The first leg of the journey would be rather boring all things considered. The coalition was spread out for miles in every direction from Yol’vastume in an effort to prevent any information leaks. I had a general idea of where their watch ended and figured that I should wait before changing into my disguise as Arkin Sothalis for the last time. Most of the coalition could recognize me due to my recent rise into the spotlight, but if I changed myself, they might try to apprehend me and Velanie, delaying our trip and just causing trouble all around.
There was some concern that they might still try to do something stupid, or worse, try to harm either of us, but if it came down to it, I was willing to smack some sense into them. My hand came up to my chin, and I felt the beard that had been growing there. After these next few days, I wouldn’t need it anymore for the disguise, and my thoughts turned to shaving for the first time since I've come to this world. It had been a long time since I've had a clean-shaven face.
Prospects of grooming aside, we still had a considerable distance to cover until we reached the port town of Avren where her uncle lives. It was easy to find our destination once I had a map, Velanie’s account of travel time, and a list of names. I was glad that this didn’t turn out to be a week-long trip or longer because I was certain the Durdan would have outright refused to allow me to go if it was. If anything, he probably would have just made Norwick and his band escort her despite them being wanted criminals the same as me.
I began to wonder how Norwick was getting along with the rest of the coalition forces in Yol’vastume. Things were probably less than smooth, but I hadn’t seen him too often as Durdan put him to work leading the information denial efforts. From what I understood, he would be taking different squads of soldiers around, showing them the best spots for ambushes, hideouts, and supply drops that he had gained knowledge of during his guerilla campaign against Alathos. Hopefully, he and his men would find some common ground with the general troops after a few missions together.
A few hours of galloping across the countryside later, I was reasonably certain that we had exited the area of operation for the denial efforts, so we took a brief break from riding on the side of the road where we ate as I got into my disguise. Velanie noticed that I was doing something strange and looked on in awe as my hair started to change color.
“How are you doing that?” She asked while inching closer.
“Just a bit of healing magic, and knowledge of biology.” I replied while finishing things off with elongated ears. It still itched, and I wondered if there was something that could help prevent that?
“Wow. Could you change my hair color!?” Her excitement at the idea was contagiously cute, but unfortunately, I had to deny her that.
“Well, you have such lovely hair I don’t see why you would need to. Also, your uncle might not recognize you if you change your hair, so maybe we can try that at another time.”
She was disappointed, but she took it in stride. “Okay, but you’ll do it for me later, right?”
“Well, someday, perhaps.” I didn’t really know what else to say. When she learned the truth about what happened, then she might end up hating me. The next time we met would probably be after the war, and I doubted it would be on good terms.
I didn’t want to think about that, so I quickly got us back onto the road and tried to focus on something else. In an effort to do so, my attention was turned towards the natural world around us, taking some time to marvel at it. It was so familiar yet held so many strange additions that made it distinctive from the normal forests of Earth. The flowers and mushrooms sometimes grew to truly gigantic proportions, some of them even had iridescent colors the likes of which you would never see in the world I came from.
An hour or so after that, Velanie apparently got an idea into her head. “Hey, could I learn to change my own hair color?”
I had to think about that for a second. She was young, probably not old enough to be tested for magical compatibilities. If she ended up being compatible with healing magic, then she might be able to do this, but that was a big if.
“There is a possibility that you could do this, once you're old enough to start learning magic. You will need to be a healer and understand what melanin is though.”
“What is mela-nin?” She asked with all the sincerity a curious child could offer.
“Oh, well, melanin is a pigment that is found in the tiny parts of your body called cells. They are so small that they can’t be seen with just your eyes, but they work together to make your body what it is.”
“What’s a cell? Is it like a prison?”
“No, no, not a prison. It's... hmm, how do I explain this? You know how I said that they are so small they can’t be seen with just your eyes?” She nodded in response. “Well, if you use special equipment to see tiny things, the cells look like small bubbles that contain all these different parts inside of them, including melanin.”
