact that day after the bright flash of light, but now it is. There are far too many mysteries to just think everything is normal. It is not!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Calin said as he wrapped his arm around her. ¡°We will figure it out. The room being intact doesn¡¯t mean outright that it, whatever it was, couldn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Kara sighed and brushed the hair out of her face.


    ¡°Maybe you are right,¡± She said.


    Calin stood up and helped the girl back to her feet and was about to turn to the Well, when he stopped.


    ¡°The trees of light?¡± He asked. ¡°Are you talking about those crystal trees?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen any yet? They¡ª¡°


    As she spoke, the crystal veins in the floor started to glow under them systematically.


    Like pulsing roots the entire room lit up with a gentle light over the course of a few seconds. Calin froze and Kara stood still as well. As they turned back to where the source of the light in the crystals came from, through the archway there were visible arms of the tree glowing with a bright turquoise light.


    His legs moved, as he wandered closer to the tree. Evany was there, open mouthed as she stared. He was about to go ask her what happened, when Tyas moved in next to him and Kara.


    ¡°That is a Morning tree,¡± Tyas said with a firm tone, but a moment later it turned bitter. ¡°You knew that once.¡±


    It was hard to swallow. The awe of the tree was veiled when he saw Tyas¡¯s white knuckled fist clenching at his side. There was pain in the man¡¯s face. Even if it wasn¡¯t his fault for losing his memories, it still struck Calin like a blow. He didn¡¯t know how to start figuring out how to handle the situation. But to his relief, Kara spoke up, disarming the tension.


    ¡°So they¡¯re called Morning trees then... What had been bothering me the entire time I was in that prison was that, why they don¡¯t always shine? And what makes them shine in the first place... it¡¯s not bioluminescence. That much I concluded.¡±


    A few moments of silence permeated the air, but Calin watched as Tyas¡¯ fist slowly unfurled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a complex answer, one I don¡¯t feel like trying to explain right this second. But... it is the moon and sometimes starlight, to a smaller degree. The Morning trees shine when there is moonlight. Look, those huge clouds are gone.¡± The man pointed to the round window in the room. Through it, there were clear gaps in the clouds, showing the night sky.


    ¡°That is so cool!¡± Jerry quipped from on top of one of the big roots of the tree. ¡°I guess that explains a part of why there aren¡¯t many windows in the place.¡±


    A voice from a bit further away turned Calin¡¯s attention.


    ¡°I think you are right,¡± Kara said from one of the walls. She was glancing over one of the crystal veins that ended up at a glowing crystal, situated in an opening in the wall. It was carved in the shape of a flame.


    She picked up the palm sized object and carried it back to where he stood, but it did not lose its light, even with her back to the tree. But what was a surprise to Calin was that, the raw emotion that had flooded out of her earlier was nowhere to be seen. Just like Kara, give her something to figure out and she is in her element.


    ¡°If my theory holds out,¡± She said. ¡°Then these crystals hold the energy a long time after it is exposed to light. I¡¯ve seen hints of it as I had studied it with my father. But a flashlight doesn¡¯t seem to give nearly the same intensity to it that the Morning tree does. This is remarkable in itself...¡±


    As she was talking, there was movement to his right. He turned and Evany was reaching for a low hanging branch, trying to get a leaf. In shock, Calin jumped forward and shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the leaves! We don¡¯t know what will happen¡ª¡°


    But a hand grabbed his arm. As he tried to free it, Tyas¡¯s voice lifted over his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! Calm down. The trees and their leaves are perfectly safe.¡±


    Calin regarded Tyas and stopped moving. The fear slowly dissipated as he took the tension from his muscles. A look around the room made it clear everybody was staring at him.


    But without allowing embarrassment to find its foothold, he started laughing out of his stomach. Then a chorus of laughter filled the room.

 Chapter 33: The secret wound

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Three: The secret wound</h1>


    While Kara experiments with her new found crystal, she got up all of a sudden and ran through the one doorway. Calin shrugged, not really sure what she was up to, so he strolled over to Evany who was holding one of the Morning tree leaves. The leaf in her hand glowed the same turquoise light as the rest of the leaves.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm to the touch,¡± Evany said as she cradled it.


    As Calin took a closer look, the veins of the leaf pulsed as if it had a heart beat. But then it stopped glowing all together. Calin jerked upright and asked quickly, ¡°What happened?!¡±


    Evany giggled.


    ¡°Your head was blocking its starlight, silly.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped him as it started glowing again. He realized then that his nerves had been so uptight the last few days. It was hardly possible for him to take any random events without tensing up. He just chuckled. Guess I have to try and relax...


    But then the subject of getting home reared its head and he stiffened. Evany¡¯s hazel eyes were trained on him. He shook his head.


    ¡°Evany, back in the other room is a possible way to get home, but... things are a bit different than we expected. So, I guess I¡¯m trying to ask, if it works, would you and Jerry go home?¡±


    Immediately suspicion ran over her face, and he groaned inwardly. He tried lifting up his hands to try and explain it better. But she dropped the leaf and stared daggers at him.


    ¡°Why did you say Jerry and me? Like just me and Jerry.¡± She asked. Her eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even word it that way,¡± Calin nervously said, trying to get her off the scent. ¡°Ah, um why would you think that?¡±


    She stalked up close to him, and the sweat started pouring down his forehead.


    ¡°Because, I know you good enough to know when there is more to it. I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Calin swiped at his forehead and his hand was wet with all the sweat.


    ¡°Evany you have to understand...¡±


    ¡°No you wait right there!¡± She said glaring at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going back without you!¡±


    A moment of frustration filled him as he dropped his shoulders. He took hold of the fist she was waving at him, softly. She stopped glaring at him as confusion flashed over her face.


    ¡°Calin?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You know; as much as I want to go back, there is...¡± He paused and looked up at the tree. ¡°If I go back, everything would just go back to square one... Those creatures and their masters are still there. They are hunting me. I need answers Evany. And I know Kara needs to go find her dad and the rest of her group that was taken. So I¡¯ll help her. Do you understand?¡±


    Evany looked down and several emotions flashed over her face, anger, anxiety and confusion chief among them. It was clear she tried saying something as her mouth would open and then close again followed by a frown.


    Jerry was approaching, so he decided to lighten the mood and without warning ruffled her blonde hair, she made a noise.


    But he just said, ¡°That is, if it works. We¡¯ll worry about the fine print in a minute.¡±


    With a wink he disarmed her for the moment. Just in time as Jerry came crashing in between them.


    ¡°Hey, guys, I think Kara has the right idea. Let¡¯s go explore. Tyas is being a sour plum. In his words, ¡®We don¡¯t have time for meddling! We need to do what we came here to do and leave.¡¯¡° Jerry did a good impression of the man and Calin and Evany chuckled.


    He readily agreed and Jerry smiled broadly, taking the lead and heading in the direction Kara left.


    Though, as they entered the doorway, Tyas¡¯ voice pierced the air as he shouted.


    ¡°Hey! Where are you going? It¡¯s not safe!¡±


    But Calin glanced at his two friends and with a silent agreement it was decided to ignore Tyas flatly.


    The adjourning hallways all had the crystal worked into the dark stone; its light a still companion while they searched for Kara. As they ventured on, it became clear to Calin that Mesa Versee was a lot bigger than any estimates that had been made by the scientists. The part that Lamb¡¯s Crest had been familiar with was just one piece of a much bigger complex of structures that ran through the granite mountain.


    It was quite neat. He had dreamed of going to the Ruins for years before. And now within a span of less than three weeks, he had seen the Ruins and came to realize its mysteries were far more profound than he ever expected.


    He wanted to stop at every room to see what there was to find. But soon enough he came upon a room that had a five metre tall, solid door that stood ajar. As he checked it, Kara¡¯s presence made itself known.


    ¡°Jerry, Evany! This way, I found Kara.¡± Calin called into the hall. There as a feint reply from quite a distance away. So he walked inside, there was a row of seven armour stands, most of them were empty. But Kara was busy at the one that had several pieces still attached to the female shaped mannequin. On closer inspection, Kara was fastening a set of soft looking black gloves to her hands.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Further down, it had thick leather that covered her wrist with a line of small stones. The leather stretched up to little more than half of her forearm. But what was a nice addition were the hundreds of small overlapping armour scales that went from her knuckles to the end on her forearm, which had a nice dark quicksilver gleam to them.


    The items seemed to have agility in mind, unlike the gauntlets he was wearing.


    She regarded him with a glance, but finished her task.


    ¡°I would never have guessed you, an Archaeologist, would be doing this. Wearing some of the very things you have studied.¡±


    She shrugged. And as he approached, she looked to his gauntlets, specifically the one that had the bite marks.


    ¡°I know... But, I¡¯m taking your advice...¡± She said with a hint of mirth. ¡°It seems there are a lot of dangers out there.¡±


    Calin huffed. ¡°You¡¯re telling me.¡±


    He stared at the female mannequin and went on. ¡°Want some help with the shoulder guards?¡±


    With her nod, he climbed up the pedestal and noticed the groove around the midsection and said, ¡°It looks like the belt is miss¡ª Wait, no... there is some stuff back here.¡±


    He removed the surprisingly lightweight pieces of armour. As he lifted it, he spotted something and pulled at it.


    ¡°Oh very nice,¡± He said at the find and threw the sturdy material for her to catch. ¡°It comes with its very own hoodie and looks what looks like a detachable cape. Want to trade up?¡±


    Kara nervously chuckled, but didn¡¯t say anything as she studied the dark material. Calin pushed his arm deeper and finally found the belt. It had a row of imbedded small crystals swirling from the tiniest inwards to the biggest, which was the size of a thumb.


    With a smile he jumped off in one bound, landing next to her and watched her spread out the cloth he had tossed her way. In the light it had a purple hue with circular designs.


    ¡°At the very least,¡± He said. ¡°I think you should try it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me fashion tips? Who would have thought...¡±


    ¡°Is that a no?¡±


    ¡°No...¡± She said hesitantly.


    Calin grinned broadly. It wasn¡¯t hard to read the situation. Though the place was clearly deserted long ago, traditions and her nature as a modern archaeologist were warring with her. She had only decided on the arm, leg and shoulder guards for practical reasons. That she wanted to leave Mesa Versee, the place that had been her ancient civilization learning school for so many years, as untouched as possible.


    But with a sigh, she took the belt from him and slipped it around her hips. She then pulled off her sleeveless top, and standing in her bottle green shirt she pointed to the shoulder guards and turned her back.


    ¡°Be quick about it,¡± Kara said.


    He slipped the soft leather, under the plates, over her shoulders. And the open ¡®V¡¯ of it, past her neck on both sides. The gap between the two round points, settled just below her collarbone, and she firmly fixed the cord.


    He made sure it was in place, before he connected the hood to the four points under the half-pipe shoulder plates. Then, he walked around and helped her attach the overlapping sides of the hood comfortably under her neck.


    Lastly, he threw the soft, but strong, material of the cloak over both her shoulders and she fastened it to the third set of solid hooks.


    Calin had to suppress his whistle as he looked at Kara. She was a pretty epic sight.


    Then she glanced at him and asked, ¡°So? How do I look?¡±


    He could only smile as he said, ¡°You look like a character out of a book, from a different land. And I mean that as a big compliment.¡±


    A smile tugged at her lips. But then it disappeared as she looked into his eyes.


    ¡°I know those two are going to come in here any second. But enough dodging, I want an answer for what I asked earlier. I need it. So please, Calin, just yes or a no... Do you come from somewhere on this strange continent?¡±


    Shock at the sudden shift ran through him. He had almost forgotten about it. But it sprang to the forefront. What can I answer? I hardly know the answer to that myself.


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± He asked finally with his shoulders slightly tensed, he searched her eyes waiting for her reply.


    The question clearly took her by surprise as she stepped back from him. Her eyes had a wild look to them. She shook her head to and fro.


    ¡°Yes... no... I DON¡±T KNOW!¡± She ended with a shout.


    Just then footsteps came thundering down the hallway, and Jerry came flashing into the doorway.


    ¡°Everything alright here?!¡± The boy asked with urgency.


    But Calin didn¡¯t pay the boy any more attention as he stared into Kara¡¯s panicked eyes with intent.


    ¡°As far as I know, yes!¡± He said. ¡°Make with that what you will.¡±


    With that, he turned away from her and walked towards the door. Kara¡¯s voice sounded strangled as she called from behind.


    ¡°Calin... I¡¯m just...¡±


    But he was already past Jerry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± He said, trying to keep the tension out of his face while patting the boy on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the foyer.¡±


    Jerry looked confused, but Calin just shook his head and strode down the hallway past a jogging Evany. Though, before she could stop, he moved on.


    There was too much on his mind. The fact that it was likely that he came from these strange lands confused him to his core already, add to that Kara¡¯s reaction to his question... Agh! What does she expect from me?! Is she just scared? Scared of what!? I¡¯m still her friend.


    His fist clenched and unclenched with force dozens of times. And by the time he had reached the Morning tree, his hand was sore. Tyas was nowhere to be seen, probably off searching for them. Calin kicked a stone at the base of the glowing tree and it skipped and slid out until it stopped under the archway that led to the Well.


    He paused.


    And without considering it, he stomped into that room. He approached the Well and stuck his face into the water.


    The water was cold.


    It hadn¡¯t been cold that first time when he had fallen into it. It had been warm. He remembered hearing voices, seeing a flash of light. But had that been his imagination too?


    No? Maybe? He shook his head and sat down next to the Well. So it didn¡¯t work after all. Evany can¡¯t go home...


    ***


    Somehow in his frustrated ponderings, Calin had dumped the news of the Well not working on Tyas, and then found himself all the way up at the watchtower. It was all a blur as he couldn¡¯t control his guilt of Evany¡¯s situation and the pure confusion of everything Tyas had told him of their being friends way back and both of them hailing from this land.


    He sat in the chair of the one ballista, staring at the starry sky and was tempted to shoot anything that moved on the rock face. He willed a bird or a bat to come, it would be overkill, but that was just fine.


    Then out of nowhere, unfamiliar music filled the air and he sat bolt upright. Strange...


    He withdrew his hand from the metallic lever and jumped off. Grabbing hold of a handle in the one arrow port, he leaned and looked out over the big courtyard.


    To his surprise, the whole area was covered in that same turquoise light from the tree in the foyer. The source of it was clear, the huge trees that had been so prevalent the last two days. He had ventured past so many of them, in awe of their huge size. But he never expected them to give off light, much less so much of it.


    Then he spotted movement.


    Beneath one of the Morning trees about two hundred metres out, there were big shapes of moving carriages. But something was strange about the way they moved.


    But Calin didn¡¯t inspect it further as he stormed out into the closest stairwell to go warn the others.


    As he got down the third flight, a sudden and powerful surge of pain struck his right arm and he tumbled down the stairs, screaming.

 End of ARC TWO__Plus Map

    Oh hi!


    The secret wound chapter marks the end of Arc 2 in Nights of Sambria And the Wish of light.


    I hope you have enjoyed the story so far.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    For arc 2 I focused on the wild emotions the troop has gone through to be suddenly stuck in completely different place than anything they are use to. Also, it was fun to work in certain things that will play a much larger role later on in my story.


    Anyway for this end of arc, I''ll leave A map I did for this area quite a while ago. It is a one of my older maps. So be kind :P

 ARC THREE: Chapter 34: A desperate need

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Four: A desperate need</h1>


    The floor was hard under his face. He grimaced as aches from the fall and his previous day¡¯s fight became prominent. Gritting his teeth he spun onto his back looking back up the stairs for a possible assailant.


    But there was no one. No noise other than his haggard breaths. What happened?


    His hand slid under his cloak and grazed over his arm, but there was nothing new. No added wound other than the one from the day before.


    There was not a single hint of movement up ahead as he stared back the way he came. He got up carefully. His eyes never stopped their surveillance as he started to take steps slowly downwards.


    It wasn¡¯t more than four steps before the same pain as before roared to life in his arm again. He dropped like a sack of bricks, gripping his arm fiercely as a shout forced itself out of his throat.


    He couldn¡¯t help but start panting with short breaths. After a few long seconds the pain ebbed away again. Worry started seeping into him. He needed to find the others.


    Supporting himself against the wall, he got up once more and moved with deliberate strides down the last set of stairs. Every other minute the pain would flare up again. But he didn¡¯t fall again.


    Long minutes passed before he reached the room with the Morning tree. By then, he could hardly see anything but blurry shapes. The pain was getting worse.


    In a moment of respite he stumbled towards where he remembered the stairs going to the foyer was.


    With unsure footing, he lowered his feet down for each step. But as he got halfway down, the agonizing pulsing came to life again. He gritted his teeth and tried to take the edge off again, but it was scarcely working. He waited and waited, but the pain wasn¡¯t subsiding this time; he glanced about in worry as the shockwaves ran up and down his right arm.


    The feeling distracted him so much that he almost missed the frantic call from close by. He shouted out.


    ¡°OVER HERE! Help...¡± But the last came more out like scream of pain as anything.


    Within seconds, a form stormed close to him, and he somehow pieced together that it was Jerry as the boy slung his arm over his shoulder. He let his weight onto Jerry and slowly descended the last of the stairs. The light from the Morning tree filled his vision as the boy helped him to its base.


    Then questions flung at him from every side.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    To his alarm his right hand¡¯s fingertips were going numb; he was already panting heavily when a form with black hair came to sit right in front of him. Calin focused his eyes and stared at Tyas. Just then he wanted to pull away. But the man grabbed his face and forced him to look straight into those amber eyes.


    The pain was shutting out everything but he looked at Tyas as the man asked, ¡°Calin, you have to talk to me, what happened?¡±


    Calin tried to gasp out the words, but it came out as a series of grunts followed by sharp intakes of breaths. Scraping together strength he finally managed to say, ¡°My arm... hurts... think it¡¯s the bite.¡±


    It was hard not to miss the shock in Tyas¡¯ eyes at the words. The man hurriedly dragged Calin¡¯s cloak off his shoulders. The man¡¯s actions were disconcerting.


    What¡¯s wrong? He screamed the question in his mind; however the words were not coming to his gasping mouth.


    With some effort Tyas dragged Calin¡¯s shirt off. Through it all it was clear Evany was shouting things at Tyas, but the man was ignoring her.


    He tried gathering up some strength through the pain and looked up at the girl kneeling in front of him, the girl¡¯s frantic eyes made him forget about the pain, if only just for a moment before it raged back through him.


    ¡°Calin,¡± she asked ¡°What bite? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Hardly knowing what was going on himself, he tried to shrug his shoulders. But it only made things worse in his arm. Failing at that, he tried to say the bite on his right arm, the place where the creature¡¯s tooth had gashed him. But the words didn¡¯t form in his throat.


    Just then, Kara asked, ¡°What the heck is that on his back?!¡±


    Though even through the severe pulses, Calin was sure she was talking about the lightning scar. But what troubled him was a moment later when Jerry said, ¡°It is his lightning sca¡ª¡± The boy¡¯s voice died down, but then he exclaimed. ¡°What the? It changed... how¡ª¡±


    But Jerry got quiet as Calin¡¯s shirt finally fell from his body.


    Calin became aware that Tyas and the others were frozen around him. He wanted to ask what happened, but everybody was silent looking at his right arm. Frustrated, he drew on his small reserves and glanced to his right.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Pure shock lanced through him as his heavily infected right arm came into view. The area around the wound was all kinds of colours, with his skin turning purple in a severe bruise.


    But what was the most disturbing were the silver veins moving away from it. It was unlike any wound or anything he had ever seen. It was suddenly a certainty that it was extremely bad.


    Another wave of painful jabs went up and down Calin¡¯s arm just then and he gritted his teeth. Somehow he got the strength to ask something, but it came out as a shout. ¡°I thought you placed anti-septic salve on it?!¡±


    Tyas just looked at him and in a daze the man said, ¡°I did... but you didn¡¯t say it was a bite mark!¡±


    Again frustrated, Calin wanted to ask a certain question, but Jerry was first to ask.


    ¡°What does a bite mark have to do with the fact?¡±


    Through it all, Calin was desperately trying to endure the pain, but then the answer to that question popped into his head and he grunted. ¡°Your... Mom...ughhh.¡±


    No time was wasted as Tyas nodded while fumbling in his rucksack for something. Then Kara asked, ¡°What does this have to do with Tyas¡¯ mom.¡±


    A few seconds passed and Tyas drew out a bag of medical supplies.


    ¡°Because my mom died from the bite of a Nighthound,¡± Tyas said. ¡°Though she was severely injured, it was a bite nonetheless.¡±


    Even with the pain, Calin cringed as the fear washed over everyone¡¯s faces. He waited as patiently as he could for Tyas to finish what he was doing, but the pain was almost unbearable. Finally, Tyas moved towards him with a syringe. ¡°This is going to hurt, but it will help.¡±


    Calin wanted to shout out ¡®It already bloody hurts¡¯ but he kept silent and steeled himself as Tyas injected him with a green substance. He watched in disgust as the thick stuff squeezed into his silver veined arm and then a horrible pain lanced through it. Calin fell to the foliage and held on as best he could as his right arm shook with what Tyas had done. As sudden as it had happened, the pain lessened into a throbbing ache, it still hurt some, but the edge was away.


    He was able to breathe properly again, but while he did, he forced himself back to an upright position. He was met with the girls¡¯ fearful but hopeful eyes. He took a moment to get himself back in order, before nodding that he was okay. A minute later, he looked at Tyas and said, ¡°Thanks... it is better. I ah, think anyway.¡±


    Tyas nodded at him, but there was something missing still; as the man turned away Calin grabbed at Tyas¡¯ arm and demanded, ¡°Talk to me, is it going to get better now?¡±


    The question was met with uncertain eyes and Calin enforced his own question. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The man sighed heavily before answering him. ¡°I don¡¯t know Calin, I¡¯ve taken the edge off, but I can honestly say I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Calin was almost certain, the red face Jerry would grab Tyas by the scuff, but it was Evany who grabbed the man¡¯s arm as she asked, ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I injected Calin with a powerful sedative ¡®slash¡¯ antiseptic,¡± Tyas paused. ¡°But this creature does not come from your side of Earth. It comes from a dark place. Who knows how poisonous it is.¡± A pained expression passed over the man¡¯s expression.


    It was not hard to realize the reason behind the look and Calin wanted to tell him it was okay, but Tyas told them anyway. ¡°I watched my mother die in my arms, I didn¡¯t have this kind of medicine back then, but the point is, she died because she got bitten by one of those things.¡±


    What the man said had everybody quiet, but it amazed Calin that this man had been through so much and still kept the promise to come for him to keep him safe. It would take a real strong mind.


    While watching Tyas, still deep in thought that the girls came to sit around Calin. Their eyes were wide and glazed with shock. He didn¡¯t know what to say to them or what to think, especially not Kara... For once in his life his mind was blank.


    Just seeing the worry in everyone, made Calin refuse to admit that the bite could mean his end, he had to get his mind off of the possibility.


    He almost shook as Kara¡¯s voice split the air without warning. ¡°We have to go find help then! We can...no...we¡ª¡±


    The rest was not loud enough to make up as she muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Where?¡± Tyas asked off to the right, the man was ripping a piece of the dark bark; frustration was clear in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t see any help anywhere near here. We are five days on foot from the closest city!¡±


    ¡°The Well?¡± Kara said with a guarded expression.


    But Calin shook his head sadly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work. I tested it earlier. Though, it was more out of frustration than anything else.¡±


    All of them grew silent at that.


    After a few moments, Jerry asked, ¡°Then what about the fort?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a soldiers¡¯ outpost,¡± Tyas stated flatly. ¡°It won¡¯t have what we need.¡±


    The caravans lanced into Calin¡¯s mind, he had almost forgotten. He jumped to his feet.


    ¡°Guys!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°We got a more immediate problem. There were caravans out in the valley! I forgot, I was on my way to warn you all when...¡±


    He took hold of his arm, but stared at Tyas for advice on it.


    Tyas stiffened and asked, ¡°What kind of caravans?¡±


    Confused, Calin regarded the man, but then said, ¡°They were moving in an odd way and they were playing music. Sounded like flutes. But what does that have that have to do with anything. They could be enemies.¡±


    The reaction from Tyas was disconcerting as his body language showed anxiety.


    ¡°They¡¯re not. But¡ª¡°


    ¡°Then, are they a threat?¡± Calin asked.


    Tyas shook his head, but said, ¡°No, but I¡¯d rather we don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Evany came barrelling in from the side and Calin had to hobble to his right just to miss her.


    ¡°You just told us a minute ago there is a chance that Calin could die and now you¡¯d ¡®rather not¡¯ seek help where we could get it.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know,¡± Tyas said. ¡°It¡¯s just that there are stories about the Floating Gypsies...¡±


    A cold glare was enough to make Tyas bring his hands up in defence and Calin wondered if he should try to butt in, but Evany asked, ¡°Will they hurt us?¡±


    With a look like a trapped animal Tyas said, ¡°No, but I¡¯d rather¡ª¡±


    Without warning Evany punched the man on his chest. ¡°Stop it with the ¡®you¡¯d rather not¡¯! Calin needs help and well if the Gypsies can help, then we are going.¡±


    It was all true and Calin looked at Tyas to see what response would come. After a few tense seconds the man gave in and said, ¡°Fine, have it your way.¡±


    A strange thing happened then. Jerry took charge.


    ¡°Okay everyone, saddle up and let¡¯s get going.¡±


    After walking over to his rucksack, Calin stuffed his shirt into the bag and threw his black and dark blue cloak around his body. As he tried to haul the heavy bag onto his shoulders he stumbled forward. He tried again, but his body was just too sore and tired to lift it by himself.


    Before he could turn around and ask, Tyas came and lifted the hefty item.


    ¡°Are you sure you can carry this?¡±


    With forced determination, Calin just waved at the man and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I just can¡¯t seem to get it on my back.¡±


    The man nodded and helped Calin into the straps. He groaned as the bag seemed twice as heavy as the day before, but he gritted his teeth and followed Tyas and the rest to the Eagle Gates. Jerry was already done removing several rods from a smaller door in the massive gates.


    Through the door, they came out on the left side bridge that led out over the river.

 Chapter 35: Music in the air

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Five: Music in the air</h1>


    Within minutes, they reached the one Crystal tree and its accompanying eagle statue. They were glowing brightly under the light of the great Morning trees. But they did not stop to appreciate the beauty. Fifty metres later, they hit the first of the Morning trees. With a sidelong glance, Calin took in the trees of light, some were just ten metres in height and others were monstrous in size as they towered over the canopy, casting their light quite a radius into the normal forests.


    But a strange thing that Calin remarked even in their haste, the trees that were shining light were from several different mismatched species.


    The oddity only baffled him for a moment when the eerie music became louder; it filled the night with a beat that sounded like it was holding the rhythm to the heartbeat of the forest. The strange flutes were in the wind, as if coaxing it to make the trees sway. It was a beckoning music, one that Calin couldn¡¯t ignore; it frightened him that the very sound of it was penetrating into his muscles.


    Though, more than anything it reminded him of his bruised body. Everything was aching and the dull throb of the pain reminded him of his precarious situation.


    With a mental shrug he pushed off the thought and moved forward faster. The laughing that echoed hauntingly through the landscape was his hope. He didn¡¯t care for the brush scraping against his sore body.


    Though not sure what to expect, he only hoped they could give him something to help survive this thing. To survive that he could, no need to find his lost family. As much to ask a hundred questions that had plagued him over the years than anything, but what he wanted the most was to succeed.


    Through it all, his mind was trapped in a conflict about how he would face his parents. The only thing he could do was shake his head.


    A way up ahead the others were looking at something down a hill. He wanted to get to them faster, but his body refused and he was only able to walk slowly to them. As he reached the top, he almost asked why they had stopped, but then he spotted the train of seemingly wooden caravans.


    The view was enough to make him forget about all his troubles.


    His mouth gaped open at the caravans floating more than a meter above the ground. Some a bit more, but it was the fact that they floated at all, with nothing between them and the ground that so completely caught him off guard.


    There was not even a chance to begin taking his eyes away from the spectacle, as he dazedly commented. ¡°Um... you weren¡¯t kidding about their name. Floating gypsies, who would have thought...¡±


    A chuckle escaped him as Kara mumbled something of how it was not possible. The girl didn¡¯t buy things easily. He wasn¡¯t sure of what to think anymore himself, but it all was starting to press him into believing there was more to the world than all the knowledge he grew up with the last eight years.


    Just then a more substantial pain other than the throb started worming its way through his arm.


    With a grunt, Calin held onto the afflicted place, quietly communicating his need to Tyas. The man nodded, but said, ¡°Calin are you sure? The stories of their methods are weird to say the least. It has definitely been the source of a number of nightmares for me as a child.¡±


    Hearing this brought a pause to Calin, but when he looked down the long slope and studied the people who danced and laughed alongside their impossible caravans he let out a breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any other choice, now do I?¡±


    Tyas frowned deeply. ¡°But, they¡¯re crazy¡ª¡±


    All of a sudden Evany came squeezing in between them on Calin¡¯s left. She took hold of his elbow, took one look at Tyas and said, ¡°But nothing. Crazy or not we¡¯ve already decided, so suck it up Tyas and let¡¯s go.¡±


    Calin almost smirked at Tyas¡¯s utter reluctance in the matter as the man muttered on their way down the steep slope.


    He started noticing more details of the people who were happily dancing around their Floating Caravans.


    In the light from the Morning tree lanterns and their crystal lanterns, he could make out that each one of them had skin as white as snow. Some of the men sported scars and rough marks on their faces and arms, but even their rugged skin was almost a ghostly pale white. It was in shocking contrast to everything remotely dark around them. And strangely enough, neither Jerry with his fair skin and Tyas with his pale skin came close in resemblance.


    The only real thing that took Calin¡¯s attention away from the fact was their out of the ordinary choice in clothing.


    The women wore open leather jackets with upturned collars, and shirts that were surely something as fine as silk. Calin didn¡¯t have the eye for those kinds of things, but aside from the well travelled look, the gypsies were wearing some very expensive clothing. Expensive? What do I know what things cost in these lands. He chuckled softly while he also gladly became aware of the hilly terrain flattening out under him. Or rather his sore muscles were glad.


    Out of nowhere, a shout pierced the air.


    ¡°Mictoria! We got company. Stop the caravans. Stop... Qarva seth can¡¯ar!!¡±


    ¡°Qarva!Qarva!¡±


    Within seconds, the twenty caravans lurched to a stop. Some of them drifted close to the ones in front of them, but the gypsies looked practised as they seized control and brought the floating vehicles to a stop.


    As the groaning of the craft ebbed off, a relatively short woman, popped up. She jumped from the top of the second caravan to Calin¡¯s great surprise, but instead of injuring herself from the three metre jump, the woman landed gracefully. The ringlets of her thick dark hair fell around her shoulders and the skirt she was wearing was perfect for the feat. It was somewhat short in front reaching two thirds of the way to her knees, with a longer train behind that hung to her calves.


    His eyes wide at her leap, she came striding forward with such silent authority that, for a moment, Calin wanted to step back from the intimidating woman.


    As she reached their party, she inclined her head slightly at Calin and said, ¡°N¨ªsir, are you lost?¡±


    Calin was still slightly taken aback, as much by the woman¡¯s thick accent as the extreme confidence that radiated from her. He could only mutter, ¡°Um...¡± at the woman¡¯s question and long seconds followed with nothing coming to mind.


    To his relief though, Kara stepped forward and said, ¡°Hello¡­my name is Kara. We didn¡¯t want to disturb your travels, but one of our number has an infection and needs urgent medical attention.¡±


    The gypsy woman¡¯s delicate pale features scrunched up as she frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Medical? Do you by chance mean medici, Madam?¡±


    Kara looked slightly frustrated, but Calin was infinitely surprised that these people even spoke English, albeit slightly rudimental. He made a mental note to ask them how, the moment he got the chance.


    Not wasting any time, Kara said, ¡°Yes, he needs ah ¡®medici¡¯ for a festering wound.¡±


    ¡°Let me see the wound and we will see, Madam Kara,¡± The woman said.


    Calin threw back the cap of his hood, and stepped forward clutching his throbbing arm.


    The gypsy woman looked him over. Though when her gaze settled on his eyes, she stiffened and gasped slightly. He wondered why only for a moment before the thought was quickly dismissed as he walked closer to her; an irrational fear of the woman scrutinizing him, was forcing its way to his throat.


    But as he studied her in return, the fear turned into something more manageable, uncertainty. The lines on the young woman¡¯s cheeks spoke of a woman who was accustomed to laughing regularly. It was a good thing to know.


    With much less reluctance, he lifted the cloak to the side to show the gash in his arm. The moment he did so the woman¡¯s eyes got big for less than a blink of an eye, Calin wondered if he had seen the expression at all.


    The woman shot a glance to a grey haired man off to their right. The scar on the man¡¯s pale face was pulled tight in a fierce look. The look on her was clear she was worried, as her face showed she was struggling to form a certain sentence, but it did come and she asked, ¡°N¨ªsir, were you bitten?¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calin answered as his body stiffened. ¡°Though, it was more of a scrape than anything.¡±


    The woman¡¯s shoulders shook slightly and she looked back at the grey haired man with his arms crossed over his leather armour. He was shaking his head. But she turned back and said, ¡°I ... think I can help, but I need um what do you call it?¡± She rubbed her fingers in the sure way of money.


    ¡°Money?¡± Calin asked carefully and the woman nodded vigorously and said, ¡°Yes. Normally I would offer it without charge, but the herbs needed for this wound are quite rare for these lands.¡±


    A slap of skin against skin drew his attention to Tyas. The man¡¯s palm was against his forehead. Calin glanced back at the woman and said, ¡°Just give me a moment.¡±


    She waved at him with an uncertain smile and said, ¡°Sure N¨ªsir, take your time, I¡¯ll be over there when you¡¯re ready.¡± The woman walked away from him, her hips were swaying in an odd little way; everything about the woman oozed confidence. Calin just shook his head and ventured over to Tyas.


    The man was quick to say, ¡°You see, this is how it starts. They¡¯re going to milk us dry.¡±


    ¡°Tyas if you¡¯ve been hurting like I did, you would welcome any help and I mean any.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± The man said reluctantly, ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with and don¡¯t, whatever you do, let them know how much we have.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Just!¡± Tyas threw up his hand. ¡°Let me talk to them okay?¡±


    Easing up, Calin approached the woman named Mictoria. When he came close he realized that she was in a heated argument with the grey haired man with the scar on his cheek. The older gypsy was pointing in Calin¡¯s direction, waving in explanation.


    Something bothered Calin about the exchange, but the pain creeping back into his arm pushed the thought from his mind.


    As he approached the two gypsies, they stopped talking in their foreign language and Mictoria turned. ¡°Forgive us N¨ªsir, this is Ta-Reen. He is my second in command. You can trust him...¡± The woman was giving the man a pointed stare at her last words, but the older gypsy was staring intensely at Calin. So much so, that he became uncomfortable and looked back at Mictoria who said, ¡°Are you ready to negotiate?¡±


    From Calin¡¯s side Tyas muttered. ¡°As ready as we¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    After he shot Tyas a glare, Calin said, ¡°Yes we are.¡±


    The man seemed to ignore Calin¡¯s glare as he said, ¡°We are willing to pay ten silver for the medici and twenty if we can catch transport to Moons¡¯ Reach¡ª¡±


    ¡°No we can¡¯t, N¨ªsir, we are only travelling through Yera¡¯s Crossing and then we are going through the east gate of the twelve.¡± The older man grunted something at her, but she held up her hand.


    Uncertain to where that was on this continent, Calin groaned, but asked, ¡°Where is Yera¡¯s Crossing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a few days travel short of Moons¡¯ Reach.¡± Tyas said while he seemed to be in thought.


    Calin wanted to know more, but Tyas turned back to the woman and said, ¡°Okay, fifteen to travel to Yera¡¯s Crossing with you.¡±


    The older man looked like he wanted to demand more, but the woman lifted her hand and said, ¡°Del, or how is it you say it?¡±


    Tyas lifted his hand and shook the woman¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Deal.¡±


    Mictoria smiled deeply. ¡°Ah you must forgive me, but we don¡¯t speak the King¡¯s tongue as often as we want N¨ªsir, we don¡¯t often get the chance to harbour guests.¡±


    This more than anything, sparked Calin¡¯s infinite curiosity in the matter; he was desperate to ask some questions, about the Floating Caravans and how come they could speak English and numerous other things. But just as he was finally going to ask, he was cut short as the full force of the pain, which had been dulled by the injection, returned with a vengeance.


    He almost doubled over grunting with the pain. The woman gasped.


    ¡°Hurry! Rai¡¯hako! We need to get him inside...¡±


    Calin only dazedly recollected what had happened next. Shoulders pressed under his arms as he was carried into one of the caravans. The odd way of the caravan shifting slightly under his weight caught him slightly off guard as he was hauled onto the retractable steps. All these little things were remarkable, even the way the gypsies spoke their foreign flowing language. Yet, as much as he tried to ask questions, much more so the pain kept him from uttering more than a few words.


    Before he knew it, he was inside one of the caravans on a comfy bed. His sore body happily sunk into the mattress. And if it hadn¡¯t been for the pain, he would¡¯ve fallen straight to sleep.


    After a moment he tried looking around inside, but it was too dark to see anything.


    The caravan¡¯s inside became lit with a small crystal lantern the Mictoria woman held. She didn¡¯t waste time as she threw open Calin¡¯s cloak. He watched her face carefully as she studied his arm. She was frowning. He tried to ask what she thought, but he only got out. ¡°What does... it look¡ª¡±


    The woman silenced him as she said, ¡°Shhh, be quiet N¨ªsir, let me help you.¡±


    It worried him and he glanced back at the wound on his arm, and to his complete dismay, the silver veins of the infection was already creeping up onto his shoulder. He chose to let the gypsy woman do her job and closed his eyes, trying to force the pain and the image of the wound out of his mind as his breath came in faster and faster.


    Then something cold shot into his wound. He yelped and sat upright. The woman however didn¡¯t want anything of it. She pushed him down again. ¡°N¨ªsir, try to lay still. This will help.¡±


    Calin bit back a swear word and obeyed her reluctantly. To his surprise the pain disappeared slowly as the cold seeped into his arm. He frowned, but wondered if that was it.


    After a minute he was feeling himself again and he rolled his shoulder to shift it into a more comfortable position. To his right, Mictoria busy crushing something with a mortar and pestle.


    The four belts, around her middle, rustled with the motions. And the bottom one with the disc-shaped ornaments made little jingling noises. For a while, he watched the woman work and after a minute, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you making?¡±


    Mictoria glanced in his direction. ¡°N¨ªsir, you shouldn¡¯t move so much. The less you move the more quickly the ice salve dulls the pain.¡± The woman came over to him and gave him a small bowl with a lid.


    ¡°N¨ªsir,¡± She said; her voice serious. ¡°Listen to me careful now, you¡¯ve been bitten by a Nighthound, were you not?¡±


    The question was more a statement than the former. Calin¡¯s eyes widened. He scarcely even realized the small mistakes in the woman¡¯s English, before he quickly asked, ¡°H-h... how did you know?¡±


    The woman smiled slightly, for a very brief moment, but then a grave look crossed her face as she said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen this kind of bite many years ago. There is only one creature that makes a mark like this N¨ªsir.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Calin said. ¡°I see, so have you seen a Nighthound before then?¡±


    A look of horror crossed the woman¡¯s eyes. Mictoria shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, N¨ªsir! Just drawings!¡±


    Worry etched its way into Calin and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The woman cast her eyes down and said, ¡°Nothing N¨ªsir, it¡¯s just that the place where those Rae¡¯keric comes from is not a place many have seen and hardly any to have ever returned. To have one set loose on a blood hunt for you is a terrible curse. They never stop, N¨ªsir.¡±


    The walls closed in on Calin, everything felt pressing as his heart began to beat wildly at the words.


