In the morning they ate a quick breakfast and starting pushing on through the trees and vines again. They didn't talk much that day – it seemed like getting out of the jungle was the only thing on anyone's mind.
The going was just as slow as the last day, and by the time the sun was going down they were all sore from climbing up and down again and again, and pushing branches and leaves out of their way the whole time.
“Is the man still there?” Arn finally said to Grem.
Grem grunted.
“He there. Farther away maybe. Grem think he know we know.”
Arn really wasn't looking forward to another sleepless night staring out into the dark forest.
So he was relieved when Kim pointed and said, “Look! I think there's a gap ahead. We're nearly through.”
When they finally walked out of the trees at last, the sun was almost down and the sky was going orange.
“Oh!” said Dav. “I think we might be in luck. Look at that!”
There were houses. Real, proper village houses. And paths, and torches, and gardens.
“It's a village!” Kim said. “A real one!”
There were villagers too. It was obvious that they were heading inside for the night, but some had stopped to stare at the strangers who had just stumbled out of the jungle.
“That big village,” Grem said.
It was true.
“The houses,” Dav said. “I've never seen so many.”
Arn finally realized what he was seeing. There were rows of houses. Dozens of them. He could see a blacksmith's shop in there as well, and there was the tall spire of a church a little farther down. But mostly it was all houses and gardens.
“How many people live here?” Kim said.
“More than one hundred, just now!” said a friendly voice.
There was a villager walking towards them. He had heard them talking. When the other villagers saw him, they went back to their evening business.
“Welcome to the Village of Peace!” the man said. “I'm Zem, Council Head.”
“One hundred?” Arn said. “That's nuts.”
Zem laughed.
“That's a justifiable opinion,” he said. “Sometimes I feel the same way, but we do our best.”
He stopped when he finally got a good look at Grem.
“Well well,” he said. “Look who you have with you!”
“This is Grem,” Kim said, and went to stand beside him.
Arn nodded.
“Grem isn't a dangerous mob,” he said. “He's helped us. Saved us.”
“We wouldn't have made it here without him,” Dav said. “He's...”
Zem held up his hand.
“If you can vouch for him, and if he agrees to be peaceful, then he's welcome here,” he said.
He looked at Grem.
“What?” Grem said. “You want Grem say he not attack anybody? Sure, nobody attack Grem, he do same.”
Zem nodded and smiled.
“Good enough,” he said. “I'm going to be very interested to hear your story.”
“I'm Dav,” Dav said.
“Welcome Dav,” said Zem. “But it's getting dark. Maybe we should go inside? I'm guessing you've been outside for far too many nights.”
“That would be amazing,” said Kim. “Oh, also I'm Kim.”
“This way then, this way,” said Zem.
Arn introduced himself as they walked to the nearest house. It was empty, but Zem came in with them. When he shut the door Kim flopped down on the floor and sighed.
“You have no idea,” she said, “No idea at all, how good it is to hear a door slamming shut.”
Zem looked around at them all.
“You know what?” he said. “I was going to start asking you all sorts of questions, but I can see you are exhausted. All of you. How about I leave you alone and come back in the morning when you're all rested?”
Arn and Dav looked at each other.
“We really can't thank you enough,” Dav said. “But we're looking for the people from our village. They all went missing.”
“We're looking for a blackmith name Cab, and a librarian named Lyn,” Kim said, “And...”
“Hold on,” Zem said, laughing. “We have quite a few new arrivals. You can look for yourself in the morning! If they're here, they're not going anywhere tonight!”
Grem frowned.
“That it? Welcome, here a house, go to sleep?”
Zem shrugged.
“These are tough times for villagers everywhere. For everyone, I'm guessing. Here at the Village of Peace we're putting things back together again. We are making things the way they are supposed to be. So yes, it's nighttime, and you're tired. Feel free to go to sleep.”
Dav looked at Grem.
“Is something wrong?”
Grem shook his head.
“Seems weird, but villagers not like Pakmog. If Dav think okay for sure, then Grem okay.”
Dav nodded.
“I think it's probably okay,” he said.
Zem smiled again.
“Great,” he said. “But I'll go now while it's still safe. We can talk in the morning!”
He left them alone.
“Dav really think okay?” Grem said when Zem was gone.
“I don't know. But if they were going to stab us all, they could have done it already,” Dav said.
“Too right,” Kim said, yawning. “Personally I'm done being scared. I'm going to sleep for once.”
Arn was so tired that he fell asleep to the sound of Grem's snoring.