“So... we’re made of bubbles?” She asked in a very confused way.
I chuckled a little bit. “Not exactly bubbles, they just kind of look like them. You see...” I ended up launching into an entire impromptu course on biology that saw her both enraptured and confused all at once.
It was a good way to pass the time at least, even though the constant presence of the young lady holding onto my back was a weight on my soul. The first day was largely uneventful, luckily. Velanie was not used to camping, that much was for certain. I got the feeling that if she even did have to stop and sleep out in the wild, she did so with an entire cadre of people and amenities that were designed to supply her comfort. Compared to this, a bed roll, and a fire, there was a lot left wanting in her mind. To say she wasn’t happy would be an understatement.
I watched her toss and turn on the bed roll from one shoulder to the other. Her face said it all, complete dejection. Her home was attacked, she had to leave just about everything she owned behind, and her father, in her eyes, was missing. The need to help her relax and find sleep bubbled up within me, so I tried something.
“Velanie, have you ever slept under the stars before?” I asked softly, just loud enough to be heard above the crackling of the fire.
“No. We always had a big tent with beds that had fluffy pillows.”
Sounded rather luxurious for this world. “Well, I think that everyone should try sleeping like this occasionally. You want to know why?”
“Why?” She asked, interest at least a little piqued.
“Lay on your back, and you’ll see.” I moved first to do so, and she followed my lead after a moment.
I cast a glance over in her direction as she started to look at the sky above her. In the light of the fire, I could see a kind of understanding cross her features as the sight before her seemed to finally make itself known. If this world had one thing going for it, it would be the beauty of the night sky.
There was no light pollution, or at least very little of it, so the stars, galaxies, and cosmos itself were laid bare before us. The colors and lights were all foreign to me, so I could not say if they had constellations or not, but one could look at all of this and easily draw their own should they have a desire to.
I let her enjoy the sight for a moment before speaking again. “All those stars out there are similar to the sun.”
“Really?” She asked, hardly looking away from the sky.
“Yep, but unlike the sun that is close to this world, those stars out there are so far away that they look like nothing but tiny dots of light. The distance between us and them is so unbelievably vast that few can truly comprehend it. Each one of those little lights holds an infinite possibility, including the chance that a world like this one could exist around it. There is so much out there to discover, and we are only a small part of it all. You could spend your entire life trying to learn about it all, and only just barely scratch the surface.”
“Why look then?”
“Wouldn’t you want to see what’s out there? All those possibilities call to us, begging us to explore them, to learn about them, to unravel the secrets they hold. You should never be afraid of what you don’t understand, but you should endeavor to study it until you figure it out. So, whenever you feel like the world is too small for you, close your eyes and imagine yourself out there in the stars.”
I watched as she took my suggestion to heart, mind probably wandering the universe and imagining all sorts of things out there in the stars. My vigil continued until her breathing became steady and deep as she finally fell asleep. I hoped her dreams were bright and peaceful as I lay down and sought rest of my own. This little world would be there for us in the morning.
The night hadn’t been completely peaceful for me. I had lingering issues regarding my rampage in Yol’vastume. The sights and sounds of that day would echo in my mind every now and then. It seemed to be worse now that I didn’t have Kala with me. At least pain and dreaming didn’t go well together, so I was spared the brunt of feeling that sensation all over again until the very end where the stabbing pain of my body falling apart jolted me awake.
It was an abrupt start to my morning which made me wonder if there would ever come a day when I wouldn’t be haunted by my own mind. It didn’t matter, I could figure it out at another time. For now, we needed to get moving again.
Waking the young lady was a bit of a challenge, but Kala was more stubborn than she was, so I managed it eventually. Our journey was quiet, only interrupted by the occasional traveler or trader who gave passive greetings. Near midday, we arrived at our destination.
