As the years passed Maeko changed from a little girl to an aspiring adolescent and finally into a beautiful adult. By the time she reached the age of twenty-seven she outperformed all her brothers and sisters in the art of unarmed combat, and even proved more than a match for Brother Sugnar himself. Fifteen years had passed since that unfortunate day where Jarod lost his father, and Maeko still vividly remembered every second of it. Her singular focus on her training and extremely disciplined mind had helped her come to terms with not knowing her parents, despite Jarod’s warning all those years ago. She had come to terms with it, but knew that one day, when the time was right, she would have to look for her truth. In the winter of her twenty-seventh year as member of the order of Dragonmonks, she faced one of her toughest challenges yet, both mentally and physically. Over the last couple of years a lingering conflict between the inhabitants of The Emerald Reach had slowly escalated. Skirmishes between the citizens and farmers of The Emerald Reach and the western orc tribes became more frequent with each passing day. At the same time the growing strength and influence of the Iron Brotherhood, a group of mercenaries and hitmen under the command of General Bragg, who operated from their fortress called Castle Stormhold, were a strain on the populace’s resources. Heavy taxes were implied on the people of The Emerald Reach to keep defenses at an adequate level, and in a stroke of bad luck, a major collapse in the Emerald mines near the City of Fer had all but dried up the city’s treasury. On top of all that, the winter was extraordinarily harsh this year, bringing people to the brink of death by cold or hunger. The aid of the Dragonmonks was constantly in demand, even for simple food transports.
“Keep your eyes peeled and your fist at the ready”, Brother Aaron said. “Always”, Maeko thought while she sank into the snow halfway up to her knees. She looked up and down the caravan she and her brothers and sisters had been charged to guard. Three wagons carrying food and two wagons with supplies, and only two Fer city guards. Then there was Brother Aaron, who had joined the order around four years ago, Sister Niru and herself. The horses strained, pulling the carts through the deep snow, clouds of water vapor from their nostrils instantly freezing in the frigid air. The road they were following was barely visible, and they often had to stop to make sure they were heading in the right direction. “Thank the Gods last night’s snowstorm has settled down”, one of the city guards stated in an attempt to give their ordeal a positive twist. No one reacted.
“At this rate it will take us at least six days to reach Arakan”, Maeko said to Sister Niru. Sister Niru looked at her from under her cloak. “I know, and I don’t like it. I can feel we are being watched, can’t you?” Maeko nodded, “best not let the others notice it, no need to cause a panic.” Niru agreed as they plowed on towards Arakan. During the day the weather turned against them again, at first with just snow, which was actually a pretty sight, but soon the wind picked up speed again chilling the worn travelers to the bone. “We should make camp, the group of trees over there look suitable”, Niru pointed out. They left the road and placed the wagons in a semi-circle against the group of pine trees, that provided them with some cover from the wind. Everybody contributed in building a fire, driven by their furious wish to find some solace from the relentless cold that had gripped their limbs. Lookouts were posted on the wagons, two at all times, while the rest of the group prepared to turn in for the night. Maeko observed the five children in their group playing in the snow. “Unbelievable, how those young ones seem unbothered by the cold”, she thought while preparing her bed on the moss under the trees. Maeko and one of the city guards were last to take watch, though Maeko had learned to slumber and rest with open eyes, still vaguely aware of her surroundings. A skill that had saved her life quite a few times over the years.
It was still dark when Niru woke Maeko. “You are up, nothing to report.” The wind had turned into a storm again and Maeko could see no further than ten feet in front of her. “Curse this blizzard, it makes us vulnerable”, she thought sitting on the bench of one of the wagons peering into the raging wall of snow. Suddenly a scream from under the trees. It was Gwenda, one of the traders. Maeko jumped from the bench and hurried to see what was wrong. Gwenda stood upright in the cold, holding a blanket in her hand, her face looking at the blanket in horror. “Sasha!”, Gwenda shouted, frantically looking around the campsite. Maeko realized what had happened, and put her hand on the panicked mother’s shoulder. “I’m sure she just went to take a pee, don‘t worry. I will take a look.” Gwenda looked gratefully at Maeko, “I will help”, she said. They decided they would circle the group of trees and meet on the other side.