    ¡°Never?¡± He said with an unsteady voice.


    The woman must have heard, as she said, ¡°Yes N¨ªsir, never. All accounts of it state it thus. And so we have heard there were rumours of a Nighthound that was seen to the east of the valley. We immediately left that area.¡± The woman must have seen his panic as she quickly said, ¡°But N¨ªsir, they are so extremely rare that they are almost... what do you say, Legendos. I hope I never have to look into those evil eyes.¡±


    The woman seemed to shudder with the thought. Then something stopped her and she looked up into Calin¡¯s eyes, he almost became uncomfortable with the intensity of her stare.


    What would be asked next was almost a certainty in Calin¡¯s mind as he waited for the woman. It didn¡¯t help much in knowing as she asked with gravity in her voice.


    ¡°N¨ªsir... I must ask then, the Nighthound that did this to your arm. Is it hunting you?¡±


    The question still managed to lance into his soul as he tried to think of a possible way to answer it.


    After a few seconds he shook his head. She had not asked about the other three much bigger creatures that had been hunting him, no... were hunting him.


    She had asked about the one that bit him. Yet she might as well have. He tried to drag in a deep breath before he let it out slowly and said, ¡°No it is not, because I killed it.¡±


    The woman gasped and placed her hand on her mouth before she exclaimed,


    ¡°Surely not N¨ªsir, I cannot believe it.¡±


    It was an expected response and Calin nodded, completely understanding the woman¡¯s disbelief. Considering what he went through with that thing, and the difficulty Tyas had in finishing it off.


    ¡°I know, but it was a baby, quite smaller and I had help of a companion.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mictoria said guardedly after composing herself. ¡°But N¨ªsir, why would you ever dare go near such an accursed thing?¡±


    The answer to that question seemed so complex now, but he tried thinking of a way so she would understand, finally he sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s because it would¡¯ve hunted a dear friend of mine.¡±


    The woman looked at him as if he was a wonder. Calin started shifting uncomfortably. A minute passed before the woman, without wasting another second, looked away and reached for the small bowl and lifted its lid. She pushed it into his hands.


    ¡°You are a very brave man N¨ªsir, your friend is lucky to have you... Now breathe deeply, we must start the healing.¡±


    Calin leaned forward and breathed the steam that was rising from the bowl. It reminded him of peppermint with a dash of something he had never smelled before. Curious he looked at the woman and asked, ¡°What does this, um medici...do?¡±


    He used the word so she would understand. As he waited he took another couple of deep breaths over the bowl. He quite enjoyed the smell. It sent tingles all the way through his body. If this was medicine, it would make any kid happy to use it. Then the woman said, ¡°N¨ªsir, I cannot say, it will frighten you.¡±


    He stopped breathing it in immediately, and gasped. ¡°What?!¡±


    The woman waved at him and said, ¡°N¨ªsir, breathe, it¡¯s the only way I know how to cure a Nighthound¡¯s bite. It is quick, but it¡¯s not a pleasant experience N¨ªsir... We use it for our ... children, when they become an adult. It is hard to explain what is seen, but there is always the place with the fire and the touch of the fire is your guide. Now breathe and find the fire within, then you will find your way back.¡±


    At first reluctant, Calin didn¡¯t know what to think, but the wound on his arm finally made him breathe deeply. He started feeling light headed as the smoke seemed to flow into his very soul. He almost missed Mictoria¡¯s question next to him.


    ¡°N¨ªsir... what is your name?¡±


    Head swaying, Calin fell back onto the pillow and he thickly answered. ¡°My... my name... is Calin...¡±


    His eyes became heavy. A few seconds later he couldn¡¯t help but close them. It sounded far away as he heard, ¡°Heal well, Calin of Saeliedge.¡±


    For an instant he wanted to ask what the word meant, but all that he could comprehend for a moment was the flutes outside eerily playing their tune somewhere through the haze, the drums beating into his heart. Then all was forgotten.


    He tumbled into a place of deep waters that seemed inside and yet the distance of it was incomprehensibly far away.

 Chapter 36: A strange place of ...visions

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Six: A strange place of ...visions</h1>


    Extreme vertigo assaulted Calin, as the cosy colours of the caravan was tearing apart.


    Then, all sense of feeling disappeared for a few seconds. He floated in a lake of swirling pictures. One picture was of the caravan and the woman watching over him. He could almost swear Kara was there; the scarlet red of her hair seemed to flow into the swirling mass, but then the picture broke into shards dissolving into a current that swept him away.


    He clawed at anything and everything in the mass to find footing, but there was nothing. He almost screamed at his stomach twisting and turning with intense butterflies.


    The spinning stopped almost as fast as it had started.


    Somewhere in the dark waters appeared a globe untouched by the masses of water around him, in its dry centre there was a fire licking at some wood. Its whole essence spoke of peace; it drew at him almost as much as the deep waters around him drew him to their black depths. Then Calin remembered the words of Mictoria, ¡®find the fire within, then you will find your way back.¡¯ He pushed the swirling mass around him out of his mind and focused on the scene of the fire. Alright Calin, pull yourself together. How do I get to the fire?


    He stopped struggling and thought about the situation. Find the fire within...what did she mean?


    Then a thought tugged at him. Maybe I¡¯m within my own mind, not somewhere physical. He tried to clear his mind and thought about the fact and willed himself toward the area with the welcoming fire hanging in the air. He smiled as he floated through the waters towards the fire.


    Flashes of light illuminated the dark waters for brief spells above. It was like a storm was brewing over head as he willed himself faster towards the fire. It¡¯s almost over.


    Just as his foot left the water into the globe, to step onto the hovering rock with the fire; his shoulder erupted in pain from the lightning scar, not from the wound in his arm.


    He screamed out as a sensation washed over him as if the flesh on his shoulder was shifting unhindered. Gritting his teeth, he tried to ¡®will¡¯ himself that little bit further. The fire was almost within reach. As much as his body had been ghost like within his mind a moment before, he started to feel as if he was shifting into his physical form. His shoulder jerked as it seemed like it was forcefully rearranging itself. His whole body lanced with pain as it resisted.


    Pushing at his legs, he stepped forward onto the ground in the globe, sweat started dripping from his brow, his hands and legs were shaking, his eyes hurt like as if looking into a light too sharp, but the fire was gentle as he inched towards it. Only a meter to go.


    Without warning, the dark waters surged through the ground and swept away the part of the untouched globe he had stepped on.


    It broke away under him and he started to fall away from the fire into a whirlpool.


    In a last ditched effort he grabbed at the fire, but it disappeared from his reach. Within a second he was falling. Hundreds of scenes formed in the sweeping current as he fell past them. Some of them were things he had already seen; the running away from the massive Nighthounds, the fighting with the small one in the fort and then forests of the Morning trees floated past him, but still he fell.


    Through the jumbled mess, the caravan picture came back into view and hope surged in him, hoping the ordeal was almost finished, but Mictoria was rushing about in the small room, her features were taught with tension as she said, ¡°Something is wrong, Madam. He shouldn¡¯t be in the fever this long.¡±


    He watched as Kara kneeled towards the picture, her face full of worry as her scarlet hair stained the swirling water like blood. ¡°Calin, come back!¡±


    There was something that shone in Mictoria¡¯s hand. There was a moment she paused; reluctance was strong on her face. But the gypsy bit her lip and scrambled towards him and placed something on his chest.


    The second she did, the whole picture and the swirling chaos disappeared and Calin sat in a dark cave.


    The course ground shifted under his weight in a grate as he sat up. Severe aches pulsed through his mind and he shook his head before rubbing at his temples, his body at least had settled down, the quaking had ceased. A short while later, his headache eased and he took in his surroundings.


    It was definitely a cave, and a relatively large one at that. The roof of it was at least five metres up.


    Calin unfurled his legs and stretched his muscles. Through the whole area there was something like soot in the air, but surprisingly he didn¡¯t choke from it.


    It only seemed to obscure the further reaches of the cave, but there was a light. Intrigued, he stood up from behind a rock. A tree presented itself in the centre of the cave. It was adorned by several oval shaped lanterns, casting out rays that bathed the cave in light.


    The tiny lantern adorned tree was fed by a little stream of water that came from beneath the rock in a fountain, but disappeared again a few metres later.


    The lanterns, being few as they were, still gave their light to the cave in its dim green light, but what it lit up was another sight he had not ever seen in his life. The walls were covered in remarkable looking stone carvings. The precision of them was ridiculous.


    Calin moved closer to them as his curiosity got the better of him, the more prominent ones featured in the larger area of the cave looked younger somehow, opposed to the ones that lined the small tunnels in the back of the cave, which had an ancient feel to them, but not a single detail had waned. It was impossible to say the least. He was sure there was no place on Earth that people could create the type of things that would last through the ages.


    After a minute, he dared to approach one of the older ones in the first small tunnel that was slightly overgrown with moss and vines. It depicted a great city that looked to be of immense size. At the edge of the city there were carvings of ruins where great battles had been fought. The carving seemed like it was going to burst forth in motion. Yet it did not. There was an air of mystery around the ancient scene. A sense of the city waiting...


    His eyes only lingered on it for a short while before a throb settled back into his head. He shrugged and walked back to a larger part of the cave to the other and certainly younger looking carvings in what looked to be a series of carvings around the fairly round cave, but that one had a city under siege, great medieval like war machines stood on the field and so did those next to it, but these were all quite different to the first carving in the small tunnel. They were all less alive.


    As he followed the order of carvings different cities came into view and all were under siege, all were worse for wear than the previous. The colour schemes were always the same in these younger ones. The cities were depicted as dark blue colours and the screaming people were fending off forces that shone with yellow and red colours. Calin studied the wall closer and could see a banner in the attacking forces.


    The image shocked him to the core. Stumbling back he studied the other battles. Each battle had the same banner over the attacking force, a crimson red sun that looked like it was bleeding.


    It was the same red sun from his dream, the same red sun from his attackers from the barn and the fort in the valley.


    Each carving onward grew darker. Screaming people running from the invaders, every depiction seemed more hopeless. The children were crying in their mothers¡¯ arms as they were shielded from the cruel men pointing for their beasts of war to attack. It was as if the picture was sculpted from a frozen memory.


    Calin started to dread the sight of that red sun as he studied, of what he sorely hoped was not the real history of this world. Then without knowing, in his almost frantic observation of the frozen events, he had ended up in another small tunnel with another scene. This one was the oldest of the lot and almost no light found the moss covered event. Calin tentatively picked up a flat rock and gently scraped away the moss as it slowly revealed the great city from the first carving, yet somehow it was very different than before. More sinister.


    Dark blotches marked the mass of black twisted figures flowing against the walls. Cold crept up Calin¡¯s skin as he continued to watch the scene that wanted to play itself out on the wall. He couldn¡¯t understand why it was suddenly so cold; there was no wind, nothing to fuel the unearthly chill.


    He wrenched himself away and stumbled to the entrance of the small tunnel and his hand settled on a newer carving as he tried to catch his quivering breath. When he looked up there was a circle of twelve people standing next to a ball of light and even more stood right behind them. Their faces seemed grim as if they had to decide a terrible thing. The story in the wall coaxed him into continuing, even though Calin did not wish to see the death and destruction this cave so clearly painted. The next picture, however, was a wall of light shooting away from the ball.


    Immediately he recognized it as the same silver colour as the wall he had passed through on that cliff, yet in a way different, less prominent. What it was for could have been anybody¡¯s guess.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He looked back at the next scene hoping to see peace, but there were young people crying at the feet of the prominent figures of the twenty three. He wasn¡¯t certain if the colour of the figures had faded, but the sickening feeling that formed in his stomach told him that the people who had formed the circle made a great sacrifice to save their people.


    It was almost too much to take in. He stepped back and sat on a rock. He looked at the entire wall with mixed emotions. A wonder at the workmanship and a deep sadness he didn¡¯t expect.


    He sat there watching the history of this land and something sparked in his mind. Tyas had said this place is the Moons¡¯ Hemisphere. He watched the scenes and the more he thought on the matter the more he was certain the other Hemisphere must be that of the red sun or something. It was the north against the south... a war that shook entire nations...


    Calin shook his head heavily. Even these lands had fallen prey to those who want to see the world burn. He remembered the history he was told by the people he grew up with. About the two world wars in the nineteen hundreds, it had taken him such a long time to even grasp the concept of how far the structures of a world must have fallen to erupt into something that touched millions, something so unnecessary.


    Even the idea of it brought a sickening feeling to him, he shook it off then as he cast his attention back to the picture of those that tried to stop such a war, he silently inclined his head to them for their sacrifice.


    A hundred different questions floated through his mind. He wanted to ask Tyas now, to know what had happened, why he was being hunted by those who wear the same banner as those who waged this terrible war.


    But the notion made Calin groan. Tyas had been a kid when he left through the World Barrier. With some frustration Calin picked up a rock and threw it across the cave. It clattered against the wall and came to rest on the floor.


    To his surprise, a small girl stood there, her cheeks wet with tears.


    ***


    Calin jumped back at the unexpected stranger and staggered backwards.


    After the initial surprise he studied the little girl. She couldn¡¯t have been more than fourteen years old. She had one thick braid that hung loosely over one of her shoulders down to her waist. Her hair was blue as a dark night. Calin tried to place the strange hair colour, but finally decided it as midnight blue.


    The dim light and the soot like air obscured some of her features, but her eyes were bright even in the diminished light. It was hard not to stare at her eyes. They all but drew him in, as if asking for him to divulge secrets he didn¡¯t even know. She stood there watching him with her mouth open.


    Not sure what to say to the little girl, Calin cleared his throat awkwardly and to his surprise asked the oddest of questions, ¡°Uh, do you speak English?¡±


    The girl eyed him as if she didn¡¯t understand and Calin dragged a hand through his brown hair and sat down on a rock. ¡°I guess not.¡± He didn¡¯t expect everybody in these strange lands to speak his language.


    But then the girl surprised him as she said, ¡°I speak the language you speak, but what is this ¡®English¡¯ you speak of?¡±


    Calin¡¯s gaze shot back at the girl. ¡°Oh sorry I thought.... wait... I recognize your voice.¡± He narrowed his eyes and studied the girl more carefully. The ghostly girl that had been in the wall was about this girl¡¯s age and size. His eyes popped open and he said, ¡°Yes! You were the girl in the wall.¡±


    The girl was frowning deeply as if she tried to place something, then she said in an adamant voice, ¡°Sir, I have never seen you in my life.¡±


    He was confused now, although still certain this was the same girl. ¡°Yes you have. You came to me in the wall, picked me up and said sometimes you hear me laughing, but your mother says sculptures can¡¯t laugh.¡±


    The girl gasped and her hand shot up to her mouth. ¡°It cannot be...¡±


    With a groan Calin shook his head. This is going to be more difficult than I thought. He was just about to start to explain to her step by step how he had first seen her when she said,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it possible. I was starting to believe the laughing was a figment of my imagination.¡±


    The affirmation sent his thoughts on a different course and he looked around the cave again, for the first time he really wondered where on earth he was.


    Sudden movement made him spin back to the little girl. A groan escaped him as he was somewhat dismayed at his own reaction as he realized the girl was just jumping up and down with excitement. With a frown, he almost reprimanded the girl for her attitude. But he kept himself in check.


    ¡°Yeah yeah I know you¡¯re glad and all that I was not just your imagination,¡± Calin said before asking. ¡°But can I ask you a question?¡±


    The girl was walking towards him, smiling broadly, her glowing eyes were disconcerting to him, but she quickly eased his tension as she politely said, ¡°Yes you may sir, but I want to ask one as well then.¡±


    Fair enough to him, he nodded and kneeled before the girl and asked, ¡°So what is your name, and where is your mother?¡±


    She smiled happily and said, ¡°That¡¯s easy sir, my mother is away on travels, she said she will be back soon. My name is Savine.¡±


    A smile tugged at his lips and he stretched his hand out and said, ¡°What a pretty name. I¡¯ve never heard it before. My name is Calin.¡± The girl blushed slightly and thanked him before Calin tried to shake her hand. But as his hand touched hers it passed right through. The girl jumped away from him in fright. Her voice quivered as she asked, ¡°Are...are you a ghost, sir?¡±


    Calin first response was to laugh at that, especially at the irony of the reversed roles. But for her sake he calmed himself down and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m as real as you probably are, but it seems I¡¯m here, but not really here. Where ever this is.¡± It was an alien feeling. For one, he could feel the ground under his feet. Yet his hand had passed through her hand. It bothered him.


    Savine regarded him seriously for a moment before the uncertainty started edging from her young forehead.


    Slowly, a slight smile started to splay across her lips as she said, ¡°That explains why you look a bit too dark to see, maybe.¡±


    Calin raised an eyebrow and glanced at his own hands and true enough, he looked as if he had been painted with a dark grey colour. He was still uncomfortable by the fact that one moment he had been in one of the Floating Caravans with Mictoria and the next, he was lost here in this extraordinary cave.


    It reminded him of the question he had wanted to ask, so he asked, ¡°Where is this cave? I think I¡¯m lost.¡±


    ¡°Not lost,¡± Savine said innocently. ¡°I think you came because I was wishing for help. I came here directly. Your statue always calms me.¡± As she was speaking she walked up some stairs of the cave to a higher dais.


    It was such an odd statement considering the situation, but Calin spotted the sculptures she was pointing to and followed the girl up the stairs. When he came to the top there were eight sculptures, each one having one aspect the same except for one. Seven of them were of men and woman with bows and knocked arrows with various other weapons strapped to their bodies.


    The eight was of a man with only a sword in his hand, but even on the stone it was clearly visible that there was a mark on the man¡¯s shoulder.


    Calin circled around and even from a distance, the side of the man¡¯s face was one of complex emotion. The sculptor, Calin surmised, must have wanted to portray the deep emotions of some unknown choice.


    He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the workmanship of the piece. ¡°This is remarkable... Michael Angelo would have stared at these for hours to figure out how it was made and what was portrayed.¡±


    The girl¡¯s frown caught his attention as she said, ¡°Michael who?¡±


    Calin laughed and said, ¡°No, don¡¯t worry; it was just someone who was really good at creating sculptures.¡± Looking at the statues Calin asked, ¡°Which one fell that day that you picked me up and said I sometimes laugh?¡±


    The girl chuckled sweetly and pointed at the one that had caught most of his attention. ¡°That one of course.¡±


    Calin walked around to see that specific sculpture¡¯s face more clearly, and as it came into view in its entirety, an intensely unsettling fact made itself known to him. It reminded him of himself in a strange way.


    The more Calin looked at its face the more a very uncomfortable feeling started settling into his stomach. It was impossible. These statues looked hundreds of years old.


    But there it was, a statue that resembled him.


    He couldn¡¯t handle it anymore and marked it off as pure coincidence that there had once been a person who looked quite like him as he stepped away, looking rather at the sculpture of a woman closest to the one with the sword. This one had a look of intense determination on her face, yet it masked the pain in her eyes as she aimed her knocked arrow to a scene that he could never guess at, but which he desired to know regardless.


    If Calin pressed himself to say what he thought about the sculptures, he would immediately have said it¡¯s as if a moment incredibly important to the people portrayed was captured in the stone, to forever be remembered to tell others of the choices they would have to make. Each was a fundamental decision in the lives of each of these men and women, frozen in time to be recounted.


    As if dispelled from a trance, Calin shook his head. In a way he was terrified of the idea of someone capturing a moment so personal and so profound into stone.


    To take his mind of it he turned to the girl and asked, ¡°So why were you crying then if you came to sit by the statue?¡±


    Savine¡¯s eyes fell and he could see her lip quivering. He almost jumped forward to stop the girl from bursting into tears again; he wanted to pat her shoulder, but he remembered he was ghostlike. After a moment the girl took a deep breath, locking away the tears that had threatened to spill, as she said, ¡°Some other kids were always my friends, but now they keep on ignoring me and when I shout at them to talk to me, they run away scared.¡±


    It was a strange notion and Calin wondered what could scare other children from this girl. She seemed happy, polite and spontaneous.


    After thinking about it he said, ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t shout at them, ask them nicely why they don¡¯t talk to you?¡±


    The moment he said that, Savine¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh! OH! That might work.¡± The girl dashed down the stairs and shouted. ¡°Thank you, thank you! Stay right there, I¡¯m serious! I¡¯ll be right back, sir.¡±


    In a last attempt he threw up his hands to tell her there was more to his suggestion, but he quickly realized there was no stopping her.


    He chuckled at the girl and for but a moment he was envious of the child, a child that¡¯s only worry was for why her friends were ignoring her.


    It was already decided for him to stay until she got back. There didn¡¯t seem to be a choice in the matter, but he didn¡¯t feel worried. He would wait for the girl. Besides she still hasn¡¯t told me where this place is. Then maybe I could find my way back to the caravan.


    While Calin waited he studied the scene of the archers and the man with the sword, the sculpture that kind of looked like him. He was completely freaked out that there was something that looked like him on another part of the planet. He couldn¡¯t resist the urge to touch the thing.


    The moment his hand came in contact with the statue, the cave shattered around him dissolving into chaotic waters that he had faced before the cave. An enormous force all of a sudden grabbed at his shoulders like talons and hauled him up.


    Before he could make sense of anything he landed next to the very fire he had tried to reach before he fell. The maelstrom of water swirled around the small area waiting to swallow him the moment it gets the chance.


    A quavering voice that seemed to come from the fire broke the threatening silence in the bubble. The words were too soft to make out. But upon crawling a little closer some words became somewhat clearer. ¡°Calin... please... I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. Come back to me.¡±


    It was completely uncertain who had said it, but he decided it was now or never. He would answer the plea.


    With determination he reached for the fire, but his body twisted in pain again as he approached it. Finally it brought him to his knees as he screamed at the fire, ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me touch you!! I WANT TO WAKE UP!¡± The dark watery world burst into light as he sat up in bed.

 Chapter 37: Small things can go wrong

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Seven: Small things can go wrong</h1>


    Starved for oxygen, Calin gasped for breath as he sat up coughing badly. The feeling as if his flesh had exploded coursed through him even though he had never got close to that fire inside. Through his blurry vision he only barely took notice of a white stone tumbling from his heaving chest to the floor. All the while, he fed his body with air and slowly his vision started coming back into focus.


    His breathing eased out and he started the process of collecting himself. It had been an intense experience, not something he would soon forget. He wondered if he would ever know where he was taken. The storming dark waters were unfamiliar amongst the feelings of his mind moving through it. But wherever it had been, it had taught him that this hidden world carried a dark history, one which he didn¡¯t understand in the least. One fact stood out, the men with the crimson suns was up to something and that frightened him immensely.


    Sitting there, he gulped down a few breaths, his body was still tingling. He looked down to his arm to where the strange wound was and gasped as the gruesome silver veins in his arm started drawing back towards the gash. He grimaced with the alien feeling.


    The moment the silvery grey under his skin reached the slash in his arm; silver dust rolled out of the wound and tumbled to the bed¡¯s sheet and the floor.


    He freaked out, but all he could do was watch in mute horror of the display.


    To his surprise, everything about the wound that had looked festered and bad was being expunged out the gash.


    He made a mental note to never get bitten again. Besides the whole thing being the most pain he had ever been through, it was also the craziest.


    After the last of the silver dust rolled out of the wound, smoke evaporated from the slash. He couldn¡¯t resist touching it and braced himself for pain.


    But it was only a tender scar, with only a hint of a silver coloration remaining. The mad experience made him shake his head.


    The tingling in his arm slowly ebbed away and he finally looked around in the small room of the caravan. It was the first time he really spotted the other two beds in the room. He wondered who stayed there, but was pleasantly surprised to see Kara¡¯s rucksack next to one of the beds.


    Slowly he got up and he placed his feet on the floor. Immediately remarking something odd the next moment. All the aches in his body were gone. As much as it completely confused him, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at it and smiled.


    ¡°Wow, some awesome medicine. Severely creepy, but awesome.¡±


    He glanced around the bed and found his blue lined cloak stitched up masterfully, much better than the rudimentary fix from the cave. To his surprise his gauntlets were repaired as well. Showing only the barest of marks, of where the Nighthound¡¯s teeth had penetrated through the metal. Everything looked as good as new. But looking down at his new scar on his right arm, it reminded him of that intense fight, and that he was lucky to still be alive.


    A breath of pure relief left his mouth, but he had to be more careful.


    The thought of leaving his friends, who had followed him, behind in this world was a scary one. He swiftly donned his attire and his sword.


    Just then he spotted the white stone that had rolled from his chest on the ground.


    It brought back the memory of it being on his chest when he woke up so violently. He reached for it out of a deep set curiosity, but the second he bent over, the caravan lurched from side to side. He fell to the bed and clung to the mattress as best as he could; frantic shouts came through the wooden walls just outside the caravan.


    Calin launched himself to the fixed pipe next to the door and balanced himself through the tumultuous room. He grabbed hold of the door handle to make his way outside, but it was locked.


    Another heave sent him sprawling towards the wall on his right. He hit it hard and grimaced as his back went into a spasm.


    Someone landed next to him with a hard thud. He tumbled ungraciously back to the bed and looked toward the intruder to find Kara standing there. He had missed the small iron ladder that led up into a trapdoor in the roof.


    The girl¡¯s green eyes lit up.


    ¡°Calin! You¡¯re awake! Thank heavens.¡± Her smile turned into a frown. ¡°Do you know how scared you had me? Even Evany was beside herself, she¡¯s been in tears most of the time. It¡¯s been two days!¡± The last was exclaimed.


    Calin¡¯s eyes widened and blew out his breath in frustration.


    ¡°Ugh... Not again... why me.¡±


    The girl regarded him with confusion and asked, ¡°Again? What are you talking ab¡ª wait... never mind we need to get up top. Mictoria said I have to check on you and bring her sword.¡± Calin raised an eyebrow at that and the girl realized his confusion.


    ¡°Just a precaution,¡± She said. ¡°We are leaving the Morning trees.¡±


    That explained even less and he quickly asked, ¡°What does leaving the trees have anything to do with getting her sword?¡±


    Kara rummaged through a container and looked at him in thought.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. But she has been going on and on about how it¡¯s never safe to leave the light of the Morning trees when night is coming. So I take her word for it.¡±


    The girl continued digging through various items. Part way through her search, Kara glanced up, regarding him with a more academic look.


    ¡°Well, you look all better,¡± She said. ¡°So up top with you, I¡¯ll join you in a minute.¡±


    Just as Kara finished her sentence, the caravan lurched to the side again.


    The next moment she tumbled straight towards him and Calin grabbed her to steady her as she struck him. The whole thing unsettled him as he set the girl down on the bed and scrambled towards the ladder. She looked flustered with frustration at being the one who had lost her footing, but Calin just shot her a wink as he reached the bars built in the wall.


    It was hard to get a tight grip on the iron bars as he climbed up while the carriage seemed to go all over the place; it was a halting process, but after what felt like minutes he reached the hatch. Kara¡¯s voice came from behind, an uncertainty in it.


    ¡°Calin ... about before ... I¡¯m so sorry for how I reacted. I ... I tried sorting through my mind. Tried to figure out what it means. But, please be patient with me. There are too many things waging war in me right now to think clearly.¡±


    Silence filled the caravan, as Calin paused at the hatch. His muscles were all tensed up. But even from the confusion Kara¡¯s reaction had caused him, he somehow understood the great conflict in her. With a sigh he looked down in to her anxious eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be patient Kara, you know that. You are and will always be my friend. But... it hurt ... the way you reacted.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± She exclaimed with a pained expression. ¡°I never wanted to hurt you! It¡¯s just... It¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°So confusing?¡± He ventured.


    She just nodded sadly. And the look on her face made the tension slip from his shoulders.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Relax,¡± He said gently, ¡°You think too much.¡±


    It was all confusing to him too.


    Her features softened visibly, yet not all the tension left her face. Calin shrugged, the situation was too complicated to resolve right then. No solution presented itself before he pushed the latch open with his shoulder.


    Broken rays of sunlight hit his face as his head cleared the edge of the trap door. He didn¡¯t have time to really look around as the carriage heaved again; he just clung on for dear life, but a moment later his grip was slipping on the smooth iron bars of the ladder. Just before he fell back into the room below, a hand shot into view and grabbed hold of his arm. It was accompanied by a shout. ¡°Hold on N¨ªsir!¡±


    It was utterly good timing on her behalf as he gladly accepted Mictoria¡¯s help as he shifted himself up on to the roof of the fast moving carriage.


    With a fling of his arms, he grabbed tightly hold of the closest thing. It was one of the leather straps that were strung all around a railing. He twisted his arm into the leather and finally found better handholds on the half a meter high railing; it seemed to encompass the rim of the entire roof.


    Somehow it didn¡¯t seem farfetched to assume that the Floating Gypsies lived a bumpy ride.


    A knot formed in his stomach as he realized they were swaying back and forth while the caravans descended down through a mountainous pass. A sheer drop descended down a vertical cliff on the left which almost sent him scrambling away at the view, but he immediately looked away to the right.


    There was a massive body of rock mightily stretched into the low hanging clouds above him. He felt small and scared at the craggy pass that screamed defiance at weary travellers who would dare journey through it.


    Something that Kara had said made him look back. A pathway crept out of the thick forest between two mountains. It looked as though it was swallowing the edge of the defiant mountain pass with green.


    After a moment he sat back from the side and looked at the woman holding the reins of the caravan. Calin crawled to the front to get a better view and was stumped as the reins weren¡¯t connected to horses but disappeared under the carriage. It hadn¡¯t registered last time; he had been too worried with the infection. The realization accompanied by confusion must have shown on his face, as the woman laughed loudly. ¡°You wonder how the Floating Caravans work N¨ªsir, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Calin nodded, yet he shifted his body uncomfortably on the roof of the odd carriage, not yet trusting it.


    Mictoria was yanking at the reigns and the carriage heaved to the right around a sharp bend. Through it all Calin held on as tight as he could and the woman kept laughing next to him.


    The experience was not even fazing her. She is crazy... It was all but clear as the woman seemed to utterly enjoy the terrifying ride. There was no doubt that she was.


    But for some reason he couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of the woman laughing while steering the Floating Caravan down the truly dangerous road. The ringlets of her hair fluttered behind her in the wind blowing over the roof in gusts.


    There were shouts all around as the other carriages of the caravan reigned in to make the deadly turns.


    Calin didn¡¯t dare look over the side anymore as the carriage banked to the sheer drop. Then the snake in the dangerous road straightened a bit; though it only seemed to slightly calm the mad dash down the pass.


    Mictoria set her reigns into a more comfortable position and said, ¡°We use rocks from the Shifting Plains. My people discovered the shifting rocks many centuries ago, N¨ªsir and we still use it to make our caravans float. It is a fitting name they gave us, for as our hearts fly to travel so does our means to do so, yes?¡±


    Truly, Calin couldn¡¯t help but have wonder for the Floating Gypsies; crazy as they may be, he found them fascinating. What he couldn¡¯t figure out was Tyas¡¯ reluctance to deal with them; it didn¡¯t make sense in the least.


    It wasn¡¯t long before his curiosity got the better of him as the nagging questions in his head made him ask, ¡°So how do you move them forward and turn them?¡±


    Not missing a stride, Mictoria chuckled at him, but finally said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how we move them forward, that is, hmm what do you call it, a secret, yes? The turning is in the shape of the shifting rocks and our rudder man, handle the sharper turns at the back, be with the helm or with the spade.¡±


    The woman smiled at him as he tried to figure it out. Just then Mictoria looked back and said, ¡°Ah Madam Kara, good of you to join us.¡±


    Calin glanced toward the trapdoor where Kara was struggling to get up. He quickly reached out and drew her to a more comfortable place. It was not certain if it was safer up here or not.


    ***


    A sigh escaped Kara as she shifted in next to him. ¡°Not an easy thing to climb that ladder.¡±


    Calin smirked at her for a moment, but stayed silent. Then the statement Mictoria had made came back to him and he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the rudder man?¡±


    Strangely enough, Kara was the one to answer.


    ¡°It is a small platform at the back, there is a person there that has multiple means to assist. Our rudder man¡¯s name is Christoff.¡±


    There were so many questions to ask, but he asked the next logical one. ¡°So how does he know when to assist?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a second before Kara was smiling broadly unlike the severely conflicted person she had been with their last few talks.


    ¡°They use a tube of mirrors Calin,¡± She said with exuberance. ¡°It¡¯s incredible. The rudder man can easily see what is going on in front.¡± Kara¡¯s eyes were shining with what Calin could only guess as sheer joy of the discovery. Instead of discovering the history of ancient things, Kara was finding new things that had long traditions in these hidden lands.


    The girl looked at Mictoria and said, ¡°Really Mictoria your people are amazing in all the little practical things. I wish my father could meet you.¡±


    There was a pause after that, but the gypsy woman smiled and said, ¡°Then I hope you find him Madam, from what you told me, he seems like a remarkable man.¡±


    Calin watched as Kara¡¯s eyes drifted to the distant mountains. ¡°I sure hope we do.¡±


    ***


    While they descended deeper into the valley between the mountains, Calin slowly started relaxing. The sheer drop to the left disappeared all together around a long bend in the pass. In turn it revealed long stretches of grassy plains that lay beyond the cliffs which stood as a barrier. The plains stretched for many kilometres to the one side.


    Somewhere in the distance there were a host of trees, but the cliffs soon blocked the entire view as they descended further down the long pass.


    Just then the only other carriage fifty meters in front of them lurched to a halt. Mictoria pulled hard on the reigns and shouted. ¡°Christoff! Stop the caravan! Qarva!¡±


    The next moment the carriage heaved forward and Calin strained with the momentum, gripping hard at the leather straps.


    When it settled, he looked at the caravan in front of them.


    The carriage stood at the wall of the cliffs and there seemed to be a tunnel filled with large boulders. The driver of the first carriage stood on the roof. It was the older man that he had seen arguing with Mictoria before the healing. The man walked to the back of his carriage saying, ¡°Mictoria, we have a problem.¡±


    Calin watched the woman carefully next to him as her features darkened.


    ¡°I know ... Ta-Reen,¡± She called back after a moment. ¡°Set the path down into the valley of blades. We must just have to risk it. The night is not far off.¡±


    The stoic expression the man gave Mictoria was as unreadable as a rock. But on the bottom platform of the front carriage, the rudder man¡¯s face spoke of something different. Fear boldly flashed over his face. There was horror in his eyes. Calin gulped forcefully, seeing it.


    The carriage started forward down a somewhat steep slope on the left of the collapsed tunnel.


    The path looked unused, unlike the path through the pass. The immediate movement forward of Calin¡¯s caravan sent a shiver crawling down his spine. What made that man so afraid? The question kept repeating in his mind with the decent into the valley.


    As they left the shadows of the mountains and eased down into a deep valley, the grassy planes that had come back into view disappeared slowly as the cliffs of the valley rose up on both sides of them. Even the sun¡¯s light seemed less prominent the further they went down.


    On the edges of his vision, wrecks of old caravans adorned the foot of the cliffs, broken wheels and the smashed walls from the very carriages that use to protect those travellers were all over the place. Of the travellers themselves, there were no sign.


    Finally Calin couldn¡¯t take the tension anymore. He spun on Mictoria and asked, ¡°What is down there that has everybody as quiet as the grave.¡±


    Mictoria¡¯s eyes widened and she threw up her hand saying in a very low voice.


    ¡°Shhhh N¨ªsir Calin, we cannot speak loudly. We don¡¯t want to wake the Igri.¡±


    Before he could ask what on Earth the Igri was, she held up her hand and motioned to the cliff walls. Calin looked around for any movement but could see nothing. Then Mictoria looked him in the eyes, something about that look made Calin¡¯s insides go cold before she said,


    ¡°Be vigilant N¨ªsir, and pray that we make Yera¡¯s Crossing before the night falls.¡±


    Through the entire exchange Calin studied Mictoria¡¯s face carefully, something about how she acted now truly made him afraid. This woman had been laughing at the danger of the descent, basking in the joys of the thrill, but now her eyes were wild and her quick smile long forgotten.


    Calin glanced back at Kara as much to avoid fuelling his own fear as to check if the girl was okay. The girl had her dagger in hand. She looked uncertain which was to say the least. Yet as she moved closer to Calin, she surprised him by whispering. ¡°Mictoria said that the only safe place in the low lands was within the trees. This valley is giving me the creeps.¡±


    Dazedly Calin nodded, as he couldn¡¯t help but look at their surroundings. Not a single tree was in sight. Just a seemingly endless valley of sandstone and rocks that caught the rays of the sun, yet not knowing what lurked in its nooks and crannies unsettled him greatly.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Calin said absently. It was too loud though when he was shushed harshly by Mictoria. Without saying anything, the woman motioned to his sword and that he should unsheathe it quietly.


    Not needing further encouragement, Calin slowly started to draw on the sword¡¯s handle. He cringed with the metal sliding against metal. It reminded him briefly of his lapse in the fort.


    Just as his sword was almost out of the scabbard a rock tumbled from the edge of the cliff. It echoed loudly through the rocky canyon that crept below the grassy plains.


    The mountains looked over their edges from the sides as silent spectators with a warning of what was to come.

 Chapter 38: The approaching night

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Eight: The approaching night</h1>


    Calin jumped at the noise. But when he searched around for what had torn through the pressing silence, he couldn¡¯t find the source. The next moment the sound of swords unsheathing on all the caravans met his ear.


    He plucked his own sword out the rest of the way and desperately glanced around.


    There was not a word being said in the seconds after the loud crash of the rock. No words were necessary. Looking around at the other caravans drifting silently through that creepy valley, he was met with many gypsies standing on the roofs with swords in their hands. On the carriage directly behind his, stood Tyas and Jerry.


    The amber eyed man, to Calin¡¯s surprise, looked like a trapped animal and Jerry was jerking at every movement and noise, clearly Tyas had told the boy there was something to fear.


    To his dismay he couldn¡¯t see Evany. He quickly scanned the other caravans, but still couldn¡¯t see her. Anxiety settled in his stomach as he sat back down next to Mictoria.


    Calin was protective of Evany, she was his responsibility. He had dragged her into this one-way trip to this continent called Sambria, his reasons were clear, but none of them had expected the curveball that would be thrown at them on that cliff that day.


    Gripping the leather strap on his left, he let his gaze settle on the carriage in front. The rudder-man was steering as silently as possible and Calin could see the man sweating while he manoeuvred the carriage with one hand on the helm. The man had a spade ready under his other arm. It almost seemed like the gypsy was cringing each time he had to crank the helm to the other side. It was doing a number on Calin¡¯s already taught nerves.


    Then to his utter relief, Evany¡¯s head popped out of the trapdoor on the leading carriage.


    He waved at her, but just as her features lit up with elation and she waved back, a noise from the valley¡¯s walls drew his gaze with a snap.


    It sounded like a thousand wings thrumming together for a moment, before it disappeared after a series of loud clicking sounds.