You could smell it before you could see it. The ocean apparently didn’t change much no matter what world it was in. A big, salty, smelly puddle that dominates the air for miles. But damn, it was always a lovely sight.
The glittering water of the ocean was a lovely azure color. It was practically pulling me in, and I could see why ocean view properties were so expensive. The port town attached to the ocean looked inviting, all things considered. The wall surrounding it, while sturdy looking, wasn’t intimidating in the slightest. It was all rather simple in construction with barely even a lookout tower. Evidently, they didn’t expect much trouble this far away from the front line and with Yol’vastume formerly being their buffer.
It looked lively, with several ships in port and a few others loitering out in the shallows just off the coast. As much as it was admired for its looks, I dreaded it for the reason I was here and the fact I was technically in enemy territory.
As we approached the front gate, I braced for any questions that might be asked of me. To my surprise, we simply trotted on through the gate with a passing glance and a good afternoon from the guards. That came as a bit of a shock as I expected to at least have to state my business. Maybe it was because we were traveling light?
Whatever the reason, I was glad that we weren’t experiencing any delays. Now I just had to figure out exactly where we were going. “Velanie, do you remember the path to your uncle’s house?”
“Yes, we normally go down that street over there.” She pointed slightly off to the right, so I directed the horse that way.
The people here looked healthy, above average on wealth, and generally content with their lives. What was it about sea living that resonates with people? Maybe it was all the fish in their diet, because their marketplace was rank with the stuff. There was probably more fish here than in all the other cities of Valthrain combined. Made sense considering how fast those little guys rot out of the water.
I wonder if it would be possible to make preservatives other than just salting it? Questions for when I had more time and access to chemicals.
Velanie gave assured directions, having made this journey many times in the past. Naturally, we made our way into the wealthier parts of the town where the houses got bigger and further apart. Finally, we reached the house.
It was a lovely place, with plenty of room and a large garden both in front and back of the building. The design reminded me of those old Victorian houses, but with just a smidge more magic than normal as they appeared to have some crystal running some simple tasks around the property, like watering the plants via a small aqueduct system.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
We stopped just down the street, and I helped Velanie dismount before doing so myself. From the satchel hanging off the horse I removed the letter that Durdan had prepared. It was essentially a ploy to gain some goodwill out of this tragedy with the hope that maybe after everything is said and done, the remains of the Kirthwain family would be open to helping transition things.
“Now, Velanie, I need you to take this letter to your uncle, can you do that for me?”
“Okay.” She said, somewhat meekly as she accepted the note.
“Alright. Go on then, they’ll watch after you and... I’m sorry, for everything that’s happened.”
She did not understand exactly what I was apologizing for, but maybe one day she would. I watched as she approached the house, and when she neared the front door, I spurred the horse on and around the corner of the street, just peeking out enough to watch her.
She knocked on the door, and a minute later it was answered by a thoroughly confused looking, but happy man about the same age as Balidor. He greeted her with a hug and seemed to be asking her questions, which in response she handed him the letter. I decided that I'd seen enough to know that she was in good hands now.
It still felt like I was abandoning her, not taking responsibility, and just dumping her on the next best person. I had to argue with myself that this was exactly what Balidor wanted. I'm not her family, and my presence would most likely bring strife to her life and everyone else's. So, I left, riding out of the town once again on my way back to Yol’vastume.
The ride felt lonelier than before, even if there was less emotional baggage. I tried not to think about it even as the city disappeared over the horizon. It was a few hours later that I had to stop to try and pick out a place to camp that was secure before sundown.
Being alone was a feeling that was not enjoyable. I felt vulnerable and began wondering when I became so dependent on my friends and the company of others. It felt like both an eternity and no time at all since I was alone in this world, struggling and convinced that it would all have to be torn down by myself. Now, I had allies, and I wanted desperately to keep hold of them.