Maeko made her way along the tree line looking for the child, but saw no one. She had searched for at least ten minutes when she heard a faint scream somewhere in front of her. She rushed forward, but only found two sets of tracks leading away from the trees into the menacing storm when she finally reached the place where she believed the scream came from . She peered into the blizzard and thought she saw a silhouette moving away from her, but wasn‘t sure. “What now,” she asked herself, “should I follow?” A flash from her unconscious forced itself onto her disciplined mind, Jarod screaming for his father. She decided to follow the tracks against her better judgement. “I can’t abandon this child and her mother”, she told herself.
She stepped into the deep snow and only seconds later was fully engulfed by the storm. The tracks were clearly made by an adult and a child. She followed the tracks for about ten minutes and noticed Gwenda was gaining on the child. Trying to read the tracks as best she could, she came to a point where obviously the Gwenda and her child had met, the footsteps facing each other. Maeko looked around and picked up the trail, imprinted deeper in the snow, which made her believe Gwenda was carrying her child. She felt glad they had reunited, but the direction the tracks were now going in worried her deeply. If her sense of direction was correct, they were moving deeper into the territory under control of the Iron Brotherhood.
She followed the tracks which were changing direction irregularly, as if Gwenda was looking for the way back. The tracks turned again, and after a while more tracks joined from the sides, tracks made by boots. Maeko stopped for a minute to gather her thoughts. “I count at least three tracks following Gwenda and her daughter, presumably scouts.” She looked around trying to get her bearings. “What a fool I have been”, she thought as she realized she could not determine the direction the tracks were going, nor which direction would lead her back to camp. “I guess there is only one thing left to do, keep following and hope I don’t freeze to death.”
Maeko tightened the heavy leather belt securing the bearskin coat around her, and resumed her battle against mother nature. She had no clue as to where she was going, and at some point two more sets of tracks joined the one she was following. Her mind was racing and she was worried sick about what could have happened. She feared for the lives of Gwenda and her child. Slowly the darkness gave way to the morning sun, though the storm kept raging causing a total whiteout. The tracks of the soldiers suddenly were wider apart and deeper. “They were running”, Maeko realized as she read their imprints. Then, just about sixty foot further, something was sticking out of the snow. “A branch”, Maeko thought, but as she came closer she screamed in terror. It was a hand, sticking out of the snow. She frantically dug into the snow next to the frozen hand. It was Gwenda, she had frozen to death. Another flash from the past erupted from her inner being. She saw Brother Kalerac carrying Jarod in his arms. Seeing Brother Kalerac struggle with what had happened, then walking off to do what must be done strengthened Maeko. She shook her head to clear her mind of the memory and of the horrific sight of Gwenda frozen stiff. “Press on Maeko, the child may yet live”, she encouraged herself. “Whoever did this to Gwenda will be punished for it, I will see to that”, she promised herself. She checked her surroundings, “There was a struggle.” She looked closer, “Aha, more tracks, five men and…” She shuddered. They were dragging something. She tried to quicken her pace and after some time, she had no idea how much, three sets of tracks separated to the left. Maeko stood in doubt. “which way to go, neither of the trails seem to be dragging anything from here”, she thought. But then her eye caught something. She saw a child’s shoe just up ahead, “definitely this way”, she mumbled and moved on. The wind was slowly losing ferocity and the snowfall seemed to be getting less. It became a bit easier to follow the tracks, though Maeko still couldn‘t move fast. She could feel her feet and hands ache with cold, and knew she wouldn’t be able to go much further without risking her own health. She had to warm up at least.
“Damnit Maeko, you can‘t give up, the snow will cover the tracks and you will never find her if you stop now.” She decided to keep moving as far as she could. Another twenty minutes passed and the wind had died down. The snowflakes were softly landing on the hood of her coat and the landscape around her became visible again. To her left a mountain slope, to her right a forested area. The sun had risen and she managed to get some idea of her position. As the snow stopped falling, she noticed a plume of smoke in the distance. She decided to investigate, either to seek refuge and rest, which she hoped for, or to find those two soldiers and the young child, so she could avenge the child’s mother. Both thoughts renewed her will and vigor.
She approached the small cottage very carefully, circling it to check for any signs of life outside. When she was positive no one was guarding the place, she moved in. Snow had been blown up high against the side of the cottage, almost up to its thatched roof. Maeko sneaked up to the front door, and heard voices from the inside. “A nice find, too bad we had to leave that wench behind, she would have made a nice dessert.” Another voice replied, “Agreed, but this youngster will do fine. I think I will try her myself as soon as she is nice and warm again.” Maeko shuddered at what she heard. She was trying to decide on what to do next when one of the man spoke again. “Get her ready then, I will get some more wood from the back.”