    The silence that settled back over them, were like the pressure of being deep under water. Every movement on the caravans sounded off like a bell and anxious glances met every noise. Calin couldn¡¯t help but cringe at his own movement as he slowly got onto his knees.


    While the caravans moved forward on their silent floating path, shadows started to get longer, consuming the rocks that had basked in the warm rays of the sun just moments before.


    Perplexed, Calin looked around for any sign of the settlement of Yera¡¯s Crossing. It was supposed to be close, night was coming. With apprehension he looked towards the sun, only to find that it had started to dip below the edge of the cliffs that governed both sides of the valley.


    For a second, there was something on top of the cliff. It reminded him of a hat, but he rubbed his eyes to be sure, but it was gone. Calin looked down to see Mictoria studying the valley floors as she gently worked her reigns and the pedal under her right foot.


    He resisted in telling her about the sun and maybe the hat on top of the cliff, but the silence was driving him crazy. At last he couldn¡¯t take it and he whispered, ¡°Mictoria...¡±


    The woman shot him a stern look, but when he pointed up to where the sun had just been, she nodded. He wanted to ask what was going to happen, but held his tongue as she shook her head.


    A few seconds passed and the caravan floated around a long open bend. About a kilometre ahead there seemed to be various branches that split the canyon.


    The first thing that came to mind to him was that it looked like a delta. The pillars of stone that peaked each island was standing there as mute way givers.


    Then from the leading carriage, the older man signalled with his hand in a few twists of his fingers. Calin watched as Mictoria signalled something too. As he looked back the quiet discussion rippled over the rest of the carriages. His curious nature threatened to bubble over. The situation already had him on edge, and not knowing what was going on only made it worse. But he held himself in check.


    An instant later Mictoria pressed down on the wood panel at her feet and the caravan accelerated forward at a faster pace. It looked as if the worry on the gypsy woman was slowly ebbing away as the delta came closer.


    Out of nowhere, another rock tumbled from the upper part of the cliff. A much larger crash echoed through the entire valley.


    This time however Calin was positive that there were people up on the ridge of the valley, but before he could tell Mictoria, a great thrumming of wings started up through the valley.


    It got louder and louder sounding like an immense multitude. A loud roar pierced the air and followed immediately with high pitched clicks that came from all directions.


    Without seconds to spare, Calin spotted a round thing that moved in the long shadows on the right. He squinted at it and pointed. Kara crawled over and sat down next to him and he whispered, ¡°I swear that rock just moved¡ª¡± The words had barely left his mouth when the large rock stood up on fat legs, followed by relatively long clawed arms that dropped to hang from the thing¡¯s side.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Both of them gasped at the sight and the creature looked like it was shivering. Loud clicks reverberated from it. It was at that precise moment that a great cry went up through the caravans. ¡°IGRI!!¡±


    A lot of things happened at once. Calin almost fell off the railing when the carriage lurched forward. He clung to the leather straps and barely noticed the thousands of specs that were flung from the running beast¡¯s back into the air.


    Desperately trying to find his balance to watch what was happening Calin suddenly was struck on his cloak by something. For a mere instant, he thought it was Kara touching him, but when the girl shrieked next to him his insides jumped.


    He shook his body at the clear feeling of small claws gripping the material on his shoulder. It sent adrenalin pumping through his veins as he almost screamed at Kara to tell him what it was, but what followed made his eyes widen.


    Over the railing, a small lizard like creature with webbed wings came crawling over the side looking straight at him. It was only when the freakish little thing opened its mouth full of razor like teeth, that Calin swung his sword awkwardly at the winged lizard, batting it from the railing.


    Renewed with the image of the creatures, it dawned on him that he had one on his back. Without regard of his balance on the rocking carriage he jumped backwards and landed on his back. A high pitched squeal erupted from under him and he slammed down again. Finally with a crunch it died down.


    The moment he sat up, he found chaos all around him.


    Mictoria was jerking on the reigns, trying to get the carriage to the delta. But there were hundreds of the lizard like creatures clinging to the adjacent Floating caravans.


    The sound of screaming filled the air. Calin spotted the rudder man on the back of the leading carriage desperately trying to get three of the lizard like Igri from his body. To Calin¡¯s horror when the one shook loose, blood poured out of a wound on the man¡¯s exposed shoulder.


    Repulsed by the sight, Calin cast desperate glances around him to mark any of the flying terrors.


    He couldn¡¯t have looked sooner as two swooped down towards Kara.


    Without hesitation, he flung his sword arm up and by some chance managed to clip one out of the air. Immediately he swung at the other one, but missed; only to hear Kara scream as the thing assailed her.


    Not wasting a second, Calin jumped at the girl with his free hand and grabbed the snapping lizard by its neck. He dragged it from her side, but the thing took a piece of her shirt with it.


    Calin was about to throw it down to stomp it when it flung its elongated neck back and snapped at his hand, cutting a slash open with its teeth; he yelped and tossed it away.


    With a swing of his sword after the retreating thing he barely clipped its tail. The screech that followed made him cringe, but he noticed the wounded thing flew back to one of the large round creatures that were running parallel to the side of the carriage in great leaps.


    Throughout the relatively wide valley, there were about twenty of the larger creatures and several hundred of the lizards swarming the other caravans.


    The small winged lizard which he had wounded landed on the larger creature and to his disgust, crawled into one of the slimy sets of slits on the back of the beast.


    A shudder went through Calin at the sight, but he was distracted by another wave of swooping lizards. He shouted for Mictoria and Kara to duck. And they were barely missed. The two women nodded thanks through the chaos; but he didn¡¯t stop and just went on to swing his sword at yet another one of the creatures. Without thinking he shouted.


    ¡°What the heck are these things?¡±


    With a brief spell of reprieve from the assault, Calin watched as Mictoria aimed at the delta a hundred meters ahead. He adjusted his footing slightly as the woman shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Igri, infamous for attacking larger prey, N¨ªsir. The larger ones are the Igrar. They are their hives. Hold on!¡ª¡±


    Calin barely had a chance to see one of the larger Igrar launch its round body at their caravan. Mictoria pulled heavily on the reigns, sending the carriage lurching to the left. The Igrar barely missed and growled while making loud clicking sounds at its displeasure. Calin watched as it spun around to run after them.


    It disappeared behind the edge of their caravan, though there was no time to investigate as he dodged another one of the small lizard like Igri. Fighting was still new to him, but he soon started wishing he had read up about it more over the years.


    ***


    During the assault, he could make out Mictoria shouting something at the other carriages that were around them. He couldn¡¯t make out what she said, but a few words did stand out. ¡°¡ªneed to split up! Reach Yera¡¯s Crossing, we¡¯ll find you there¡ª¡± The rest was a jumbled mess as he continued to try and hack at the terrors that were diving at him.


    He finally landed a hit, the Igri that had nipped at him on several places dropped out of the air. He was just catching his breath when a loud scream came from behind.


    The caravan unexpectedly dipped low to the ground at some sudden added weight.


    What came next lanced into Calin¡¯s soul, when a man shouted, ¡°Help m¡ª¡± followed by a strangled sound.


    Mictoria wailed next to him and shouted desperately, ¡°Christoff! N¨ªsir! You have to help him, please.¡±


    With a grim nod he moved to the back of the careening caravan. He didn¡¯t know what to expect. But to his dismay Kara came too. Without thinking, he pushed her back.


    ¡°Watch over Mictoria,¡± Calin growled. ¡°She is our driver!¡±


    The girl¡¯s mouth was open. Probably with a protest, when she spotted something. She stabbed past Calin¡¯s shoulder and a shriek sounded. The Igri had attempted to assail Calin, and he blew out a breath in shock. He quickly nodded his thanks to Kara who, to his surprise, was already moving to stand guard at Mictoria. It was remarkable to Calin how, through it all, the women with the reigns was still capable aiming their carriage to one of the valleys in the delta like canyon.


    Without hesitation Calin jumped through the small hatch to the rudder-man¡¯s post.


    Dread filled him as he found the rudder man with half his hip and upper leg in the vicious jaws of one of the Igrar. The man was still alive, hanging over one of the curled tusks of the beast.


    But it wouldn¡¯t stay that way for long to Calin¡¯s guess as the creature bit down on the man¡¯s hip, enticing another scream from the rudder man.


    Without regard to himself, Calin jumped forward and stabbed at the thing. His sword plunged into the Igrar¡¯s powerful clawed arm. A fast paced row of high pitch clicks followed after a massive roar. The thing swung its wounded arm at him, sending him tumbling back against the wood wall of the carriage with his sword clattering to the side.


    To his relief the thing dropped the groaning man to the floor and left the man.


    But the relief was short lived as the tusked animal stalked towards him. Each step from its heavy body made the Floating caravan sway. Calin reached for his dropped sword in desperation.


    But the Igrar opened its great jaws. Rows of shark like teeth adorned the creature¡¯s mouth in a deadly grin as it jumped at him.

 Chapter 39: Dangers in the dark

    <h1>Chapter Thirty Nine: Dangers in the dark</h1>


    The Igrar''s jaws surged towards Calin. The adrenalin pulsed through him in fear. The moment seemed to slow down. The plan after getting Christoff out of danger never even crossed his mind after he had assaulted the beast. Now, his own life was in danger.


    Without thinking, Calin slammed his knee up; stopping the movement of the reeking creature, even if it was only for a second. A searing pain shot through his leg. With a yell of pain, he realized the Igrar was clawing its way past his leg, just to get it out of the way of its prey.


    Desperately Calin pressed with his hands on the things scaly skin to keep it away. The pain was bad in his leg but there was no time to worry about the damage as the rows of teeth kept inching closer to his face. The smell coming from the maw was almost overpowering, like rotting meat. Within seconds his face was only mere centimetres away from it.


    Nothing he could do was going to stop the thing, he wasn¡¯t strong enough. The maw was about to take a bite out of him. In a futile effort, he tried to press as far back into the wood behind him as he could, but it didn¡¯t give him any more space.


    Blood spurted from the Igrar¡¯s neck, as a glowing blade came slamming through the neck of the ugly thing.


    The sharp glimmering tip edged through and dipped into Calin''s skin below, if only barely. He yelped, but when the Igrar roared with the pain and reared, Calin spotted Kara on top of it. He tried to crawl from under the thing, but one of the Igrar''s claws was lodged onto his ankle. It was twisted. How bad the damage was, was uncertain, but that had to wait.


    The creature was placing Kara in danger with its wild jerking. The girl was holding on for her life. Then his ankle slipped free and he rolled to his own sword and swung heavily at the rearing head. The blade sunk into flesh; it almost made him pause as the sickly feeling made his body recoil, but the thought of the monster endangering his friend crashed in. And Calin screamed before punching the sword with all his force deeper. With the final thrust, the Igrar seemed to become slower.


    The creature fell backwards, moments away from falling off the carriage. His sword slipped from the fatal wound and Calin watched as Kara went with it, her face pale with fear.


    He jumped to reach her, but she was too far. Everything sped up as the body of the Igrar with Kara in tow, went crashing to the fast moving ground with great force.


    "KARA!¡± Calin screamed


    It was too late. He spotted her lying deathly still in the dust cloud; the dead body of the Igrar obscuring most of her.


    Too many emotions coiled in Calin¡¯s stomach as he watched in horror. There was no movement in the girl lying on the ground. The caravan was moving at a great pace away from the scene. Nervously Calin tested his slightly sprained ankle; it was still tender, but he had to go to Kara. He took a deep breath and was about to jump off the fast moving caravan, but paused when a wounded voice came from his side. ¡°Don¡¯t... it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Calin spun on the man, Christoff was sitting there full of bite marks in a half moon over his waist and upper leg. The damage would have been much more severe if he hadn¡¯t shown up in rescue. But it didn¡¯t excuse the man to stop him from going to Kara. But then the wounded man pointed to where the girl was lying.


    To Calin¡¯s utter relief, Kara was on her knees, the blood covered sword in her hand. She looked battered and was full of dust and dirt. It hid the extent of her wounds. But before Calin could again try and dismount the fast moving carriage, he spotted another Floating Caravan swing towards her. Jerry hung from the side and with Tyas¡¯ help they urged Kara to run. With a little stumbling she managed the feat and jumped and in a swift movement they hauled the girl on board.


    Relief burst forth in Calin with the rescue and for the first time he stumbled over his strained ankle. It made him realize why Christoff had stopped him. He would¡¯ve been a sitting duck. Not even able to get to Kara, never mind trying to jump onto the next carriage.


    Tall sandstone walls on both sides blocked out the last of the light completely as they entered the delta. Stars were starting to peek through the darkening sky. Through it all, the other carriages seemed to take different routes in the delta. In moments, there were none of the remaining carriages behind Mictoria¡¯s caravan.


    Even though he hated to admit the fact, he nodded thanks to the wounded man. Calin was on his way to see if he could help Christoff, but the man grunted and waved at him. ¡°No... I¡¯ll be fine... you have to protect Mictoria.¡±


    Calin realized then that Kara had used Mictoria¡¯s sword to get the Igrar off of him.


    Without thinking, he sheathed his sword and launched himself up the ladder, ignoring the pain in his ankle.


    ***


    Up top everything was in chaos. There were at least ten Igri circling Mictoria, one or two were hanging from her body. And more would come. Calin propelled himself toward the gypsy woman, who was swatting at the Igri while trying to steer the carriage without aid from Christoff on the rudder. A shriek from the woman was quickly followed by the caravan hitting the rocky wall.


    The knock sent Calin sprawling over the side of the carriage. Pain lanced through his arm as the leather strap that saved him dug painfully into his arm. As he tried to pull himself up the sounds of Mictoria¡¯s desperation was starting to permeate the air, she was in real danger. The sharp clicks of the Igri making attacks on the gypsy made Calin¡¯s blood boil.


    His muscles strained with the effort to pull himself up. It seemed like ages before he finally fell on top of the roof with a huff. His breathing came in laboured shudders, but he summoned on his reserves and crawled towards the woman.


    Having learned his lesson, Calin grabbed the closest Igri on the gypsy by its neck and snapped it. He did the same to three more before one landed on him and snapped a bit of flesh from the back of his neck. It was just a tiny bit, but it still hurt.


    With a painful yelp, he grabbed at the thing and flung it away. He glanced back to Mictoria and the snow white skin of her cheeks were full of cuts and bruises.


    The small drops of blood looked like her full red lips against her pale skin. But with the little bit of freedom he had given her, she was driving the caravan at a break neck speed through the narrow canyon.


    The next Igri came lunging down. With rolled up sleeves, Calin drew his sword out as fast as he could and not for the first time he wished he was more efficient at wielding the weapon.


    To his dismay five more came diving at him. He dragged in the deepest breath he could, before the flying terrors struck. It was a small hope that they came at him rather than the only driver, but the pain of the stinging bites started raining down on him and he forgot about everything except swinging the sword.


    Slowly, the sickening realization settled on him. He was being overwhelmed. But he trusted in Mictoria getting them away. At least the large Igrars seemed to have fallen behind.


    Calin swung high clipping one of the Igri, but got four more tiny slashes on his forearms. To his dismay, they seemed to have taken a liking to his flesh. His arms were tiring and he didn¡¯t know if he could do it much longer. But then someone shouted off to the front. ¡°TREES!¡±


    Calin stole a glance even if it was at the price of another stinging bite. There not far ahead were trees on the side of a relatively narrow path.


    What the trees could possibly bring to the situation of being attacked was an impossible notion to understand. Calin did not even start banking on the idea. He did whatever he could to keep those things off of him and Mictoria. But he was failing to hit, more and more, as his swings started coming in slower. Less and less of the Igri were falling to his blade. His gaze was getting blurry as his own blood was dripping down his brow. Worse, it was almost completely dark now.


    Then they hit the trees.


    Nothing happened. The Igri were still biting into his flesh, he swatted at them with his last remaining strength, but his arms moved too sluggishly.


    Through it all his limbs burned from all the superficial wounds and he dropped to his knees in exhaustion.


    While still attempting to swing the increasing weight of the sword, he missed again and the blade slipped from his grasp, his hand unable to grip it anymore.


    ¡°Mictoria... I can¡¯t... what should we do?¡±


    The woman ignored the two Igri biting at her and just stamped down on the paddle next to him. She looked at him, determination etched in her eyes as she yelled, ¡°Just ... a bit further, hold on N¨ªsir!¡±


    Calin had no choice but to believe her. A growl escaped his lips to bring some life back into his tiring arms as he got the resolve to do what was necessary. He grabbed an Igri out of the air and flung it into the now dark landscape that encompassed them. A punch to another sent it crunching into the wood at his knees.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Stings still rained on his exposed arms, but he ignored them. Three more lunged at his face and his eyes widened at the attack.


    The caravan crashed into thick glowing things. Calin was flung onto his back. His head barely missed the railing, but still hitting it hard on the wood of the roof.


    High pitch shrieks filled the air and then there was only quiet. Dazedly, Calin laid there expecting the next attacks, but strangely no more sounds of wings filled the air. No more bites. He fumbled around for his sword and with gritted teeth raised it as his gaze cast anxious glances around, but nothing came.


    Calin laid there, not really comprehending what had happened. All he could see was light everywhere around him, a turquoise light. He focused his eyes and the thick branches with their glowing leaves came into view; A Morning tree.


    Then a face shifted into his field of vision. Mictoria was smiling at him, her eyes showed concern.


    ¡°N¨ªsir, are you alright?¡± She asked.


    His breath blew out of his lungs as he let go of his held up breath and smiled at Mictoria and said, ¡°Yes, I think so... did we make it?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± She said softly. ¡°Thank you for coming to help me, N¨ªsir. Without you I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get us to the Morning trees.¡±


    Calin winked his bloody eye at her and said, ¡°You are welcome... Actually now that I think about it, I probably have to thank you. You saved me from the poison of the bite.¡±


    The gypsy woman just chuckled, but then a frown covered her face as she sat back.


    ¡°What happened to Christoff and Madam Kara N¨ªsir?¡± She asked.


    Calin slowly raised himself up and said, ¡°Christoff is hurt, but I think he will be fine. Kara though... she fell off the carriage with her sword stuck in an Igrar. But she was picked up by my friends.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go tend to Christoff in a few minutes,¡± she said acknowledging the fact, there was a reason behind what she said; her eyes carried many questions. But the gypsy woman just stood up and shouted into the trees. ¡°Ta-Reen! Are your people alive?¡±


    The shout faded into the trees, but a shout came back from somewhere outside the Morning trees. ¡°Yes, we are. We took some hits but everyone seems fine, you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mictoria told them that they were, and then she turned back to Calin and said, ¡°N¨ªsir, let¡¯s get down and tend to our wounds.¡±


    It was an easy decision to follow her as he nodded vigorously. With more than a little effort he followed her through the trap door.


    ***


    When Calin got to the bottom, Mictoria was picking up the white stone that had tumbled from his chest when he had woken up from the intense visions. His curiosity peaked as he asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    The gypsy seemed deep in thought as she ignored his question and asked her own.


    ¡°What happened to you in there N¨ªsir?¡± The look on her face was deeply troubled. Calin paused, he hardly knew himself. But he opened his mouth to speak when Mictoria shook her head heavily and wandered off to her potions cabinet.


    ¡°Forgive me N¨ªsir, I shouldn¡¯t have asked. It¡¯s a much too personal thing to ask... it¡¯s just that nothing like what happened to you has ever happened before. It was as if you were being dragged deeper in than any of us has gone. I wish... no sorry N¨ªsir.¡± She sat down on a chair and drew another one closer and patted it. ¡°Come sit.¡±


    Even though the woman had a small smile on her face, Calin was certain she was still worried.


    ¡°I will tell you what happened,¡± Calin said. ¡°But then I have questions of my own. Too many in fact... but I need to know.¡±


    The woman watched him carefully, but after a thick pause, she nodded. She started dabbing his wounds with something that stung, but then again it soothed the worst of it.


    Taking a deep breath Calin said, ¡°I saw the fire, but when I approached, everything turned upside down and I was falling. I could see you and Kara talking, that something was wrong, but I kept falling deeper and deeper; it was only when you placed that white rock on me that I was thrown into another, yet completely different vision... but it wasn¡¯t a vision. It was ... I really don¡¯t know.¡± Calin wanted to throw up his hands in exasperation, but he took control of himself and breathed deeply before looking up.


    Mictoria¡¯s eyes were wide, but he pushed the fact aside and asked, ¡°What is that white stone anyway?¡±


    The woman had returned to dabbing the last of his wounds and binding small bandages around them, her hands shook slightly and he didn¡¯t exactly know why.


    After long minutes, Mictoria took a deep breath and without making eye contact, she said,


    ¡°N¨ªsir, you have to understand, I thought you were dying. I had to use it, to help you touch the fire inside you.¡±


    Confused, Calin studied the gypsy. There was something that she was afraid he would judge her for. But what, he couldn¡¯t imagine. He opted for the gentler path and said,


    ¡°Mictoria I¡¯m not like the people you are used to seeing. I didn¡¯t even know that there were things like these Morning trees until two days ago. Everything in these lands is new to me. So you can tell me, I¡¯m just curious.¡± Calin breathed out and mumbled the last part, ¡°Besides I never could touch the fire. I just woke up in an explosive manner in the end.¡±


    Shock came over the woman¡¯s face and a frown. But then a slight tug of her lips suggested it was more unbelief than anything else. Calin just sat still, waiting for her to speak.


    After a moment she said, ¡°N¨ªsir, I find that very hard to believe. You killed a Nighthound! Few people have ever seen one, much less got attacked and survived to tell the tale; and to kill one? No. I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t know these lands, N¨ªsir. Whatever the truth, you helped me, so I will tell you. I... I used¡ª¡±


    The locked door burst open.


    Pieces of wood flew across the room with the intrusion. Three men stormed into the room.


    The first two were unknown to Calin, but when the third one entered, he recognized the hat. It was the man on the cliff. Calin jumped up unsheathing his sword. ¡°It was you who threw those rocks down the cliffs, waking the Igri!¡±


    Mictoria was up on her feet as well, ready to demand an explanation, but at Calin¡¯s accusation she paused and quickly asked,


    ¡°N¨ªsir, what are you talking abou¡ª¡± But the man with the hat threw off his brown cloak and chuckled.


    ¡°You certainly are a bright one. I can see why they wanted me to come get you personally.¡±


    Uncertainty snuck into Calin¡¯s stomach. Who are these men, why do they want me? Before he could press for an answer, Mictoria demanded in a loud voice. ¡°What, by the silver sands is going on?! How dare you barge into my caravan uninvited?¡±


    Behind the three men, another man entered. It was clear it was Ta-Reen as the man slowly strode forward, an arrogant confidence oozed from him as he said,


    ¡°I invited them in Mictoria.¡±


    Calin glanced at the gypsy woman; her face got redder and redder with anger every second that passed.


    ¡°What do they want Ta-Reen?¡± Mictoria¡¯s voice was harsh.


    The older gypsy smiled while drawing on his leather cuffs and said,


    ¡°The boy of course.¡±


    With that, Calin¡¯s eyes went wide. He gripped his sword tighter, fearful that it would leave his side.


    The strength in Mictoria¡¯s voice broke down just a bit as she started, ¡°What do you mea¡ª¡±


    But she was interrupted as two of the men jumped forward, catching Calin by surprise, disarming him without him even realizing what had happened. He stared at his sword, now in one of the strangers hands, as if the sword betrayed him by leaving his hand.


    The next instant, Calin¡¯s arms pulled back with a force as one of the men grabbed him and bound his hands behind his back. His knees dug painfully into the hard wooden floor.


    Fear washed over him, as his eyes pleaded with Mictoria to tell him what was going on. But, pure shock ran over the gypsy woman and then her anger boiled over as she lunged forward at the man holding him.


    But the man with the hat and one of his goons quickly jumped in and gripped her arms so she couldn¡¯t do anything. But that didn¡¯t stop the small gypsy as her feet came off the ground and kicked the man behind Calin in the face.


    The only noise was that of a foot connecting with a skull and the hard collapse of the man behind him. There was no need for incentive as Calin scrambled towards the door and jumped through it.


    He was still in the air when he got jerked back through the door heavily and the hard floor punched hard into his hips.


    A little bit dazed, Calin looked up to find Ta-Reen grinning over him. The older gypsy dragged him to his knees only to hit him back down again. The gypsy knelt down.


    It was clear the man had seen his fair share of fights. His pale white face adorned many small scars apart from the bigger one on his cheek.


    Ta-Reen sneered at him and whispered harshly, ¡°Try that again and someone else is going to get hurt because of you. Do you understand me?¡±


    Fear gripped Calin as he looked up. And with a sense of defeat he nodded reluctantly.


    Mictoria wasn¡¯t so passive. The woman jerked wildly in her captors arms shouting obscenities in her language. She got in a few elbows in a just a few seconds. Their bloody noses and a few bruises the only evidence.


    Then as Calin got dragged back up, Mictoria looked straight at Ta-Reen, fierce anger in her eyes.


    ¡°Ta-Reen,¡± she said through gritted teeth, ¡°You would dare disregard our sacred oath? N¨ªsir Calin is our guest. You have the nerve to go against everything we are? Explain yourself, you Slavvrri.¡±


    At that last word, Ta-Reen got a cruel look on his face as he growled.


    Calin anticipated another hit and cringed, but it never came. Ta-Reen hissed at his leader.


    ¡°I dare because I must. It is because of your infuriating family that our race is now weak. Even the mightiest rulers on Sambria would bow to our will if we didn¡¯t become as restless and disordered in our traditions. This must and will change.¡±


    If Ta-Reen was in range, it was sure Mictoria would have spat at the older gypsy. Instead she loudly hissed,


    ¡°If you take him against his will... I swear by the silver oasis, I will hunt you down for this... this absolute deras ¡ª betrayal.¡±


    ¡°You can try,¡± Ta-Reen said with a cold smile, ¡°But you¡¯ll never get close.¡±


    The gypsy woman screamed at the man and started growling words in their language. Through her struggles Calin looked at Mictoria and was scared she would get hurt because of him; he didn¡¯t want that.


    Surprisingly, after a moment she got quiet and a few seconds passed before she turned her gaze on him and said in a cracking voice. ¡°N¨ªsir Calin, I will and I swear to you, I will get you away from them¡ª¡±


    Ta-Reen must have had enough as he barked,


    ¡°Mictoria, I will let you watch as I change our race back into the mighty rulers they were. It has already started.¡±


    After that, he ordered the men holding Mictoria to bind her hands behind her back and to quickly disable her caravan. Then Ta-Reen got this impatient look as he told his henchmen.


    ¡°And if you are not finished with the bindings by the time I get the boy to the other caravan I will maim you and leave you for the Igri out in the dark.¡±


    The man with the hat came over to take hold of his rope. The lack of hair and the hint of a tattoo under that hat suddenly sent a shiver up Calin¡¯s back. It was one of them. The people with the crimson suns.


    Then he got dragged out of the caravan into the light of the Morning trees. On the outside, movement briefly caught his eye on the left. With a glance, he marked Christoff standing there with a sword, but the man looked limp with a grimace on his face. Calin desperately tried to communicate with a fierce but quick shake of his head that the man should hide. He would only get hurt more badly in his current condition.


    Luckily, it must have worked as the tension left Christoff¡¯s shoulders and the man disappeared behind the caravan.


    It wasn¡¯t a second too soon, as the man with the hat stepped outside. Calin wanted to sigh with relief that Christoff had been missed, but just then he spotted the other caravan, the one that had led them.


    Anxiety struck him. Evany had been on that one. He tried to rush forward as he called, ¡°Evany! Evany?¡± But no answer came as he was jerked back by the rope from his bindings. With sudden determination he spun on the man with the hat and ran his head into the man¡¯s stomach.


    The man grunted and fell down. Free, Calin scrambled to the other carriage to see if he could find Evany.


    She had to be safe. She was his to protect. He owed her far too much.


    Reaching the caravan, he squinted through the cracks, but it was pitch black inside. Swiftly, he moved to the door but he realized it was locked. He shoved hard at it but it wouldn¡¯t budge.There had to be another way in.


    A blow struck his head, hard.


    Everything went black.

 Chapter 40: Yera鈥檚 Crossing

    <h1>Chapter Forty: Yera¡¯s Crossing</h1>


    Through a haze Calin came to, a dull headache throbbed through his head. He tried to remember what happened, but his thoughts were jumbled as his skull throbbed like it was pulsing; he tried to bring his hand to it, but realized he couldn¡¯t move his hands, not even a bit, neither could he move his feet.


    Panic grasped him as he forced his eyes open to see what was wrong, though the answer set his pulse running high as he quickly realized he was tied securely almost flat on his back to the roof of what seemed to be one of the caravans. It was dark on the roof. No lanterns no light to announce the way.


    He shifted his head a bit more, there was something holding his head up. At least it¡¯s soft. It was a moot point.


    He remembered what had happened now.


    He was the prisoner of the traitor gypsy Ta-Reen.


    As if he announced the name loudly, the driver twisted back and looked at him. Ta-Reen chuckled the next moment and said, ¡°I see you¡¯re awake. Does your head hurt much?¡±


    Calin didn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of an answer. Instead he glared at the man and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    The caravan slowed down just a bit as Ta-Reen shifted more to get a better look back. ¡°Why what? ¡®N¨ªsir¡¯ Calin.¡± The man sarcastically used the honorific Mictoria had so sweetly used on him.


    He just shook his head and said, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Instead of answering, the older gypsy said,


    ¡°You know there is a lot of questions that could come from why. Let us take for example, why are you still alive after all these years? Why show up now? Why try to escape when I told you someone is going to get hurt? See ¡®N¨ªsir¡¯ there are a lot of whys¡¯, so try to be specific.¡±


    While the man talked, Calin drew on his bindings with no effect. It was tightly secured. After a minute he took a deep breath and asked,


    ¡°Why do they want me? I¡¯m just an ordinary orphan with no family, nothing special about me. What could they possibly gain from having me?¡± It was almost a surety that Ta-Reen was working for the men with the red suns.


    Ta-Reen laughed at that. ¡°No family? Nothing special? You can¡¯t be serious....¡± The gypsy turned to him with an astonished look, like expecting something, and then got a slight frown of confusion.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know who your people are? What you have kept hidden so selfishly all these years?¡±


    Trying desperately to hide his ignorance, Calin turned his head to the right. It had the opposite effect as the gypsy laughed and said, ¡°Oh, this is too good! Mishael is going to love this¡ª¡± But the rest of the man¡¯s words flew by Calin as he spotted the far too familiar curls of blonde hair splayed next to him.


    Calin got a knot in his stomach and twisted hard to look back at the small figure of Evany tied horizontally behind him. Her eyes were closed; it forced a gasp from him. He tried to look for injuries, even with the little light that emanated from the scattered Morning trees, he could spot bruises on her delicate face. It was all Calin could take and he started jerking wildly while shouting, ¡°Evany! Evany, are you alright?¡± No response.


    Pain settled in his wrists as he wrenched on his bindings as hard as he could. ¡°Evany, please answer me...¡±


    The older gypsy started laughing. It sent Calin¡¯s rage brimming over and he sneered at the man. ¡°What have you done to her?! If anything happened to her, you¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    Ta-Reen just smirked as he eyed Calin¡¯s bindings, before he said, ¡°Oh I highly doubt that.¡± The man sat back and Calin bridled at Ta-Reen¡¯s overconfidence; the gypsy shifted deeper into his seat and yawned.


    ¡°But for now I¡¯m tired of playing games,¡± the gypsy said with a slight annoyance in his voice. ¡°So don¡¯t worry so much, the girl lives. We have this root that if burned it places a person in a deep sleep. She¡¯ll probably wake up any time now.


    ¡®Just so we understand each other very clearly, she is only my captive until I give you to the people that paid for your capture. If you don¡¯t try anything stupid until they get what they want, she will be let go unharmed. I am not in the mood to hurt the girl; she is a good girl, she was kind to me. And she will stay unharmed unless you give me a reason to do so. Don¡¯t try and test me, is that clear?¡±


    Through it all, Calin kept his mouth shut. A moment passed before he nodded his assent.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Ta-Reen said with a smile. ¡°You are as bright as you look. Now don¡¯t bother me with anymore questions, or I will hit you again, just harder this time.¡± The look that the gypsy gave him was enough to make Calin wish he could throw the man off the caravan.


    A conflict sprang up in his heart, he didn¡¯t want to believe anything his captor said, but he had no choice in the matter. It involved Evany.


    Begrudgingly, he dropped his head back.


    Calin was trapped, even if he got loose somehow, he was certain now Evany would pay the price for it. So he gritted his teeth and waited.


    ***


    With nothing to do but wait for the inevitable exchange, he looked to the surroundings passing by the caravan. The stark contrast of the turquoise light from the Morning trees and the darkness they tried to expunge from the area was urging him to relax. This ¡®other part¡¯ of the planet Earth was something filled with a bitter sweet atmosphere. On the one hand, it was an extraordinary place filled with beauty, even with all the hidden dangers that seemed to lurk around every single corner.


    In just a couple of days on this continent of Sambria, he had seen things that defied what was known. But what was eating at him was the fact that for some reason his presence here was placing his friends in greater danger.


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t possibly ignore what his eyes were seeing as remarkable. What would this place have been like if their lives weren¡¯t in danger?


    It just brought his state of mind that much further down, he couldn¡¯t help but slump his shoulders. It was no use wishing for things that would not happen.


    For no real reason, it made him remember the times he spent in the Getsam¨¦¡¯s book shop. Going through old Natural Geographic magazines to marvel at what was out there in the natural world, or even the rare times he had gotten a chance to watch a documentary at the Jacobs¡¯ farm.


    There had always been foolish fantasies of running away from his isolated existence at Misses Talsen to go and see the wonders of the world, the Pyramids, the Amazon rain forests or even the Ancient Incan cities. To have adventures, to be free from the shackles of his loneliness.Stolen novel; please report.


    It was then that he thought of Evany, Jerry and Kara. It pierced the darkness.


    As much as he wanted to wallow in his depression he couldn¡¯t lie to himself, the truth was: He hadn¡¯t been alone. Even without a family, he had friends, friends who had filled a lot of that hole in his chest over the years. Calin shook his head. They had always been there for me. They are like the brothers and sisters I never had. Determination filled his being. He swore in his heart that if he got out of this, that he would do everything in his strength to be there for them to protect them no matter what, they were his family now.


    Something eased from Calin¡¯s heart at that moment and his nerves settled even if it was just a bit.


    The carriage moved around a long bend and the narrow path through the delta started opening up.


    Calin was about to lift his head to see where they were headed, when faint groaning noises drifted to him from behind. He jerked his head back just as Evany¡¯s eyes slowly opened. She cringed a bit and asked in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°Calin? What happened¡ª¡± As the girl realized her situation, she started struggling. ¡°Calin, why am I tied up, what¡¯s going on?!¡±


    This is going to be difficult. Calin tried to make his voice as soothing as possible.


    ¡°Shhh.¡± But even then, he didn¡¯t think she could be calmed down enough to listen to what was happening, never mind listening to why he was going let them take him. So with a deep breath he started laying down the facts. ¡°Ta-Reen took us prisoner Evany...¡± he spit out the gypsies name with disgust.


    ¡°What?! This isn¡¯t funny, Calin, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    He bit his lip and said, ¡°I know, but listen to me carefully now. It¡¯s going to be okay. They will let you go. They just want me... if I go with them, Ta-Reen will let you go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The girl struggled even harder, groaning with the effort of trying to get loose. ¡°No they can¡¯t! Why do they want you? Who are they?¡±


    The fear of her own captivity seemed to have disappeared as Evany rather demanded answers Calin didn¡¯t have. It was strange to say the least.


    But he dropped his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± He said. ¡°But, if it means they will let you go unharmed, then I will go with them Evany. Do you understand me? It¡¯s my fault you are trapped in this world.¡±


    He hoped desperately that she would accept his decision; but when he looked at her, everything about her screamed defiance. It was enough to make Calin stare hard into her hazel eyes, but before she could say anything he said in a harsh whisper, ¡°No Evany! Let it go, I will not allow you to get hurt because of me.¡±


    The girl was gritting her teeth and Calin wished he could grab her shoulders or something; but as luck would have it, Ta-Reen shouted back. ¡°Oh it¡¯s good to see you¡¯ve joined us ¡®Madam¡¯ Evany, because it¡¯s under my impression that you two have never seen this place. So...¡±


    The gypsy chuckled as if laughing for an inside joke then straightened his face. ¡°Forgive me. Welcome to Yera¡¯s Crossing.¡±


    Calin glared at the man, but in spite of everything he lifted his head to take in the scene unfolding before him. His mouth fell open.


    The forested delta opened up into a wide valley of about two kilometres wide. In the middle of the dark valley, there was a forest of Morning trees of all sizes, throwing off light into the night.


    The trees ranged from small ones to some that were truly giants that challenged even the natural stone pillars that towered to the sky out of their ranks. Some could have reached as high as three hundred metres. Easily much taller than the tallest trees from the modern Earth he came from.


    But that wasn¡¯t what made Calin gape.


    The forest of light was shining around a white city, bathed in a warm cherry glow, which was built on top of a colossal stone pillar. The great column was natural and of the same rock as the surroundings.


    The enormous pillar took up the space of most of the valley and must have been at least a kilometre wide. There were numerous smaller pillars of dark rock surrounding the main column. Like advisors surrounding their mighty King.


    Even from a distance Calin spotted small bridges leading from the main rock structure to many buildings in the adjacent stone columns and to some of the greater Morning trees; there were too many bridges to count off the bat, like a road network up in the air that led to the many buildings built into the rock columns and trees.


    All had pathways connecting the great pillar city in one big web. Everything was heavily supported by thick buttresses anchoring into their solid hosts. From the centre of the main city it looked like a plume of warm light was emanating over it.


    All in all it was a city unlike anything Calin had ever heard of, much less seen.


    Upon looking to his right, he spotted a wide road that made its way down from the grassy plateau. It went past an abundant number of stepped terraces adorning the entire face of the right canyon wall.


    It quickly became obvious that the people of this city catered for the long nights and short days. The terraces were lit up like rows of streetlamps by smaller Morning trees that dotted them. A snake of light Calin mused, even in his dark circumstances.


    The colours in the valley were undeniably fascinating, from the turquoise light from the Morning trees to dark greens from their crops and the normal trees, to deep blue patches in the darker areas of the city that rested in the valley.


    Off to the left of the pillar city there was a cliff that looked unscalable to say the least. It stretched the entire left side of the valley, as far as the eye could see.


    Far below against its treacherous face, a river battered against the stone, as if trying to break through. But the solid smooth rock was standing its ground defiantly.


    The river snaked hundreds of metres down below at the foot of the enormous natural rock formation that housed the great city. Finally the life giving river was led down towards the delta. Calin watched as its white rapids disappeared into the tight corners of one of the several gorges that left the open valley.


    But Calin¡¯s eyes were drawn to the huge bridge that gapped the sheer chasm over the storming river between the main pillar city and the unscalable cliff.


    The heavy-set bridge seemed to come from a building with two great arches that guarded the mouth of Yera¡¯s Crossing that stood atop the main stone pillar up high.


    Large thick ropes sloped down from one of the arches to the bridge below, their weight Calin could only hardly begin to guess. But it led him to wonder whether a section of the hundred metre long bridge was able to be lifted.