Sleep came easily enough that night at least, and my dreams were thankfully very mild all things considered. Maybe I was just emotionally exhausted to the point where my mind could no longer come up with anything drastic. I woke up the next morning ready to get moving, but while chewing on some preserved meats and bread, a noise buzzed by my ear that made me flinch before I realized what it was.
The iridescent wings of a naderling caught my attention as they vibrated like a hummingbird. Their pale lavender skin and dark eyes were always striking in the fairy-like beings. If only I was ignorant to the vengeful streaks that they’re prone to I would have been happier to see them again. As it was, a handful of the little guys were floating around me, making short jumpy movements.
“Oh, hey fellas, good morning. You’re not planning on biting me, are you?” Hearing how vicious these guys could be when threatened made me a little more hesitant to move around them than before. Still, I tried to remain on their good side.
Holding out some of the bread I had, I waited to see if there were any takers. “You hungry? That why you’re here?” They all considered the meal I was offering them, but in the end did something new.
One completely bypassed the bread and flew right up to my chest, grabbing onto the hem of my shirt and started tugging away. “Uhm...” I wasn’t sure what to do, but then the rest of them started to grab onto me, all pulling me in the same direction. It seemed they wanted me to come with them, a prospect that I was very conflicted about.
They were quite persistent about it, and I wondered if they were capable of taking refusal as an insult or not. Weighing all the options and potential results, I concluded that if they didn’t go too far, I could humor them enough to see what they wanted. I was a little bit ahead of schedule already after all.
“Okay, okay, I'll go with you. Just let me get the horse first.” Packing up and taking the horse by the reigns, I followed the little fairy people deeper into the forest. So much folklore about fae would recommend that I shouldn’t do this, curiosity and the cat after all. But then again, satisfaction did bring him back.
This little impromptu hike wasn’t all bad really. I saw some interesting plants, and even a few strange birds that were like a combination of a peacock and a raven. Other than the wildlife, we were heading quite deep into the woods. Even while marking trees, I was worried that I might get lost out here. Hopefully the naderlings would know how to escort me back as well if that happens.
It was about half an hour of walking before I seriously began to consider turning around, potentially angry naderlings be damned, but something ahead of us stopped me. It was a clearing in the woods, a glade that was suspiciously circular. Nature doesn’t really do symmetrical, so seeing something like this was off-putting to say the least, and that was before movement caught my eye.
There in the glade was what looked like a beautiful horse with silky white fur that practically shined in the light. Its face was down, munching on grass as it slowly walked around eating. I wanted to sit and watch it for a moment, but the little guys kept pulling me towards the circle. Hopefully, this wasn’t going to be a magical sacrifice scenario. Though, did the naderlings even have the intelligence for that?
Pushing those thoughts aside, I tied my horse to a nearby tree, the delay causing the naderlings to tug on me more urgently, like a bunch of excited bees trying to take a particularly impressive flower back to the hive. Hesitantly, I stepped out in the opening in the trees, keeping my eye out for any bullshit that might happen.
The white horse noticed me at that point, lifting its head and revealing a part of it that had been hidden in the tall grass. A horn. It wasn’t just a horse; it was a damn unicorn. Though, unicorn was probably a misnomer here, but I had nothing better to call it.
It didn’t run when it saw me, which was nice because I didn’t want to scare the frankly beautiful animal. The naderlings let me go as well, scattering into the surrounding forest as I was left alone with the unicorn. For a minute, I was lost in what I should do, but looking at the majestic beast in front of me, a feeling that it was waiting for me took hold.
Slowly, I approached, so I wouldn’t scare it off. It just watched me, ears occasionally flicking as a bug came too close. The unicorn was either very brave, or there was something here I was missing because before long I stood before the animal. It was a mystery how it was able to keep its fur that clean and white, it was damn near reflective.
Its eyes held such intelligence to it, and I was convinced that it was looking at me as a recognizable person, and not just another animal. I didn’t know much about horses. Actually, I knew nothing about horses, but they enjoyed petting, right?