Maeko was horrified by what she suspected these scumbags were planning. She heard footsteps, then doors opening. “I have to act now”, she thought. Carefully she pushed down the door handle and peeked inside. The inside was just a simple farmer’s cottage. She quickly and silently stepped inside and closed the door. A voice from behind a door to her right. “Well now child, stop struggling, no one is coming for you. If you promise not to scream I will remove the gag.” Maeko felt her blood boil with anger and hate. She took a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes, to help her inner eye focus her rage into spiritual strength. She ran to the door and kicked it open with such force, that the door split top to bottom falling from its hinges. What she saw further fueled her spiritual rage. The child was tied to a bed and gagged. The unbelievable fear in the child’s eyes pierced Maeko’s heart and stripped her of any remaining compassion for these soldiers. They were no more than animals to her subconscious, her mind took full control of her body making her muscles feel like steel and her flesh like granite rock. She lunged forward at the surprised soldier who had already unbuttoned his pants. The man wanted to step forward to counterattack, but was not even nearly fast enough. Maeko‘s left fist flashed forward so fast the air in front of it crackled. She hit the man just left of his plexus, a blue glow emanating from that spot as she hit him. His ribs cracked and he bent forward in pain. A millisecond later Maeko’s knee hit the bent over man in the middle of his face, his head crashing backwards as three of his teeth flew through the air followed by a spray of blood. The man was losing his balance and Maeko in a blink raised her leg vertically up, sending it down on the man’s shoulder with so much power that his collarbone snapped and his shoulder dislocated. The men fell sideways but before he hit the floor Maeko tumbled towards him one leg stretched out and landed her heel in his neck, snapping his spine.
Even though the adrenalin was coursing through her veins, she was fully aware of each muscle, each sinew of her being. Time around her seemed to flow slower as her mind was wielding her body as a weapon focusing her mental energy into a force that could shatter stone. It felt to her like the world around her was moving in slow motion while she herself was moving normally. She looked at the girl on the bed, who squeezed her eyes shut in horror. “Fear not child, you are safe now.” Maeko turned around as she heard the sound of metal behind her. The second man stepped in shouting something in slow motion.
Maeko watched him move in slow motion. He drew his sword while his foot was crossing over the doorstep into the room, Maeko jumped turning around her vertical axis to gain momentum. As she landed on her right foot her left foot was underway to the man’s sword arm. Before the sword had fully left its sheath Maeko’s foot landed on the man’s lower arm. Both bones snapped like twigs tearing through his skin, pieces of bone sticking out into the open air. The man screamed in agony as Maeko jumped op towards his head strapping her legs around his neck. The man tumbled backwards, at the same time Maeko twisted her body causing the man‘s head to turn backwards. He hit the ground and Maeko rolled backwards and landed on her feet. The man’s body twitched, then stopped moving. Maeko’s heightened awareness did not see or hear any other threats, and her mind directed her body to the child still strapped to the bed. She quickly released the child and removed the gag. Holding the child in her arms she walked out of the bedroom into the living room. The child was still numb with fear as Maeko sat her down in an armchair and turned the chair away from the soldier’s corpse. The child was in shock and stared into the distance while violently shaking. Maeko kneeled and took hold of the child’s shoulders an visualized her spiritual energy flowing through her hands into the child’s body. Maeko’s hands started glowing again, a pale blue light, as she tapped deeper into her spirit letting its energy flow into the child. The trembling diminished and Maeko started the monotonous humming Brother Sugnar used to calm her when he found her. The child calmed down, started blinking again and then looked Maeko right in the eye.
