by Ellen Oh
Some days they would walk through the forest for hours, searching for the elusive gateway to the magic realm, called Nackwon. His father was sure he would find it one day, but Jiho wasn’t sure he wanted to. It was the kingdom of the fairies, witches, and all the magical creatures, and it was far more dangerous than the Kidahara.
Jiho’s father used to share the old legends with Jiho every night before bedtime. His favorite story was of the day magic entered their world. He remembered hearing it for the first time when he was five years old.
“A long time ago, our world had no magic,” his father said. “In fact, it was quite boring.”
“You mean, like the other kingdoms are now?”
“Yes, just like them! The forest was just a forest. A tree was just a tree. And then one day, dragons suddenly appeared in the skies above the Kidahara. They were the first magical creatures that humans had ever seen. Frightened, the people reacted badly, as they often do when faced with something they don’t understand. It was the humans who attacked the dragons first. Killed them. And it caused trouble between our worlds.”
“What was the other world, Papa?”
“The Nackwon. The magic realm that exists in the Kidahara. No human has ever seen it.”
“Then how do we know it is real?”
His father laughed. “Some things don’t need to be seen to be believed. You know it’s real because your heart tells you it is. Anyway, the Nackwon became very afraid of humans. So their leader, Empress Luzee, waged a terrible war against the humans. The Great War between our worlds lasted for years as magical creatures invaded our lands and killed many people. And then one day all the dragons disappeared, and the creatures of the Nackwon retreated back into the Kidahara.”
“What happened to the dragons?”
“I heard that they all died. But that always made me sad.”
“I wish I could see a dragon, Papa!”
“Me too, Jiho.”
Walking along the road bordering the Kidahara, Jiho was flooded with memories of his father. Hunting for wild game, foraging for edible roots and mushrooms, leaving offerings for the namushin. There were so many memories of joyful times deep in the Kidahara with his father.
But now it felt too dangerous and mysterious. His father had been his safety net. Jiho didn’t have the same comfort that he used to. He avoided the Kidahara like the plague. So what was he doing thinking of joining a foreign crew to help clear the forest? His father would have yelled at him. Told him he was crazy to help anyone who would harm his beloved forest. Jiho wondered if his father had ever found his way to the Nackwon. Maybe his father was stuck there, trapped by the fairies and unable to return home. That’s what happened in fairy tales. Magical creatures loved to trap or kidnap humans and keep them for their entertainment. Then after a few days, when the human was finally set free, he’d wander home only to find that it hadn’t been just a few days but a hundred years. The problem with that story was that his father had been the one to voluntarily leave in the first place.
Anger flooded him again at the thought. All his father ever worried or cared about was the forest. What good was it to him? Why should he care if it was all razed to the ground? His father had tried to convince him for years that it was his destiny to be a ranger, just like all Parks before him. But Jiho was not interested. He didn’t want to be a ranger. He didn’t even want to be a Park anymore.
Just then, something moved in the brush near the forest side of the road. Fear and his wild imagination sent Jiho careening down the road back to town. He didn’t want to be this close to the forest when darkness hit. It just wasn’t safe.
Oh, and joining the Orion crew to systematically chop down the Kidahara trees is safer? a small voice inside him asked. Jiho shook his head, refusing to think beyond the twenty silver pieces per day he’d been offered. Besides, at least he wouldn’t be alone in the forest.
It was completely dark by the time Jiho made it back to Hanoe village. But it wasn’t hard to see where the Orion company were. Their trucks took up the entire town center, and Orion employees and soldiers were camped out in every corner of the open area.
As Jiho approached, a soldier stepped forward to block his path.
“What’s your business here?” the soldier asked.
“I’m here to see Mr. Murtagh about a job,” Jiho responded.
The soldier peered closer at Jiho’s face. “Hey, weren’t you the kid who helped get our men back from the Kidahara?”
Jiho nodded, relieved when the soldier started smiling.
“Those were some cool moves you had back there.” The soldier shook his hand. “Boss was sorry to see you go. He’ll be real happy you came back. I’ll take you to his tent.”
The soldier took Jiho to a large tent where a ruddy-faced middle-aged man with a smoking device chomped between his yellowed teeth sat tapping into a small thin glass and metal box while sitting at a messy desk. At the soldier’s explanation, the man waved dismissively, and the soldier left.