A roof, Arn thought, staring up. I'm finally inside again.
He realized that he must have slept through the whole night without waking up even once. Sunlight streamed in through the windows. He looked over at Dav and Grem, and their eyes were still closed. Grem's snores had dropped down to a dull rumble.
Where's Kim?
He couldn't see her anywhere. He sat up. She was definitely not there.
“Wake up!” he said. “Wake up! Kim's gone!”
Dav sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“Maybe she went outside,” he said. “She always was a morning person.”
Before Grem could say anything, the door flew open and Kim ran inside with a strange expression on her face. She slammed the door shut again and stared at the three of them.
“Out for a walk?” Dav said.
She shook her head.
“Most of the village is here,” she said. “I found Oto, and Cab, and Erg, and some of the others.”
“That's great!” Arn said. “We should find Lyn and apologize. We kind of lied to her the night we left to look for you.”
Dav nodded, but Grem stood up.
“What wrong?” he said.
Kim stared at them for a moment, as if she didn't know what to say.
“They're not the same,” she said. “You'll have to come and see.”
She looked like she was about to burst into tears.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“What do you mean?” Dav said. “What does...”
“Just come with me,” Kim said. “I want you to see.”
Dav and Arn looked at each other.
The Pakmog growled.
“Grem right. Feel like something weird here,” Grem said. “Doesn't feel like villager place.”
Arn pointed out the window.
“It couldn't be more villager. Look!”
A farmer was tending to his garden across the way. He was bent over, working on rows of wheat.
“Just come with me,” Kim said.
She led them down the path, towards the center of the village. There was a flat plaza lined with polished white stone, and a well in the middle. Villagers stood in little clumps, talking quietly with each other.
“There's Cab!” Arn said. They had all known the Blacksmith since they were little. He knew an amazing number of stories that he used to tell all the children inside at night.
“Cab, we're so happy to see you,” Dav said. “When we got back to the village, everyone had disappeared!”
The Blacksmith turned to them and looked confused.
“Dav? Arn? Good to see you,” he said. “Do you need to trade anything? I have blocks of iron to trade for coal, and also some torches.”
“What?” Arn said. “No, no, we don't need to trade. We're looking for everyone else from the village.”
Cab looked around.
“Everyone is here. Where else would they be?”
Dav frowned and glanced at Kim.
“Cab,” he said. “How are you feeling? Do you remember coming to this village? Do you remember our old village?”
The Blacksmith shook his head.
“This is the village. Before...”
His face went blank, like he was searching for something that was on the tip of his tongue.
“Things were complicated before. It was like a bad dream,” he said. “But that doesn't matter, now does it?”
He smiled.
“If you know anyone who needs to trade, just send them my way! See you later!”
He waved and started walking off towards the workshop.
Dav and Arn and Kim all looked at one another.
“Grem guess he not like that before,” the Pakmog said.
“What's going on?” Arn said.
“They're all like that,” said Kim. “I don't know what's going on! Is it magic? Are they under a spell?”
Grem sniffed the air suspiciously, then turned in a circle, sniffing carefully all the way around.
“Smell some magic, for sure,” he said. “But not really strong.”
“There's something very strange happening here,” Dav said. “This doesn't feel right.”
“Ala and Umi said nobody ever comes back from the village,” Kim whispered. She looked terrified.
“I think we should leave,” Arn said. “I think we should get out of here right away.”
“Arn think of good plan,” Grem muttered. “Grem agree with it.”
But then a voice called out to them from across the square.
“There you are! I wondered where you had all wandered off to!”
It was Zem. The Council head was grinning as he walked over to them.
“Maybe we run,” Grem said in as near to a whisper as a Pakmog could manage.
But now Kim looked angry.
“What have you done to everyone?” she said loudly, stalking towards him.
“Done?” said Zem. “We haven't done anything to them! They're villagers living in a village. Just the way they are supposed to be!”
He waved his arm at the other villagers. None of them even looked over at him.
“Everybody is safe,” he said. “Everybody is doing their job. That's what I said last night!”
“Have they forgotten everything that happened?” Dav said.
Zem shrugged.
“Maybe they wanted to forget. A lot of bad things have happened.”
“It wasn't like that!” Arn said. “We talked to Cab, he’s from our village. He's different. He doesn't even sound like his old self.”
“His mind was different,” Dav said suddenly. He was frowning.
Zem sighed.