“I am Maeko, who are you?” The child kept staring at Maeko. “Sasha”, the child replied. Maeko embraced the child firmly whispering in her ear, “You are safe now, the bad men are gone.” She could feel Sasha’s body relaxing at her words, and she started crying. “Where is my mommy?” Sasha asked in a trembling voice. These words were too much for Maeko. The towering walls of discipline she had built around her inner being started crumbling and the tide they had been holding back came gushing into her mind. She felt all her lessons and training receding to the background being washed away by the tsunami of emotions and questions that hit her so hard she was completely overwhelmed by them. “She is dead”, Maeko screamed as she burst into tears. She felt the last bit of strength leaving her body, no longer able to maintain her grip on the child. She fell to her side as her body curled up, unable to move. She slowly lost her grip on reality as her mind kept hammering on her with those words Jarod had said when Brother Kalerac carried him home. “Find them before you lose them, find them before you lose them, find them before you lose them.” Maeko slipped into unconsciousness.A voice in the distance unfamiliar to Maeko “She should come by any minute now, the spell needs some time to take effect. Especially with someone like her, her mind tries to resist the change.” Maeko tried to move but couldn’t. She concentrated on opening her eyes which she managed as she noticed the black slowly turning to a white blur. “There, you see, she is opening her eyes”, the voice said. Maeko saw a figure bending over her but couldn’t discern who or what it was. She tried to sit up, but a warm hand gently pushed her back. “Not yet sister, take it easy. Just like you told me once a long time ago.” Maeko felt a tremendous joy filling her every fiber, it was Brother Sugnar’s voice.
Slowly her sight started to return. She looked around and realized she was somewhere completely unfamiliar. The ceiling she was looking at was painted dark blue and covered with stars. She heard bubbling sounds and a strange smell penetrated her nose, a metallic yet herbal smell, mixed with tar. She looked to her right carefully, her head aching at the strain of tuning her neck. A large bookcase with big tomes and strange symbols on their sides. A table with all manner of strangely shaped glasswork on it. Over the fireplace a cauldron spewed brownish puffs of smoke. “Where am I?”, she asked in a feeble voice. Brother Sugnar took her hand.
“We are close to Arakan dear, we are in the tower of the Templars.” The other voice added, “The Templars of the Arcane. Welcome and welcome back.” Brother Sugnar continued, “What do you remember?” Maeko’s mind felt like it was waking up at Brother Sugnar’s question. “I’m not sure, it’s blurry. I remember setting up camp.” Brother Sugnar put his hand on her forehead, “and then, what happened?” “There was a scream during my watch, it was Gwenda.” Suddenly the chain of events passed right in front of her mind’s eye again. She looked at Brother Sugnar in horror, “Sasha, where is Sasha?”, she sat up looking around herself in panic. Maeko noticed the other man in the room, a tall, slender man wearing a long yellow and teal robe. He leaned on his staff shaped like a lightning bolt. “She will be fine”, the man said while nodding to Brother Sugnar. He had a satisfied look on his face. Brother Sugnar sighed. “Oh Maeko, I’m so glad we found you. Sister Niru saw you wander off into the blizzard and followed you.” Maeko looked confused. “I remember Sasha tied to a bed, and soldiers.” Brother Sugnar chuckled, “Yes, I have seen those soldiers. Niru explained what happened. I heard they had the fortunate honor to meet you in person.” Maeko could not yet appreciate the humor in Brother Sugnar’s response. “Sasha’s mother… she died…” Brother Sugnar seemed surprised by Maeko’s words, then gave the other man in the room a questioning look. The man approached the bed and looked down on Maeko with a warm smile. “Hello child, I’m Sirisar. I’m an arcane templar. You have been very lucky.” Maeko stared at Sirisar waiting for an explanation on how her ordeal had anything to do with luck. She felt frustration towards this weird wizard she had never met and who referred to her as if she were a child. He radiated a snobbish know-it-all aura. Brother Sugnar recognized the look in her eyes, and asked for her patience. “Let the man speak dear. It will soon make sense. There was no Gwenda, no mother of Sasha. Hear him out.”
Sirisar took a chair and sat down right next to Maeko. “Have you ever heard of Mindstalkers?” Maeko shook her head. “They are vicious beings that trick the minds of people like us into seeing what isn’t there.” Maeko thought about this for a second. “But I was there, it happened, I’m sure of it.” Sirisar put his hand on Maeko’s shoulder. “Think deeply child, who was with your caravan before you made camp.” Maeko listed all those present. “Sister Niru, two city guards, five merchants, Brother Aa…” She stopped as she realized there was no Brother Aaron among the Dragonmonks. She tried to remember exactly what she saw as she had looked up and down the caravan that day. No matter how hard she tried, there simply wasn’t a Brother Aaron, nor were there any children. She looked at Sirisar, “So it all was a dream, nothing of it was real?” Sirisar smiled, “Some of it was real. You did wander off into a snowstorm, and you did end up in that cottage where your Sister Niru found you. You had wandered far into Iron Brotherhood territory. The cottage was probably a resting place for their forward lookouts. But believe me child, there was no Gwenda or Sasha. They were created in your mind by the Mindstalker.” Maeko looked angry, “But why would it do that, why would it torment me like that?”