The man began to speak to Jiho, but it was in the Orion language. Heaving an exasperated sigh, the man searched through the pile of papers on his desk until he found his universal translator. He switched it on and clipped it to his shirt.
“I’m Stu Nelson, the foreman. I’ll take you to Mr. Murtagh as soon as I finish this report,” he said brusquely.
Jiho looked around the large tent as the foreman tapped into his device and blew a stream of disgusting smoke. It made Jiho gag and his eyes water. He was just about to step out of the tent when he saw a large map on the table next to the foreman. It was a map of Joson with the Kidahara Wilderness highlighted in red. There were a lot of things pinned on it that Jiho didn’t understand. But next to it, there were other papers that looked like future plans for the razed areas. They included buildings and factories to be located right within the heart of the wilderness. It appeared that the Orion men were planning more than building a railroad and mining. They were going to raze the entire Kidahara and build industrialized cities.
Jiho was both awed and troubled by the scope of the project. The Kidahara Wilderness was so big that it took up more than half the kingdom. It’s why their people had been suffering. Lack of land and a growing population meant overcrowding and scarcity of resources. The expansion of the kingdom into the wilderness could save lives. It could revitalize their country. This had to be all good, right?
Yet a part of him worried what would happen to their country without the forest. And what would happen to the Nackwon? Legend stated that the Nackwon existed in the deepest parts of the Kidahara, where no man was allowed to trespass unless by invitation of a magical being. If the Kidahara was razed, would the Nackwon be exposed? Would it cause another war of the worlds?
“So what do you think of our master plan?” the foreman asked.
“Very ambitious,” Jiho answered cautiously.
The foreman nodded. “Yes sirree, we’ve got some big plans for this area. It’s gonna be the future of this kingdom! Bring it out of ancient times and into the modern age. And in the process, make a whole lot of money for us!”
He tapped at the logo prominently displayed on the board. It was a picture of a tree with foreign words written across the trunk of the tree.
“What’s this?” Jiho asked.
“That’s the Omni Murtagh Inc. logo,” the foreman said.
“Omni Murtagh?” Jiho asked. They were strange sounding words to him.
“That’s my company’s name. You know Murtagh, like the boss you met today. Well technically, his father’s company. He’s out here trying to prove to his daddy that he is a worthy heir.” The foreman snorted and shook his head.
Jiho thought there was a foreboding quality to the name of the company. It felt heavy, uneasy. He couldn’t help but wonder what he’d gotten himself into as he followed the foreman out of the tent to find Mr. Murtagh.
The foreman walked Jiho over to the local tavern. Inside, he led him to a back table where a g
roup of men were playing cards with the tavern owner, Mr. Mori.
“Where’s the boss?” the foreman asked.
One of the men pointed toward the back, where Jiho spotted Murtagh talking with a woman in a hooded cape. There was something strange about the woman. Her gray hooded cloak hid most of her features, except for her long white hair and slender pale hands. Something about her gave Jiho an odd feeling, deep in his gut. It was similar to the feeling he would get when faced with a magical being. But what would such an entity be doing out of the Kidahara? And why would she be talking to an Orion, of all people? It made no sense. He was probably wrong, but he wondered who she could be.
Jiho stepped forward to take a closer look, but she slipped into darkness and disappeared.
As soon as Murtagh spotted Jiho, he broke into a toothy grin and threw open his arms as he walked over.
“Well, hey, I think my luck just changed,” he said as he shook Jiho’s hand. “I was hoping you’d change your mind, son.”
He turned to the other men. “Do you know this kid? He saved my men from being eaten by a gigantic spider today.”
Mr. Mori nodded. “Jiho’s a good boy, but don’t let him get too close to your magicked trucks or they’ll stop working.”
“What’s that?” Murtagh turned to Jiho with a slight frown. “Our trucks cost us a small fortune to get them running smoothly through Joson. Without the magic enhancements, the trucks are useless here.”
“Jiho is a Park, and Parks have no magic,” Mr. Mori said. “In fact, magic doesn’t work around them at all.”
Murtagh frowned as he stared at Jiho in concern.