“Look, I realize that some of this seems strange, but I hope you'll look at the big picture here. Do you see a terrible place full of trapped villagers who want to leave?”
The sun was shining down, and the villagers were all going about their day without even looking like they noticed anything strange happening near them.
“It looks nice,” Dav said. “But what happened to their minds?”
“I understand what you're saying, but we value peace and quiet here,” Zem said. “Everyone has been terrified, lost out in the world. We're making a safe new place. Can we talk inside at least? I'd rather not get people upset.”
“Fine,” Kim said.
“Great, this way.”
He led them down a path away from the center of the village.
“Who's we?” Dav said. “You keep saying we.”
“The rest of the council. And the Brother.”
“And who's the Brother? We keep hearing about him.”
Zem pointed to another building. It looked like a house, but didn't have a single window. Arn had never seen a village house without windows before.
“He lives in there.”
Zem smiled a little.
“Honestly, he's a bit of an oddball. Not much for socializing. But he's the one who started all of this.”
“Who is he?”
“Just another villager, but I guess he's a pretty unusual one. He can make things.”
Dav stopped walking.
“What? How? How can he do that?”
Zem shrugged.
“It's his talent, I guess. He built most of the houses himself. Like I said he's a strange fellow, but none of this would be here without him.”
“But you're the council head?” Kim said.
“The Brother isn't big on council work,” Zem said. “He spends his time worrying about how to fix the world.”
“Fix the world?” Dav said. “How does he plan to do that?”
Grem snorted.
“One villager going to fix world?”
Zem stopped in front of a square house and opened the door.
“I know how it sounds, but look around you. I think what he's done so far speaks for itself.”
Dav shook his head.
“I want to meet The Brother,” he said. “I need to talk to him.”
“Absolutely!” Zem said. “That's where I'm taking you! You can judge for yourself once you meet him.”
Grem growled.
“This all really weird,” he said.
Zem nodded.
“I understand that, honestly. But at least give The Brother a chance to explain,” he said.
He pointed into the house, and they walked in.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Grem whirled around and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge.
“We're locked in!” Kim said.
The house was totally empty. It was just a square room with two little windows, not even big enough for anyone to climb out of.
“Grem tell you! This place feel wrong! Should have run!”
Dav was already looking out one of the windows.
“You're right, Grem. We did it again. I did. We should be listening to you about things that are dangerous.”
“What are they doing out there?” Kim said.
“Zem walked over to the Brother's house. Maybe he's going to talk to us after all.”
“Through the window?” Arn said. “I don't think that's a good start to the conversation.”
Grem started throwing himself against the door to see if he could smash through it. The whole house shook every time he slammed against it, but the door didn't move at all. He pulled out his sword and slashed at the door, which didn’t appear to do much either.
“No good,” he muttered. “Dav and Arn and Kim look around, maybe find tricky way out.”
Nobody argued. They all started searching for secret switches or loose blocks or anything at all.
There was nothing.
“What are they going to do to us?” said Kim.
“That's what I'm worried about,” said Arn. He looked at Dav.
“I know,” Dav said. “They're going to try to make us like the others. Take away our memories, or whatever it is they're doing.”
Dav lived for his mind. Arn thought that might be the most terrible thing in the world for him.
“They come now,” Grem said, looking out of the window.
The three villagers looked out the other little window.
The Brother didn't seem like anyone special. He was wearing the robes of a Weaver, and he looked no different from anyone else.
At least until he got up close.
Zem looked very serious now – a complete change from his friendly smiling manner with them before. He was carrying something blue and shiny.
But none of them could look away from the Brother.
His eyes were weird. They had a shiny, reflective glow to them.
“Is he like Ren was?” Arn said. “Is he a Firethrall or something?”
“Ren's eyes never looked like that,” said Kim.
“He not same as not-men in Nether,” Grem said. “They not so easy to fool for Pakmog. This guy different.”
“What is he then?” Dav said.
“I guess we're going to find out,” said Arn.
“Hello everyone,” Zem said. His voice was a bit muffled from outside. “Sorry about this. You're probably upset. I don't blame you.”
“The Brother isn't a villager!” Dav shouted through the window. “What is he?”
Zem shook his head.
“You're not the first one to say that,” he said. “But he's just a very gifted villager, that's all.”
“No!” yelled Arn. “Look at him! He's something else!”
Zem held up the shining thing in his hand. It was a blue crystal of some kind. Light streamed out of it.
“You're just upset and afraid,” he said. “You'll feel better soon. Nobody is going to be mad about it. Everyone is confused and frightened when they're out in the world.”