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“Aha, good that you ask”, Sirisar replied holding a boney finger in the air. “A Mindstalker feeds on the energy of the soul of its victims. It lures its victim away and probes their mind, trying to find out how to gain access to your essence, your life force.” Maeko shuddered. “My spirit? , was that Mindstalker Sasha?” Sirisar looked at her with respect for her quick grasp of a Mindstalker’s power. “Indeed child, it has tapped into your deepest hidden emotions, pulling them from within you to the surface of your mind, and then fed off of it. Most of its victims do not survive this attack and are drained of their entire essence. It seems your extremely well trained and disciplined mind subconsciously recognized the threat, forcing your body into a catatonic state to stop the Mindstalker from feeding. It’s what saved your life I am sure”, Sirisar paused for a second, “and of course your Sister Niru who brought you here, and myself unlocking the cage your mind had built around your essence. That’s why you can now talk to me and your mentor, rather than spend the rest of your live in an asylum for the insane.”
Sirisar started stuffing his pipe with an extremely self-satisfied smirk. “You see dear, it was all in your mind.” Brother Sugnar comforted her. Now rest and regain your strength. We will return to the monastery come morning. Maeko nodded and lay back down on her bed. “You get some rest too Sir”, Sirisar said to Brother Sugnar. “You have watched over her for more than twenty hours, she is safe here.” Maeko still felt very tired mentally, and dozed off while watching the circles of smoke from Sirisar’s pipe swirling up to the star-covered ceiling.
The next morning Maeko woke up well rested. The first thing she saw was Sirisar, still sitting in his chair as if he had not moved all night. “Good morning child, did you sleep well?” Maeko nodded while sitting up. “Where is Brother Sugnar?” Sirisar laughed, “still asleep, which is very convenient. It gives us a little time to talk child.” Maeko gave him an annoyed look, “I’m not a child.” Sirisar smiled at her, “we are all children of our parents, and that is what bothers you”, he stated. Maeko looked shocked. “What do you mean exactly, how do you know.” She was about to stand up and punch the arrogant wizard in the face. “Calm down”, Sirisar said, deliberately avoiding calling her a child again. “You were talking in your sleep. You kept repeating ‘Find your parents Maeko, find them before you lose them“. Maeko wanted to give some reply, but words failed her. “You are a foundling, right? Brother Sugnar told me. He also told me about your encounter with Jarod. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I just needed an anchor point for my spell to take a hold on.” Maeko gave Sirisar a faint smile. Sirisar continued, “I think you need to visit the Arakan graveyard someday, maybe there you will find what you seek.”
Brother Sugnar walked in and Sirisar and Maeko dropped the subject. “Are you feeling better?”, Brother Sugnar asked. “A lot”, Maeko simply replied. “Excellent, finally some good news. We should leave right away while the weather is still good.” Maeko nodded. “Sirisar, I can’t thank you enough for what you did. How can I repay you?” Sirisar gave Brother Sugnar a friendly smile. “You need not pay me anything, I’m glad I could be of help. Besides, I’ve never had the chance to talk to a Mindstalker’s prey before, that by itself is reward enough for me.” Brother Sugnar shook Sirisar’s hand, and went outside. Maeko lingered for a moment, then formally greeted Sirisar. As she turned around and walked out, she heard Sirisar’s voice in her head. “You will find truth in the graveyard child.” She glanced back with an annoyed look, then closed the door behind her.
A month had passed since her ordeal in the snowstorm. Spring was just around the corner, Maeko’s favorite season. She loved how everything renewed itself turning winter into nothing more than a distant memory, though this was a winter she would remember until the end of her days. She had asked Brother Sugnar a few times about her parents, about who they were, and where they came from. Brother Sugnar told her he did not know. Still she could no longer push her thoughts about what Sirisar said, and Jarod’s words, back into her subconscious mind. “The truth has to come out someday, and if not I will have to leave the monastery and seek it for myself.” Despite her unrestful mind she quickly adapted to life at the Monastery again, fully regaining her mental and physical discipline. But all that was about to change, as the beautiful spring had another test in store for her.