Reaching a hand up, I placed it on the unicorn’s snout, gently stroking its long face. It was so soft, and I found a smile on my face as this whole situation was a bit out there. Even then, it seemed the equine had some more surprises in store, because its eyes watered up and it began to cry.
My mind skidded to a stop. It’s... crying? Do horses cry? I didn’t know what to do, so I just reverted to some baby talk.
“Hey uhm, pal, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“She can feel your pain.”
I practically jumped out of my skin while whirling around in search of whoever talked to me. There was no one that could be seen, just trees and grass. The unicorn didn’t take kindly to my sudden movements as it did a nervous prance. I was in a bit of a panic from being caught flat-footed like that.
Whoever was here with me, I still couldn’t see them, which was concerning. “Who’s there?” I asked to the trees around me.
“One who is surprised to see someone brought to this place.” The voice was heavy on the base end, like stones grinding together to produce sound.
“That’s not exactly the answer I was looking for.”
“Then would this be more suitable?”
There was a rumbling from the trees on the eastern end of the glade. My attention was immediately drawn there as I listened as the sounds of wood bending and groaning under pressure met my ears. Whatever was coming this way, it was big, large enough that the trees complained about its presence.
Just then the row of trees making up the edge of the circle I was standing in started to twist themselves out of the way seemingly on their own. From the breach, I could see the cause of the noise, and it made my heart drop into my stomach.
A towering creature that had to have been over ten feet tall strode towards me. Its body was comprised mostly of bark, branches, vines, roots, and moss all tangled together into a vaguely humanoid shape. Immediately I knew fighting this thing wasn’t an option. I wouldn’t even know how to kill it even if I wanted to. The only course of action available was to not piss it off and hope that it would let me walk away.
It stepped into the ring as the trees closed themselves behind it like a door. “I am the warden, protector of these woods and preserver of the creatures therein. And you, are an anomaly, one that I did not invite.”
Despite myself, I gulped as the creature before me loomed, face devoid of eyes yet their probing stare could still be felt. Movement on its body caught my eye as I noticed a small lavender form climbing the warden’s shoulder. Then there were two, and three, and I finally recognized the group of naderlings that had first brought me here.
A few of them came down from the giant's shoulders to hang off mine while the others seemed content to loiter about the warden's wooden body. The giant walking tree lifted an arm in my direction, and I tensed in preparation.
“The little ones, though, seem to have taken a liking to you.” The warden said, voice like a boulder and a tree having an argument.
“I... I guess so?” I’ll just nod my head and go along with this wild ride until I get out of here.
“They are misunderstood by many, thought to be dangerous, and thus, avoided, or exterminated. Those fools do not realize they simply reflect what they encounter. Kindness for kindness, wrath for wrath. It is this quality that makes them experts of character, and their judgment of you is that you are safe enough to bring into this sanctuary.”
That gave me a new perspective on my little passengers. Even though they were considered animals in terms of intelligence, they trusted me, and that inspired an odd feeling of happiness.
“The horned one as well can feel what you hold in your heart, and your pain was enough to bring her to tears. You have suffered, and this is a sanctuary for those like you.”
“Oh, well, thanks?”
The titan took a step forward and leaned down to me, head hanging just out of reach. Despite its claims of sanctuary, I was sweating as I felt like a child at the hip of their parents who were in the middle of a lecture. Again, it was as if the warden was stripping away my layers bit by bit until they could see my very core laid bare before them.
“You really are unique.” They rumbled at me. “And perhaps you may...” They trailed off for a moment before returning to their full height. “It has been a long time since the last intelligent being has sought refuge in this place, and I must seize this opportunity to ask of you a favor.”
I had to approach this with a healthy amount of skepticism. “What kind of favor?”
“There is another here, one who has lived a long time in this place. They have been consumed by their loss and their anger and have hidden themselves away. You are in a unique situation that may very well be what they need to finally join the world again.”