    The pathway that led over the thick bridge went into a relatively small gap at the top of the cliff, between two massive stone guard towers. The trail from there seemed to disappear in a thick patch of trees that peeked out of the area behind the towers.


    All that Calin could spot beyond the cliff in the distant night were mountains as far as the eye could see.


    In that moment he suddenly felt small.


    The uncomfortable feeling made him turn his head to Evany. Her face said it all, she felt exactly the same. To know that such places exist for the first time is an unfathomable knowledge. Even Mesa Versee somehow didn¡¯t stand up to its grandeur.


    The caravan stopped and Calin got a bad feeling about it. He watched silently as Ta-Reen got up and walked over to him. ¡°As much as I like to see you struggle,¡± The gypsy said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you messing things up when we get to the city.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do to us?¡± Evany asked in a small voice.


    The gypsy thought for a moment before saying, ¡°For now I¡¯m going to shut you two up. Can¡¯t have you place suspicions in the heads of the guards, now can I?¡±


    Without giving him a chance to say anything, the older gypsy tied a scarf through Calin¡¯s mouth and gagged him. If Evany hadn¡¯t been bound, the girl would¡¯ve been all over the gypsy as she shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch him, you snake!¡±


    It didn¡¯t look as if the threat fazed him a bit as the gypsy finished calmly with Calin and moved over to Evany. Calin tried to demand that the man leave her alone, but only grunts and groans left his mouth through the thick scarf.


    The gypsy moved in front of the only line of sight that Calin had had of Evany. He watched in silent dismay as there was a series of shouts and frantic grunts flying this way and that while the girl was also being silenced. Ta-Reen sat back with a yelp all of a sudden and said, ¡°Sands consume you! You bit me you wretch.¡±


    The girl just sneered, ¡°You deserve far worse. Just untie me and you¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to you, do you hear me?¡±


    With that Calin watched as the gypsy surged forward with a sneer and Evany¡¯s threats turned into muffled grunts. Finally Ta-Reen sat back and exhaled loudly.


    ¡°There, I hope that will teach you to mind your manners.¡±


    The muffled noise that came from Evany was probably another defiant threat from the girl, but as the man stood up Calin looked Evany deep in the eyes and shook his slightly. He hoped she would interpret it as not to make things worse. With Evany¡¯s head going from side to side in a resigned manner, he believed she did.


    The gypsy started the caravan forward again, but there was something irritating the man after a short while as he banged on the roof and shouted, ¡°You lot inside, keep quiet!¡±


    The sounds from inside ceased, everything going silent except for the sound of the wind flowing over the caravan.


    Calin and Evany could only watch as they slowly approached the forest of Morning trees that surrounded the great Pillar city of Yera¡¯s Crossing. What awaited them there was totally unsure, but Calin silently prayed that Ta-Reen would hold true and release Evany when all was said and done.


    It was a foolish thing to hope for from the traitorous gypsy, but at that moment it was all he could hope for.


    Even if it meant his imprisonment he would see to it that Evany went free.

 Chapter 41: Untimely Uncertainty

    <h1>Chapter Forty One: Untimely Uncertainty</h1>


    A scene kept looping through Calin¡¯s mind. Rocks tumbling down the canyon walls and the thrum of thousands of wings as the Igri awoke, and the chaos that had ensued. Yet... there was a moment before entering the valley that stuck to his mind, the blocked tunnel.


    It sealed the theory that it was all orchestrated with one purpose in mind, to capture him. It was a mystery that didn¡¯t make sense at all. Why do they want me? Of all people in the world what could I possibly have that they want so badly? The questions haunted him more and more. There were simply no answers, and what Ta-Reen had said, it only added to the confusion.


    He sagged back in momentary defeat. All he wanted was the reason for why his presence was placing his friends in danger. Somehow, it was becoming clear that ignorance in this matter would only allow things to go from bad to worse.


    With a disheartened sigh he turned his head back to Evany. The girl was looking straight up. Small trails of tears trailed over her cheeks. It was painful to see.


    More than before he wished she was free and back with her family back on the known seven continents ... back to what was normal in the modern world.


    The guilt was running amuck in him; the thought that he should have told her adamantly that she should stay home that night. Then she wouldn¡¯t be here, she would be working on her father¡¯s farm. Why didn¡¯t I say no? Another mystery...


    It was not something he would easily forgive himself about; if ever anything happened to her.


    Dropping the thoughts out of sheer weight of it, he wondered what was going through Evany¡¯s head at that moment. But somehow he didn¡¯t think it was sad thoughts. The girl always had a strong personality. After all these years, it had not yet faded.


    The problem was, it made her prone to do something rash and that was the last thing he wanted now. If the exchange went smoothly she would be let go, whether it was true or not, it was the only hope he had.


    A thought popped into his head, Kara, Jerry and Tyas¡¯s caravan must be close to the city, or even there already. They didn¡¯t know yet what had transpired, but if they could see them. Find out somehow, there should be hope.


    In his mute state he twisted around as best he could and scanned the valley for another carriage from the progression of the Floating Gypsies, but only darkness met his eyes. Apart from the few natural Morning trees growing closer to the delta, there was no other light.


    Where are they? Refusing to believe that they were also apprehended in the ambush,Calin tried to halt the feeling of helplessness and shifted his view back to the front.


    They started entering the forest of light. The soothing turquoise and green light from the leaves did nothing to stop it as the apprehension built in his stomach.


    After a bend in the road, the first silent pillar moved into view and the caravan floated around its thirty metre base. Up high, there were people in burgundy robes moving to and fro over the many pathways that webbed between the giant rock pillars. The highest parts of the natural columns were creeping into the dark skies hiding the secrets of its city. The people were truly oblivious of the caravan carrying two innocent bystanders.


    The muffle, that kept him mute, did its job. The people of the city continued their lives up in the city on high. Unreachable.


    By then they had passed the seven larger pillars that he had spotted from further away. There were many smaller ones, no thicker than maybe ten metres across. But the seven larger pillars were more than triple that, and the biggest, by far, was the eight natural pillar that housed the largest part of the city. But the trees were hiding it at that moment.


    Then through the trees, a wide courtyard opened up. Numerous roads led away from it, and from the brief glimpse of their destination revealed several encampments weaving between the pillars on the ground. What purpose they served eluded him.


    In between a turquoise and green Morning tree, there was a commotion. Several people with leather armour with their hoods up were making a lot of noise, shouting at what appeared to be guards. A counterweighted lift dropped down from the closest large Morning tree and more guards entered the fray. But the scene quickly disappeared behind a tree as the caravan moved on.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    In the courtyard, there were two roads full of robed people leading around a fountain of water in its centre. Calin groaned at the sight. He yearned to just fall into the water and drown himself in the taste of water going down his dry throat.


    The sight of it was unnerving and he turned his gaze up.


    There he spotted it. The heart foundation of the pillar city of Yera¡¯s Crossing. Calin couldn¡¯t even see the sides of the colossal stone column that stretched into the night beyond the reach of the light from the Morning trees.


    It looked more like a sheer cliff than a pillar to him.


    On the ground level they approached a row of buildings built from the same stone as the pillars that dotted the valley. From what he could see, they had round roofs that swirled together on two ends like ice cream cones. Several other rows of houses flowed into a series of archways that lead to the rock face of the main column. Each stone arch was capped with a statue of men and women standing silent guard around the grand pillar that housed the heart of the city.


    In the side of the cliff like pillar there were numerous dots of lights, windows to living areas in the rock face.


    The carriage approached the base of the towering pillar. There stood more guards with crests, of what looked like a lady holding a tree, proudly extruding from their chests in stark contrast to their dark grey armour that encompassed them from head to toe. The metal of the helmets covering their heads, curled into roots on top. It deftly hid more than half of their faces.


    A voice of authority filled the air.


    ¡°Halt!¡±


    The caravan slowed down and the guards lowered thick pikes adorned with shining silver tips in front of them.


    From the right side, a different guard with an open helm walked closer on a slightly elevated dais, his face down reading through a book. The man was not looking up as his voice tumbled out. ¡°Who are you and what is your business within Yera¡¯s Crossing... gypsy?¡±


    Ta-Reen glanced back at Calin and there was a malevolent smile on the gypsy¡¯s face, threatening him that if he messed something up there would be consequences. Calin glared sarcastically at the man, he was tied up and unable to speak.


    Ta-Reen just coughed before looking back to the guard and said, ¡°Pardon me N¨ªsir, I was on my humble path through the forest when my caravan was assaulted by bandits. We successfully defended ourselves, but some of our number got hurt and are still on their way to request passage over the Crossing of Kailuvia. But I came in front to announce the caravans and to come transfer these...¡± Ta-Reen spat back at Calin. ¡°...bandits to Prison¡¯s hold up in Yera¡¯s Crossing.¡±


    Calin silently looked down as the guard came to get a closer look. The guard¡¯s broad straight set nose made the man look alien. But before he could inspect the man further the guard said, ¡°Your request for the Crossing of Kailuvia will be taken up with Commander Osai¡¯es in due time. But tell me why do you think these prisoners need to be taken in to Prison¡¯s hold? Why not just drop them off at the Seven Pillars detention area. The captain there would take quick measure of them, gypsy.¡±


    There was annoyance in Ta-Reen¡¯s face, but the gypsy didn¡¯t miss a beat as he said, ¡°Because that bandit girl there is a human.¡±


    The guard staggered back as if struck and looked at Evany more carefully.


    The guard stammered. ¡°Surely not? It¡¯s been years since they have been last seen this side of the Crown mountains.¡± The second part was more of a whisper.


    It was hard not to be surprised at Ta-Reen¡¯s tact to say the least. There was something completely out of place. Something in the man¡¯s words¡­


    Not wanting to miss anything, Calin listened helplessly in his mute state to the conversation. The gypsy was already saying, ¡°... believe me, I know them when I see them, I¡¯ve travelled enough to know that girl is as human as they come, why she is this far from their lands, I cannot say. But who knows the mind of their thievery sort.¡±


    The guard¡¯s face showed complete dismay, as if he wasn¡¯t equipped to handle this sort of situation, the man stumbled to the two pike men, muttering something, casting distressed looks at the carriage all the while. Calin¡¯s stomach couldn¡¯t help but twist in knots at seeing the unsettled guard.


    The guard with the book came back and said in a shaking voice.


    ¡°Go up into Yera¡¯s Crossing to Prison¡¯s hold, it is directly to the right from the gates at the top. When you get there report this to Commander Osai¡¯es immediately. He would know how to handle this dire news.¡±


    Everything in Calin screamed confusion as the carriage started forward with Ta-Reen¡¯s voice thanking the guards for their service.


    Just past the guards, he couldn¡¯t help but watch the man with the book; the guard¡¯s brow was dripping with sweat as he looked at Evany as if she was a monster. Calin growled at the man through the scarf. It made him furious that they all were looking at her like that.


    The caravan started tilting upward as it began its long trek up the main pillar, up towards Yera¡¯s Crossing, and to Prison¡¯s hold.


    What does it mean? The maddening question itched at the back of Calin¡¯s mind again. Slowly they ascended up past the canopy of the forest that hugged the seven large pillars and the heart pillar.


    Something was not right. Whatever it was, it made his insides twist with worry. Nothing of it could be good.

 Chapter 42: From some ashes comes evil

    <h1>Chapter Forty Two: From some ashes comes evil</h1>


    In the dark, outside the reach of the Morning trees, Calin¡¯s caravan eventually reached the top. Before them stood massive wooden doors that blocked the entrance to the city of Yera¡¯s Crossing. The doors towered at least three stories high and didn¡¯t seem like any force would soon budge them.


    But Ta-Reen reached forward with a thick pole and knocked. From somewhere beyond the door a voice boomed its question, ¡°Who seek sanctuary behind the tree?¡±


    With a cough he raised his voice and answered, ¡°Those who hide from the crimson sun.¡±


    An immense noise of creaking wood burst into existence as the doors slid back to reveal a scene out of a fairy tale.


    Inside, there were huge bleached white buildings that were built around the massive extending roots of a single Morning tree that was larger than all the others Calin had witness on his trip so far, not taller by a long shot, but thicker than one of the seven pillars they had passed, at least fifty metres across.


    Most notably was that it did not have the same turquoise, or the less common green light that all the Morning trees he had encountered had. He had only seen the colour for a moment from the valley floor, but he hadn¡¯t known the light with the distinct colour of cherry blossoms came from a Morning tree.


    As their caravan eased into the courtyard overrun with the roots and pathways built over them; the light from the great tree illuminated the entire city in a glowing plume that stretched its arms into the dark night. It was a warm colour, but that didn¡¯t lighten Calin¡¯s mood as he waited in mute silence for something, anything to happen.


    Still, he was consumed with the notion to take in as much detail as possible. Losing his memories once was one too many times.


    The large Morning tree that softly basked the entire top of the pillar in its pinkish light accentuated the fact that its dark roots were in intense contrast with the white buildings that gently hugged their borders, I wonder what Kara would think of this place.


    Calin craned his neck to look to the right of the gate as the largest of the buildings in the area caught his attention, it was surrounded by a high wall, but the wall couldn¡¯t compare with the scope of the building. The only windows on its face were ten stories up and barred. The purpose of the building was clear.


    The main road extended through the entire middle of the city. It¡¯s stone paved surface extending all the way past the market square and finally disappearing into the biggest part of the Yera¡¯s Crossing. It was bustling with people coming and going from the market place.


    The square itself had a smooth statue of a woman in flowing robes holding a stone in her hands with a tree and its roots growing over and around it. At her feet a statue of a man with a friendly smile sat with little children around him. The sculpture stood in the centre, probably there to welcome the people who would visit the city.


    Beyond the square, Calin couldn¡¯t see as much detail as the road twisted out of sight.


    Just then, something caught Calin¡¯s eye closer to the buildings, the oldest of them had strange snaking blue lights dancing on the surface trying to escape their confines, but when he blinked it was gone.


    He shook his head. Was he starting to go mad? No, everything in the place was mad. It was like a bad dream he couldn¡¯t wake up from, but somehow it was certain this was all far from a dream and far from over. It was a deadly reality and he had to get Evany out of it.


    Without warning, Ta-Reen jumped from the caravan shouting. ¡°I¡¯m quickly taking my leave. Play nice.¡±


    Calin started from his thoughts. And craned his neck to see where the gypsy was going. The man walked over the courtyard to some people standing at the edge of a large root that arched down past them into the ground, most of them were clothed in burgundy robes or its leather counterpart that seemed custom in and around the city. But there was someone standing in the shadow of the root that Calin couldn¡¯t quite make out. Without spending a second on the thought he dropped his head.


    As the gypsy moved further away from the caravan Calin tried to get loose from his bindings, but the more he tried to shift the more pain ate at his wrists. After a while he gave up. Man...


    Evany was also trying to get loose, but to no avail either. She looked distressed. Wish I could talk to her. He tried to make his eyes soft as he stared at her. But in her hazel eyes he could see her worry for him. Frustration flared in him. That girl, why can¡¯t she understand that I will gladly do it to help her get her freedom?


    The moment was cut short as the caravan heaved slightly to the side. Calin turned and was startled to see a man with shockingly white hair peer at him. The hair stuck out from under a deep blood red hood.


    But what turned Calin¡¯s insides was the look on the man¡¯s face. Of what he could see that is. It was as if the man had bathed in ash.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The part of the face that was visible from under the hood was smooth with agelessness, but his skin had a powdery complexion, yet pale as death, only contrasted by his black lips that had a smile on them that made Calin¡¯s heart go cold.


    The hood tilted up and the dark irises of his eyes and their deep orange pupils met him and immediately made him want to scramble away. The mysterious man chuckled wickedly and glanced to the side.


    ¡°Ooo! What a pleasant, pleasant surprise, Ta-Reen! I¡¯m delighted that you have found him. You have to understand that my master has started to doubt the boy even existed. Oh what fun!¡±


    The face didn¡¯t match the voice or even the tone of it. It made Calin cringe as the man of ash laughed again and kept staring at him as if he was edible. Calin tried to shift as far away as possible, but his bindings only gave him a few centimetres. It was better than nothing.


    Then Ta-Reen climbed into view. His face was serious.


    ¡°I was actually hoping to see your master before I take to the Crossing. Compensation for my efforts, you see.¡±


    The ashen white man turned that sickly smile away from Calin to his utter relief.


    ¡°Ta-Reen,¡± The man said. ¡°My dear Ta-Reen, you will be compensated in due time, once I¡¯ve taken the boy from your hands.¡± It was said in a voice that could either be for comfort or masking a death threat, Calin wasn¡¯t sure. Whatever it was, it still made him shiver.


    Ta-Reen seemed to have handled with this man before as he said, ¡°No, Xyri I will not be left without the reward this boy is worth. He is the last male heir of his entire clan, and your ¡®master¡¯ knows it. So I will gladly hold on to the boy until I get what I bargained for.¡±


    The ashen man threw back his crimson red hood and licked a finger with a tongue which could only be described as the colour of a pressed plum. A mere moment later, Xyri made tisk tisk sounds.


    ¡°Ta-Reen, you annoy me sometimes. But seeing as you have the boy, I will budge a little. We¡¯ll have it your way, you can take the boy to Prison¡¯s hold and I will see to it that as soon as my master arrives that you are paid the agreed reward in exchange for the boy. Is that agreeable to you?¡±


    Grimly, Calin watched as the gypsy agreed. Somewhere of to the right the voices of strangers moved past. Ta-Reen lowered his voice. It was certainly too low for Evany to hear as he asked, ¡°Xyri, what does your master plan to do with the boy? Call it curiosity.¡±


    The ashen man leaned towards Ta-Reen and said in an equally soft voice, ¡°Oh I like whispering, it¡¯s such fun.¡±


    Ta-Reen shot the man a glare and Xyri just huffed before whispering, ¡°To kill the boy of course, but first to use him to fish out the boy¡¯s own father.¡±


    Even only barely hearing that conversation the damage was done. He got cold to the bone, his heart raced erratically. Everything was a blur. He could hardly concentrate on anything else other than his heart trying to break free of his chest. But what caught his attention again was Xyri asking in a sweet voice that dripped with malice.


    ¡°What about the girl? I do so like humans. They tend to scream when I hunt them through the forests.¡±


    Immediately Calin thrashed at his bindings. He wanted to rip that smile from the black lips of that man. But Xyri chuckled again.


    ¡°Oh my, the mythical son of the legendary Darrus wants to protect a human? That is fascinating! Ta-Reen you have to let me explore this, it is simply delicious.¡±


    Then the old gypsy turned and his voice was like stone as he said, ¡°No... I will meet with you again when your master arrives. Now get off!¡±


    The ashen man pouted.


    ¡°No fair.¡± But he swooped down from the caravan and disappeared from sight like a wraith. Suddenly Calin was afraid. Not for himself, but for Evany. That creature of a man had looked like he was not used to be denied anything.


    ***


    When the caravan eased back across the courtyard towards the large building to the right of the gate, the sick feeling growing in Calin¡¯s stomach from the presence of Xyri wasn¡¯t even remotely lessening.


    Of all the people Calin had met through his life, that man was the only one to truly scare him down to his core.


    On top of that, everything Xyri and the gypsy had talked about had sounded like they were speaking about a different boy. But... they had spoken about him and that made him wonder what this secret was.


    A secret that went so far as to drive people beyond the edges of their world to acquire; it was a mystery that wouldn¡¯t budge, even though Calin tried desperately to remember things that were wiped from his memory with the fall from the cliff.


    By the time they reached the large building, his head throbbed with his effort. When he looked up the forty meter sheer wall in front of him, he again spotted a row of windows close to its top; they were all blocked with bars as he had guessed. So the building is Prison¡¯s Hold. The thought lingered with resignation.


    A few seconds passed before their captor walked over the roof towards them and grabbed Calin forcing his hands behind his back and tied it tightly. He was trying to catch breath. But his face was suddenly pressed into the hard wood while the gypsy was cutting the rest of the bindings. The pressure eased a moment later and he looked as Ta-Reen did the same to Evany.


    It wasn¡¯t more than a few minutes, before Calin was on the ground heading towards the building with the barred windows. Evany was on the other side of Ta-Reen.


    At the edge of the wall there was a smooth tunnel that led into the building. Stepping inside, it became darker, but only for a moment.


    They reached an inner courtyard almost overflowing with guards training with swords, bows and even hand to hand combat. There must have been hundreds of them.


    From the side a guard approached them and said, ¡°What is your business in Prison¡¯s Hold?¡±


    The gypsy jerked Calin forward and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to sign this one in. Is there a cell where I can leave these two while I do that?¡±


    The guard regarded Calin for a second and nodded.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    A shove came from behind. He stumbled as they moved to the left of the compound. About fifty metres from the tunnel, that seemed to be the only exit, the guard unlocked a room with a solid iron door and stepped out of the way.


    The gypsy quickly asked the guard to undo the bindings. A grimace splayed his lips at the feeling of the sword sliding between his wrists. Finally, Ta-Reen dragged the scarf from Calin¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°I will be back for you.¡±


    Coughing wildly, Calin caught his breath before demanding, ¡°What about Evany?! You said you¡¯d let her go.¡±


    Ta-Reen shoved him into the cell and he tumbled to the hard floor, but didn¡¯t miss as the gypsy said, ¡°In due time, when I get my reward I will let her go, but for now she can stay with you until I can organize your new housing.¡± The gypsy laughed and sent Evany into the cell as well.


    The iron door closed, stealing the little light that had come in from outside, enforcing the fact of being trapped.

 Chapter 43: To make a girl a promise

    <h1>Chapter Forty Three: To make a girl a promise</h1>


    In the dark of the cell, it didn¡¯t take more than a few seconds for Evany to run into Calin¡¯s arms. Her small body shook against him.


    A few minutes passed in silence before her sobbing settled down, it had all been fear. At least that was what Calin guessed. Finally he breathed in relief, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    While he held her, she asked with a trembling in her voice, ¡°Calin, what is going on? What were they talking about?¡±


    His body stiffened, sure she had felt it. It was an impossible question, one he could only shake his head about. With a sigh he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know Evany, not even in the least! But...¡± He dragged his hand through his hair. ¡°There is something severely out of place here...¡±


    After a moment, he let go of her and he walked to the small window. Iron bars covered it. A soft light flitted through into the gloomy cell.


    ¡°Why did they say I¡¯m human?¡± Evany asked hesitantly from behind, ¡°But left you out of the picture? It... it doesn¡¯t make sense. Ugh! Nothing makes sense these last few days.


    His hands shook as she spoke. But he tried to hide his fear and gripped the bars with force to steady the trembling. It helped a little. Though, his ragged breath was harder to cover. Why did they leave me out...? What am I?! His cheek pressed against the cold iron as he looked out over the large courtyard, trying desperately to find an answer within himself as he looked at the big Morning tree giving the city its warm pinkish light. Confusion reigned in his heart. In an attempt to buy himself time to think, he took a deep breath and said, almost too soft for her,


    ¡°I wish I knew...¡±


    It took effort to turn his head to look back at her as she stepped closer. ¡°But I fear the answer, Evany.¡±


    A distressed look took hold of her features for only an instant before she took hold of his arm.


    ¡°Calin,¡± She said. ¡°Listen to me. I think they, whoever the heck they are, are trying to get to you. Confuse you, break you down. Tell me you won¡¯t allow them?¡±


    He nodded seriously, but in his heart he was truly afraid of the truths about his past that would come and rip his foundations from under him. He chose to hide his thoughts as he said, ¡°I know and I won¡¯t, but I¡¯ll climb that mountain when it comes.¡± He paused for a few seconds.


    ¡°But for now we need to talk about what happens when they come to give me to those people.¡±


    The second he said that, uncertainty swam across Evany¡¯s eyes, it was there the fleetest of moments before she squared her jaw and glared at him.


    With a swift movement she turned away from him and steeled her voice.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡±


    A frustrated groan escaped him and he gently took hold of her elbow. ¡°Evany... we need to talk about it.¡±


    When he twisted her back to him she had tears brimming at her eyes.


    ¡°Please Calin...¡± she sobbed. ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡±


    Without any other choice, he said, ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but they only wanted me, so I¡¯m going along with the deal for you, for your freedom.¡±


    Evany¡¯s features hardened immediately contrasting the tears that threatened to spill as she said, ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want to be free if it means you are stuck alone with a man like that ...that thing Xyri.¡±


    Just then, Calin couldn¡¯t help but raise his own voice, ¡°You don¡¯t mean that! Stop talking nonsense.¡±


    Huffing with frustration, the girl said, ¡°You don¡¯t know what I mean.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A thick silence settled between the two.


    Not able to help himself, Calin started pacing around the room. Finally he let out his pent up breath.


    ¡°Evany... don¡¯t you see? In this situation, I¡¯m trying to help you get free. I owe you that,¡± He paused. His heart weighed heavy in his chest, his choices brought them here. Had he only let those men and their creatures have him back when he was being hunted... Evany and Jerry could have continued to live a normal life, without the fear they had now of never going home. He owed them. He dragged a hand over his face and said, ¡°And so much more...¡±


    ¡°Calin!Ugh, if you had a last name I would have used it now! Don¡¯t you dare say that.¡± She was staring daggers at him.


    ¡°But I do owe you...¡± Calin said softly as he leaned into the wall. ¡°Nothing you say would change that.¡±


    Evany looked like she wanted to say something harsh, but as she opened her mouth she closed it immediately. She took a few breaths, balling her fists and scrunching up her face, relaxing a little and went through it all again. Finally, after a minute she composed herself and said, ¡°Look, Calin, I don¡¯t know how long I have here with you before... before they come.¡± She hugged her arms around herself with her face downcast. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to spend it fighting with you...¡± The girl looked like she struggled with something before she said, ¡°Calin I¡ª¡±


    He had already moved towards her, as she was speaking. He grabbed her, hugging her to him. ¡°I know,¡± Calin said. ¡°It¡¯s my fault you are in this mess... no don¡¯t say anything... But I am glad I could have seen what I¡¯ve seen with you. I will do everything in my power to get out and come join you guys, is that alright with you?¡±


    After a few seconds of shuddering breaths the girl nodded and placed her face against his chest.


    He comforted her softly as he held her and said, ¡°It is going to be okay. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    With it, Evany squeezed tighter and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, but I do hope you are right.¡±


    Me too, Calin thought as he squeezed back.


    It was a dark situation, but he thought it would do Evany good to think about something else, so he drew her face gently away from his chest and looked deep in her tearful hazel eyes, glistening in the soft light.


    He silently removed a stray lock of hair from her cheek and said, ¡°It is an amazing city, this place, isn¡¯t it? Did you see the size of the pillar it¡¯s built on? It must be what, five or six hundred metres tall!¡± He smiled, remembering the wondrous sight, even though he had been tied to the caravan at that moment. ¡°To think, people live their entire lives back on the seven continents and never know there are places like these hidden right under their noses.¡±


    Evany looked as if she was going to quip at his statement, but then she nodded and pressed herself against him again. ¡°I don¡¯t like you changing the subject at all, but yes it is. I only wish we could have been here by our own free will.¡±


    She took a deep breath and looked up with searching eyes. ¡°Calin promise me you will come back to m... us?¡±


    All he could do was just stand there for a moment, it was not an easy promise to make, taking that he was going to be used to find his father and then killed. Even though Evany didn¡¯t know that, the last thing he wanted was to bring more fear to the girl¡¯s heart by saying it.


    So he opted for the promise, it was something to live for even if they were going to kill him.


    ¡°I promise,¡± he said a few seconds later. ¡°And when I do get away, I¡¯ll come find you first.¡± He meant every word of it as it left his mouth, but he left out the ¡®if¡¯. Somehow he knew he would not give up on getting away, to keep his promise to her even if it was the last thing he did.


    But if he could get away was a different matter all together.


    The girl stared him in the eyes and said, ¡°Good, I¡¯m holding you to it and I will be waiting.¡±


    A noise of iron scraping against iron filled the cell as a key slid into place. It broke the air like glass shattering. Anxiety swept over the two and they stepped out of the hug, waiting for whatever was on the other side.


    As the door opened, Ta-Reen entered with two guards, Evany finally broke down in tears.The gypsy came to stand behind her and said,


    ¡°Come along now girly, it¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡±


    As he grabbed her arm, she started struggling all the while shouting,


    ¡°No no no! Leave me alone, I want to stay! Get off of me!¡±


    With fear for the girl, Calin stepped forward, took hold of her hand.


    ¡°Evany,¡± He whispered. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s going to be okay. Calm down. They are going to let you go. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    The girl plucked at her other arm that was in Ta-Reen¡¯s tight grip as she wailed, ¡°No please no, don¡¯t hurt him!¡±


    Upon reaching the door her hand was lost from his grip as they slowly dragged Evany out of the room. The one guard moved forward and made sure Calin didn¡¯t attempt anything. He wished desperately that he was strong enough. It pained him more than anything to watch them force the girl outside. But there was nothing he could do, another thing to blame himself about. So he just stood there gritting his teeth as they took the girl away.


    Through the whole thing, he glared at Ta-Reen forcing the fact of the bargain into the look.


    As the girl was finally forced out of the door, she screamed through tears. ¡°Remember!¡± and then she was taken away.


    The guard who had kept Calin in check stepped outside and locked the door again.


    All he could do was fall to his knees in helplessness.

 END of Arc Three___Plus Map

    Hi, everyone!


    To make a girl a promise ends it for Arc three.


    With this Arc, I wanted to introduce a few characters and the City of Yera''s Crossing. In the next arc it will be revealed why the city came to be.


    I hope my discription of it made the great pillar city quite clear in the mind. It was a fun area to create.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Do leave ratings for NoS: And the Wish of Light. It helps make it more visible to other readers. A review is also welcome.


    Below is a map for the area they are in from ''Small things can go wrong'' up until now.


    Be aware, this is a map I created a few years ago.It was from a time where I just started creating my own custom objects for maps. I would like to somewhere redo this map in the style I have practised quite a bit by now.


    For my cartography website: https://love-the-otters.wixsite.com/hopemaps</a>

 Chapter 44: Fateful meeting

    <h1>Arc 4</h1>


    <h1>Chapter Forty Four: Fateful meeting</h1>


    It was all a blur when they came for him, Calin hardly registered being dragged up from his knees to his feet as they moved him from the temporary cell.


    While his boots dragged across the ground, he thought of the look on Evany¡¯s face as they took her away. It tore him up inside.


    Somewhere they left the bustling inner courtyard and stepped into a long corridor. It seemed to slowly curve upwards and to the left into a passage that led past a mess hall, but he couldn¡¯t care less as they kept on going.


    After a hefty time spent in dark passageways, they entered a room that probably acted like a hub and led to different corridors within the prison. It had several doors around its recesses.


    A stone counter came into view and there stood a man cataloguing books. Calin¡¯s guards stopped and dumped him to the cold floor as they requested a key from the man behind the counter. The guards chatted away with the man.


    But what was being said was useless to Calin in his state of numbness.


    Through it all he vaguely spotted a glassless window that showed the night outside, the moonlit cliffs of the valley in the distance. Apprehension of what was happening crept into him and a silent hope that he would see the light of day again settled in his heart.


    After a while, the guards picked him up without much grace and they moved again, leading him towards the closest door to the window. Calin took a deep breath as he tried to ingrain the picture outside into his memories before he was taken through the door and away from that window further up into the building. The keen of the strong wind, howled outside like a sombre farewell.


    Through his daze, he remarked that they must be extremely high in the air, considering the five or six hundred metres to the forest floor from the base perch of Yera¡¯s Crossing on the heart pillar; and even now they were climbing higher into the large prison.


    After five minutes or so they reached another room with several doors, but this room was stacked with armour of all shapes and sizes. In another time, if he could have come here as a free man, it would¡¯ve fascinated him to see all the shining pieces of armour that ranged from burgundy to some that were a sleek black and navy.


    All of them had one thing in common, the crest with a woman holding a rock with a thickset tree growing over it. The clear representative for Yera¡¯s Crossing.


    All this only caught Calin¡¯s attention for but a moment. It was then that the guards dropped him painfully to his knees on the stone floor. They said something, but Calin ignored them. After a second they ripped off his steel gauntlets and threw them onto a counter. Lifting him again, they led him through a door on the left.


    As he stepped inside, he knew this would be the place he would stay for a long while. On the left there was a row of cells with solid metal bars going all around it to the wall at the back. Calin smirked when he spotted a small window barely half a meter wide at the back of the five by five meter cell.


    He hadn¡¯t even realized there was a third guard, but the man came past and pressed a weird looking key into a specific slot of one of the columns that marked each corner of the row of cells.


    The other guard surged forward and batted his fellow soldier away from the pillar and said, ¡°Wrong slot you idiot. That one¡¯s for the other cell.¡±


    The first guard grunted a response as the second slipped the strange key into a different slot on the pillar.


    For a second Calin swore there bright yellow lights sparking from the column into the ground, but the guards seemed as if nothing had happened.


    He shook his head, but it was gone.


    In a move that actually caught his attention, three bars of the one cell disappeared into the stone floor within less than a second. He had almost missed the fast movement.


    It was a strange event, but not enough to take the numb feeling away.


    Without ceremony he was tossed into the now open cell. He didn¡¯t mind, he wanted to forget. Not to forget about Evany, but to forget that he was responsible for her current situation. He desperately hoped the transaction would go smoothly, so that Ta-Reen gets his asked price and lets the girl go free, so that she can live.


    Then Calin started to wonder again why all this was happening. Only a slight hint had been given, and it was that they would use him to get his father to come out. But would his father even remember his son? The son, the man had so coldly abandoned. The thought tried to snake into his brain, but he shook it out.


    Out of nowhere, Calin remembered something. A dream. That dream was the precursor to all this madness.


    He sat up straight in the badly lit cell. It made sense suddenly as the images filtered into his mind.


    It had all started on the night his father had snuck him through the World Barrier to the modern Earth. His father had known they would try to use Calin to get what they wanted. What it was though, was a complete mystery. But somehow they had, regardless of what his father had tried, found Calin in the town where he lived. What could I have done?


    ¡°What is with these people,¡± Calin said out loud. ¡°Eight years... Don¡¯t they give up?¡±


    ¡°Hello ... is anybody there?¡± A dry cracked voice came from somewhere on the side. Calin fell over startled.


    As he slowly got back to his knees, he marked the source of the voice. It was a man sitting in the next cell.


    The man was dressed in a dirty cream shirt and brown leggings that could once have been of good quality. The prisoner moved from the shadows. A long beard draped over his chest. He had been in there for at least a year, if not many. The man couldn¡¯t have been older than forty, but the long hair and unkempt beard added a few years to the estimate.


    ¡°Hello there, young man,¡± The prisoner said.


    Calin relaxed a little and sat down to get more comfortable, his mood was still miserable, but he glanced at the man and said, ¡°Hi, my name is Calin, what is yours?¡±


    The stranger in the other cell swept forward and sat close to the cell. Excitement seemed to bubble from him as he said, ¡°My name was Elizri¨¦l once, but you can call me Eli if you so wish.¡±


    A bleak smile settled on Calin before he said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Elizri¨¦l. I take it they don¡¯t throw many people in this side of Prison¡¯s Hold?¡± He had assumed it the moment the man got excited about speaking with him.


    Eli laughed out of his belly and sat back. ¡°Indeed they bloody don¡¯t! It¡¯s been years since someone else had been thrown in this block.¡± The man sat forward then and regarded Calin with an odd little stare.


    ¡°So it makes me wonder, young Calin... what you did that was so special that they would deem you worthy to be thrown in the strongest of the prison cells in all of Yera¡¯s Crossing, Hmmm?¡±


    Calin dropped his gaze. His voice came out like heavy rocks. ¡°That¡¯s the thing... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    A fierce chuckle escaped Eli and he said, ¡°Damn hard to believe you don¡¯t know what you did. It must have been big for them to throw you in here. Not something you just don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s try again lad.¡±


    Annoyed, Calin lifted his face and said more forcefully. ¡°But I don¡¯t know, I was just living my life normally as any other person, but then... they came. They came and hunted me like a stray dog with their Nighthounds. Wherever I went they found me and then a week later, here I am.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With that the man scratched at his beard thoughtfully before he said, ¡°Nighthounds you say?¡±


    Calin nodded grimly and started to move to one of the cell bars to get more comfortable.


    ¡°You got my attention lad,¡± Eli said. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard tales of Nighthounds being seen and only tales of tales of being set loose to hunt people. The real question then is, why?¡±


    Huffing at that, Calin said, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve not ask that exact same question hundreds of times the last week of my life. I am an orphan for crying out loud!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an orphan?¡± Eli asked sincerely.


    Glancing at the man Calin said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a child that is left without parents.¡±


    The man scraped something against the ground as he said, ¡°Sorry lad, I didn¡¯t mean to pry.¡±


    Calin shook his head, looking at his small barred window. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. The thing is; I think my parents are still alive. I¡¯ve reason to believe, they, the men with the crimson suns on their clothes, want to use me to see if they can flush out my father.¡±


    The scraping stopped. Curious, Calin looked up and could see Eli looking hard at him. It was an uncomfortable stare and Calin frowned. But before he could ask what he had said, the man leaned forward with an intense look in his eyes and said, ¡°Men with crimson suns? Are you sure beyond a doubt lad?¡±


    Confused yet intrigued, Calin crawled slightly closer to the other cell and said, ¡°Yes I am. It was kind of hard to miss that fact.¡±


    Without warning, Eli swept away from the bars, disappearing into the shadows that encompassed the back corner of the cell. Calin could hear the man muttering to himself.


    Through it, Calin could hear small bits like, ¡°...how bold of them... cousin outdone himself this time... far into Sambria... what are they looking for... must tell...¡± The rest was just fragments as the man¡¯s voice got lower.


    For a second Calin was sure Eli had started to go mad in this prison. But a moment later, the man came scurrying back scraping his scruffy hair a bit better into place before he said, ¡°Forgive me lad, it is dire news that they have found their way this far. It doesn¡¯t seem possible ... not with the Veil?¡±


    The man rushed to the bars and pressed his face against it, his eyes wild, as he asked, ¡°Quickly now! Tell me, is the Guardians Veil still intact? It is of the utmost importance that I know lad.¡±


    Utterly confused, Calin asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    Horrified the bearded man sat back.


    ¡°No... it just can¡¯t be. This is far worse than I could have imagined. My father told me this could happen one day, why didn¡¯t I believe him...¡±


    But before Eli could retreat, Calin stopped him and said, ¡°No, you understood me wrong sir, I don¡¯t come from these lands. I¡¯ve never even heard of half the things that I¡¯ve witnessed the last couple of days. I don¡¯t know what the Guardians Veil is.¡±


    With questions sparkling in his eyes, Eli came crawling back and asked, ¡°I see the truth in your eyes. Maybe it isn¡¯t as bad as I fear. But tell me young man, where do you come from then?¡±


    For some reason, Calin had an urge not to divulge that particular secret, especially not after the guards from the gate had reacted so severely to Evany¡¯s race.


    Suddenly horrified, Calin swore for the thought. Our race. Our race hear me! I AM HUMAN.