On a sunlit morning Maeko was sitting outside in the grass smiling at the first daisies of the season, when a horseman approached. She was closest to the gate and opened it to meet their visitor. It was a courier asking for Brother Sugnar. He insisted on personally delivering the message and made it clear it was of great importance. “Follow me please”, Maeko gestured him to follow her and lead him to the chapel. Brother Sugnar was downstairs in the library. He thanked the courier and after the man left the library broke the seal on the scroll he was handed. It had the mark of Fer on it, an emerald and pickaxe. Brother Sugnar read the scroll and his face suddenly turned pale. “What is it?”, Maeko asked. Brother Sugnar quickly tore the scroll in half, “Nothing, nothing that concerns you”, he replied while tossing the scroll pieces into the fireplace. “Now excuse me, I need to arrange some things.” Before Maeko could say anything he had left the library and was racing up to his room. Maeko looked at the scroll burning up in the fire. She could just make out the words ‘burial’ and ‘graveyard’ before the fire consumed the last bit of paper, its message forever lost in ashes.
Maeko remembered Sirisar’s words, “Find truth in the graveyard.” She was sure that this was a sign, and was very surprised with Brother Sugnar’s change in behavior. Maeko knew very well that the monks all respected each other’s privacy dearly, but they also looked out for each other. She decided to at least ask Brother Sugnar once more what was going on, and she would offer him her help. She climbed up the library stairs, through the hallway and up to the bedrooms. The door to Brother Sugnar’s room was open so she walked in as she always did. Brother Sugnar sat on his bed holding another scroll when he noticed Maeko walk in. He jumped up from the bed and quickly put the scroll back in the drawer. Maeko was even more surprised at this behavior and was wondering whether she should press the matter. He seemed very disturbed by the message from the courier. “I’m sorry”, she said. “I should have knocked.” Brother Sugnar smiled nervously. “It’s alright, please leave me.” Maeko nodded and turned around. “I will be gone for a few days, I will be leaving tomorrow morning”, he added. Maeko changed her mind and stopped. “Where to? I hope nothing bad has happened?” Brother Sugnar replied, “No nothing bad, just something I must do.” Maeko’s finely tuned senses could tell he was lying, something he had never done before, and it worried her deeply. The remainder of the day it was as if Brother Sugnar was avoiding her. It made her feel really uneasy, and only added fuel to the fire of her curiosity.
The next morning Maeko got up very early. She had been pondering Brother Sugnar’s strange behavior and the scroll he obviously didn’t want anyone else to see. She listened at her bedroom door and heard Brother Sugnar leaving his bedroom. Maeko peeked through the door opening and noticed Brother Sugnar was wearing his formal attire. As he walked past her bedroom door she saw a black ribbon around his ankle. She shuddered because the ribbon was only worn when attending a burial. As Brother Sugnar turned the corner and walked down the stairs she heard him mumbling about Arakan. She didn’t trust it one bit, but didn’t want to tell her Brothers and Sisters. She felt that would be disrespectful to her mentor. “I have to know what is going on”, she thought, “forgive me Brothers and Sisters for what I am about to do.” She tiptoed across the hall to Brother Sugnar’s bedroom, closing the door behind her. She went straight for the drawer and opened it. The scroll was still in there, and looked pretty old. A brief struggle inside her made her hesitate, but she took the scroll and sat down on the bed unrolling it. She could not believe her eyes.
~
Honorable Dragonmonks,
It is with pain in my heart and a weary mind that I turn to you for aid. Before you lies my daughter, Maeko. I beg of you to take her into your fold. I am desperate. Know that it is against the will of my wife and myself, but circumstances have forced me to give up my beloved daughter to the mercy of strangers.
I have heard only words of kindness concerning your institution. I hope these words were true. Please don’t be judgmental about the tone of her skin, or her unfamiliar looks. She is as much a human and a child as any of us. For reasons I cannot discuss I beg of you once more, care for this beautiful child as you would for your own.
Her destiny does not lie with me and her mother. She is born for greater deeds, that go far beyond our comprehension. Trust me in this as I trust in your benevolence, and you discretion.