“What is that thing?” Dav said.
“The Brother gave us this!” said Zem. He looked at it proudly. “This is the takes away the fear and the confusion! It brings villagers home again, home to the lives they lost!”
The Brother hadn't said anything at all. He stared up at them with his strange eyes.
Grem pointed at him.
“Grem see you, thing!” he yelled. “Pakmog not forget!”
The Brother just smiled, then said something quietly to Zem that they couldn't hear.
Zem set the crystal on a short rock pillar that sat in front of the house.
“Once you're done we can go to back to the square and you can be with everyone!” he said. “You'll all finally be home, so look forward to it!”
With that he turned around and went to stand with the brother.
“What are we going to do?” said Arn.
“I don't know,” said Dav. “I don't know.”
“Shiny rock glowing more,” said Grem. He was watching it and growling under his breath.
Arn felt something happening. His mind was getting slower. It was like he was dropping off to sleep, even though he was wide awake.
Dav grabbed his head with both hands.
“My mind!” he said. “It's draining away! I can feel it!”
Kim went up to him and put her arms around him. They all knew it had to be worst for Dav.
“We'll still be together,” she said. “At least there's that much.”
“Not feel so different yet,” Grem said.
Arn could feel it getting stronger. The light was shining in both of the windows, but he was having a hard time remembering why he was afraid of it. It was just a bright light. Nothing to worry about.
But part of him was fighting it too.
No, I can't let it take me!
It was so hard to push back against it. So much easier to just let go.
Then the light went out, and there was a loud crash from outside.
Arn's mind came flooding back again in an instant.
What was that noise?
Grem shouted something in the Pakmog language. He sounded excited.
Arn realized he was sitting on the floor. So were Dav and Kim. But Grem was staring out of the window and yelling at whatever was going on. He didn't sound angry. He sounded excited.
There was definitely some kind of shouting and banging out there.
He struggled up to his feet.
I need to see what's going on...
Then the door flew open with a huge crash.
A Pakmog stood in the doorway. Another Pakmog. Grem rushed up to him and the two of them started talking – or the Pakmog equivalent, anyway. It sounded like they were arguing, but he had a sense of how they talked now, and they Grem definitely sounded happy.
“Dav! Arn! Kim!” Grem said. “Prag find us!”
Prag?
The Pakmog with Ama. Arn pushed himself up and moved to the window to look outside.
The blue crystal sat on the ground, and it was broken. Shattered bits were all around.
Zem lay on the ground, holding his head and looking like he was in agony.
Arn couldn't see the Brother anywhere.
“Where's Ama?” he said. “Is she safe? Where is she?”
Prag looked over at Dav.
“Ama safe,” he growled. “Prag busy now.”
Arn remembered that some of the other Pakmog could speak to Villagers as well, they just didn't like to do it.
I guess he had to start, Arn thought.
Kim was taking care of Dav. Whatever happened had hit him the hardest. His hands were on his head, and the two of them were talking quietly to each other.
Then without another word Grem pulled out his sword, and the two Pakmog rushed out the door.
Arn followed them. He trusted Grem, but seeing two angry Pakmog with swords running down the path of a village was a worrying sight. He wanted to know what was happening.
They didn't go far.
The Brother's house – the house with no windows – wasn't far away. The Pakmog started smashing at the door, trying to get in. When it wouldn't open both of them started slashing it with their swords. It took four or five huge blows each, and then it shattered. They both ran inside.
Zem was still lying on the ground, groaning.
There was a crashing noise from inside the Brother's house.
Then suddenly Arn's head was filled with confusion again. This wasn't like the crystal though – his head was just filled with noise and snow, and he could hardly see. His head was buzzing, and he fell down to his knees and started crawling towards the Brother's house.
Zem yelled in pain, but Arn needed to see what was happening in the house. It was all he could do to keep crawling across the path towards it. He could hear Pakmog yells and growls, and a deep booming noise.
Then a beam of light shot out of the door and set a nearby tree on fire.
I should probably stay away from that, he thought vaguely. But he kept crawling.
When he got to the door he crawled inside.
It was hard to understand what was happening There was smashed glass and water everywhere. Grem was holding onto something huge that was trying to get away from him. Prag was fighting it with his sword. The thing was fighting back. With... long arms. Dozens of long green arms that were slashing back at Prag. There was water and broken glass everywhere.
Grem bellowed and threw himself on the thing, doing his best to hold it down.