    His whole body shook in anger as he tried to suppress the doubts that had so easily been planted in him. After a short while, his breathing calmed, with only his heart still beating loudly in his chest. He took a few deep breaths before he said in a flat voice,


    ¡°I come from over the seas.¡±


    It was true considering that somewhere in one of the major oceans there laid hidden these lost continents. To Calin¡¯s relief, Eli didn¡¯t press the matter.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Eli said. ¡°Don¡¯t get many of them Island goers very often. No wonder you don¡¯t know about the Veil. That Veil is what keeps this entire continent free from a war that could far too easily consume it. I just hope it stays that way with those who bear the bleeding suns sneaking about.¡± The man cast Calin a glance and continued, ¡°But forgive my ramblings, the matters of Sambria always carried some importance to me. I am from a place south west of here. Moons¡¯ Reach is the name of the place. A magnificent city if there ever was one. It is tragic that the current ruler¡¯s roots lay in corrupted waters.¡± The last was said as the man eased back on his back.


    With Eli mentioning the city, Calin sat up and said, ¡°I was on my way to Moons¡¯ Reach for my first time; that is, until I was betrayed and captured, ending up here.¡±


    The man came back onto his haunches and said, ¡°Betrayed you say? Now that I can relate to, it was for that exact reason I¡¯ve been rotting in this twice forsaken prison for no reason whatsoever. By none other than a relative, he wanted to overthrow the good from that city. But he has a cruel heart and well here I sit, betrayed by someone who was once close to me. I just wish he was half the man he pretended to be, but alas the man has a corrupted heart.¡±


    Sorry for the man, Calin said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    A chuckle echoed through the room from Eli at that. ¡°No lad,¡± he said after calming down. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I have no regrets except for the fact that the people I care for must suffer under that man¡¯s hand. If I get out of here someday I will make sure that changes.¡±


    Calin couldn¡¯t help but chuckle with the man, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll second that, if I get out, I want to help those dear to me to be safe from those people. Maybe if I¡¯m lucky I can take them home someday...¡±


    Not giving himself time, to despair over the small hope of that, Calin wanted to ask a different question, one that had been bothering him with no limit. ¡°Listen Eli, can I ask you a question?¡±


    The man sat up, curiosity splayed across his face as he said, ¡°Sure lad, ask away.¡±


    With no real hope of an answer Calin asked, ¡°This language that you and I speak, how did it happen that everybody in these lands that I¡¯ve come across can speak it; even if it is sometimes rudimental.¡±


    ¡°What an odd question,¡± Eli said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard someone ask that. Let me think a moment, there is a tale.¡±


    Calin was surprised that an answer could be forthcoming. He sat up interested in what would be said, and happily waited for the man to answer. Five minutes passed without a word, he could only guess at the time, but then he looked down and lifted his cloak¡¯s long sleeve only to find his watch still there. Wow...okay, I¡¯m not complaining. So he waited patiently.


    At last, Eli sat up and said, ¡°I remember now, my father use to tell me the tale when I was but a little dust hopper. It goes something like this: Once many, many years ago a family from the great nation of Linguists came to our land¡ª¡±


    Calin bit back a laugh, almost choking on it. But as the man looked at him, he motioned for Eli to go on.


    ¡°... They impressed the King of the mightiest of cities so much with their unique language and skills to translate it, that he sent out an order like none other before it. To make the King¡¯s Tongue a law in all the cities. Not surprisingly there was great protest for the freedom of languages, but to no avail. And over two turns of the centuries, the King¡¯s tongue was the common language wormed its way into all the reaches. It helped that it spoke and wrote easier than the more native tongues.¡±


    A lot made sense with the news. But Calin let the chuckle out and laughed happily, before Eli sat and demanded. ¡°Do you find it funny?¡±


    Trying to calm himself, Calin shook his head. ¡°No sir, I find it remarkable. Now I understand why people speak English... uh I mean the King¡¯s Tongue over here. Tell me Eli how does your dialect stay um how can I say it... so new, fresh even?¡±


    The man regarded Calin carefully, before saying, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t known otherwise, I would have thought you human young Calin. You sound just like them. But your eyes give you away.¡±


    Calin drew in an intense gasp, as his heart missed a beat. IT¡¯S A LIE; there was no way he could believe it.


    But Eli¡¯s face flashed in surprise probably from seeing his reaction. The man brought both hands up and said,


    ¡°Ah forgive me, I was prying again. No, the reason for the language¡¯s current state is an age old tradition. The Kings from Moons¡¯ Reach appoint a handful humans from the ones they find at the three spirit valleys every few years. Where they teach at the mighty Arcas Academia, the largest academy in all of Sambria I might add. From there, it spread to the guilds of all twelve tribes. It¡¯s been an unspoken rule to learn the language for far more years than my own. With each new human teacher of the King¡¯s Tongue, the new words from that far away land is moved into the tribes. I last studied there ten years ago... it seems almost a lifetime ago now.¡± The man went silent and sat down like he was brooding.


    So many things about what was said just then distressed Calin immensely, but two things in particular.


    He tried to keep his anxiety from his face as he feared the answer for the one, but he asked anyway.


    ¡°What happens to those humans after they completed what was appointed to them?¡±


    While he waited for the answer, Calin¡¯s insides twisted horribly. Eli yawned and said, ¡°It was always a rule that humans were sent safely to their own cities on the silver plains to live out their lives normally. Why do you ask lad?¡±


    It was not the answer Calin expected so he asked, ¡°So why then, would the guards from Yera¡¯s Crossing react to humans as if they were the monsters to be feared?¡±


    A surprised look and a deep frown settled on Eli and the man said, ¡°That my friend I do not know, but I bet it has something to do with that traitorous cousin of mine, it sounds just like him. He always despised their race. Even told me once, the only good thing about humans was their knowledge of the Kings Tongue. It is truly disturbing news. If I ever get my hands on him, I¡¯m ...¡± he didn¡¯t finish the sentence, but the man crawled to the corner and whipped out a crude blanket and said, ¡°But for now young Calin sleep, you¡¯ll need your strength tomorrow.¡± With that he disappeared in the shadows of the corner.


    Somehow Calin found a strange sense of trust in Eli, the man spoke of the right ways, it was a far shot better than what was going on outside.


    Yet, he wondered if the people who were taken for teaching ever lived to see another day after they had outlived their usefulness. It made him anxious inside, as Kara¡¯s father popped up in his mind, and the others that had been with him.


    As he searched for his own blanket to sleep he couldn¡¯t help but hope his friends were alright; more so for Evany, but in this city he wasn¡¯t sure if there was real safety even for Jerry and the others.


    He found the crude blanket in his cell and crawled in the corner to find what sleep was possible in the circumstances.


    So many vital questions were still left unanswered.

 Chapter 45: Visitors

    <h1>Chapter Forty Five: Visitors</h1>


    It was a rough night of sleeping, plagued by nightmares of being trapped. Lightning struck all around. He tried to run, but his feet moved like lead blocks.


    Then outside the cell bars there was movement. To Calin¡¯s terror Evany was being dragged into the darkness by that creature of a man Xyri. The sweet venom dripped from the voice of the ashen man as he took Evany into the darkness. ¡°She will scream, son of Darrus... She will scream.¡± It was enough to break him free from the nightmare.


    He sat up gasping for breath. It was all blurry and vague, but those words rung in his head.


    It was still dark outside, but sleep wouldn¡¯t come easily again. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He looked around and sighed. The bars of his cell were taunting him with his predicament, and on top of that he hadn¡¯t had a drop of water in such a long time. Calin looked toward what was supposed to be the entrance to his cell, no container of water. He sighed again and tried to forget about the fact.


    It was slightly chilly and he drew his dark cloak around him, infinitely glad that they didn¡¯t take it from him. Even so, he shivered within it. He absentmindedly fumbled for the ring on his finger, and jerked upright. The ring wasn¡¯t there anymore! He got up and rummaged through his clothes. Gone.


    It was gone.


    A pain spiked in his heart, one he hadn¡¯t felt many times since he could remember. It was no physical pain. He had lost one of the most important things dear to him. The only other thing except for a letter and the remains of his clothes that he had worn when he fell from that cliff eight years ago. The only real possessions he had from the parents that had left him. The pain of losing the ring was threatening to bring tears to his eyes.


    Just as he was about to allow the despair to sweep him away, something caught his attention. Even through his blurry vision. There was this slight movement at the top of the column that marked the corner of his and the other cell. Calin tried to wipe at his eyes to get the tears away and stared harder. But it was like looking at a spot on his eye, one that kept moving out of sight.


    He shook his head vigorously. There were clearly traces of a yellow light seeping into the pillar in a gentle dance. Then it was gone, like an after image.


    With a frown Calin blinked his eyes several times and moved forward, the pain that had threatened a part of his sanity only remained as a dull throb in his chest as he wondered at what he had seen.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Calin finally whispered.


    ¡°What was what, lad?¡± The voice from the side startled Calin as he jerked, but then he remembered Eli from the next cell. Without taking his eyes from the pillar he said, ¡°Eli... did you see that yellow light on the pillar just a moment ago?¡±


    There was shuffling and then Eli¡¯s voice was closer as the man said, ¡°No lad, I didn¡¯t... are you sure there was something?¡±


    Calin stared intently at the pillar, but there was no more light, just the smooth surface of the marble.


    Finally he laughed and sat back. ¡°Sorry I must be seeing things, I just really thought... No, it must have been a play in the air.¡±


    ¡°It is alright lad,¡± Eli said a moment later. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this prison for years and years, sometimes it gets to you.¡± It could easily have been said in harsher terms, and Calin didn¡¯t miss the small gesture.


    He shrugged it off. But then a question came to mind, though he almost didn¡¯t get the words out through his dry throat.


    ¡°So where do you get water in this place, it¡¯s been days since I had something to drink.¡± He didn¡¯t know how long before extreme dehydration would start to take him, but at the very least at that moment he was glad that his thirst wasn¡¯t as noticeable.


    Eli regarded him for a moment and as the man opened his mouth to say something, the door from their prison wing swung open with a loud clash.


    Two men strutted in, with only the pride or rather the arrogance that guards can. The one had the same attire as the guards that had kept the path into Yera¡¯s Crossing. The other one, however, was bedecked with more flamboyance. Somehow the man looked familiar... The realization struck hard to his utter dismay, the captain from the fort!


    The one that had not so long ago wore the nightmarish crimson sun so proudly. Though his attire now was burgundy chainmail with the lady of Yera¡¯ Crossing¡¯s crest on his chest.


    Something in Calin screamed the word infiltration. It had been clear from Eli¡¯s reaction; that those that wore the crimson sun weren¡¯t welcome in these lands. For what purpose the captain infiltrated Yera¡¯s Crossing was unknown, but it was clear there were hidden motives.


    When the captain came close, a broad grin splayed his lips, then the man said, ¡°My my my, didn¡¯t think it was true. But there you are... the last of them.¡±


    Something bothered Calin about the statement, but he squeezed his own fist and ignored the remark, forcing a smirk.


    Slowly he sat back against a cell bar and said, ¡°Did the horse give you much trouble to tow back in, a few days ago?¡±


    The smile disappeared from the captain¡¯s face.


    But strangely, as the man stepped closer to the cell, he was all the while keeping track of the other guard in the room before saying in a low harsh voice.


    ¡°That was you? Do you have any idea what you cost me? That horse cost me a small fortune and it got away.¡±


    A smile tugged at Calin¡¯s lips and he said, ¡°Oops. But, I bet the dead Nighthound was worse. I heard the guards say they are very rare.¡±


    The captain¡¯s eyes popped open wide. A vein started throbbing on his forehead and it looked like he was going to burst. His hand started to unsheathe his sword, but a glance at the other guard stopped the motion. Still, the man gritted his teeth and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re just as arrogant as your father, boy. Yet, I¡¯m not the one sitting behind bars.¡± The anger didn¡¯t fade from the man¡¯s face as he whispered, ¡°Mark my words, when Mishael has laid his little trap and snared his prey, I will, and I tell you, I will enjoy cutting the price from your flesh before Mishael kills you, do you hear me, boy?¡±


    Calin was about ready to spit at the man as another set of guards barged loudly into the room, breaking the flaring aggression that had sprung up in the room.


    Behind the new guards, a man rigid and proud like a military general entered. There was grey hair hinting at long years in service over his ears. The man was heavily armoured in a beige coloured metal. A burgundy cape flowed behind his shoulders.


    The minute the captain noticed the armoured man, he straightened up in haste and changed his face, before he said, ¡°Commander Osai¡¯es, I ... I didn¡¯t expect you in here.¡±


    The commander came forward and stated, ¡°Captain Gemmer, don¡¯t test my patience, these prisoners are not under your jurisdiction. Go back to the walls immediately or you will be disciplined. No. Wait; rather go to the Guild at Fort Gavon. They are tasked with figuring out what is going on in the caves deep under Yera¡¯s Crossing. I heard there was urgent news from Captain Cecil¡­ You know which Guild?¡±


    The captain stuttered. ¡°Yes. But sir... surely I ....¡±


    But the commander glared at the man and demanded. ¡°Now! Go assist her!¡±


    With that, the captain stammered and retreated rapidly from the room, only glancing back to glare at his commander in chief.


    Without a doubt, Calin was certain now that those with the crimson suns were after something. They were everywhere he went. The fact sat heavy in him, only adding to the feeling of helplessness that had been on the rise for a while.


    Steeling himself, he stood up as the commander approached his cell. The man stared at Calin intently with his faded green eyes. After what seemed far too long, Osai¡¯es said, ¡°So you¡¯re the boy they say threatened the King¡¯s life?¡±


    Flabbergasted, Calin asked, ¡°Huh? What... what do you mean I threatened the life of the King... sir?¡±


    The commander¡¯s stare got harder. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me boy, they threw you in here because you threatened the King¡¯s life in Moons¡¯ Reach.¡±


    Shaking his head vigorously, Calin said, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Moons¡¯ Reach before... sir. In fact I was on my way there for the first time ever, before I was captured against my will in an ambush just south of here.¡±


    The commander jerked back as if something dirty had been thrown in his direction and he spoke harshly, ¡°Don¡¯t you be lying to me boy, or I will have you flogged!¡±


    With apprehension building in his stomach, Calin said, ¡°I¡¯m not, sir. I¡¯ve never even been to Yera¡¯s Crossing before yesterday. I came from somewhere to the North-East of Needlewood village, sir, looking for my parents. I didn¡¯t even know why I was thrown in jail, sir. All I was doing was trying to travel to Moons¡¯ Reach for the first time to try and find my family.¡±


    The commander had an indescribable look on his face and was about to say something, when Eli tapped something metal against one of the cell bars.


    ¡°Osai¡¯es, leave the boy alone. He is not in here for the reason you think.¡±


    The commander spun on Eli and hissed, ¡°You have no say in the matter Elizri¨¦l. You better remember your place.¡±


    With a huff of contempt, Eli walked back and disappeared in the shadows of his cell. A voice travelled out of the dark.


    ¡°Oh I do remember my place Osai¡¯es, but it¡¯s not where you think it is.¡±


    The commander growled at Eli and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s commander Osai¡¯es to you!¡±


    Without warning, Osai¡¯es spun and flicked his cloak in frustration and started retreating from the room. But not before he said, ¡°I am a busy man, but I¡¯m not finished with either of you.¡± The armoured man left, taking the guards with him.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ***


    Utterly confused with what just transpired, Calin turned to Eli¡¯s cell and asked, ¡°What was that?¡±


    Coming from the shadows, the bearded man laughed out of his belly and said, ¡°If you were in here as long as I have, you don¡¯t have anything to lose. So if I can ruffle the commander¡¯s feathers. It helps take my mind off of things.


    ¡®Besides, I like you lad, and if you don¡¯t even know about the Guardian¡¯s Veil, which clearly you didn¡¯t, there is not a chance that you¡¯ve been to Moons¡¯ Reach. So I¡¯m very much inclined to believe there are people who don¡¯t want the reason for your captivity to become general knowledge. And because I like you lad, I will be very honest, it truly makes me a worried man.¡±


    Wow, Calin stared at his fellow prisoner. Eli had appeared somewhat crazy from the start. But the man didn¡¯t miss a thing.


    The floor was hard and far too cold, but Calin sat back down as he said, ¡°You are a very interesting man, Eli. My guesses are that you were wrongly accused as well.¡±


    The man smiled and nodded his head in respect at Calin before he said, ¡°Well done lad.¡±


    A few moments passed and Calin said, ¡°I am glad for the company. It helps.¡±


    Then the man leaned against the wall. ¡°As am I for yours lad, as am I.¡±


    A bang resounded through the room as the door swung open and through the entrance strode a scarlet haired girl.


    Kara.


    ¡°What the?¡± Calin mumbled as the girl closed the door behind her, looking out one last time before it shut closed completely. The girl stormed to his cell.


    ¡°Calin! You¡¯re okay! We feared the worst when we met up with Mictoria and Christoff and heard what happened.¡±


    He took hold of the girl in a kind of awkward hug through the bars before letting her go again, glad that she was okay after her hard fall.


    ¡°No,¡± Calin said. ¡°I¡¯m okay for now. Kara you... wait, how the heck did you get in here? There are guards everywhere.¡±


    But he shook his head, there was no time for explanations, so he continued, ¡°Never mind that, you have to listen to me quickly. They plan on handing me over to this guy Mishael. I think that¡¯s his name. Then they are going to use me to get at my father. After that... they... I... But that doesn¡¯t really matter right now.¡±


    He could see the utter shock on the girl¡¯s face. She had caught on to what was going to happen. But he grabbed her hands and gave her no time to speak.


    ¡°Kara, what is important is that you and the others must find Evany. See to it that she is safe and when they hand me over, that Evany goes free. I¡¯m the price Kara, and the deal was, if I don¡¯t do anything stupid then they will let her go.¡±


    Kara looked at him as if he was mad, she threw up her arms and said, ¡°What has gotten into you Calin? There is no way we are going to leave you to those pigs.¡±


    Calin desperately wanted to get the message across. It was extremely important and the girl was stubborn as usual. He was about to say something when a whistle sounded somewhere. Kara grabbed his hands and said, ¡°Calin I don¡¯t have time, but don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll find a way to get you out.¡±


    With that, the girl scampered off to the door. Calin shouted after her. ¡°Get Evany first, I beg you!¡±


    It was as if the exchange never happened. The door had closed and the girl was gone. Calin¡¯s heart was thudding in his chest; he silently wished they didn¡¯t do something crazy as he went back to his blanket. As he laid down Eli¡¯s voice drifted from the other cell.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up lad,¡± he said in a grim tone. ¡°Long ago in a darker time, Yera¡¯s Crossing was one of the six grand prison cities. It was the perfect prison for many reasons, not only because it was so high from the ground.¡±


    Dragging the blanket tighter around himself, Calin let out a pent up breath and said, ¡°I know... I just want them to free my friend. All I care about is her freedom and theirs.¡±


    It was silent for a couple of seconds and then Eli said, ¡°You¡¯re a good young man, Calin. Never change that about yourself. Now get some sleep, it¡¯s still a couple of hours till the sun rises.¡±


    Calin nodded as he chewed on his lip. His body soon decided that it was too tired to worry any further as he drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    A few hours later the sound of the door¡¯s latch opening echoed, waking Calin. Half-heartedly, he lifted his head from the blanket. Even to his foggy mind, the surprise of seeing Jerry hit him. The boy was sneaking towards the cell. ¡°Oi,¡± whispered Jerry. ¡°Calin, are you awake?¡±


    All drowsiness was gone in an instant as Calin got up and said, ¡°Am now, how do you guys keep getting in here?¡±


    He moved towards the edge of the cell, truly wanting an answer to that this time. Then Jerry gave Calin a piece of paper and lifted his shoulders, and said,


    ¡°That¡¯s a very long story. Mictoria is an incredibly resourceful woman. But Calin, listen we found a single way off this rock for you, though the problem is we can¡¯t figure out how to get you out of the cell...


    ¡®Mictoria keeps on saying {these cells are really special and}... agh never mind it didn¡¯t make sense at all any way. Basically she said you can¡¯t even attempt to tamper with them. It is incredibly dangerous to do so. Calin... The only possible way for you to escape is if they let you out of the cell somewhere, and then if you can get all the way to the second room from here, where you came in. There is a window. The paper will say the rest.¡±


    It was tempting to open the letter, but Calin resisted and asked, ¡°What about Evany, I told Kara that she is the priority Jerry.¡±


    The boy looked impatient, but he shook his head. ¡°Yes yes we know. We are going to go rescue her from Ta-Reen the moment the sun sets. But when we do, you have to try and get out.¡±


    The boy was about to leave, when Calin grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Jerry listen to me, when you get Evany, don¡¯t wait for me, just get out of here. I will try and join you, but if anything happened to me I want you to take Evany and Kara and go as far away as you can. Try and get Tyas to take you somewhere safe. Do you hear me?¡±


    Jerry looked like he wanted to protest, but Calin squeezed the boy¡¯s arm hard and said, ¡°No ¡®buts¡¯ Jerry. Just do it.¡±


    Looking heavily conflicted, the boy seemed to try and think, but finally he said, ¡°Fine Calin, but try to get out please? The girls would kill me if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Calin smiled at that and said, ¡°Now, I can¡¯t let that happen. Just get out of here before you are caught!¡±


    The boy nodded with a smile and swept out of the room. As he closed the door, Calin fell back and sat down heavily.


    Now that Jerry was out of the room he dropped his false bravado. He didn¡¯t see a way out of the cell. The bars looked and felt unmovable. What else did I expect from a prison? Half heartedly Calin asked into the almost empty cells.


    ¡°Do they ever let us out?¡±


    The answer was clear even before Eli spoke.


    ¡°No... I¡¯m so sorry lad.¡±


    Calin nodded slowly with his eyes closed, it wasn¡¯t a surprise. But it didn¡¯t make it any easier to hear. ¡°Then I hope they can free my friend. At least that will bring me some peace.¡±


    A grunt sounded from the other cell, and with that the silence settled over the place again. It was hard to come to grips with the idea of captivity, but somehow he knew that his death wasn¡¯t far off if the exchange took place.


    It was impossible to make peace with that fact, but he was trapped and there was no path to follow, no escape. It was a maddening thought. Calin shook his head before he wandered over to the small little barred window. Outside, the courtyard stretched far down below.


    About a hundred metres away from where his position, stood the massive Morning tree that from that angle looked more like two huge trees entwined permanently. Below, the bleach white buildings stretched over the dark roots. All around the city a three story high wall embraced it, a couple of guards patrolling the top of it.


    On the far left side of the courtyard, the colossal bridge disappeared out of sight and into the mist.


    As he was about to leave the tiny window, Eli¡¯s sombre voice came from the side.


    ¡°I heard the tale of that tree, many years ago.¡±


    Calin glanced at the man, but didn¡¯t say anything as Eli continued. ¡°There once was a young Leafling woman, a very long time ago. Quite an uncommon occurrence, since they don¡¯t often leave the great forests, in her case the one called Ethanier. But her reasons were never given and most only whispered of her beauty all over the towns she visited. They often invited her for a feast. But she never had an eye for the prejudiced noble men who thrived in the grand places.


    ¡®Even though she did not mingle often in the company of the nobles, her presence was marked by one young ambitious duke, who wanted nothing more than to have her as the exotic beauty at his side, nothing more than a face.


    ¡®It was hardly a surprise to learn the woman did not want anything to do with that man. And had she just left the town, she would never have felt the sting of his poisonous ire.¡±


    Calin shifted his gaze to Eli. The soft light bathed the man¡¯s face in that warm, pink glow from the Morning tree.


    Eli then took a breath and spoke again.


    ¡°But alas, the woman stayed in that city. She had met a man, who took in children that had no one to care for them. Moved by this act of selflessness, her heart finally found the place where it belonged.


    ¡®For a short time the two young ones were indeed truly happy together. But what she did not know, was, that the young noble had seen them together. His jealousy raged inside him and sadly he did not control it. All in the palace felt his temper at the discovery of the two lovers.


    ¡®From that moment, it had marked a path that would only end in tragedy. One sunny morning the woman and her man took the, as you say, orphan boys and girls on a trip to the lonely small tree on top of the great pillar of Amanker.


    ¡®It was written that, that day, the young tree had sprouted its first blossoms. Two flowers had opened on its small branches. The woman was delighted as it oft said in the legends that the first blossoms of a Morning tree is the warmest, unlocking mysteries for those who hold them. The woman picked one of the beautiful flowers for her lover, who closed it gently in his hand and brought it to his chest. The woman went back and picked the second blossom. She treasured the feeling of the warm leaves in her hands. A hope had sprung up to bring the second blossom to the first, maybe to wish on it together with him, but as she turned to him she heard a sickening sound and an arrow pierced through the heart of the man that she so truly loved.¡±


    Calin¡¯s body stiffened as Eli continued the story.


    ¡°It is said that, the moment the man died that his blossom was painted with his heart blood and he breathed his last on the root of the tree. The woman screamed in despair, and drew the sword from her dead lover¡¯s belt, storming at the murderers. Among the three intruders, there was that very noble man who had so desired to have that woman as the beautiful puppet by his side¡­


    ¡®The noble man had such an intense hatred for the journeyman who had the heart of this woman, that he had given the order of his death and gave the order to kill the children the man had sheltered. But as he gave the order in his uncontrolled rage, the woman was there with the sword screaming that she would never allow him to lay a finger on the children.


    ¡®The archer, who had shot the killing arrow, was dead before he could knock another. Now, as one would have it, the noble was a coward, he shoved the swordsman in front of himself and ran away.


    ¡®The enraged Leafling woman swung her sword and the swordsman took a grave wound, but not before he buried his own sword through the woman¡¯s middle. Though, as the two went down to the ground, the woman screamed and gathered her strength.


    ¡®With a great swing of her arm, she threw her sword after the fleeing noble. Her last breath was used to avenge her true love, and be it luck or from justice, her aim was pure and true. The flying sword pierced the noble man and cast him from the great pillar¡¯s height as if he was banished from the top of that pillar that had brought two blossoms together.¡±


    Eli turned to him and said, ¡°It is said that those two blossoms which were covered in the blood of pure ones, and the tears of the children, was accepted by the lonely Morning tree to become part of it. Though, it still is just a tree, and will always be just a tree, as all trees are. The memories of their passing were so great it affected the growth towards a mighty tree and gave it its unique colour and affinity. From there, the years passed by and the tree grew more in width than most of its kind. Often after that, the children who had survived the ordeal visited the place many times and one day they decided they wanted the two lovers to be remembered. They came back to build their lives on top of the great pillar and under the tree of Two Blossoms which they called Yerandier¡¯s Embrace; named after the woman who had loved the only parent they had ever known and who had so selflessly defended them from the mad noble. Thus came to be the city that is now called Yera¡¯s Crossing.¡±


    Tears fell from Calin¡¯s eye, surprising him, as he lifted the wet droplets off his cheeks. He turned to Eli finally and in a cracked voice asked, ¡°Why¡­ why did you tell me that story?¡±


    Eli reached through the cell bars and patted his shoulder and said,


    ¡°Because it should not be forgotten how this city came to be, even if it became a prison city through that war. It was first and foremost built not for a tree but in memory of pure love. I told you this tale mainly because I know how difficult it must have been to keep a brave face in front of your friend when there is no chance of escape.¡±


    There was no way Calin could process the jumble of emotions that ran through him at that moment. Though, after a few minutes of silence, he managed to find his voice again, and he croaked, ¡°I - I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You are welcome lad. And truly, I am sorry.¡±


    Calin just nodded without another word and went back to the window to watch Yerandier¡¯s Embrace gentle glow in the dark for a long time.


    Eventually, as he looked out over the people far below, the sun started to rise. Somehow the few hours it would give its light seemed useless to him now.


    All he cared for, was Evany¡¯s freedom as he spied on the people, waiting for something to happen.

 Chapter 46: A hint of someone and something

    <h1>Chapter Forty Six: A hint of someone and something</h1>


    Even knowing that the days were short, didn¡¯t help make the time go by until the sun would set somewhere to the left of the bridge. The time ticked by and was only accentuated by Calin¡¯s own breathing. He tried to resist looking at his watch, certain that time would seem even slower if he kept glancing at the numbers of the digital watch.


    After the first five hours Calin started to think the watch was left on his arm as a method of torture. He looked again. Man! It was certain now.


    A half an hour passed and he was soon left with no choice but to start to think about everything that was said since he was taken captive. That though, held barely any comfort at all.


    The little that did make sense was the fact, that, Mishael, whoever that was, was going to come and use him to catch his own father. Besides that, the only other thing Calin truly understood, which was the hardest to accept, was the fact that they were going to kill him when they had sprung the trap. ¡®Why¡¯ seemed to allude him completely.


    What made his insides broil, was, that he hadn¡¯t even made peace with the fact that he had a father, much less the fact that father figure was out there somewhere.


    Now all of a sudden, he was no longer a true orphan, technically, and they were going use him to get to his father.


    For a single moment, only a single moment, Calin wanted them to flush his father out so he could confront the man to ask questions until he couldn¡¯t ask anymore. But the one question that kept coming up in his mind, was, why were these men doing what they were doing?


    But it was pointless. Even with his anger and frustration at his dad, it was an easy decision not to help these cruel people with anything.


    Half heartedly, Calin took out and read Jerry¡¯s note. It was a jumbled mess. The only real parts that made sense were that Mictoria had hidden something at the second hub room. The only one with a window, it said there was a drop on the other side.


    Calin stopped reading.


    It was useless anyway. There was no way to get out of his cell.


    Escape was pushed aside, and dozens of ways he would resist his captives and this Mishael person floated around in his head.


    He was so engrossed in it, that he almost missed the fact that the sun was setting outside. At last! He smiled, yet there were great big bugs fluttering in his stomach of what his friends would try and attempt tonight.


    Somehow he wasn¡¯t so enthusiastic about it anymore. His gut was wrenching with worry for Evany and the others. If anything goes wrong¡ª he shook his head. No can¡¯t think like that. But it was eating at him anyway.


    The tension became too much and Calin got up grabbed hold of the barred window, looking out over the courtyard with the big luminous Morning tree.


    Somewhere off to his side, his fellow prisoner Eli shuffled closer and said, ¡°Is there something wrong lad?¡±


    Calin shook his head.


    ¡°No, I just hope my friends can rescue the girl who was taken captive with me.¡±


    The man started to say something, but Calin held up his hand.


    ¡°Shhh, look down there!¡±


    There were two hooded figures exiting from a house relatively close to the grand bridge.


    At first, it seemed like other people, but the one stumbled over a stone and dropped to his knees. The brown hood fell back and revealed Jerry. Just then the other one came and helped Jerry up, clearly reprimanding the boy about his clumsiness.


    With some effort and squinting over the distance, Calin could make out the features of Tyas.


    In the cell next to him there was more shuffling, it was Eli going to the window as he took in the view far below. Calin just focussed on what was going on outside.


    The pair down below went scurrying across the courtyard, towards another building closer to Yerandier¡¯s Embrace. When they knocked on the building, the door opened and allowed them in. Must be Mictoria¡¯s quarters.


    The wait was tense for them to come back out, or something.


    Five minutes went by, before there was movement on the roof of the two story building.


    Tyas and Jerry were busy pushing a piece of wood between their building and the next. Excitement and tribulation was bubbling up.


    Without caring, his hands dug into the rough edges of the barred window. After a slight pause, the two hooded figures snuck between the rooves.


    They got on the other side safely, but a set of guards came patrolling on the white wall that surrounded Yera¡¯s Crossing. The position of the patrol threatened to reveal the two who were sneaking over the roof.


    Worry flared up and Calin almost shouted at them to hide, but restrained himself at the last moment.


    Luckily, Tyas turned towards the pair of oblivious guards and it was clear the man hissed at Jerry to get down. As they got low behind the meter high wall of the roof, Calin cringed. The plank was in plain sight!


    Drops of sweat ran down his forehead. But then just as the guards came within thirty metres of the two buildings, one of the two scrambled out of cover and carefully dragged at the plank until it was out of sight.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Letting out a pent up breath with a whoosh, Calin continued to watch the two. The guards passed them without incident and disappeared into the next guard tower on the wall.


    Jerry and Tyas rushed from their hiding place over the roof. They got to the right side of the building and Tyas lowered himself to the window there. It looked to Calin as if the man had trouble with getting the window open. But just when worry started to set in, Tyas disappeared from view. Jerry stayed on top, hidden behind the blackened chimney.


    No more than ten seconds after Tyas had disappeared into the two story building, the two heavy set doors at the bottom flew open.


    Ta-Reen sat on top of his caravan and it floated silently from the stable that was built into the side of the larger two story building.


    Evany was sitting upright behind the gypsy, chained up to the corner with her hands and with one of her ankles to the adjourning railing.


    Calin¡¯s insides coiled in fear suddenly. ¡®No... no, come on!¡¯ Why did you have to leave with her now!¡¯ The first bit slipped out loud, but it was the least of his worries. His attention was fixed on the things spiralling out of control down at the building. There was nothing he could do, Tyas was in the building to find Evany, but that gypsy had taken her with him just as the other two started the rescue operation.


    The gypsy¡¯s caravan floated towards the great arches that marked the start of the bridge. The same bridge that stretched over the river between the sheer cliff and Yera¡¯s Crossing.


    As the caravan moved closer to the bridge another carriage drifted from within the mist. Rolling a bit unsteadily over it, on what looked to be a more traditional sort of carriage.


    It had four wheels and a large chocolate brown horse dragging it towards Yera¡¯s Crossing. Disgust frothed in Calin when the driver on the more traditional carriage came into view, it was Xyri. The man, or whatever he was, was still draped in the sickly colour of the blood red robes.


    Just past the first towering archway the two carriages met up. Ta-Reen was motioning something with his hands as the two drivers talked, but then Xyri said something that aggravated the gypsy as his fist was levelled at the ashen man. But before the apparent argument could get out of control everything stopped and Ta-Reen seemed to relax. The gypsy jumped from his own caravan and approached the window of the more traditional wheeled carriage.


    In the shadows a face emerged, but it was too dark to see, even in the more than considerable pink light the massive tree, Yerandier¡¯s Embrace was giving off.


    Ta-Reen seemed to nod at the mysterious man inside the carriage, and point to Prison¡¯s Hold. Mishael had come for him.


    A sick feeling grew inside Calin.


    Out of the carriage, an armoured arm stuck out, handing a palm sized metallic looking sphere to Ta-Reen. But as much as it interested Calin, it was just too far to make out any details of the object. Ta-Reen looked extremely pleased as he hefted it.


    Through it all, Calin quickly glanced to Evany, and it sent waves of shock through his body as the ashen man approached her.


    Calin banged on his prison wall wanting to scream.


    But just before Xyri could reach an arm to touch Evany, the armoured arm waved and Xyri jerked away from Evany. The look the ashen man had was of great disappointment before he jumped back up and steered the wheeled carriage forward. The horse trotted its way toward Prison¡¯s Hold.


    In the moments of the exchange, the armoured hand had struck a chord with him. It was bronze in colour. But what it reminded him off was just there. Calin racked his brains.


    Then it clicked in place, and realization dawned on him. It made his blood chill. It was the exact same etched gauntlet and colour as the armour of the man coming after him in the vision. The vision from the same night he was struck with lightning.


    A shudder ran through him as he hoped with all his heart it was just a coincidence. In a way, it didn¡¯t make sense why it bothered him so much. But he had been observer to this man hunting him, or rather hunting the severely burnt man with the scar on his hand.


    Something in Calin¡¯s instincts marked the burnt man as his father, even if it was a crazy delusion. But somehow it made a creepy kind of sense.


    He shook his head. There wasn¡¯t time to try to figure out anything at the moment. He looked to where Ta-Reen was. The gypsy had actually cut Evany loose to his surprise.


    The girl was standing on the ground waiting for the man to unlock the bindings left around her wrists.


    For some reason, Calin thought about the other two. Who were in fact at the gypsys¡¯ house.


    It made him shoot his gaze to the right, almost having forgotten about Tyas and Jerry. When his eyes scanned over the building, Jerry was still hiding on the roof top. But he looked like something was wrong, Calin already knew what.


    For them there was no sign of Evany. Everything was on a knives edge.


    To Calin¡¯s horror, a man holding his bloodied arm shot from the building. He locked the door behind him in a hurry, there was slamming against the door before the man with the bloodied arm raced across the courtyard. Even from that distance, the thuds banging on the door were clear.


    Ta-Reen was just about to unlock Evany¡¯s last bindings when a shout from behind stopped him. Calin¡¯s heart sunk into the depths of his body. The wounded man shouted something and the gypsy growled before grabbing Evany, clearly enraged.


    Barely more than a few seconds later, Evany was thrown into the caravan and the bloodied man accompanied her. Ta-Reen jumped back on the floating carriage and made it surge forward to the massive bridge.


    Calin couldn¡¯t stay silent any longer and he screamed from the window at the top of his lungs. ¡°JERRY!¡± Somehow the boy heard him from the hundred metres away that he was. Jerry looked up in his direction. Calin desperately pointed in the direction of the gypsy surging away towards the massive bridge. ¡°JERRY! HE¡¯S GOT EVANY!¡±


    By some unbelievable chance the message got over and it wasn¡¯t a moment before the boy stormed to the other edge of the roof looking out over the Floating Caravan getting away. Calin and Jerry shared a look of complete and utter dismay at that instance.


    Then from the bottom of the building the door burst open with Tyas standing there with a sword dripping with blood. Jerry didn¡¯t waste time to shout the news from the top of the roof.


    All manner of things happened then. Jerry shimmied into the window and appeared at the bottom door and Tyas was already pounding on the door next door at Mictoria¡¯s house.


    Calin wanted to watch what was going on, but as he looked down, the wheeled carriage stood empty on the side of Prison¡¯s Hold.


    Xyri and the mysterious figure was nowhere in sight. There was no more time!


    Suddenly Calin¡¯s insides filled with rage. Rage for Ta-Reen. Grief and guilt for Evany¡¯s situation poisoned his mind. He was desperate to be of some help, any help.


    Even his shoulder was acting up, that shifting feeling was starting again as he collapsed to his knees holding his face in his hands. All he could do was shake his head as the tears streamed freely from his eyes, ¡°No! I¡¯ll kill that bastard! Ta-Reen you liar!¡±


    From the side there was the soothing voice of Eli in the next cell. ¡°Lad... I don¡¯t know what to say. Just don¡¯t let revenge cloud what makes you, who you are. It is a corruption that consumes you. It is very hard to quench.¡±


    With the raw anger eating at him, Calin looked away from his own hands at Eli and sneered, ¡°I will kill him, he betrayed Mictoria, he betrayed me and worst of all he betrayed Evany. I¡¯m getting out of here.¡±


    He jumped up and charged at the pillar that marked the corner of the two cells. He didn¡¯t even notice the yellow lights dancing through the column in bright flashes as he grabbed hold of it, neither did he hear Eli¡¯s words.


    He could barely see anything through all the tears and the emotions that ripped through him. His hands gripped the pillar with all his might. Something in him willed the cell open. Every hope, every fear was storming through Calin undisturbed, the lightning scar on his shoulder was pulsing with pain and heat, reflecting his heart in every way. Then something happened.


    The next thing Calin knew, he stood outside the cell.


    ¡°What the...?¡±

 Chapter 47: Trouble with a plan

    <h1>Chapter Forty Seven: Trouble with a plan</h1>


    Not a single thing could have prepared Calin for what happened. One moment he was in tears pressing down on the pillar taking all the rage and frustration of Ta-Reen¡¯s betrayal out on it. Then he was standing outside the cell.


    Eyes wide, he looked to the cell he had just occupied. It stood open. The four bars of the cell door were gone. So were the ones of the next cell.