“Right... I’m not going to lie; I don’t know how to feel about meeting this mysterious person.”
“I will owe you a significant favor and am willing to beg for your aid.”
“No, please do not beg.” I don’t know if my brain will be able to process that. All I was trying to do was get back to my friends, now I was being dragged in for therapy for magical beasts? The twists and turns on this roller coaster were just too much for me.
“Will you help then?”
I scratched my head while deep in thought. Eventually my arguments were whittled down by one resounding thought of, ‘well, I'm already here.’ Besides, having what appears to be a powerful magical entity indebted to you would probably have its benefits.
With a sigh, I relented. “Okay, I can try at least, but I don’t promise anything.”
“You have my gratitude. Please, follow me.”
It felt like I was in a daze while walking behind the magical tree person. It was a short walk out of the glade and through the tree line where we came to a small hill. At first, nothing appeared to be special about it, but the warden waved their hand which summoned roots that wrapped around a large boulder that was easily tens of tons, shifting it out of the way to reveal a cave. I briefly wondered what kind of magic the warden was using and whether anyone could learn it as well.
The warden gestured with their literal trunk of an arm to the hole. “They await you inside. Please have patience with them, they are hurting more than you might think.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I’ve heard about living under a rock, but whoever this was certainly took that extremely literally. What kind of person spends their life in a literal hole in the ground anyway?
I was becoming less sure about this by the second, but I already said I'd give it a try. Into the earth I went with as much confidence as could be mustered. It turned out this hole was much deeper than expected. It continued downwards for hundreds of meters, and if it wasn’t for crystals that grew out of the stone walls, I would have been blind in the dark. This cave system hardly appeared to be natural either. The walls were much too uniform for that.
At last, I came to an opening at the end of the tunnel that emerged into an awe inspiringly massive chamber that seemed much more in line with what nature would make. Formation of stalagmites and stalactites were growing all over the place, barely illuminated by the sporadic light of magically infused crystals.
Peering into the dark did not yield any results as I saw neither hide nor hair of who I was supposed to be meeting with. “Hello?” My voice echoed in the cave, a testament to its size as I could hear myself repeat the word several times over.
Don’t tell me they kicked the bucket, or this is a trap. Both of which were a distinct possibility, and I was considering going back out to question the warden when I heard the shifting of stones deeper in the cave.
Something was sliding over the ground and disturbing the earth as it moved. I thought the warden moving made a raucous, but this sounded like the cave was falling apart around me. Something truly monumental in scale was hiding in the dark, and every instinct in my body flared with warnings.
Then, from the gloom, I caught movement as a gigantic angular face that looked like a cross between a bearded dragon and a constrictor emerged into the low light. I was struck dumb by the sight of a gigantic serpent slowly approaching, crushing any stones underneath its massive girth. The scales of its body were of an earthly color, with jagged spikes occasionally jutting out along its form at even intervals. It must have been close to a hundred feet long at least, and that was only what I could see.
It fixed me with one massive slit eye, and I could distinctly feel hatred coming from it. What it did next further stupefied me as its mouth opened to release words that dripped with spite.
“Hello mother, come to finish the job?”
Before I could even begin to process that, I saw out of the corner of my eye a large mass that was its tail end whipping towards me at frightening speeds.
“Oh shi-” My words were cut off as I was slammed by the appendage and sent flying across the cavern, spinning in the air as I was certain most of the bones in my upper body were broken with that attack. My pain didn’t last long though as the fast-approaching walls of the cave put an abrupt stop to my brief flight with a crunch and then nothing.
Death claimed me, allowing me a breather to consider what the hell I just got into. Now I had to deal with a pissed off Titanoboa from hell as soon as I woke up. Plans for my exodus started to form while waiting for the stupid word that would mark my return, but the day seemed to be full of surprises as her voice was not the monotone that I had come to know, but a shocked voice of disbelief.
They’re alive...