In eternal gratitude,
Erion and Sylva Woodsbane
~
Maeko sat in silence for a minute as her mind was trying to process what she had just read. “But how… I mean… When did…” She couldn’t make sense of the situation, or of what could be the reason Brother Sugnar had kept this from her. Honesty had always been the basis of their relationship. She held the parchment close to her chest as she realized it was the only physical thing she had from her parents. “Erion and Sylva, my parents”, she thought while a tear of joy rolled down her cheek as finally she had found some truth about where she came from. At the same time a feeling of anger and distrust against Brother Sugnar took hold of her. “I must speak to him right away, and he had better have a damn good explanation.”
Maeko carefully rolled the parchment then sped to her bedroom. She quickly grabbed some clothes and put them in her backpack together with the scroll. She ran down the stairs and outside towards the gate. Brother Kalerac was surprised to see her in such a hurry. “Where is Brother Sugnar, has he already left?”, Maeko asked. “Just a few minutes ago, can I help you?” Brother Kalerac was wondering why Maeko didn‘t formally greet him, but decided not to ask. “Thank you, I will catch up with him.” Maeko sprinted through the gate toward the narrow path. Brother Kalerac shouted, “He is travelling by horse to Arakan!” Maeko waved as she turned the corner and rushed down the trail to the Northwestern passage. She knew she could not catch up with a horse, and estimated how long it would take Brother Sugnar to reach Arakan. “two days on a swift horse, maybe three”, she thought, “I can make it in four days if I push hard.”
Maeko kept a steady running pace throughout the day, hardly noticing the beautiful spring rebirth of nature. Her mind was focused on her goal, to reach Arakan as quickly as possible. During her long run her thoughts were swirling through her head. “I have parents. Where do they live? Do they want to meet me? “ She had so many questions and couldn‘t wait to meet the father and mother she had never had. The question she wanted answered most of all was why they had left her. She could feel in her entire being that she was close to reaching the second step of her enlightenment, to find truth within herself. It fueled her endurance and persistence helping her maintain a fast pace.
By the end of the second day she had already passed the group of trees where the Mindstalker had tricked her, almost causing her death, and the Darkwood Forest could already be seen on the horizon. She pushed on the next day into the forest. Her surroundings rolled by meaninglessly. She didn‘t even notice a group of goblins who had spotted her and were in pursuit. It didn‘t matter, they couldn‘t keep up anyway. Her focus was on one thing and one thing only, talk to Brother Sugnar and find her parents. At late noon of the fourth day she finally reached the Arakan outskirts and at last the gates to Arakan. The gate was guarded by two swordsmen and two wizards. The Templars of the Arcane offered protection to the village in exchange for goods.
“Aren’t we in a hurry”, one of the guards stated. Maeko was panting heavily but soon regained her composure. “I am Sister Maeko, a Dragonmonk from the Ten Dragons Monastery. I am looking for one of my Brothers, Brother Sugnar.” One of the wizard guards looked up when Maeko introduced herself. “Let her through, she is the one Sirisar told us about”, the wizard commanded the guard. “Your brother has arrived yesterday. I take it you are also here for the funeral?” Maeko hesitated a second, than replied, “I am Sir.” “You better hurry then, I think they are already on their way to the graveyard.” Maeko was surprised that the wizard seemed to know who she was, and apparently was expecting her. She didn’t give it any thought and walked past the guard into the village. “Thank you sir, I will make haste.”
Arakan was a beautiful village built under the canopy of the Darkwood Forest. It was situated in a small valley between two hills. The houses were all made of wood, and one was even carved out of the stump of an ancient tree, thirty feet in diameter. The village had its own pond with a waterfall flowing from the rocks, providing the inhabitants with fresh water. Maeko could feel the breath of nature here, slowly inhaling and exhaling, blessing the people that live here with health and longevity. Maeko noticed her surroundings but was too preoccupied to enjoy its beauty and purity. She was on a mission. Just as she wanted to ask one of the villagers where the graveyard was situated, she saw a group of people moving out of a large wooden building towards the other end of the village. They were carrying two caskets. Maeko walked closer, and noticed Brother Sugnar was following them. She was surprised to see him being the only one to follow the coffin bearers. “Maybe Brother Sugnar lost friends, and needed time alone”, Maeko thought. “I’d better not interrupt him now, I’ve waited for twenty-eight years, surely I can wait one evening more.”