    Eli was standing there with his mouth hanging open looking at him as if he was a ghost.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Eli asked in a quivering voice.


    It struck him like a blow, his hands couldn¡¯t stop trembling. The way Eli looked at him showed fear and it shook his foundations. But before he could respond, Eli dragged a hand through his long hair and stepped out of his cell. The fear, that had been so prominent on the man, slowly ebbed away from his features.


    ¡°Lad, in all my years... never... Calin, what happened?¡±


    In disbelief he stared blankly at the pillar, not knowing even how to start to answer either of those questions.


    His voice finally forced itself through his dry throat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I-I-I just... I¡ª¡± Then he jerked upright, remembering why he wanted to get out. He steeled his voice and said,


    ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t care what the heck happened. I¡¯m leaving! You¡¯re welcome to accompany me, but I¡¯m not waiting.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes were still wide, but he said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m coming. There was never hope of me getting out of this place, but now ....¡± Eli stared at him with wonder.


    A weak smile tugged at Calin as he said, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, let¡¯s move.¡±


    Eli nodded and they both took off towards the door of their cell wing. Not wasting a second, Calin went bursting through it. With it, he caught a prison guard unaware, busy removing his armour.


    The shock of finding the man standing there sent adrenalin pumping through him and he jumped forward tackling the guard. He slammed his fist down on the man¡¯s face, it connected, but then a fist shot up into Calin¡¯s jaw. The guard came rolling over pinning him with an elbow and making ready to punch again. He cringed as the guard¡¯s fist came down. The weight disappeared from Calin¡¯s chest. He looked up to see Eli strangling the man. But before the man could kill the guard, Calin shouted,


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Eli did something with the guard sending him down to the ground unconscious. Then as the bearded man hid the body behind one of the armour cabinets, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry lad, I¡¯m not that kind of man. Let¡¯s go, there is bound to be more coming.¡±


    A bit surprised with his fellow prisoner, Calin stared for a moment and nodded before moving on.


    Just before they reached the next door, the sight of two gauntlets stopped him. They were his. He grinned broadly at finding the two gauntlets that had saved his life with the Nighthound. He grabbed them and as they opened the next door he started donning them. It was an awkward attempt, but as they descended the long curving hallway that led down, he finally succeeded in his efforts. It was odd for Calin, when he was brought into Prison¡¯s hold he was so down and out about Evany being taken away; he hardly even realized how long the hallways actually were.


    As they ran, he desperately hoped the plan Jerry had given him had a solid way of getting out of the building. The inner courtyard was a no go without a doubt. There were far too many guards all around the only exit from the great prison. He couldn¡¯t help but wish he had read the whole escape plan. Silently, he swore for losing all hope.


    Now every second counted and he didn¡¯t even know half of the plan of how to try and get out.


    The pair reached the next door, luckily it was slightly open. This was where things would get interesting, there would be guards everywhere. Calin prayed that they could find a way past them. He took a breath and led the way into the next room.


    It was the room with a circular stone counter with a man in its midst cataloguing in a book; the man was probably keeping note of all the prisoners that was going in and out of Prison¡¯s Hold. He snuck towards the closest stone counter. Just as he reached it, the furthest door burst open with two guards dragging a prisoner. Calin could only freeze out in the open.


    If it wasn¡¯t for them having to force the bound man forward, the guards would have seen him and Eli sneaking through the room without a doubt.


    As it was, he rushed to the stone wall of the counter. There were symmetrical gaps between it and the floor. It went in even portions all the way along it. But thankfully it wasn¡¯t big enough to reveal his and Eli¡¯s hiding place.


    Sitting there, without a plan behind the counter, was tearing at his nerves. He turned and the man Kirri, who was behind the counter, was busy chatting to the guards, all the while cataloguing the prisoner. It was idle chit chat about what was going on in the core city and if there were big enough clouds coming that would hamper the light from the Morning trees.


    Through it all, Calin was barely able to contain his frantic breathing. He needed to be as quiet as possible. But the possibility of being caught was hanging like a heavy blanket between him and Eli. He looked at the man and whispered in a very low voice. ¡°What now?¡±


    The bearded man shook his head and whispered back, ¡°I don¡¯t know lad. I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d even get out my cell, much less this far.¡±


    It was understandable. But it still didn¡¯t give them a way out. The seconds were ticking by with no idea what to do next.


    Then he spotted the window, barely two metres away from him, and what he had read last in the note Jerry had given him came to mind. It had been about the window. Hope of a plan surged in him and he whispered to Eli, ¡°Jerry¡¯s note said something about a window. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    He could see Eli wasn¡¯t happy, but he scooted backwards towards the man sized glassless window.


    While shifting backwards, Calin watched with piercing focus for any movement from the guards. But luckily the features of the room gave him somewhat of a blind spot to exploit.


    When he reached the window, there was a freezing gust howled through its recesses, a frighteningly strong wind. He stuck his hand out, and it was hard to just keep it straight in the wind. This is going to be tricky.


    He worked his body over the flat edge, all the while looking for any change in the room. He hoped Eli would warn him if the guards were coming. With his head in the hammering wind he looked out over the edge, hoping there would be a way down.


    That hope was outright and completely dashed by an immense sheer drop at least hundred and seventy metres down from the window to the closest perch which was the road snaking up; and it was at least hundreds more than that to the valley floor.


    It was the front side of the massive natural pillar that housed Yera¡¯s Crossing. The window looked out over the whole valley and over the seven other large pillars. He looked down with fear at the drop. There were no handholds whatsoever. Not even one.


    It was smooth rock almost like marble the hundred and seventy metres down and then it started to curve away into the trees that thrived on the edge. The path the caravan had used coiled up against the pillar, but it was unreachable from the prison. The closest part of the road was where the rock started to slope.


    There was no possible way down. His heart sank bitterly as he edged his way back into hiding behind the counter. Upon approach, Eli had a hopeful look, but Calin shook his head heavily in answer. They sat back against the stone wall of the counter. Eli was probably thinking of what came next, but what he wondered about was why Jerry had mentioned the window in the first place.


    The window itself was purely there to remind prisoners that they had nowhere to go. Yet the torturous thought that the road to safety was in sight from way up here. It was a cruel joke.


    ***


    The last vestiges of hope seemed to veer on the edge of shrivelling up. The heck with it. Calin rubbed his forehead in intense thought.


    His shoulders slumped and he fished out Jerry¡¯s note. Though, as he opened it and began where he left off, it started making a terrifying sense.


    From halfway through the note the hand writing changed to that of a woman.


    It said, ¡°N¨ªsir Calin...¡± Mictoria without a doubt, he continued to read: ¡°When you reach the window, there is a way down. You have to trust me, it will work, but you have to listen carefully. In a bag hidden under the stone counter, there are two crystal rocks with round handles. Take them; it is from my country, almost the same as those we use to make our caravans float. However, these are much more powerful. They will lift you about a bit more than a story high in the air. But before they can do that you have to start their...¡± From there Jerry¡¯s hand writing budged in again saying. ¡°¡ªlong story short, hit the rocks together outside the window and jump...I¡¯m sorry mate, it¡¯s the best we got. To stop them, hit them together again. By the way, if you are even considering actually trying this... then you are mad and I am going to drag you to a crazy house if you get out! But good luck.¡±


    The note ended and Calin stared at it like it was gibberish. They want me to do what?!?


    It was stupid, that was all to it.


    Just then the guards on the other side of the room seemed to finish up as they said, ¡°Get moving you slime bag! You¡¯ll not see the outside of your cell for a very long time.¡±


    Calin squeezed himself closer against the wall as there was movement. A door opened and it closed a moment later. The guards were gone.


    Eli was just about to look up over the counter when there were more voices of guards. Calin pulled him down and motioned to his note.


    Slowly he laid down flat on his stomach and looked under the counter. There to his utter surprise sat the bag, strapped to one of the solid legs that held up the counter. Again, he marvelled at the gypsy woman. His hand slipped under and he reached for it.


    After he unstrapped the strangely heavy package, he almost dropped it, but after a few close calls, he finally got it out. An already anxious Eli whispered, ¡°What is that?¡±


    All he could do was shrug his shoulders, even with the note he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. He slowly opened the bag.


    Inside there were two small rock-like crystals, they had a cyan colour to them. Out of their smooth edges, metal handles stuck out wrapped in leather, with barely enough grip for a hand each.


    The palm-sized crystals looked as if there was a light somewhere deep inside them. It was strangely compelling to look at.


    ¡°Wow,¡± He said, almost too loudly.


    Realizing his error, he grabbed his own mouth as one of the guards queried, ¡°Did you hear something?¡±


    An intense moment passed. Then Kirri said, ¡°With that window, there is always something to hear.¡±


    The rattle of ornaments jingled behind the counter.


    An almost imperceptible sigh escaped his lips as relief washed over him.


    He looked over to Eli to whisper sorry, but the man was transfixed with what was in the bag.


    Finally Eli whispered, ¡°Lad, you have some very powerful friends. In my many years, I¡¯ve only heard rumours of rumours about those crystals, never even dreamt of actually seeing them.¡±


    Surprised at the notion, Calin whispered back, ¡°Yeah I¡¯ve never seen them either. Okay, here are the facts. These crystals, when I hit them against each other, will start floating. It will give a play field of about as high as this roof.¡± Calin pointed above him before he continued. ¡°Problem is, I¡¯ve never seen them or used them, so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll carry one, much less know if they would carry two...¡±


    That fact settled between the two and they sat there staring at the crystals. Eli¡¯s face became serious, as he said, ¡°For our only chance at freedom I think I¡¯ll try the odds, you?¡±


    It was enough push for Calin and he couldn¡¯t help but nod at the notion. He had to get to the others so they can go get Evany back. Neither could he leave Eli behind to fend for himself. It didn¡¯t sit right with him. So Calin whispered, ¡°When the guards leave we go for it, alright?¡±


    Eli readily agreed.


    With that in mind, it was almost a no brainer what to do. But the fear was gnawing its way up in his belly. There was something that could disrupt everything.


    He was still deathly afraid of falling.


    ***


    As they waited, Calin had almost given up on the plan a hundred times in his mind. He didn¡¯t want to jump. The fear of it was driving his senses crazy. Eli had tried to calm him down as best he could. His hands were still shaking.


    After a while, the guards seemed to finish, and as they started leaving the room his heart was pounding away.


    But he readied himself regardless of his fear.


    He was about to signal that they crawl to the window when a chilling familiar voice sounded from behind. It was Xyri, without even a hint of a doubt.


    ¡°Mishael, it is not that I would harm the boy too much. I just want to see him scream a bit. I do so love the hunt.¡±


    Then a voice, that carried a lot a slick charm drifted to them.


    ¡°No, you are never careful. This boy is the only chance I¡¯ve got to find and kill Darrus. I will not allow it. But enough, let us go meet the last male heir of that accursed family and finish this. I have not waited six years at the Veil to get a chance at killing them.¡±


    Then Xyri said, ¡°Forgive me master, I forget how long it takes you to pass through the Veil. I¡¯m much more impatient than that.¡±


    Eli stiffened next to him. Something was said that was upsetting.


    But Calin had his own worries. His heart was thundering away in its cavity. He almost expected his mad heartbeat to be audible and the men to come claim their trophy.


    The footsteps came closer and he forced his own body to move further right around the stone counter.


    Eli stayed beside him, silent. And through it all, he waited in suspense for Mishael and that creature of a man to pass by them.


    They could just as well have sat out in the open for what cover they had.


    If the men turned at all, the game was up. It was a foolish hope to assume the door would keep their attention.

 Chapter 48: Seven Minutes

    <h1>Chapter Forty Eight: Seven Minutes</h1>


    When the bronze armoured man and Xyri stepped into view, he sucked in his breath.


    Both men had hoods hiding their faces, but Calin wouldn¡¯t soon forget the voice of the man that threw the simple life he had had into utter chaos.


    A simple wish boiled up, that he had a sword then, even if he was half useless with the thing.


    Each step the men gave took almost an hour to him, before they finally opened the door and stepped through it.


    The danger of being seen faded slowly behind the closing door.


    He breathed in for the first time through the last ordeal. But knowing what came next didn¡¯t make the breaths come in any easier. The look he shared with Eli was not comforting, but it did give him some courage, even if it was a hopelessly small amount. This was their only chance of escape. With a weak nod to Eli, they began crawling to the window.


    It was unspoken between them, but he could see it on Eli¡¯s face as he was thinking it himself. Mishael and Xyri were on their way to find him in the prison, but he wasn¡¯t there. They barely had minutes to get away before the alarm would go out.


    They hastened their pace and reached the window. He stared out over the valley far below. He swallowed hard. This is insane, I can¡¯t do this.


    As much as he wished there was another way out, there wasn¡¯t. The leather grip of the handles pressed into his palms as he took hold of them. He stood up.


    As luck would have it, Kirri was still busy writing something in the book. The room was empty besides the Warden. It didn¡¯t take away the fear of sudden discovery.


    But Calin moved slowly, his joints complained with creaks and groans he could only cringe at each noise. Straightening upright without incident, he motioned for Eli to stand up too. The bearded man stood up behind him and placed his arms over Calin¡¯s shoulders in a tight grip.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wish he was more equipped for the life he was so suddenly thrown into.


    Not risking the chance of discovery, he inched forward with Eli behind him. This doesn¡¯t feel right.


    The sweat dripped from his brow as the immense drop came into view beyond the edge of the window. Every part of his instincts told him if he was going to jump he was going to die. No, this is mad. Jerry and Mictoria this is not a plan!


    But just as he wanted to back up, the crystals were outside the windows.


    Without warning his hands came together. The crystals struck together.


    It was as if his own hands had betrayed him, even with him knowing that Eli had helped for a moment. There was a flash of light above them.


    It was as sudden as the wink of an eye before he was falling.


    Wind gushed past his face.


    The pathway that had been a hundred and seventy metres away only seconds ago, was suddenly rushing towards him.


    He wanted to scream, but the force of the wind coming past him was hindering the effort to take a lung full of air to scream his terror.


    Then the pathway was no more than twenty metres away.


    I¡¯m going to die!


    Then a voice behind him shouted.


    ¡°Pull up!¡±


    Calin didn¡¯t know if it was his consciousness screaming at him, but when it came again.


    ¡°Pull your legs up!¡±


    He did it.


    Barely five metres left to the ground.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Next thing, there was this force that was halting the suicidal decent. But Calin realized it wasn¡¯t enough time to stop before they hit the ground.


    All of a sudden he realized the absolute need to pull up his legs further.


    He pulled with all his might sending the momentum forward.


    Behind, other legs pressed into his knees as they careened over the edge of the pathway into another fall.


    There was a very slight slope now, but he was still picking up speed.


    Calin had forgotten that Eli was clinging to his back. Somehow he was glad he wasn¡¯t going to die alone as some of the smaller Morning trees came into view with their colossal siblings towering out of sight into the night¡¯s sky. A lot of them weren¡¯t glowing as there were thick patches of clouds blocking their star light.


    Then Calin realized the trees were rushing up to meet him.


    With the little part that went slower he had taken in a mighty breath and now he screamed as he was about to hit the trees.


    With a great pull, there was that force again that defied gravity as it wanted to slow down. Calin held on for dear life. His brain was a muddled mess at that moment, but he held on to the thing that was slowing him down.


    From behind came a shout again.


    ¡°Pull down on the right one lad!¡±


    This time, he didn¡¯t hesitate. He pulled down hard on the right crystal in the rushing air.


    He lifted his legs as their bodies swung to the right. He missed the first of the larger trees on the left and went on to the next, all the while gliding over the canopy of the smaller trees below.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he slowed down much more considerably. His thoughts cleared. He needed to plot a course. The crystals were giving upward lift, but they didn¡¯t stop anything coming from the side. But Eli¡¯s advice had opened up a little loophole in that one-way lift. For now they were floating over the tree tops.


    Just in time as a rock pillar came hauntingly from the mist, right in front of them.


    ¡°Agh!¡± Calin shouted and instinctively dragged with as much strength as he could muster at one of the crystal¡¯s handles to veer right.


    They missed the pillar, if only barely.


    His hip scraped against the stone as he navigated around it; all the while, they caught lift from the smaller trees below them.


    They silently floated around the large natural pillar. A bridge between it and another one appeared from the mist. On it, there were two burgundy-armoured guards passing each other on their patrol.


    Calin¡¯s eyes widened.


    They drifted to the bridge, tension strung taught, but they slipped between the men. Luck was with them as the guards kept on walking with their backs to them.


    On the walkway they lifted higher over the medium sized bridge that connected the rock pillars, Calin looked back, but they were still unnoticed. It was amazing that they hadn¡¯t been seen.He sighed with the sight of the men disappearing back into the thick mist.


    After they were clear, he blew out his breath.


    ¡°That was clos¡ª¡±


    ¡°LOOK OUT!!¡± Eli franticly shouted from behind. But it was too late. Another rock pillar came from nowhere and they crashed hard into. Pain lanced into Calin¡¯s side as they went spiralling around the pillar and then there was another bridge.


    Frenzied, Calin tried to drag at his legs to get himself over it.


    His cloak scraped against the railing of the bridge. A few centimetres more and he would have struck it.


    But then just before the crystals could lift up they jerked backwards, stopping most of the momentum and he went spinning again.


    As Calin was spun around, he spotted Eli hanging precariously from the bridge. Worry washed over him as he risked a shout. ¡°Eli! Are you alright?¡±


    He was slowly drifting over another tree.


    The bearded man climbed back onto the bridge. Eli grunted and held onto his hip.


    ¡°Yes, a bit sore. But don¡¯t worry about me lad, this is far enough. I¡¯ll find my own way back. I still have some friends in the right places. Now go find your friend-lady young Calin and be free! And know that I¡¯ll never forget what you¡¯ve done for me!¡±


    Glad for the slow drift now, Calin said, ¡°It is my greatest pleasure; and thank you for your company Elizri¨¦l. You are a good man. I hope we meet again.¡±


    The mist was already starting to obscure the bridge Eli was standing on, but the next words were clear. ¡°I hope so too, lad. I hope so too.¡±


    With that, Eli disappeared from view in the mist and Calin drifted off over the next tree.


    He was a bit unsure what to do next, but he kind of had an idea. He was still high enough in the canopy to go back and try and land on the path that snaked up into Yera¡¯s Crossing. Okay here goes nothing.


    Calin drew on the crystal¡¯s handle and veered to the right, hoping he could find a route over the normal trees and some of the small Morning trees to the path.


    It was a slow process to go back and more than once he didn¡¯t know where to go as areas of Morning trees kept going dark under the shadows of the big clouds drifting overhead.


    But as he got close to another pillar, guards were patrolling all over the web work of bridges. He cringed as he drifted silently under their recesses. If the Morning trees would light up, he¡¯d be in trouble. He was suddenly thankful for the clouds as he swept pass the danger areas.


    Calin¡¯s arms started shaking, holding onto the crystals. Even with all the heavy loads he had carried in his life, it wasn¡¯t enough to hold on to the handles much longer. With his arms above him, the blood was not getting properly to them.


    He grunted and groaned. The tree that was giving the crystals lift below would hardly break his fall at all.


    Just as he was about to lose grip, the road that wound up the rock face to Yera¡¯s Crossing, came into view.


    With a force of effort, he summoned the last strength in his arms. The road was twenty metres away. He held on. Then ten, his arms were done, they had no strength left. The muscles started cramping up. Come on Calin, just a bit more... He barely drifted over the relatively broad mountain pass in time. He used the little grip he had left to hit the stones together.


    Immediately, they stopped resisting the gravity and he plummeted the three metres down to the rock.

 Chapter 49: Traversing the Bridge

    <h1>Chapter Forty Nine: Traversing the Bridge</h1>


    Something shook at Calin¡¯s shoulder. But he didn¡¯t want to wake up. It was too early in the morning. Miserably he realized his body was aching all over.


    As if a shock renewed his memory, His eyes flashed open. He spun around to dazedly see a face hovering over him. He tried to shield from it with his hands as the blurred image made his head throb. ¡°Calin, are you okay?¡± The image said. It sounded familiar.


    Shaking his head to clear it he slowly regained focus in his eyes and there hovering above him was Christoff. With a welcome intake of breath, Calin got up on his haunches and accepted the hand of the gypsy. While he got back on his feet, he asked, ¡°Christoff, I should be the one to ask if you are alright, especially after the attacks on the caravan.¡±


    The middle aged gypsy smirked as he helped Calin to the floating caravan.


    ¡°Thanks to you and Mictoria I¡¯ll live to tell about it. I went back to repair her caravan. But I thought you were in prison, N¨ªsir?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I was,¡± Calin stammered as he settled on the caravan. ¡°Mictoria gave a helping hand there too. But listen, we have to get over the bridge. Ta-Reen took Evany!¡±


    As Calin said that, the gypsy¡¯s face went dark as a cloud. But after a nod of understanding Christoff jumped up and powered the Floating Caravan forward. ¡°Hold on N¨ªsir!¡±


    Ready this time, he held on to the leather straps while they drifted past the canopy of the Morning trees. Just then he shuddered at the death defying leap he had taken from the window that now loomed almost two hundred metres above him.


    For a terrifying moment he realized he was an escapee now, a fugitive. Even though he was completely innocent, it sent a feeling of doubt through him. But this was all for Evany.


    He threw up the hood from his cloak and said, ¡°Christoff when you get through the doors of Yera¡¯s Crossing, you shoot for the bridge. My bet is Mictoria is already on her way over... Is there somewhere I can hide inside the caravan?¡±


    The gypsy nodded all the while as he powered up the road against the colossal stone pillar.


    ¡°Yes N¨ªsir, at the right corner of the bed, there is a small wooden knot. Press it and crawl in the space it reveals. I¡¯ll call when we are safely over the bridge.¡±


    He was already down the iron ladder of the trap door as Christoff said the last. He stumbled inside the caravan towards the bed.


    Reaching the corner, he had to look carefully for the knot. It took him a minute before he found it. He pressed it, and a board in the floor next to the bed shifted to the side. Calin shoved at it and found a relatively large hidden compartment; filled with a wide assortment of things he had no name for. It ranged from, rocks with markings on them to plants and herbs that were probably used for potions and salves.


    The rest he couldn¡¯t even figure out what they were before he laid down in the most comfortable place. It wasn¡¯t enough as several of the things in the compartment were poking at places that still hurt from the fall.


    Lying on his back, he slid the floor board back over him into place and pressed up. The board clicked into its original position. It was not a place to be for someone who didn¡¯t like small spaces. Though, he didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. There was a slight gap, just under the bed, that gave a little fresh air. But that was it.


    Calin tried to get the picture of a coffin out of his head as the caravan came to a halt, but was only partly successful. His breathing was becoming faster as the natural urge to panic at being trapped settled over him.


    Over head, there was a muffled call from beyond the large wooden doors. ¡°Who seek sanctuary behind the tree?¡± it sounded even more eerie through the wood.


    Then from somewhere above, Christoff said, ¡°Those who hide from the crimson sun.¡±


    The caravan lurched forward and it settled some of Calin¡¯s nerves, though not nearly enough. It was maddening to be hiding and not be able to see what was going on outside. That alongside the image of Evany being thrown into the back of Ta-Reen¡¯s carriage, kept him on edge as it ran over and over in his mind.


    All of a sudden, there were muffled shouts all around the caravan and it came to a halt. There was the clear formal voice of a guard saying. ¡°Open up your caravan Master gypsy, if the prisoners aren¡¯t hiding with you, you can go on your way.¡±


    It was enough to block out everything Christoff said as Calin¡¯s heart started hammering away in his chest. The door¡¯s lock slid against its metal trappings and the door creaked open. There were several hard thuds as the sure sound of metal clinking against metal from the armour clad figures echoed through the small room.


    A few more steps and then the guard came to a stop on the very board that he was lying under. His heart shuddered.


    He held his breath.


    The guard that was right above him bent down. An armoured knee thudded to the floor. Or so Calin thought with terror in his heart.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Without warning there were loud thuds and then it disappeared. The guards had left.


    His breath whooshed out of him as one of the guards outside spoke.


    ¡°Mighty sorry for the inconvenience Master gypsy, but one can never be too sure what they would do to get free. You can go on your way then. If you are going to the Crossing of Kailuvia, then take this to the bridge keeper.¡±


    ¡°No problem, my thanks to you.¡± Christoff said, and Calin would¡¯ve sworn there was relief in the man¡¯s words. I can totally relate to that.


    With the guards leaving, the caravan swept forward.


    ***


    It was a few minutes before there was a shout from above. ¡°Who wishes to use the Crossing of Kailuvia?¡±


    There was a rattling of something close by and then Christoff said, ¡°It is I Christoff, I come bearing the sigil of the great Nasyri house of Ayelet... My compatriots seemed to have left earlier. I wish to catch up to them master bridge keeper. This is the permission from the captain of the guard.¡±


    There were several shouts of a word Calin couldn¡¯t quite comprehend and then there was a sound of something massive shifting. If the caravan had been grounded like everything else, he was sure a tremendous tremor would have run through it from the sounds that came from below. He quickly surmised they had raised the bridge when the alarm had gone off from Prison¡¯s hold about the escapees.


    The caravan started to move again and it wasn¡¯t more than two minutes before Christoff shouted from above. ¡°You can come up N¨ªsir.¡±


    Getting out of the confined space couldn¡¯t happen fast enough. He pressed on the board, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Panic surged in him as he desperately tried to open the compartment. But just as he was about to shout out to Christoff, something clicked in the board and it came loose. Calin shoved it to the side with force, sat up and gulped in a deep breath of air. What is it with me ending up in a coffin like place?


    He shook his head and got up. After a little effort, he reached the fresh air outside. The caravan was gliding through a partial mist and slipped from the edge of the bridge.


    In front of them stood two huge towers, clearly built for watching over the pathway that led deep into the cliff face and into the mountains.


    He pulled the hood further over his face and looked down over the side of the broad bridge. Somewhere hundreds of metres below flowed the river that nurtured Yera¡¯s Crossing.


    Past the towers, they slipped through a pathway in a small piece of forest leading up between two rock faces enveloped by a natural rock arch over top.


    Out of the silent night air there was loud rumbling noises echoing against the sheer cliff, Calin spun back to see four thick ropes, several metres thick, pulled at the immensely heavy bridge. The bridge was a pure granite slab, and for a moment he marvelled at how on earth they even budged the thing, never mind lifting it.


    As the bridge was lifted, it displaced the mist that wanted to form and the massive branches of the great Morning tree at the heart of Yera¡¯s Crossing became visible again. The branches reached out above the walls of city as a mother holding her children. It was fitting as he remembered the story Eli had told him.


    A deep breath escaped his lips as he looked at the great Morning tree and asked, ¡°Christoff, have you heard the story of the Morning tree of Yera¡¯s Crossing?¡±


    The gypsy was pressing the caravan as fast as it could go through the pass. But he said, ¡°Yerandier¡¯s Embrace in the ancient tongue of the region. But sadly most call it the Watching Tree now, a shame really. If you ask me N¨ªsir the original name has so much power to it. It was a name of might fitting for its city... But of this region maybe not as mighty as Lunia¡¯z SamBria in my opinion, N¨ªsir.¡±


    He regarded the gypsy with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What is that uh lueSambriach or whatever you just said?¡±


    The gypsy laughed and pointed forward to the end of the narrow ravine and said, ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Lunia¡¯z SamBria¡¯. When we exit there, you will see, N¨ªsir.¡±


    Grumbling as much with curiosity as the frustration, he wished that the caravan could move faster. For Calin the gypsy reminded him all too much about Tyas, always secretive. There was an air of doubt if such a trait could be trusted in either men. But on the same hand he felt infinitely safer with Christoff; he had saved the man¡¯s life.


    ¡°Christoff tell me something, is Yerandier¡¯s Embrace the only Morning tree with that pink cherry blossom colour?¡±


    The gypsy turned an inquisitive face to him and smiled before he nodded his head.


    ¡°It is my understanding that it is indeed the only one with that colour, N¨ªsir. But there are many stories of other rare Morning trees that took on different colours from the two¡­ well, one can say three common colours. My people used to set out to discover the story and mystery of each of those trees.¡±


    ¡°Used to?¡± Calin asked softly.


    ¡°Yes. It seems there are those who dream of the years just before the Guardians War, the days of power and riches. They have forgotten what the heart of our race is. Now only Mictoria, I and a few others remember that truth. We still search for those beautiful and unique mysteries of the world. I have been lucky enough to guide her caravan through her many adventures.¡±


    The road opened suddenly, there was a piece of forest in a small valley that was surrounded on every side with sheer mountains that reached into the sky, they looked impassable to say the least, but when the notion came that it was what Christoff had referred to, he quickly realized he was so very wrong.


    Calin followed the gypsie¡¯s gaze up. High in the sky, a huge shining object that almost looked like the moon, hung kilometres up in the air. Though, it was much dimmer and a bit smaller. Which made him glance back to mark the real moon. It was still there. His mouth sprung open as he looked back and asked, ¡°What in heaven¡¯s name is that?¡±


    Christoff turned to Calin and smiled. ¡°It is Lunia¡¯z SamBria, the second moon of Sambria. It¡¯s been there for thousands of years. Or so at least goes the tales. Some mad stories say there use to be three, but you might as well believe in people that fly. But it is mighty, no? It is as part of my peoples¡¯ history as Yerandier¡¯s Embrace is to those of the Pillar City.¡±


    Staring in wonder, he just nodded away. His understanding of the natural world would never be the same again. He was not able to take his eyes off of it.


    It fascinated him to no end. It clearly wasn¡¯t in space, but hanging several kilometres up in the sky above the mountain range in the distance.


    How it got up there, was the first question popping into his mind. He was about to ask the many questions he had.


    But when he looked at Christoff, the gypsie¡¯s smile had disappeared. A dark look adorned his face.


    ¡°N¨ªsir, there they are.¡±


    Down at a clearing in the forested valley, there were more than twenty Floating Caravans standing in a face off position; with most appearing to have just arrived. Gypsies were jumping off their perches.


    Calin turned serious, forgetting completely about the second moon of Sambria.


    Evany, I¡¯m coming to get you...

 Chapter 50: Standoff at the twelve gates

    <h1>Chapter Fifty: Standoff at the twelve gates</h1>


    The decent down into the valley, though short, dragged by for Calin. His legs were bouncing up and down as they floated to the clearing.


    As they got closer, thirty or more gypsies stood opposite each other. All were talking at the same time, and all were furious. The opposing groups seemed to be on the edge of attacking.


    But it was clear that none were as furious as Mictoria. The gypsy woman¡¯s body language screamed her rage at the betrayal of the other gypsies. Her delicate features looked marred by the intense facial expressions that flashed over her.


    Through it all, Calin glanced around. It was impossible to miss the details of the location.


    At the far edge of the clearing, between some normal trees, were twelve rock arches that looped in a half moon around the clearing. They made Calin think about Stonehenge, just much more precise stonework alongside the added stone walls behind them. All in all it looked like a gathering point. Yet this particular gathering held deadly intentions.


    When Calin¡¯s caravan eased closer, Ta-Reen came into view with a sword in hand. All the gypsies had either daggers or swords equipped. Some of them even had both. It was odd to see Mictoria was one of those.


    Noticing the weapons, Calin asked Christoff. ¡°When we reach them, do you have a sword I can borrow?¡±


    The gypsy motioned his head back in the direction of the trap door and said, ¡°Down the ladder to the right N¨ªsir. I have a bad feeling we will be in need of them before the hour passes.¡±


    With a grave nod, he waited until they reached the others. On approach, the majority of gypsies who were arguing stopped and stared at the approaching caravan. The only two who didn¡¯t were Ta-Reen and Mictoria. They were still screaming away, even though they were barely ten metres away from each other.


    Jumping up, Calin went in to retrieve the sword. It only took a minute and soon he stepped outside the carriage walking over towards Mictoria from behind.


    Somewhere while he made his way to the gypsy woman, he caught sight of Tyas, Jerry and Kara off to the right. All three of them looked grim. The picture of his friends armed with blades was not lost on him. A renewed jab of anger surged forward in him. He squared his jaw and strode on with determination.


    As he got closer they spotted him too. He relaxed his features a bit as elation flashed over their faces. The situation only allowed it for the barest of moments.


    Kara sprinted forward and embraced him. Worry and relief mixed in her voice as she said, ¡°Calin! You got out. Thank goodness.¡±


    Calin patted her back, and as her face moved back from his chest, there was uncertainty in her eyes. He tried hard to smile but finally he just shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay Kara, let me go talk to Mictoria.¡±


    The girl nodded and let Calin go.


    A few seconds later he moved in behind the gypsy woman just as she said, ¡°Ta-Reen...you let the girl go now! Or there will be blood tonight! Do y¡ª¡±


    Calin tapped her shoulder and she jerked back flashing her dagger. It was bronze handled with an almost golden colour to its blade. It glinted dangerously in the moonlight and looked as sharp as the woman¡¯s wit. When she noticed Calin her eyes went wide with surprise.


    ¡°N¨ªsir Calin! In all my years, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone escaping from that prison. But I¡¯m over the moons that you achieved it.¡±


    With a smile hardly tugging at his lips he said, ¡°Not without a lot of your help and some extremely weird luck.¡±


    The woman got a mischievous look to her face as she asked, ¡°So you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Jumped?¡± Indeed I did.¡± Calin admitted with a sigh. A flash of pride bloomed on the gypsy woman.


    But it had to wait.


    Without waiting, he motioned over her shoulder to Ta-Reen. The smile disappeared from her features as she nodded.


    Calin stepped pass her and the traitor gypsy exclaimed.


    ¡°Ha! I knew you would do something stupid! That¡¯s why I took the girl after their little failed ¡®rescue attempt¡¯.¡± Several hisses sounded off behind Calin at that.


    But he just stared at Ta-Reen without emotion, and with a cold voice he said,


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have escaped if I didn¡¯t see you deny her freedom. I watched as you went back on your word. You broke the agreement first.¡±


    The gypsy spat on the ground and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done, boy. You are either vastly ignorant or very stupid. You can¡¯t think of consequences. But... seeing that you are here now, let¡¯s make a deal you and I, shall we?¡±


    The next moment the older gypsy whistled.


    ¡°Markas, bring the girl.¡±


    Gnawing on the inside of his lip, Calin waited. He scanned the area. The gypsies who flew traitorous flags now, were mostly men. The fast majority of them were young except for three or four of them who were riddled with scars over the snow white skin common amongst all the gypsies he had seen so far.


    A few seconds later, one of the Floating Caravans behind Ta-Reen burst open emitting a man with a hat. It was the same man who had taken Calin captive the other night.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Markas, as Calin had heard now, was pulling hard at the wrists of Evany, but the girl was struggling and putting up a fight.


    And as soon as he brought her outside, she kicked him on the shin, forcing a grunt of pain out of the man. Markas jerked on Evany¡¯s rope and swore at the girl before moving towards the standoff.


    With the resisting Evany, it took them a minute to reach the side of Ta-Reen.


    But the moment Evany spotted Calin and the others she calmed down immediately and stepped forward on her own. Markas handed the roped connection of her wrist bindings to Ta-Reen and faded back with a cruel smile. The look on Evany¡¯s face shouted her amazement of the fact that Calin was free and there in front of her.


    The girl looked like she wanted say something when Ta-Reen said,


    ¡°Now that the party is complete, let¡¯s set the terms. Calin my offer stands thus, you drop your sword and walk over here, hand yourself over and I will let your lady friend here walk free. What say you?¡±


    An awkward silence settled in the clearing as Calin stared hard at the man, and then at Evany.


    Not to his surprise, she had a ¡®don¡¯t you dare try it or I will cut you myself¡¯ look on her face as she glared at Calin. He smirked at the girl and started to unbuckle his sword. He didn¡¯t know who shouted, ¡°NO!¡± first, but it clearly came from Kara, Mictoria, Evany and who knew who else. He ignored it while continuing to take the sword and its sheath from his belt and held it in his hand.


    Calin was about to drop it, when Mictoria came from behind, her ghostly pale hand gently stayed his as she softly said,


    ¡°No N¨ªsir. It is not right. What they are doing is against everything we stand for. Don¡¯t give them the victory.¡±


    His insides twisted in conflict. He would gladly give himself for Evany¡¯s freedom, but everybody else was trying to make him choose otherwise. He turned his head to Mictoria and whispered harshly. ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    The gypsy woman started to say, ¡°You should¡ª¡±


    But Ta-Reen interrupted the woman as he said, ¡°Too long! Let¡¯s make the choice easier, Jael?¡±


    One of the gypsy women with thick chestnut locks of hair stepped from the others to Ta-Reen. She smirked and gave Evany a dangerous smile as the gypsy handed her Evany¡¯s rope.


    ¡°Go stand at the gate to the plains. If they make the wrong choice you go through the gate and head to our fort. I¡¯ll meet you there in forty days,¡± Ta-Reen looked hard at Calin then, ¡°Because of this foolish boy, I have a lot of unfinished business to take care of until then. If I don¡¯t show up, you take that girl straight to that Run and then we¡¯ll see how long she lasts.¡±


    Mictoria gasped, her cheeks shook in her anger as she growled. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    Ta-Reen looked smug as he said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I? Oh Mictoria, Mictoria. If you believe that, then you don¡¯t know me at all.¡±


    Calin was confused at the exchange, but as Jael took Evany to one of the stone arches, he started suspecting something was wrong.


    When the traitor gypsy woman and Evany reached the one arch, the wall behind it started to light up. It looked like a blue light was snaking over the wall like water seeking the quickest route down towards the new intruders.


    Then out of thin air, the space between the arches started to shimmer. Immediately the memory of the glimmering wall from the World Barrier popped up. It was not the same as the wall in the least, but he wasn¡¯t going to take the chance that the thing leads to another place.


    He jumped forward with his hand up and shouted, ¡°EVANY, IT WILL BE ALRIGHT. It¡¯s going to be like I promised.¡±


    Dropping his sword, Calin started toward Ta-Reen. But Mictoria grabbed at him. He shrugged the woman¡¯s arm off and said, ¡°No! Not this time, she is my responsibility.¡±


    Kara scampered closer and her protests came quick and fast.


    ¡°Calin!¡ª¡± But he didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter, so he ignored them and stepped forward. Ta-Reen was smiling wickedly.


    When he reached the older gypsy, the man took hold of his wrists.


    ¡°Good choice boy, and just so there is no more... let us say misunderstandings. Until you are in Mishael¡¯s possession, let¡¯s make it simple. So you don¡¯t try and escape again, shall we?¡±


    To Calin¡¯s horror the man looked to Jael with the bound Evany in hand and shouted, ¡°Jael go! We¡¯ll let the girl go after the exchange of the boy goes smoothly.¡±


    The woman got a wicked grin and pulled on Evany¡¯s restraints. Adrenalin shot through Calin¡¯s body and he slammed against the preoccupied gypsy and knocked the man back and off balance. He powered his legs forward and ran towards where Jael was dragging Evany toward the gate.


    All around him there were outraged screams, but he only watched his long time friend. He shouted at her,


    ¡°Hold on Evany!¡±


    But as he ran, the gypsy woman was almost at the gate. Evany was struggling with all her might, but nothing helped.