She followed Brother Sugnar at a distance as they went through the rear gate of Arakan and moved into a forested alcove. To the left stood the home of the groundskeeper who joined the others assisting in carrying the weight of the coffins. The alcove went further than Maeko thought at first, but the undergrowth offered more than enough cover for her to remain unnoticed. The funeral procession finally reached the perimeter of the graveyard. The groundskeeper opened the large metal gate which creaked eerily. Maeko waited until everyone had passed the gate, then moved to the five foot wall. She didn‘t want to risk going in, so she waited behind a bush. Within two minutes the coffin bearers came back passing Maeko in silence, but the groundskeeper and Brother Sugnar were still inside. She waited until the men were no longer in sight, then walked towards the wall separating forest from cemetery. She looked over the wall and saw the two men standing next to two open graves that shared a single large headstone. They were too far away for her to hear what they were saying, but she did see Brother Sugnar holding the funeral ribbon that was around his ankle in the air. The graveyard bathed in a faint mist, beams of sunlight piercing the canopy as if they were deliberately highlighting specific headstones and epitaphs. Brother Sugnar released the ribbon and the two men kneeled for a short while, then started closing the graves. They moved in a synchronous and regular way, slow but determined. Maeko thought she heard Brother Sugnar chanting, but wasn’t sure. The two men had finished their ritual and walked back to the gate. Maeko quickly hid again, and watched the two men pass by slowly, as if they were carefully considering each step, while bowing their heads in silence. The look on Brother Sugnar’s face revealed a deep sadness which chilled Maeko to the bone. Even though he had not been truthful to her, she felt sorry for him, he was obviously struggling.Maeko was about to follow him back to the village, when suddenly she remembered Sirisar’s words, “You will find truth in the graveyard.” Maeko felt like she was standing at a crossroads. Straight on was a dead end, turn left would be respectful to her mentor and the people he buried, but would also be unfair to herself. “I must follow my heart, not my mind as I always do”, she decided and walked towards the gate.
She slowly made her way along the lines of headstones inscribed with names of people she had never heard of. “They were all mothers and fathers and children once”, she thought. At the far end of the graveyard she noticed three crypt entrances, but she focused on the spot where only minutes ago Brother Sugnar had stood. The silence around her was pressing heavily on her spirit and it seemed like the forest was holding its breath. She felt herself becoming very small and insignificant as the weight of this strange place penetrated her very soul. She reached the graves of the recently departed, and just at that moment a ray of light broke through the canopy bathing them in an almost divine light. Maeko kneeled down in front of the graves, her eyes still focused on the ground right in front of her. She slowly lifted her head and looked at the headstone.
~
May the sacrifices we make in life
Be the music of our eternity
So we may follow its fragile tune
To the end we most desire
Here lie Erion and Sylva WoodsbaneBlessed be their souls.
~
Maeko froze in place after reading those last words. She sat in silence as the words started their descent into her being. She felt her surroundings moving away from her, the trees and headstones leaving her perception. The questions she had, the thoughts and concepts that had formed in her mind about her parents, started to unravel. The veils shrouding her inner truths were slowly lifted as her mind followed those words inward, ever deeper into her being. Memories passed her mind’s eye as the words fell faster and faster. The graveyard, Sirisar, the caravan, Jarod, the scar, a fierce storm, then suddenly a shimmering pool of pale blue light. The words fell, broke the surface of the pool. Ripples of light extended outward. An image formed, a reflection, two silhouettes. They came closer, a man and a woman, they’re holding hands. Closer still, unfamiliar faces, or not? Her mind fell towards the pool following the words. The faces smiled, her parents. For an instant she touched their essence, their life force, their truth. Her mind fell through the surface of the pool, a flash of light burning those faces into her memory. Mind and spirit merged, becoming one while being two. The light faded to darkness, the headstones and trees fell back in on her as she realized her truth.
“My truth was not that what was outside of me, my parents. My truth is what is now inside of me. My parents forever within me. My truth is that I will never know my legacy. That truth is what I carry within.”
She slowly opened her eyes and stood up. She felt a strange energy rippling through her being, like a new untapped power. She stood in silence realizing this would be the first and last time she would be here, at her parents grave. She respectfully presented them with the formal greeting of her order, a deep sense of closure befalling her. The light shining on the two graves faded as the sun’s angle declined. Maeko turned and started the final journey on her path to enlightenment.
Sirisar grinned as Maeko passed by. He grinned inside as his mind replayed what he had just witnessed. He saw Maeko float in the air, blue flames swirling around her and her eyes glowing like the sun. “May your spirit make its journey”, he mumbled, “Bless you child.”