    Calin desperately shouted, ¡°NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!¡±


    He lunged forward trying to grab at the girl, but he was too far. The woman stepped through the shimmering air. Evany¡¯s face shot up to Calin, her eyes wide with some sort of realization. She rushed out a few words,


    ¡°Remember, you promised¡ª¡±


    And disappeared into thin air.


    Only a moment later, Calin¡¯s hand passed through the particles that held the form of the girl¡¯s hand. It slowly dissipated in the moonlight.


    Shock lanced through him as the girl was nowhere to be seen. He jumped forward to go after her, but he leaped straight into the stone wall beneath the arch. He bounced painfully off of it.


    The light was nowhere to be seen. The stone wall was dark as the night.


    Evany was gone.


    Calin pounded on the wall in denial. Tears streamed freely from his face. ¡°EVANY! WHY! Why would you do that to her. No ...no ... No! Open up... Evany, come back... I promise, just come back...¡±


    His fists started to hurt, it was futile. But as he dragged them over the smooth stone, a fierce anger started to boil up into his stomach, anger for the one who did this. Calin spun around to go take revenge.


    ***


    When he looked back over the clearing, the whole place was in chaos. Swords clashed against swords. Screams of outrage and anger filled the air.


    Before Calin could mark Ta-Reen on the battlefield; the sight of Jerry and Kara trying to fend off the man with the strange hat, took precedence.


    Their attacker, Markas, wielded two swords and was toying with them. Anxiety washed over their faces.


    There was no waiting as Calin stormed forward. He jumped with no weapon whatsoever at the man.


    With a crash, he collided with his adversary¡¯s back, throwing his arm around the man¡¯s neck. The gauntlet dug into soft flesh. Resulting in a gurgling sound that came from Markas, but instead of collapsing, a sword swung up to slash back at Calin.


    At the last moment, Calin threw up his free arm and the sword strike punched against the gauntlet. Pain lanced through his arm at the shock of the blow, but it would just bruise.


    To his dismay the second sword arm came up to slash at him from his unprotected side.


    On its way down to strike uncontested, it stopped with a jerk. The man dropped to his knees and Calin danced hard on his left leg to keep his balance.


    In front, Jerry stood wide eyed. The boy dragged the sword with a rip from Markas¡¯ chest. Jerry¡¯s bloody hand was trembling as he did. The man dropped forward and gurgled, ¡°How?¡± before hitting the ground dead. His hat fell off, revealing a shaved head with a tattoo of a dune and a spider on the back of his head.


    Easing forward, Calin helped Jerry lower the bloodied sword as he said, ¡°Jerry, it¡¯s okay. You did well. Now listen to me, keep Kara safe and out of the way of the battle.¡±


    ¡°I can keep my own self safe thank you very much,¡± Kara said with conviction. But Calin threw up his hands and said, ¡°Just stay with each other please? I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you two.¡±


    The girl seemed to nod reluctantly at first, but as she took a breath it sounded more in agreement as she said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Jerry accepted it, albeit more dazedly. Calin bent down and took both swords from the dead man


    With them he trudged off to where the battle was.


    ¡°But where are you going?!¡± Kara shouted.


    Not answering loudly, Calin said, ¡°To stop him.¡± He marched towards where Mictoria and Ta-Reen were in a clash of blades.


    This ends tonight...

 Chapter 51: The choices a man has to make

    <h1>Chapter Fifty One: The choices a man has to make</h1>


    The battle raged through the entire clearing. All around Calin, swords clashed and cries of pain pierced the air.


    But only one thing was at the forefront of his mind, to get to Ta-Reen; to make the gypsy pay for his treachery.


    As Calin moved through the small battle field, he dodged to and fro the weapons of other gypsies busy in their fight.


    He aimed to where Mictoria was fighting Ta-Reen. The closer he got, the more it became apparent that, the display of the small gypsy woman fighting was nothing less than spectacular.


    She was twirling with her short sword and golden dagger in a dance as ancient and deadly as the world.


    Her feet and arms swept in intricate patterns as she dodged and deflected the heavier blows from Ta-Reen¡¯s larger sword. Her layered skirt spun in an arc through the swordplay, never hindering her once.


    She parried every blow with great efficiency. The growls that came from the traitor, was filled with frustration.


    With a grunt, the man swung hard in a vertical chop, which turned into a feint as the blade twisted into a horizontal arc; clearly to try and catch Mictoria off guard.


    But with a lightning fast move that astounded Calin, she dropped her left knee and dagger hand to the ground in a rush. Her body spun, allowing her forearm to dip and touch the surface before she twisted under the passing sword.


    In her momentum, her free right leg came up with a burst. She pushed her whole body weight off the ground with her one hand and kicked out at Ta-Reen.


    The boot struck his face with great force, sending him up and off his feet to the ground. He careened and scrambled to regain his footing. Mictoria finished her twirl and landed gracefully on her feet.


    Calin stared astonished. The scene in front of him seemed impossible. Yet, he had seen it with his own eyes. He moved faster towards them.


    Ta-Reen was glaring at Mictoria as he aligned the sword into a position that pointed at her smaller form.


    With a move that seemed to be a charge towards Mictoria, Ta-Reen rushed towards her. She slipped into a stance that could parry a charge, with her blades low.


    But Ta-Reen jumped all of a sudden. A jump that was higher than Calin expected.


    The sword, with his weight behind it, came down in a mighty blow on Mictoria. She brought her short sword up just in time to block the blow, but the strength behind it made her stumble back heavily to the ground. A yelp escaped her lips. And her dagger dropped as she gripped her sword arm in an intense grimace of pain.


    Ta-Reen strode forward with clear intent to finish her off. But Calin lurched in front of the woman protectively.


    ¡°Ta-Reen, your fight is with me. We have a score to settle, you and I.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mask the venom of his own voice. He meant it. Ta-Reen was a back stabbing traitor.


    Calin carefully unlatched his cloak and let it drop to the floor, rolling his shoulders in an effort to get ready, his t-shirt was a tight fit, but without the cloak he had little more freedom.


    Ta-Reen stepped forward waving his sword while laughing out loud. ¡°Haha! You? Don¡¯t be mad, you don¡¯t stand a chance against me. Now step aside so I can kill my gracious ¡®leader¡¯.¡±


    With a shake of his head Calin brought both swords up and said, ¡°No, you won¡¯t touch her.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°No?¡± asked Ta-Reen and then the man sighed, ¡°You are really starting to annoy me... Alright, let¡¯s play.¡±


    With that, the man surged forward and slashed at him. Calin was barely able to bring up one of his swords in time to deflect the blade. He stumbled to his right, but corrected himself again facing himself towards the gypsy. The speed of the attack made fear well up in him. But he pushed it down.


    The man was smiling wickedly at Calin, swinging his sword leisurely. Before lunging forward at him again, this time as Calin awkwardly deflected the blade, though still, the tip sliced over the skin of his fore arm, drawing blood. He yelped and jumped backwards. He flexed his forearm, it stung, but it was a superficial wound.


    His confidence was waning. The gypsy was playing with him. Luck wouldn¡¯t keep him alive this time. I need to buy Mictoria time... with that in mind, Calin charged at the man, swinging both blades down.


    The man fell to his right knee almost touching it to the ground while bringing his sword up in a swift movement to block both of Calin¡¯s blades over head.


    The next moment the gypsy kicked under the clash with his right leg, connecting with Calin¡¯s knee. The impact made Calin fall to his side. He struck the ground hard and his breath kicked up dust as he exhaled with the force. Pain had shot through his hip.


    He tried to turn as fast as he could to make sure Ta-Reen doesn¡¯t strike at him from behind.


    But the traitor gypsy was already up, standing with a triumphant smile. ¡°See?¡±


    The traitor brought his sword up and struck down for the finishing blow.


    Calin didn¡¯t have the strength or the time to lift a sword to defend.


    He had lost.


    He closed his eyes as the sword came down on him. Pain surged through his collarbone all of a sudden, but the blade stopped and didn¡¯t dig any deeper as a clash of metal made his body jerk.


    His eyes flashed open.


    To his right stood Mictoria grimacing with the extreme effort of holding Ta-Reen¡¯s sword from digging further into Calin¡¯s body. The traitor was gritting on his teeth trying to kill the boy below him, looking straight at Mictoria in a battle of will and strength.


    With a jolt Calin kicked up with as much force as he could muster in the man¡¯s stomach, sending the air whooshing out of him and sent the gypsy sprawling back to the ground.


    Without wasting a second Calin jumped forward from his position and landed with his knee on Ta-Reen, slashing down with both his swords.


    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± Shouted Mictoria.


    If it wasn¡¯t for that shout, he would¡¯ve killed the treacherous liar just there on the ground.


    He stopped the momentum of his swords just above the gasping man. Fear shone in the gypsie¡¯s dark eyes. Calin shifted the one sword into a piercing stance against Ta-Reen¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Why should I spare him? You saw what he did.¡± Calin couldn¡¯t stop the pain and anger to flow into his voice. It raged too violently within him. All he wanted was revenge, but he waited with gritted teeth over the man for Mictoria¡¯s answer.


    The woman¡¯s soft hand came to rest on his shoulder and she caught his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him,¡± She said in a calming tone, ¡°Not you... Vengeance is a poison, a continuing circle that I rather have no one else live through.¡± She paused, and for a moment her eyes went hard and unreadable. ¡°Especially not you, N¨ªsir.¡±


    Just as quick, her face softened as she continued, ¡°Just look, it is done, we have won... it is not necessary to kill this man. He will be tried for an oathbreaker at our council, as will the others. We will see to it that he never again harms anybody, N¨ªsir. Just don¡¯t kill him like this. It¡¯s not a scar you should bear.¡±


    Calin breathed harder as he listened to Mictoria¡¯s words. He looked around to see what was happening around him. There were three dead young gypsies on the traitor¡¯s side and two from Mictoria¡¯s company. A few injured were being tended to, but besides that, remarkably the rest of the traitor gypsies were already subdued and bound apart from two of the older gypsies who was nowhere in sight.


    There had been an entire battle, and everything had gone by him.


    Still, even with it over, Calin¡¯s world was filled with despair as he glanced towards where Evany had disappeared and firmly looked at the pinned Ta-Reen. Rage flared in him again as he growled, lifting both the swords he slashed down with every ounce of power he had.


    The shock of the swords digging into the ground, next to the man, didn¡¯t shift Calin in the least as he glared with fury into the eyes of that man.


    He screamed at the traitor and kicked the large sword away from the man¡¯s reach.


    The situation still affected Calin, his breathing erratic as he stared at Ta-Reen and then the silent Gates. Still, as he gulped in lungs full of air with his heaving chest, the last of his rage drained slowly from him. With a calming breath, he looked at Mictoria, his heart full of pain. Words forsook him, but in a soft voice he mouthed.¡°Thanks...¡± and walked away.


    He grabbed his cloak and donned it, and trotted over towards Kara and Jerry. A scene of a woman weeping, over her son, gutted him. This had all been so unnecessary. For Ta-Reen to go so far just get hands on him... Such a waste of life...


    Yet, it only made the reason why all the more mysterious.


    Calin silently wondered what now.

 Chapter 52: The Crossing

    <h1>Chapter Fifty Two: The Crossing</h1>


    The small battle was won. But Evany was gone. It was more of a loss than a victory. An ache of anguish stabbed his heart. His legs became like lead as he dragged them across the clearing.


    He stepped around the last Floating Caravan and a sword came slashing past him, it was Jerry. Calin jumped away, all numbness gone in an instant.


    ¡°Whoa! Easy there Jerry, chill. The fight is over. You can relax.¡±


    As the boy lowered the sword, Calin could see the boy was more relieved than he had ever seen him.


    He tried to keep his shaking walls from tumbling down in front of his friends. He dropped his own swords and grabbed both Jerry and Kara in a great big hug. After a moment of confusion they both hugged him back. Finally Kara asked, ¡°And what was that for?¡±


    With a shake of his head he said, ¡°Because you are alright. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to forgive myself if you weren¡¯t.¡±


    A worried expression settled on Kara¡¯s face. She stepped closer and placed a hand on his arm. ¡°Calin... I, um... about Evany¡ª¡±


    Swiftly, Calin held up his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± He stepped past the two and asked, ¡°Is this Mictoria¡¯s caravan?¡±


    They both nodded, and as he threw open the door, Kara tried again. ¡°Calin...¡±


    But he stepped inside the caravan and found his rucksack. He made sure everything was in there before fishing out his water bottle. With much delight he drank from it deeply. Never had water tasted so good. It had been days since he last drank something. Which for a moment made him wonder how he survived through everything the last few days, while he was clearly supposed to be dehydrated? He shook off the thought and just enjoyed the water.


    After another few mouthfuls he stepped over to the barrel that had the fresh water, filled his water bottle and capped it before going to don his rucksack. The familiar weight of it brought some comfort to his heart. He stepped outside and was confronted by Kara pressing her face in his personal space. She glared at him and said, ¡°We will talk about what happened to Evany. You need to let it out.¡±


    Calin took her by her waist picked her up gently and placed her next to him. ¡°No.¡±


    He started toward the archway that had stolen Evany away from him, alongside the traitor, Jael.


    Walking across the clearing to one of the twelve arch ways, Kara called after him. The sounds of feet running across the ground brought her next to him, with Jerry close behind.


    The girl asked, ¡°What are you going to do then, if not talk about it? Calin, if we can find my father and the others we can all go together and find her... Are you listening to me? We need to regroup. This place is too dangerous for us alone!¡±


    He spun on her, and gripped Kara¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°THERE IS NO TIME FOR THAT! So...¡±


    He then inhaled deeply to calm himself. ¡°I¡¯m going after her. I¡¯m going to get her back.¡±


    With that, Kara stomped her foot and said,


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re infuriating, we can¡¯t. It¡¯s too dangerous! We need more help, Calin! Ugh... I¡¯m going to get Mictoria.¡±


    The girl stormed off.


    There was no understanding her attitude at that moment, but Calin shrugged and moved to the archway. There seemed to be runes carved into the rock, but the blue light that had marked the gateway was nowhere to be seen. Calin pressed at the wall behind the arch. But nothing happened. Hopelessness threatened to press him into the ground, his muscles drew tight as he fought his emotions.


    ¡°Let me help.¡± Jerry asked from the side. It tore through Calin¡¯s desperation and a weak smile managed to tug his lips. He nodded.


    Jerry also started feeling if there was anything that would reveal the thing or place that would lead to Evany.


    They both grunted with the effort of trying to find the secret behind the mysterious rock arch, but it didn¡¯t do anything. The dark rocks stayed mute with the markings not giving up its secrets.


    After a while, Calin sat down heavily and Jerry sagged down next to him. The boy patted his arm and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry mate, but there must be a way. If there is, we¡¯ll find it.¡±


    All Calin could do in his state was look out over the clearing and watch as Tyas helped some of the other gypsies to get the bound traitors into the caravans. Though, before he could assess the rest of the clearing, Mictoria came looming over him.


    Looking up, he expected a speech. But even in the moon light he couldn¡¯t mistake the look of compassion on her face. He dropped his gaze again and asked, ¡°How can I get through this thing?¡± He pointed at the Gate.


    The woman regarded him for a second then placed her hands on her hips.


    ¡°N¨ªsir Calin... you are truly a determined one. Come let me help you up and then we will speak of things.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Calin accepted the helping hand and he got up.


    The gypsy woman pointed at the twelve arches and said, ¡°These are the twelve Gates of Kailuvia. They are the heart of the network of pathways. You see these first three, N¨ªsir.¡± He nodded before she continued. ¡°They are the only three that work. I am not certain if there ever was a time that all twelve gates worked, but that is not the problem.¡±


    Frowning, Calin asked, ¡°There is a problem?¡±


    The woman nodded vigorously before she said, ¡°Indeed there are. You see once someone travels through a gate it needs to um, what¡¯s the word... get energy back?¡±


    ¡°Recharge?¡± ventured Calin. The woman smiled immediately and said, ¡°Yes, N¨ªsir. Indeed. It takes a few hours.¡±


    Calin smiled broadly and embraced her, twirling her as he shouted with elation.


    ¡°You wonderful woman! Thank you, thank you!¡±


    After another round about, he placed her down and turned back to the gate and said, ¡°So we wait a few hours and then go through, find Evany and bring her back.¡±


    His hopes soared as he dropped his rucksack before sitting down, waiting in front of the archway. After a moment or two, his smile faded and he turned back to Mictoria almost afraid to ask, ¡°What is the problem then?¡±


    The woman¡¯s shoulders drooped and she sat down next to Calin before she said, ¡°The other two gates work perfectly N¨ªsir, they go both ways to their ...uh destinations. This one however stopped working both ways nine years ago.¡±


    A sinking feeling settled over Calin then. It was the one Evany and that other gypsy woman had disappeared through.


    Then he asked, ¡°How do you know it doesn¡¯t go both ways?¡±


    Mictoria shook her head and said, ¡°Alas we didn¡¯t, not at first. It wasn¡¯t until we didn¡¯t get word from our people from the Crown Basin. It was then that we started suspecting something was wrong. One day we were travelling towards Moons¡¯ Reach, to a small little town that rests in a valley there. That night we were forced to seek refuge from an incredible storm. At the inn, we were staying, there was a man working there. So I got to talking to him¡ª¡±


    Calin stopped the woman briefly with a raised hand and asked, ¡°What does that have to do with this gate?¡±


    The woman raised both her hands indicating patience as she said, ¡°What I gained from the man was the Gate in Crown Basin wasn¡¯t working. And there are only two known ways by land, out of the basin, through this gate and the Rift Run, so named as it passes the city of Rift Arc,


    ¡®But the road called Rift Run has a darker name and that is Slavers Run. It has been a very long time since the way past that city was safe... you can guess the rest N¨ªsir.¡±


    Thoughts bombarded Calin as he ran it all through his mind. There was a chance the place, Ta-Reen had mentioned to the gypsy Jael, was Slavers Run. If so... No, he couldn¡¯t dare make conclusions like that. It would drive him mad. He opted to stare at the smooth wall of the Gate that would lead to Evany.


    After a few seconds, he looked at Mictoria sideways.


    ¡°So if I go after Evany, there is only the road that passes Rift Arc to get back?¡± He asked softly.


    The gypsy woman nodded gravely and said, ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous road you seek, N¨ªsir.¡±


    She stood up. But Calin grabbed at her dress and asked, ¡°Can you give me provisions. I just have to try and get Evany back...please?¡±


    The woman smiled gently and said, ¡°Madam Kara was right about you, a mountain of courage and fiercely loyal to the end... Yes N¨ªsir of course I will help.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Mictoria left and headed towards her caravan.


    Just then Jerry hit Calin on his shoulder. ¡°Are you mad? This sounds exactly like the World Barrier all over again, just this time you will be without a guide. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you think of a reason for going after Evany, our friend?¡± Calin asked intently.


    Without hesitation Jerry cried out, ¡°More than you think! But what about Kara? She¡¯s going to Moons¡¯ Reach for her dad and the others; that I can say for certain. And Tyas made it clear to me he was going after that lead. We cannot just leave them alone out here.¡±


    Calin smirked at that and said, ¡°Of course not, that¡¯s why you are going with them.¡±


    It was quite certain that the boy was thinking a hundred miles an hour, but then Jerry realized what Calin had said and he exclaimed, ¡°WHAT? I am not! You can¡¯t go alone.¡±


    ¡°I can and I will,¡± Calin said as he looked over to where Kara was arguing with Tyas about something. ¡°I want you to watch over Kara please, I still don¡¯t know if I can trust Tyas; not to mention that I don¡¯t know if he cares for her safety as we do. Kara is set on that path, and rightly so. But, it is one she needs a lot of help with, far more than I would need for following two people.¡±


    Jerry shook his head, his face flushed red with his frustration. The boy grumbled some things that Calin couldn¡¯t make out, but finally the boy sat up and said, ¡°There has to be a better way?¡±


    Calin shook his head with quick jerks.


    ¡°Jerry, there is no time! If I don¡¯t go after Evany right now, her trail might go cold and we might lose her... On the other hand, I greatly fear time for Kara¡¯s group is running out too. Something a fellow prisoner and I discussed makes a chill run up my back about what awaits Kara¡¯s dad and the others in Moons¡¯ Reach. You guys need to hurry too. And Tyas is your best bet in that city... Maybe even along the way you will find answers about why all this is happening...¡±


    All the fire was stolen from Jerry as he sat back down heavily and said, ¡°Note that, I understand, and I admit I can¡¯t think of another way right now... But I can¡¯t say I feel right about this.¡±


    ¡°So you see,¡± Calin remarked as he watched Kara jogging back to them. ¡°I have my job to do and you have yours.¡±


    Then Jerry said, ¡°You know? Kara is going to freak! Heck, I don¡¯t like it one bit either, but... it does make sense.¡±


    There was an ominous feeling of Kara¡¯s reaction, Calin was dreading the moment she would find out, so he said, ¡°But let¡¯s leave the news to when the Gate opens again shall we? I¡¯m not in the mood to hold her off for the next few hours.¡±


    Jerry nodded vigorously, understanding that girl as well as Calin did. They both walked over to Kara and Calin said, ¡°Okay let¡¯s help these people clear the place.¡±


    Surprise passed over Kara, probably not expecting his compliance and Calin smiled at her despite himself and went to help Christoff drag a ginger headed traitor to the caravan.


    He would break the news of his travels when the time was right.


    ***


    Calin lay sprawled on the bed in Mictoria¡¯s Floating Caravan. Time was creeping along as slowly as it had the last day or two, if not slower.


    It wasn¡¯t an easy time after his little talk with Mictoria and Jerry. Especially not keeping what he planned to do from Kara, he would definitely not lie to the girl, but he didn¡¯t say in specific terms he was going with them to Moons¡¯ Reach.


    Just then the door opened and Kara came in. Calin looked at the girl and asked, ¡°So Kara, tomorrow the search for your father begins?¡±


    Kara had a worried and conflicted look on her face as she sat down on the bed, holding her arms nervously.


    ¡°Calin... you know I care greatly about Evany. She¡¯s been my best friend for years, but ...but I have to go get my father and the other scientists first. I¡¯m scared. Mictoria told me some really scary things about what is going on in Moons¡¯ Reach. After we get them, we will go for Evany.¡±


    His fears were confirmed. Still, there wasn¡¯t time for a detour like that for him. Evany might be taken to Rift Run in forty days and left for the Slavers to what they do best. Though... He understood Kara¡¯s predicament completely.


    On one hand she desperately wanted to go help her best friend, but on the other, there was a time limit for Evany yet none for her group. She feared deeply for her own father and her colleagues, who were imprisoned with people who were unpredictable at best. It was a nasty choice for the girl, and Calin couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he would¡¯ve chosen, if it was his parents, had he known them. He shook his head at the troubling thought and instead crossed his arms behind his head.


    ¡°I understand. We will get Evany back, but you¡¯ll see to the safety of your people first.¡±


    It was the complete truth. A frown flashed over Kara¡¯s features again.


    ¡°Calin I know I haven¡¯t been the most understanding person. I¡ª


    Mictoria threw the door open and came in.


    ¡°It is time, N¨ªsir, Madam.¡±


    The girl jumped up and said, ¡°So, the other gate is ready to go to Moons¡¯ Reach?¡±


    The woman nodded and Kara lurched happily out of the caravan, frown forgotten.


    The girl missed the look Mictoria and Calin shared. Mictoria had told him only the one gate needed to gain power again after it was used. Calin inclined his head in her direction. She had waited for him.


    After taking a deep breath, Calin got up and walked outside. He looked up to the massive orb, the ¡®lesser moon¡¯, which hung a couple of kilometres up over the mountains in the south. The questions of the phenomenal object were many. But the second moon of Sambria would have to stay a mystery for a while longer. He retrieved his rucksack and donned it with his sword on his hip. The rucksack weighed much heavier after Mictoria had a go with it. He hardly knew what she threw in it, besides food. But if she deemed it necessary he would accept it. He moved between the Gates and dropped it off.


    With a shrug of his shoulders he ventured over to Jerry who said, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Calin tried to smile bravely and only partly succeeded as he embraced the boy in a bear hug. ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be. Jerry ... Mad as you are, you are like¡­ No, you are a brother to me. Take care of Kara please?¡±


    The boy laughed and patted Calin hard on his back as he said, ¡°Me mad? No... YOU are mad. You jumped from a window that was, what? Hundreds of metres up!¡±


    With a smirk, Calin could only agree, it had been an utterly insane idea. But then he said, ¡°Then again, it was you guys who suggested it.¡±


    Jerry stepped away and bowed in grand fashion. ¡°Touch¨¦. You already know I see you as my brother too. So go get our friend back Calin, and be safe.¡±


    It was an intense moment as they looked at each other, hoping their paths would cross again soon.


    Calin gripped Jerry¡¯s hand before stepping away.


    ***


    The caravans were already busy lining up tightly in a row, touching back to front. Mictoria had explained a bit earlier that it had the same effect as to hold on to someone else when stepping through.


    Yet, she had said, the more objects or people linked, the rougher and more dangerous it becomes. But there was the thrill of it in her eyes as they made ready to go through the second of the three working gates.


    Calin eyed the third one as he approached Kara. He caught her off guard and gave her a hug. ¡°Be careful Kara. I hope you find everything you¡¯re looking for. And for crying out loud, let Jerry protect you once in a while!¡±


    He knew she quickly realized what he was about to do, but he didn¡¯t let her out of the hug as she tried to pull away with a fierce jerk.


    She struggled, but he tightened the hug and said, ¡°No. it¡¯s not my path! You, Jerry and Tyas already have so much to do. There is no time. I have to go get Evany ... I promised.¡±


    With those last two words, Kara stopped fighting. She dug her head into his shoulder and said weakly. ¡°Oh please be safe you lump of a fool, and bring back my friend. And Calin... ... you¡¯re my friend too. Remember that.¡±


    As Calin let her go, he smiled at her. Her features were downcast, but it seemed as if she was putting an effort in to accept what he had to do.


    Giving her one more hug, Calin moved away from her. He quickly found Mictoria and asked, ¡°So I thought you weren¡¯t going to Moons¡¯ Reach?¡±


    The woman got a sly grin and said, ¡°Yes N¨ªsir, you are correct, but due to some... changes in our plan we must head that way. Now we can offer your friends passage through the pas¡ª¡±


    He hugged Mictoria mid sentence and said, ¡°Thank you so much for everything. I don¡¯t know what I would have done without your help.¡±


    The gypsy woman returned the hug and said, ¡°You are stronger than you think N¨ªsir Calin, much stronger. Now go get your friend.¡±


    Calin retrieved his rucksack and drew it tight over his shoulders, starting his walk over to where Tyas was, but Mictoria stopped him. Her snow white hand shone in the moonlight.


    As he turned back to her, she held out her other hand to give something and he questioningly held out his to accept it. A small object dropped into his hand. Warmth spread over his palm. Surprised, he looked down and gasped at it.


    It was his ring. Tears started to brim at his eyes as he looked at Mictoria. She had a look on her face that showed so much caring and emotions he couldn¡¯t start to analyze.


    He was speechless as he stood there, but before he could utter a ¡®thanks¡¯ the gypsy woman smiled deeply.


    ¡°N¨ªsir Calin, that such a mystery as you came to me¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand.¡± She shook her head in wonder, then she got a look of worry before she continued,


    ¡°Though never mind that, keep that ring safe. It is an extremely rare and special gift. But be careful N¨ªsir... that ring has three affinity stones in it. What kind even I do not know. If and when they find their light, you must be certain you can wear it safely. Those stones are a treasure, but dangerous if misused. Do not talk openly of it to strangers.¡±


    Calin stopped. Mictoria¡¯s words had struck him. And without waiting, he blurted,


    ¡°Is the ring why Ta-Reen kidnapped me?!¡±


    Mictoria shook her head immediately.


    ¡°Not at all, N¨ªsir! Everything would have happened differently if it had been so. There is something else... They went through far too much trouble. I will have to see if I can learn the truth.¡±


    Relief flowed in him. He was glad his parents¡¯ gift hadn¡¯t caused all this and that Mictoria had brought it back to him.


    He looked at her with a deep respect and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She smiled and without saying anything, she shooed him away with a warm expression.


    Still shaken, Calin cradled the ring that his parents saw fit to give him before they disappeared completely from his life and his memories. Finally, after a few seconds, he pulled himself together and approached Tyas. He shook the secretive man¡¯s hand deftly and steeled his gaze with seriousness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare abandon them, Tyas. Keep them safe while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    The amber eyed man stared hard at him before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea whatsoever that we split up, my mom made me promise that I keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know,¡± Calin said firmly. ¡°But now I ask that you protect what is mine, my closest friends. I know that we set out to find certain answers, and I still want them. But you must go and ask them without me. But you understand now, what to ask when you do find someone who knows.¡±


    There was a war going on behind Tyas¡¯ eyes before the man finally nodded reluctantly and said, ¡°Yes I do. I¡¯ll find out why.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t let go yet, but gave Calin a golden coin. It weighed heavy for a coin and he looked up to ask, but Tyas waved him off with a silent farewell. Pocketing his ring and the coin Calin hoped Tyas would succeed in finding answers as he stepped away.


    This is it, Calin thought as he moved to the third of the twelve Gates of Kailuvia. As he got close, the smooth rock started to pulse with a blue light that seemed to hide within the stone. Who knew there were ¡®teleporters¡¯ already hidden on Earth?


    Inhaling, he readied himself. He was as equipped for the journey as could be. Yet before he could touch the arch, Mictoria shouted,


    ¡°N¨ªsir Calin! I know it is not as simple to ask, but if you find your way to the city of Night Ever, be sure to seek out a man by the name of Abra Jenkins. Tough as rock that man, but he is loyal to the bone. Tell him, I sent you with a hope of knights. Try to find him first. The Cities of Ever are not to get lost in. Be very careful.¡±


    With a smile of thanks, he waved.


    ¡°I sure will. Thank you for everything, Madam Mictoria.¡±


    The woman laughed at that. Calin bowed slightly and waved goodbye to her and to his friends.


    Stepping forward to the arch, the river of blue light flowed over the stone making the air shimmer, beckoning him to come closer, to make the leap of faith. It was the road that would lead him to Evany.


    He would keep his promise to her, even to his dying day. With resolve, he stepped forward to cross over into the unknown, to fulfil a purpose written in stone.


    Reaching out, he touched his hand to the light of the stone.


    It embraced him in a whirlpool of intense light, taking him away to go and save his friend...


    ***~Nights of Sambria~ and the Wish of light***

 [[NOT a chapter]] Book 1 End!

    Hi!


    Thank you for taking this journey with me through the world of Nights of Sambria. It was one that was a long time coming, but ultimately fun.


    I would like to take this time to say that this story is dedicated to my dad and everyone who walked with me through it all. Writing a book is a bigger adventure than I would have thought when i started dreaming of writing this world. So, to all other authors out there that finished a book, well done *High five!*. You are awesome. I know the incredible amount of work that goes into it.


    Secondly, I want to say I am quite curious over what you all enjoyed about this story, what twists in the tale really drew you in, and what scenes you enjoyed the most. So, I want to ask that you take the time to throw a comment or message.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Now, before I move on to what is next, I would like to point to a side story I wrote a while back. That one is not a full novel, well, at least not yet. Depending if I get support for it I might continue it somewhere. Anyway, it is in the author notes below if you are interested. ">


    Or if you want to read my other ongoing story about dangerous tale in Full Dive VR, then head to Heart of the World


    Okay, so what is next? Well, depending on if everone enjoyed the story so far, there is a whole story planned out for the next part in Nights of Sambria. Let me know what you all think.


    Hope you have a lovely week,


    Omri


    Okay, discussion is open!

 [Preview] Book 2 Chapter 1: The Pass

    ¡°What does it mean to be truly human? Who would have thought, me, a normal guy, who had normal dreams of finding a job and maybe a fun and loving girl; would ever come to face that question in its deepest form. It makes me cold inside. Maybe the others know I hide behind my jokes in an attempt to deny my feelings, but I fear the day is coming that I will have to stand up and be brave. Yet even with that fear, I will push it aside for Kara¡¯s sake and keep my word with Calin.¡± ¡ªJerry Jake


    ~Jerry~


    <h1>Chapter One: The Pass</h1>


    Energy sparked as it flashed at the stone arch of one of the twelve gates. It struck like rock. Jerry only blinked and then Calin was not there anymore.


    It didn¡¯t feel right letting his friend go off alone, his fists clenched as the light on the stone disappeared. It was all he could do; he had made his choice and that had been to go with Kara to find her father and the other scientists; to protect her while Calin went off to try and save their other friend. The big question that tugged at Jerry¡¯s heart was, if it was the right decision.


    After a minute staring at the cold stone, he turned away from the gate and moved to the left. One of the Floating Caravan¡¯s of the gypsies was hanging there, swaying gently.


    It was still surprising to no end to see the strange carriages hover more than a metre off the ground with nothing touching the ground.


    There was no doubt in his mind that he would never forget the things he had been seeing since they crossed over that barrier onto the continent of Sambria.


    Choosing not to dwell on it, he hopped onto the caravan; it shifted slightly at his weight, but corrected a moment later. He hopped from one foothold to the next. The climb up the side wasn¡¯t the easiest thing in the world, but he had somewhat gotten used to it in the last four days.


    As he slid his foot onto one of the tinier footholds, it slipped and he gasped as he lost his balance and was about to fall off.


    A pale hand darted forward and grabbed him. Within a few moments that person pulled him up onto the top of the Floating Caravan.


    Jerry blew out a breath. That had been close. At first he thought it Christoff, because the grasp had been strong, but it was then that he realized it was Mictoria who had saved him from the fall, his eyes went big. The petite woman had pulled his entire weight by one arm. He was speechless. `No way...`


    Yet the gypsy woman was acting as if nothing was out of place while she smiled sweetly at him and asked, ¡°Everything well, N¨ªser Jerry?¡±


    His head nodded by its own, as he still stared at her. But no answers were forthcoming.


    Even after days of travelling with her, he still couldn¡¯t put a finger on what made the woman tick.


    Mictoria, who barely reached his armpit in height, was one of the nomadic Floating Gypsies. But even if she was a little bit on the short side, the woman carried the air of command and authority.


    She was fuzzing with her full hair, clearly a little impatient at the rate of the preparations. Her small shoulders were hidden by the thick, dark brown hair that was fashioned into ringlets. Her hand tugged at them. Underneath her hair, her silk-like white, black and blue blouse hugged her shoulders and middle tightly, but looked comfortable. It was slightly at odds with her short, mid-thigh skirt she wore that was clearly meant for mobility, though it had a small silk sarong that just brought a little extra colour to her practical skirt.


    Jerry had seen her fight and he still couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen. Not to mention the woman''s head were full of back-up plans and countless tricks. It was definitely not the first time Jerry had the thought that he would hate to have her as an enemy.


    Just then the woman stood up from the small bench on the front of the caravan and placed her small-heeled boot, which reached almost to her knee, on the ledge as she shouted forward. ¡°Qeret! Get the train ready, we can''t dally all night.¡±


    Jerry looked over the circle of twelve stone arches that surrounded the clearing between the mountains and watched as the many Floating Caravans was moved to within half a metre of each other. The other gypsies, who all looked like they had not seen the sun one day in their lives with their ghostly white skin, moved with practiced ease as they grabbed hold of the carriages and connected them.


    Mictoria had explained the act earlier, but Jerry still didn¡¯t understand how, by making a connected train that the two metre tall gate of Kailuvia could transport the entire progression of Floating Caravans to a distant area on the continent. It blew his mind. Yet, still he had seen Jael drag Evany through the other gate and disappeared, and later Calin. Thinking of it all almost made his head hurt. There was no way he could ever tell anybody from back home. They would never believe him, maybe Kara... No, he thought. The scarlet haired girl had a track record of making him look silly. He just groaned.


    ¡°Agh! Calin, you better come back and be my witness to this!¡±


    ¡°N¨ªser Jerry, what do you need N¨ªser Calin be a witness for?¡±


    Jerry jumped at Mictoria¡¯s sudden question and his cheeks warmed as he tried to hide his embarrassment for his frustrated declaration.


    ¡°Um yeah, nothing really. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    The woman looked at him curiously, but didn¡¯t ask anything further.


    Though she did pat him on the back and said, ¡°N¨ªser Jerry, he is a very capable man, even if he doesn¡¯t see it in himself yet. So, don¡¯t you worry on him. He surprised me a couple of times already... Now, hold on tight we are about to use the Crossing of Kailuvia, and whatever you do, don¡¯t let go until we are on the other side. I cannot tell you what awaits you if you fall off, but I have lost men to it more than once.¡±


    Jerry gulped down hard as the woman¡¯s eyes that had been so full of life only a moment ago turned serious with her statement. He just nodded and gripped the railing until it stung his hands, watching the woman stand up and call.


    ¡°Qeret, do it now!¡±


    The broad shouldered gypsy at the front grabbed onto his carriage and slammed his palm with force onto the glowing stone wall in the arch of the gate.


    Light flashed forward and ice enveloped Jerry as the clearing with the twelve gates disappeared. It was as if a giant force grabbed hold of him as well as his caravan, ripping them forward into the unknown. Vertigo seized him as everything spun out of control. Jerry tried to scream, but he couldn¡¯t get his spinning body to let the sound go.


    The caravan he was holding on to, lurched violently beneath him. Fear grasped him as Mictoria¡¯s words echoed loudly in his mind. With all the strength he could muster, Jerry held on.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Then the light was plucked from him as if it had been a sheet wrapped around him. And they were in a long basin basked in moonlight, with many valleys leading out of it.


    Things settled down as fast as it had started, but there were numerous groans from all over the progression. Some of the gypsies just muttered and started correcting the carriages as Jerry still tried to control his heart beat.


    ¡°Mictoria, where are¡ª¡°


    ¡°FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES!!¡± Boomed a voice from above the left side cliff.


    Jerry jerked his head up to the sight of an armoured man standing on a wooden watch tower that looked like it had seen constant battle. There was a man there dressed in a cloak that would have hidden him expertly within his surroundings if he hadn''t been waving his arms franticly with torches in each hand. Other than the moon, the only light on the watchtower was those torches casting light over the sheer rockface.


    Immediately following the grave warning shout, the sound of swords withdrawing from their sheaths echoed against the walls of the ravine. One of the gypsies a little back, shouted,


    ¡°There is movement all around! Be alert!¡±


    It was a familiar voice. One of the gypsies that had helped him and Tyas in the attack of the Igri, without that man¡­ Jerry shuddered at the thought. He owed Ro-Kin his life.


    But rather than remembering that fight, it was the sound of screams from beyond that, at the back, that demanded his attention. Even from the Floating Caravan, it was clear that the earth beneath their carriages were shaking. Rocks and loose gravel was cascading down the cliffs. As he searched for the source of the screams in the darkness, the glimmerstone lanterns offered little to what the danger was.


    But then a screeching hiss filled the air as a dark shape burst through the darkness, destroying in an instant the Floating Caravan at the back of their train. The glimmerstone lanterns flung in many directions with the splintered pieces of the caravan it once resided on.


    Shouts and gurgling screams deafened the next part. Jerry spun to Mictoria clasping the reigns of their caravan. The light that fell on her hands showed they were trembling, and not just a little. His heart struck a drum beat in his chest as a sudden realization dawned on him.


    It was clear without a doubt that this was nothing like the Igri attack in the Valley of Blades.


    This was much worse.


    His voice stuttered as he asked,


    ¡°Mict¡­ Mictoria, what is attacking us?¡±


    The expectation that she certainly would know what was going on was squarly placed on what he had witness through their escapades in the Pillar city of Yera¡¯s Crossing. The kindhearted Floating Gypsy had shown immense resolve in cooking up a plan to free Calin. But the next moment dashed any such hope of her constant confidence in their journey so far.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Mictoria¡¯s eyes glistened with uncertainty as she said it.


    Jerry gawked at her, and opened his mouth to say something, when the cliff behind showed the ground was shaking again. His eyes shot to and fro, searching for their adversary, whatever it was.


    But the large entity appeared once more just before anyone could react. The caravan that was two away from his got flung into the air as if a balloon with helium in it was let go. It spun up in the air. The gypsies that were on top of it fell from it with only one of them landing on relatively safe ground. Jerry choked in horror as two limp bodies landed next to their caravan, one of which was Ro-Kin. There was no sign of life.


    Though before the shock could overtake him, the Floating Caravan, second from theirs, was also flung up into the air when the ground exploded upwards. It crashed into the ledge close to where the watchtower was and in a moment Jerry¡¯s world stood still, as from the broken wreckage emerged Ta-Reen. The traitor gypsy that threw everthing into chaos only a day before was now free from the prison carriage.


    The fires cast light on the man''s scar on his cheek as it pulled tight as he looked with a fierce glare down at Mictoria. He spat onto the rocks below and ran off into the dark night.


    It was then that Jerry remembered Kara and Tyas. But as he desperately glanced back into the canyon, he was met only by destruction and flames. Only half of the caravans looked to be intact, the rest was either destroyed or badly damaged. He couldn¡¯t make out anyone he knew through the smoke.


    A wooden beam suddenly fell from the sky. Jerry only had seconds to dodge the projectile, as he jumped to the side of the roof of their caravan. He slipped and almost fell off the railing as he righted himself, but still Mictoria¡¯s head being glanced by the beam was as clear as day.


    The small gypsy woman slumped and fell back, unconscious and blood streaking from her head.


    Jerry wanted to rush to her aid, when a dark mass erupted from the ground and struck the back of their caravan, sending it into a fearful spin.


    In holding on for dear life, the clear and familiar of voice of their rudder man, Christoff cried out in terror and abrubtly went silent.


    Jerry¡¯s breaths came in too fast as he hyperventilated through the ordeal. At least their caravan came to a halt, still mostly intact. Without waiting, Jerry jumped up and lunged towards Mictoria. Her breathing was shallow¡­ too shallow. He nervously looked around, hoping for help to come.


    But the raging fires in the night revealed that this place was a graveyard for hundreds of types of horse drawn carriages and other types all around them. It said only one thing.


    They needed to get out right now.


    Just before he turned, movement from below caught his attention. A gypsy man, whom Jerry recognized as Koi-la, was carrying a gypsy woman. He ran forward and jumped on what looked like a Floating Caravan that had its entire top blow off. The gypsy gently laid down the woman and went to the middle. There in the middle as the man pulled of pieces of wreckage was a large glowing crystal. The man shouted into the night and laid himself on it and it became brighter before the broken caravan lurched forward into the night.


    Jerry, mustered up all his courage and grabbed the reigns.


    As he did, the gravel started falling down the cliffs again as a deep rumbling sounded from the ground. But he did not wait around to find out what it was as he floored the pedal that meant forward on the Floating Caravan. It surged forward at a speed as the wind gushing past his ears drowned out most sounds, except for the screetching growls that followed theird caravan. Whatever chased after them was fast.


    Though with relief it became clear that as the caravan got up to its full speed, it pulled away slowly but surely from the immensely dangerous entities that destroyed so many of the Floating Caravans. Jerry gritted his teeth as he gripped the reigns of the caravan.


    Speeding forward, the right side of the small canyon gave way, revealing that they were on a plateau, in the distance down on the lowlands stood great Morning trees of the three more common colors he had come to know; green, turquoise and the lime colourded ones.


    But Jerry forced his eyes forward, the pass they were one were going into tighter canyon than the previous one and the uncertainty of Christoff, cast doubt in if the more difficult turns would be possible without him at the rudder. Yet, there was no choice.


    The dangerous growls in the night, made it clear he couldn¡¯t stop. Not now.


    He pressed forward on the paddle and the caravan drifted down into the canyon, immediately striking the wall to the left. Scraping sounds harassed his ears, but he endured through it, gripping the reigns all the tighter.


    ***


    Hours passed. Yet still no sign of people came. Dust blew into his tired eyes and his hands still gripped the reigns with the same intensity it had when he had fled the scene of the attack, his knuckles were white and his fingers had long since numbed to the pain of holding on too tightly. Just follow the road, Just get away get away... Just find help...


    Just. Just. J¡­ust


    His mind wasn''t clear anymore.


    The only thing that drove him, that kept him awake was the idea that Mictoria might die if he stopped, if he gave up.


    His clenched hands around the reigns could not open any longer, his hands molded to the leather in a painful way. But still he kept on going.


    He had not slept in two days. Since before the ordeal at Yera¡¯s Crossing.


    Now that deprivation was eating at his body like a swarm of parasites. Jerry shook his head as his eyes dipped closed for the hundredth time in the last hour. Everything started looking blurry a long while ago. He didn¡¯t know if he could trust his eyes any more. Nothing made sense.


    But he needed to be alert. The caravan wasn¡¯t handling as well. Fear gnawed at him, he had not heard a sound from their rudder man, Christoff, since they had fled. There was not even a hint of the familiar circular mechanical sweeps of the helm at the back.


    Jerry was sure by now, because he had not been able to make certain maneuvers with the caravan for hours now.


    Then from around a bend, lights appeared. Jerry shook his head wildly. There was no time to give in to illusions. Mictoria and Christoff needed help¡­


    But the lights became bigger.


    And bigger.


    It looked like great big shining things.


    Jerry did not know what.


    Out of nowhere, a shout came,


    ¡°WHO GOES THERE?¡±


    Jerry jerked his head up, and saw a big glowing tree with a structure hugging around the dark bark at least thirty meters up. Was it a Morning tree?... Jerry swayed weakly.


    Everything was so blurry. Was that a man swinging down?


    I am so tired¡­


    His mouth opened up, and somehow he uttered,


    ¡°Help¡­Mict¡­ needs¡ª¡°


    He toppled over. His eyes closed. And exhaustion claimed him.

 [Preview] Ch 2: A leaf of learning

    <h1>Chapter Two:</h1>


    A leaf of learning


    A soft feeling was under his body. If it was a bed, Jerry wasn''t sure. He hardly had the will to think about opening his eyes, scared that the sensation of a soft bed might just be a dream. Was he back home in Lamb''s Crest? Back in the modern world? Had all that had happened been purely in his imagination?


    No. There was no weight behind that idea, but then as he tried to feel around, to subtly explore, he couldn''t move his fingers. Sudden fear gripped him and his eyes shot open as he sat up.


    But instead of seeing one of his worst fears, he saw his hands wrapped in many layers of cloth bandages, making his fingers immobile. There was also a thin layer wrapped around his middle, but he didn''t feel any pain there while examining himself.


    After a short while his nerves started to settled down, he finally felt the pain of his bandaged digits. They did not feel broken, but they stung; Though it was more in frustration than anything else as he tapped one of his wrapped hands against his temple and groaned.


    "Ugh. Kara wil so not let me hear the end of my stupidity from this."


    Just then shock lanced through him as he remembered the night of the attack and his fears of not being able to see Kara''s caravan throughout that chaotic situation.


    Without waiting for anybody to enter the room, Jerry jumped up, bare chested and only in thin breeches. The room around him reminded him of a log cabin. It had a homey outdoors feel to it, but it had many items that looked like it was meant to deal with injured parties.


    Not even thinking of his state of undress, he stormed to the door and struggled with the crude handle with his wrapped hands.


    *Okay, it is a big assed log cabin, was his first thought after he finally got the door open.


    It led into a hallway with several doors on either side, making him move forward with more care. The first door opened to an empty room and the second was a washroom that held more than a few odd utensils. But Jerry didn''t linger as he ventured to the next door. It was already a bit open, so he softly pressed it inward. A big room came into view, almost ten metres long and four wide, with several beds and a table filled with bloody bandages and a couple of knives that had fresh blood on them. Jerry held his breath at the scene, his heart already beating faster.


    But just as he was about to leave, he spotted a person wrapped heavily in bandages at the end of the room and another two other figures on the beds to his immediate left, their faces were hidden behind wooden screen boards.


    Without hesitation he rushed toward them, and as the people came into view, he saw Mictoria, her small frame looked severely bruised. Panic bubbled up, and just as he rushed to her side to see if she was alright, a voice startled him from the side.


    "She will be fine, she is sleeping. We Nasyri are tougher than we look."


    Jerry glanced to see Christoff press his board to the side. The gypsy was sitting up, but had bandages all over his torso, but he looked alright as he stood up with little effort.


    "Do you know what happened?"Jerry asked, though he pushed down his curiosity on Christoff calling himself and Mictoria Nasyri. That could wait.


    "To me?" The gypsy asked and Jerry nodded. "I was trapped under heavy debri after that last attack."


    Jerry huffed as he sat down on a crude wooden chair.


    "What were those things?"


    "I don''t know, N¨ªsir. I didn''t get a chance to see. But even so, I''m as bewildered as you are. I haven''t seen such powerful creatures in decades. For it to have destroyed so many Floating caravans makes it incredibly dangerous. I do however want to thank you, N¨ªsir, you saved me and Mictoria¡¯s lives. The caretakers told me of how they found you at the reigns.¡±


    Jerry was happy he could do that. But still nervousness bubbeled out of him,


    ¡°Christoff¡­ I¡¯ve not seen Kara or Tyas since I woke up.¡±


    The man¡¯s face pulled taut and his fists clenched as he tried to get up, but immediately his hand flung to his ribs and he grunted in pain before sitting back down, coughing.


    ¡°Ugh uh uhg. I ¡­ ugh fear many had been slain last night. We need to find whoever survived.¡±


    Jerry looked to his bandaged hands and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°But how¡­?¡±


    A female voice from the side startled him.


    ¡°Any way we can.¡±


    Jerry eyes settled on Mictoria who was holding the side of her bandaged head tenderly with one hand. She looked at him and Christoff with concern, but more so with determination before she spoke again.


    ¡°I take it we are in Dawn¡¯s Approach, Christoff?¡±


    The gypsy man nodded his head.


    ¡°Good, we might receive help from the Tza¡¯Vengard stationed here. How many of the Nasyri made it back?¡±


    Jerry stayed silent, totally out of his depth in the situation as Mictoria yet again took seemless command of a bad situation. Christoff appeared taken off guard by Mictoria being passed out moments before, but now asking questions. Even so, the male gypsy cleared his throat and said,


    ¡°I only know what the caretaker said earlier. Five caravans made it this far. But of the members, the number I do not know, though most are badly hurt. Koi-la is the worst off, he ¡­ used the caravan¡¯s crystal directly. We were lucky being so far to the front.¡±


    Mictoria made a Tsk! sound as she glanced at the totally wrapped up man in the room. After a few seconds of staring, she asked,


    ¡°Only five caravans? ¡­ It is worse than I feared. What could have caused this?¡±


    The question was not asked as if expecting an answer. Mictoria stayed silent only a moment before continuing,


    ¡°Regardeless, it seems we have a difficult path ahead of us. N¨ªsir Jerry,¡± She paused and took a deep breath. ¡°Given the dire situation, I¡­ I need to ask your help.¡±


    Jerry froze. What could she possibly need his help for¡­? Ever since coming to Sambria, he had been tossed about all the crazy events that had transpired, from rescuing Kara to the Valley of Blades.


    It was a joke. It couldn¡¯t be anything else. He started laughing. But then he noticed Mictoria¡¯s serious face and stopped laughing. Immediately he asked,


    ¡°How could I possibly be of help to you?!¡±


    Mictoria¡¯s features softened and she smiled at him.


    ¡°Oh, but you¡¯ve already proven yourself greatly N¨ªsir, do not devalue your worth. And in this matter I will ask of you, you may very well have something that none of the Floating Gypsies have.¡±


    Jerry stared at her dumbfounded. What did he do? And what did he have that these extroadinary fighters didn¡¯t have. As if sensing his doubts, Mictoria took his hand in hers and said,


    ¡°From what I heard, you saved my life N¨ªsir, and my brother¡¯s.¡±


    Jerry looked to Christoff and gulped.


    ¡°Mictoria¡­ I just¡ª¡°


    ¡°You shone the light that are in you brightly and for that I am humbled and greatful. Thank you, N¨ªsir. And it brings me to the favour I need to ask. Those creatures that attacked us are powerful ¡­ If we are going to go back and bring back survivors, we need to use whatever is available to us. What I¡¯m going to ask of you will be dangerous. So, go and get dressed N¨ªsir, and if you choose to help, keep that in mind. We will go from there.¡±


    Jerry couldn¡¯t get any words out and just nodded before hurrying out of the room.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    His heart was beating rapidly. The whole of the night before hadn¡¯t sunk in yet. The life threatening dangers of it and¡­ for the first time ever he had saved someone¡¯s life. Two in fact.


    Tears slid over his cheeks. The emotions of the moment were more intense than any he had faced in his almost seventeen years. It sent shudders through him as he cried. His back pressed against the wall in an attempt to stay up right. His heart tightened all the more when he thought of his friends.


    Yet, with it, a determination to help who can be helped clawed its way up in him. Even if what Mictoria was going to ask of him was dangerous. No matter how much, he was going to do it.


    Jerry wiped off his tears and stared at the wetness glistening on his forearm, and the emotions that accompanied it. It couldn¡¯t be dechiphered in the least. But it could wait.


    What came next was more important. He strode into the room where he had woken up.


    Upon entering, the sound of a girl chuckling at something became apparent.


    ¡°Huhuhu!¡±


    Immediately Kara popped into his head. Though, as he stepped around the door, hoping to find his friend, there was a figure in the corner. Dark hair, streaked with what could be called butterfly purple, adorned her head, a medium length not touching her shoulders. It was definitely not Kara.


    He wanted to sigh, but it was then that a smooth tail swishing energetically about on the girl stopped Jerry like a statue. His eyes popped open wide. It couldn¡¯t be real. Yet the tail flicked around like it had its own will.


    Another chuckle came from whoever was rummaging around in the corner of the room. It sounded more like she was very excited about something.


    About then the floor creaked under Jerry¡¯s foot and the person and her tail froze and straightened.


    ¡°Eh!¡± She squeeked and spun around looking startled.


    As Jerry made eye contact with her, words escaped him. Instead of asking politely who she was, or saying hi for that matter, Jerry blurted.


    ¡°You got a tail¡­!!!¡±


    Her ears perked up showing slight points as a bewildered expression came over her face.


    ¡°Huh? Of course I¡¯ve got a tail,¡± She huffed cutely. ¡°I¡¯m a Leafling.¡±


    As if stating the fact, it dawned on him that she was exceedingly different from any person he had ever seen. Her skin had a soft shade of darker pink to it and her eyes glimmered with an aquamarine color.


    Dizziness swept over him.


    Am I hallucinating? Did I hurt my head¡­


    His bandaged hands went up to his head and felt around, but as he brought his hands back down, there was no blood. He looked to the girl, her tail was twirling back and forth, and an excited look filled her face.


    She sniffed the air before she said,


    ¡°I thought I smelled something odd yesterday when my friend bandaged your hands¡­¡±


    The strange girl bounced forward towards him and Jerry jerked backwards, until hitting the wall. He glanced about nervously as she neared him, but then she stopped and sniffed again.


    ¡°There is no doubt¡­ But hmm, what is it. It smells so familiar¡­yet¡­ No, but it can¡¯t be.¡±


    Just then she sniffed again and again. As she did her eyes settled on his, she stared intently into them. Long seconds passed and the stare only intesified, but then all of a sudden her eyes got big as saucers as she stumbled backwards towards the bed, her hand shook as she pointed to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡ª You¡¯re¡ª You¡¯re h-human!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jerry blurted. His mind just blanked. It was just too surreal. It was like everything was backwards.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me? I¡¯m just a healer. Please¡­¡± The girl said in a quivering voice.


    Jerry was so confused. All he could get out again was,


    ¡°What?...¡±


    As if his simple question flipped a switch, the strange girl with the tail stopped shaking. She tilted her head slightly and cautiously asked,


    ¡°The stories are true aren¡¯t they? That all humans are murderers, and conquerors seeking to¡ª¡°


    A voice came from the side,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Ysa. Truly, it is just like you being inquisitive enough and figuring it out in such a short time. It is no wonder that your teachers have always been astonished at your intelec.¡±


    Jerry glanced to the side as the girl squeeked at the intrusion. Mictoria stood looking quite perplexed.


    The girl named Ysa blurted then,


    ¡°Mictoria, he is a human!¡±


    Her tail was flicking back and forth in a more agitated manner. Even so, Mictoria slid into the room and regarded her with a slightly amused tug at her lips. Jerry could only spectate in this utterly bizarre situation as his mouth didn¡¯t function as well at the moment.


    ¡°Indeed. But do you believe the rumors about humans so readily?¡±


    ¡°But!... but¡­¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Mictoria said, putting a hand on the girls head, and Ysa blowing up her cheeks as Mictoria continued, ¡°N¨ªsir Jerry, though human, showed nothing but compassion and bravery while he travelled with the Floating gypsies the last few days. Far from the vile creatures Moons¡¯ Reach makes them out to be.¡±


    Jerry watched as Ysa eyed him from under Mictoria¡¯s hand, her tail was less rigid in its swaying. It was then that he found his voice as he blurted,


    ¡°Mictoria! She¡¯s got a tail¡­ and her skin!¡±


    Mictoria¡¯s demeanor changed immediately as she stared at him in complete confusion. A frown gripped her features.


    ¡°Surely you must have seen a Leafling before, even though they are a bit rare in these parts, N¨ªsir?¡±


    Jerry shook his head wildly.


    ¡°Never! In fact, I thought humans were the sole race of the world.¡±


    Ysa and Mictoria both paled for a moment before the gypsy asked gravely,


    ¡°W-Where do you come from?¡±


    Seeing her shaken like that gave pause to Jerry. It was like his statement had struck them to the core, which made no sense at all. Like the concept was completely alien to them. But humans were the only race¡­ yet, the sight of Ysa made him shake his head. What was going on?


    ¡°I can¡¯t begin to explain, given our lack of time. Regardless of that fact, I am just as confused as you two are¡­ I don¡¯t know how to react to all this.¡± Jerry dragged a bandaged hand over his forehead, wiping the sweat off.


    Some part of him wanted to wake up from the dream, but, a chilling fact reminded him it was not a dream and Kara and Tyas was in danger. Before Mictoria or Ysa could say anything else, Jerry lifted his hand and continued,


    ¡°Mictoria, we really don¡¯t have time for this, my friends, your people are in danger. We need to go as soon as possible.¡±


    The gypsy woman breathed in and then nodded, but seemed no less shaken as she said,


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not affected by this notion that you are from a place where that is true¡­ But, your words speak wisdom.¡± She breathed out and turned to Ysa. ¡°Come now Ysa, I need N¨ªsir Jerry¡¯s help in saving the people that might still be alive. So if it is possible, could you finish the healing on his hands?¡±


    The Leafling girl looked up at her, trepidation hinted in her aquamarine eyes, but at Mictoria¡¯s plight, she nodded. In fact, she seemed to shake off whatever fear she had for the moment and firmed her shoulders as she said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to heal him, but I¡¯m coming with you!¡±


    A flabbergasted look passed over Mictoria¡¯s features and she just sighed.


    ¡°You are just like your brother. But fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Heeee! Thank you!¡± Ysa squealed in joy and her tail swished energetically behind her. And another sigh came from Mictoria.


    Ysa, with a big smile on her face came towards him, zero fear in her eyes as she gave him a sly look as she chuckled and said,


    ¡°Huhuhu, I look forward to hear ALL about humans from you. So, now hold out your hands.¡±


    Jerry just stared at the confusing girl, not only did she have a tail, but her personality was anything but simple. As he blankly stared at her, she got frustrated and snapped her fingers. He jerked out of his thoughts and lifted his bandaged hands.


    The girl smiled and started unwrapping them. As they came into the open, Jerry gasped, his palms and fingers were full of places where his skin was completely gone.


    Had the mad dash away from those monsters done that to his hands? He hadn¡¯t felt half the pain of it! Upon seeing it though, the pain came in full force and he almost dropped to a knee. He took deep breaths as he tried to manage his hurting hands.


    The Leafling girl looked to his hands biting her lip. Uncertainty passed over her features as she blurted,


    ¡°I tried it twice yesterday! But it hadn¡¯t healed as much as normal. Mictoria¡­ is it because he is human?¡±


    The words went right over his head. Of course wounds like those wouldn¡¯t heal in a night. It would take weeks, months even! Jerry gulped. How was he going to be of any help in searching for Kara and the rest? His hands were a mess.


    But what came next was even more confusing.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mictoria said in thought, ¡°Humans seem to have a higher resistance to raw affinity. But it doesn¡¯t explain everything¡­ Still try to do it again. It might work better this time.¡±


    The girl looked completely focused as she said,


    ¡°This might hurt. But try to keep your hands against mine.¡±


    She gripped her one wrist strap and then her other before she placed her hands palm down on his own palms. Jerry grunted in pain, but did his best to do as she asked, even though he didn¡¯t know at all what she was doing.


    The next moment though, she closed her eyes and her tail started to dance through the air behind her. It was almost enchanting, but the fact that her wrist guards started glowing, and her hands also, completely caught Jerry off guard. He was about to rip his hands away from her in fright when Mictoria barked from the side,


    ¡°N¨ªsir, stay still!!¡±


    Jerry¡¯s eyes were wide as a feeling of warmth seeped into his hands and the skin started pulling tight.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Mictoria telling him to stay still, Jerry was certain he would have scrambled out of the room. But he stayed, and he silently freaked out at what he was seeing.


    Yet, as the minutes passed, the pain in his hands started lessening drasticly. It was to the point where he marvelled at what was busy happening. The strange girl was doing something weird, but his hands were so much better.


    Ysa opened her eyes. She stared into his before looking back down. I slight hint of doubt showed on her face. Like she was scared of what would be there under her hands. As she lifted her hands up, Jerry choked, and coughed as he looked at his hands.


    The skin on his palms had almost completely grown back! Given, there were still small gaps, several blisters and new scar tissue, but it was a far cry better than the raw flesh that had been there before.


    ¡°No way!¡± Jerry gasped, he stared in wonder at the girl.


    She smiled slightly. Which was odd, because the incredible thing that had just happened. She looked to Mictoria and shrugged, her cheeks were puffed up and her tail hung a little less proud behind her.


    ¡°It worked a little bit, I guess. But still¡­ it¡¯s not nearly as much as I would have liked after three times!¡±


    Jerry gaped at her, ¡°Are you kidding me?! Not as much! This is months of healing worth! How is this possible¡­¡±


    Ysa¡¯s tail quirked up swishing happily as surprise crossed her face at his praise.


    Mictoria stepped closer and placed a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Ysa¡¯s primary affinity stones are of healing.¡±


    Jerry stared at her and asked,


    ¡°Affinity what?¡±


    Mictoria slapped her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°No¡­ N¨ªsir! You cannot tell me you don¡¯t know about affinity stones?¡±


    Jerry looked back and forth between the two before his shoulders dropped,


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know. Though, hear me out, I¡¯ll happily let you touch me up on Sambria¡¯s history as we go, but¡­ we can¡¯t waste any more time! Surely you know that. They could be dying out there¡­¡±


    The others nodded soberly and in seconds, Mictoria turned to leave. As she did, she placed her hand on the door and said,


    ¡°Get dressed, N¨ªsir. And then meet us at the central Morning trees in the courtyard.¡±


    As if a bubble burst, Jerry looked at his thin breeches, his only piece of clothing, and then at Ysa who realized as well as she yelped, stared and then scurried out of the room at a brisk pace before Mictoria, her smooth tail fluttering up and down all the way.

 [Preview] Ch 3: Dawns Approach

    <h1>Chapter Three:</h1>


    Dawn¡¯s Approach


    Jerry fumbled with the dark brown cloak that had the fist holding a branch center on the back. It was the one Tyas had given him back while there were still on Breakwater Isle. Jerry shook his head. Back then, to him, there were only humans and trees didn¡¯t glow¡­


    He slapped his cheeks and cheered himself up. There was no use in moping over anything.


    As he exited the building, he was surprised to see that they were three stories up. Down below, there were two central Morning trees that were entwined in the courtyard. No¡­ it was more like they reached up two more stories than his perch. But still, they were a far cry smaller than the giant Morning Tree back at Yera¡¯s Crossing. Well, every Morning tree was giant compared to the normal non-glowing trees.


    Though the Morning trees weren¡¯t glowing right then, as the sun still shone into the courtyard. There was maybe an hour left of sunlight before it would dip below the cliffs that hugged the village.


    He looked out beyond the buildings surrounding the two entwining Morning trees and a small river became apparent as it flowed from somewhere to the right; which was confusing because it seemed to flow from the direction of the cliff.


    But Jerry just shrugged his shoulders and put it out of mind as he spotted Mictoria and Ysa down at the Morning trees. He trotted down the sweeping stair ways that led down below, and for the moment enjoyed the run.


    As he got to the ground, Christoff swept from the shadows from a wooden crate just left of the stairs he just came from. Jerry jerked in surprise. He had not seen Christoff at all¡­


    ¡°Whoa! That was awesome! How did you do that?¡±


    Christoff chuckled as he asked,


    ¡°I see you have an enthusiasm for the art of sneaking, no?¡±


    Jerry¡¯s eyes beamed, he had always enjoyed books about covert ops and recon behind enemy lines, he and Calin had entertain themselves for years by trying to outsneak the other. And seeing someone so effortlessly do it¡­ Jerry nodded vigorously.


    Christoff hopped onto another crate and looked down.


    ¡°It is fine skill to have if you keep it honourable. It is sad beyond measure to hear of those who would do evil with the skill. If we survive our rescue mission, N¨ªsir Jerry, I would teach you what I know and what I was taught many years ago. But I will do it the right way. Yes?¡±


    It was almost entirely clear to him that the ones who did evil with sneaking were thieves and assassins. Jerry couldn¡¯t help but whole heartedly agree that it was sad.


    Without twitching a muscle, Jerry nodded and resolutely said,


    ¡°That¡¯s the way I want it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now come.¡± Christoff said as he jumped from crate to crate, before dropping onto the path.


    Hurrying after him, Jerry asked,


    ¡°Where did you learn these things from?¡±


    ¡°From the place where I suspect your friend is going this very moment¡­ the Cities of Ever.¡±


    Jerry stopped abrubly. He clenched his fist and grimaced as the still tender flesh pulled taut. For a moment his mind was a warzone as he clashed against his decision to leave Calin behind, to leave him to face untold dangers alone¡­


    But, Jerry sighed and shook it off, if he hadn¡¯t come this way, Mictoria and Christoff might be dead and Kara without any foreseeable help.


    Still, it weighed heavily on his mind. It was not a simple matter. He grudgingly admitted Calin had a point in why. Yet, it didn¡¯t take away the weight of letting his best friend, which was like a brother, go off alone in this world.


    Just then a hand dropped onto his shoulders.


    ¡°Do not fear young one, N¨ªsir Calin is a strong man. I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Jerry nodded at Christoff comforting him and said,


    ¡°Yeah, he is. But I can¡¯t help but worry about him¡­ and Evany.¡±


    The gypsy¡¯s hand squeezed his shoulder and Jerry smiled reassuringly as they walked around the corner. The courtyard opened up and there was a Floating Caravan, with Ysa and Mictoria gesturing wildly to a man in full plated armor. Jerry marvelled at the armor, it was straight out of a medieval movie! But it looked so much more awesome, with it being actually real. The armor itself was a green stained glass color, but it was clearly some sort of metal. There were intricate designs of gold engraved onto the metal and darker patches that accentuated the whole thing.


    Jerry wiped the drool from his mouth and approached Mictoria. His inner kid was on full alert.


    ¡°¡­ regardeless of that fact, Nasyri, it is just too dangerous that I could send any more of my men up there. We¡¯ve lost hundreds on the pass to those monsters. Even Moons¡¯ Reach is completely unreachable at this very moment. There are just too many of those creatures all around Dawn¡¯s Approach that I can spare any of my ranks.¡±


    ¡°You are the Tza¡¯Vengard¡­¡± Mictoria said with urgency. ¡°Your very creed is to protect.¡±


    The man in the green full plated armor just shook his head.


    ¡°Even so, we lost so many in just a few days¡­ to these creatures that we do not yet in the least know where they came from, or what they are. It is madness to go to that pass. This is my final word.¡±


    The man started to walk away. His ginger hair hid away his face.


    ¡°Gerah.¡± Mictoria said the name in a pleading way after him.


    The man¡¯s shoulders dropped and he said,


    ¡°You can get equipment from the blacksmith and the store. Tell them I gave you permission. And¡­ ¡­ maybe you can ask Tiro Imer if he would brave that pass with you¡­ But more than that, you are on your own, Mictoria.¡±


    His eyes looked concerned. And somehow Jerry could discern that the man called Gerah had been out to try and dissuade Mictoria from going back for the rescue.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Mictoria huffed and sat down on the only stone near the Morning trees.


    ¡°Sands¡­ That was not what I was hoping for. Guess we need to plan carefully what we do next.¡±


    Christoff walked past Jerry to his sister and said,


    ¡°It is not a total loss. But I agree¡­ we need to travel with great caution and well thought out preparation.¡±


    Just then Ysa came out of nowhere, her fists balled and her cheeks puffed up. Her tail flicked back and forth in clear agitation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show him!¡± Ysa fumed, ¡°He acts more like a coward than anything these days! And he still treats me like I¡¯m a kid.¡±


    ¡°Hush now, Ysa. I understand your frustration, but we take what we can get. Remember Gerah helped your parents greatly only half a year ago.¡±


    Ysa frowned cutely. The Leafling just lifted her hands and said,


    ¡°Hmmpf. Doesn¡¯t mean he can just go about forgetting his creed.¡±


    ¡°Strong words as always, Ysa.¡± Christoff said as he dropped his hand on Ysa¡¯s head and patted her dark purple hair.


    It was like it squeezed out all the air out of her puffed up cheeks as she blew out the air and grunted. But, already her tail looked less agitated in its movements.


    Jerry, chuckled at the scene. It brought levity to an intense situation.


    Just then Mictoria touched his shoulder and Jerry turned to look at the short woman. Well, short against his tall stature. She actually had half a head in length over Calin.


    She looked at him and said,


    ¡°N¨ªsir Jerry, this is going to get ugly and I¡¯d like you come into the caravan with me.¡±


    He nodded readily and walked with her. He glanced back and Ysa was pointing a finger at Christoff, her tail stood straight out. In the sunlight it was clear that her smooth tail was the same color and texture as her skin. The girl was saying something stern to Christoff, before they disappeared around the tree. Jerry turned and walked to the door of the caravan.


    The large Floating Caravan drifted soundlessly in the air, and it was quite tricky to get a good foot on the small steps that led inside. He managed it and entered, but he stopped as Mictoria stood wordlessly with her hand on a closet. Her delicate features were creased in worry.


    ¡°Mictoria?¡±


    ¡°N¨ªsir¡­ you never heard of Affinity Stones?¡±


    Jerry nodded.


    ¡°I cannot fathom how this is possible¡­¡± Mictoria said in her strange accent. ¡°But that being as it may, I need to explain something to you before there is any danger. I fear there would be no chance in the heat of battle.¡±


    His finger scratched at his stubble and he said,


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    She smiled, but only slightly, before she said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you as we go, but you have to understand the nature of Affinity Stones and Shaping before I can even consider the favour I might need of you, N¨ªsir.¡±


    Her fingers curled around a small case and she walked over to him.


    Jerry looked at the case with utmost curiosity. It was almost impossible to imagine what these Affinity Stones were. So when Mictoria opened the case, his nose was almost touching the lid.


    A soft giggle came from the woman and Jerry straightened up but watched as three small coin sized stones came into view. One was a bland grey color, the second was a more chiselled rose quarts color and the third looked almost ominous to look at as light refracted in its glass white depths. He had never seen stones like these.


    ¡°These are Affinity stones, N¨ªsir. One lesser, one greater and one grand. There are different stones of different strength. But, for this, it would work.¡±


    He didn¡¯t understand in the least but he wanted to touch them, but as he reached out to the glass white one, Mictoria shouted,


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Her voice was tight with pure concern.


    It made him stop what he was doing.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I touch the stones?¡±


    Mictoria blew out a big breath of relief and said,


    ¡°Not that one. It is because of their nature, N¨ªsir. Affinity stones are found almost exclusively near Morning trees, underground near glimmer stone or the like and only on occasion. They have the, what do you call it, ability to draw energy from their surroundings and thus take up the nature of the Morning tree they reside by. But in doing so, it makes them both incredibly useful and incredibly dangerous. The raw energies of nature can be volatile¡ª¡± She looked intently at the stones, strange emotions ran across her face, then she spoke again.


    ¡°¡ªIt takes time for a person to get in tune with it. But when we do so, we gain abilities ourselves.¡±


    Jerry¡¯s eyes flashed up. What was being said, was so far beyond the realm of reality, but Mictoria looked dead serious. And he was reminded immediately what Ysa had done, when she healed his hands.


    ¡°Abilities, like in powers?¡± Jerry asked cautiously. ¡°Ysa¡¯s healing?¡±


    The gypsy seemed to the ponder the question for a moment before she said,


    ¡°One can say that, yes. It is called the Tree Arts. And Ysa has the ability to Shape the energy that the stone naturally draws to itself into healing.¡±


    Jerry¡¯s eyes popped open wide.


    ¡°Remarkable! Where I come from, this doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    Mictoria frowned deeply next to him.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t perceive a world like that. Affinity stones are completely weaved into our world. Without them, our fight against the monsters of the night¡­¡± She shuddered.


    It was something to consider. But seeing the anxiety his own words caused in her, made him place a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°I will tell you one of these days. But, our time is short at the moment. So if you don¡¯t mind getting to your point.¡±


    The gypsy woman nodded after a moment, before she took a deep breath.


    ¡°I will keep you to that, N¨ªsir Jerry. Though, you are right. Now, to get closer to my question. There is a clear progression to what you are able to atune to. If like Ysa, you would want to become a healer, then one needs to first atune to a lesser stone with healing properties before being able to atune to a greater of the kind. In fact, it is dangerous to even touch a greater stone if you haven¡¯t first atuned to the lesser of its type. Do you understand my meaning, N¨ªsir?¡±


    ¡°Strange as it is, I think so. So, you can¡¯t just pick up a grand stone without it hurting you?¡± Jerry pointed at the glass like white stone.


    Mictoria smiled like she was pleased he got the gist of it.


    ¡°Indeed. But, that is only for the vast majority it seems. Kara¡¯s resistance to her belt¡¯s affinity stones and your resistance to Ysa¡¯s healing, made me wonder. Because, if what you say is true and you and Kara had never had contact with affinity stones before, it would then be remarkable that she is fine in wearing greater stones from the start without it taking her to the ground within a minute.¡±


    Jerry stared at her in pure confusion.


    ¡°Huh? Kara¡¯s belt? What are you talking about?¡±


    Conflict creased her brow. She took a moment before she said,


    ¡°Normally it is rude to talk about the affinity stones one is wearing. But, I had my suspicion. And the belt Madam Kara is wearing definitely has active affinity stones in them. She had already started showing signs of changing. Though, instead of it hurting her because she had not started with the lesser of that kind, it seems she has already started atuning to those greater stones; which is incredibly surprising to say the least. Yet, when you showed such resistance to Ysa¡¯s healing, the notion that humans might be more resistant to raw affinity gave me hope, in a certain sense.¡±


    Mictoria looked at him like she was afraid to go on. Though, before he could say something, she took a breath and said,


    ¡°It is for this reason, I wish to ask if you would be willing to risk wearing the armor we discovered many years ago, N¨ªsir? It is armor that has the ability to cause rapid levitation.¡±


    Jerry¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, his imagination already doing flip flops at the idea! But, Mictoria held up a hand and said,


    ¡°Before you even consider saying yes, I will say this. It has a grand affinity stone embedded in it. We have never found a lesser or greater stone in the same affinity that can lead to being able to wear such armor, not yet. Many Nasyri had hurt themselves greatly in figuring out the type of affinity it bears and in trying to wear it. What happens can vary in severity.¡±


    Jerry started to worry. If it was that dangerous, then it was not as simple as yes. So, he asked,


    ¡°Can it be fatal?¡±


    Mictoria shrugged and looked sad.


    ¡°There have been fatalities over the years, raw affinity can truly be dangerous,¡± She looked close to tears as she continued, ¡°Yet, if my people weren¡¯t in perilous danger, I would never ask this of you.¡±


    Jerry stared at her for but a moment before he said, ¡°If it means, we have a better chance at saving people, then yes.¡±


    Mictoria looked almost surprised at his answer, but warmth returned to her eyes.


    ¡°You are a brave man, N¨ªsir, thank you.¡±


    Jerry just smiled.


    A moment passed before Mictoria pointed to the stones in the box as she said,


    ¡°The quickest way to test the idea, is for you to touch these stones. Start with lesser and work up from there. For us, the lesser of an affinity stone we are not used to has an immediate strong tingling feeling. An unknown greater cause pain and freeze our skin off within minutes and a grand without an attuned lesser and greater¡­ breaks the bones in our hands within ten seconds, sometimes it can lead to worse things. So are you sure, N¨ªsir Jerry?¡±


    Jerry gulped.


    For a moment fear fell into the pit of his stomach, but he pushed through it and in a cracked voice, said,


    ¡°Y-es.¡±

 [Preview][Not a chapter] Map of Western Sambria Day

    Helloa!!! Everyone.


    I know I have been quiet on the Second Novel. I have a long way to still go, but I wanted to add a map. It doesn''t include most of the areas visited in the first Novel, though it does contain places the first one mentioned.


    I am still busy with it, and I chip away at it when I get the chance. Maybe and hopefully somewhere going forward, I will get the chance to go back and create a map for the entire region of the Hidden Continent(Basically Central/Eastern Sambria.) where the first one plays out.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    For now, here is the map. It has been one I have wanted to do right for quite a while. ">


    After my current big project, I might get some time to write again. Let''s hope.


    The NIGHT version of it is in the next chapter


    P.S. Things might still change as I polish the map. But, it is mostly how I want it.


    Sound off in the comments if you like the map. ">

 [Preview][Not a chapter] Map of Western Sambria at Night

    Hello there!


    I mostly finished the Day and Night versions of this map. And if there is any other changes going forward then it would probably minor, or maybe adding roads.


    I was super happy that I could get the chance to do some justice to the Night version of the map, as the book makes it clear with quite a few plot points that nights in Sambria carries something different. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Okay, on that point, the NUMBER of glowing trees represented on the map does not mean there is just that number of them. It is a suggestion of where you are most likely to find them. Hope that makes sense.


    Whoop - Whoop ! I finally could add Dawn''s Approach, Moons'' Reach and the Cities of Ever as Icons.  There are a few more, but I was happy to have those in.


    I am curious to know you guys think.


    Hope you enjoy the maps,


    Omri