“And that’s why I was able to save your men today,” Jiho said. “The Vorax’s magic didn’t affect me like it did you.”
Murtagh’s face changed as he remembered the day’s events. “That’s right, it was that smell. It was so powerful that I felt I had to go to it—but you stopped me. That’s how you were able to save my men.”
Murtagh started smiling again. “Shoot, I think this really is my lucky day! You’ll be our good luck charm to get safely through the Kidahara! Just be sure you don’t take down my trucks!”
Jiho raised a reassuring hand. “It’s okay, I’ll make sure to stay far away from them. I’ll just have to figure out another way to travel with you guys.”
“I’ve got that covered,” Murtagh said. “You think you can ride a motorbike?”
Jiho was confused. “What’s a motorbike?”
Murtagh laughed. “You’ll be fine, kid. I’m gonna get you into the Kidahara with us even if I have to get you a mule!” He turned to the foreman, who’d been secretly trying to sneak a drink from the bottle at the table. “Stu, take him to the scouts.”
The foreman was surly as he led Jiho through the encampment again, refusing to answer any questions. Jiho was starting to wonder if the foreman’s universal translator was not working when they arrived at a small campsite filled with young teens sitting around a fire.
“These kids here are like the Global United Nations. They represent all of the world—Orion, Urcia, Cloverly, Bellprix, and now Joson,” he said, waving at Jiho.
“Okay, kiddos, this here is Jiho, and he’s gonna be our local boy who helps lead the way. So give him a good old Omni Murtagh welcome and teach him the ropes.” With a nod at Jiho, the foreman stomped off, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
Two older boys came over to greet him. They both had medium brown skin and thin but muscular frames. The tallest and strongest-looking of the boys smiled at him.
“Hey, my name is Calvin Watson,” he said, holding his hand out. His eyes were sharp but friendly.
It took Jiho a moment to remember that people outside of Joson liked to shake hands in greeting. Quickly he shook hands, wincing at the tight grip of Calvin’s hand. The other boy reached over to shake his hand also.
“I’m Shane Gilman,” he said. “Me and Calvin are from Bellprix. Boy, am I glad to see you! These woods give me the creeps. I sure would like to know what we gotta watch out for in there.”
Jiho didn’t understand why the woods made Shane want to crawl around on the floor, but he understood the rest of the question.
“The Kidahara is very ancient and powerful,” Jiho said. “Many dangerous creatures make their home in the forest.”
“Just how dangerous?” Shane asked. “What kinds of creatures are we talking about? Vampires? Werewolves?”
Jiho was confused. He didn’t recognize any of these words. “Pardon? I don’t know what that means.”
“You know—vampires? Bloodsuckers? Werewolves? Half human, half wolf, rip your face off and eat it for a midnight snack?”
“Ah, interesting,” Jiho said. “We have different creatures. Some eat humans, and some like to kidnap them. But most have magical powers.”
“Magic? There’s no such thing as magic, Jiho,” Shane said. “Monsters are just monsters. Ain’t nothing special about them.”
This made Jiho pause. If his new friends didn’t believe in magic, he feared that they would not make it through the Kidahara.
“Magic is what makes your trucks move around here,” he said.
The boys laughed. “Jiho, those trucks have engines and run on petrol. There’s nothing magical about that,” Calvin said.
Jiho scratched his head. It seemed they knew nothing about the country that they had come to work in.
“I must explain something very important to you,” he said. “Magic is real. You will see for yourself when we enter the Kidahara tomorrow. The forest does not like your modern mechanics and technology. For years, people outside of Joson could not navigate through our country unless they were on horseback. Your vehicles would die within coming a few feet of the Kidahara. That is why your company paid a lot of money for magic spells to make them work. Do you notice anything different about your vehicles?”
The boys looked at each other. “You’re talking about the special enhancements on all the machinery, right? I wondered why there’s no exhaust coming out of any of the trucks,” Calvin said slowly. “And we never stopped at any refilling stations.”
Jiho nodded. “I don’t even know what exhaust or a refilling station is. We don’t have trucks or cars or motorbikes here. Anything that does work here has been magicked. Do you not know the history of Joson?”
His new friends shook their heads. “We don’t learn a lot about Joson,” Calvin said. “Only that you guys are very behind in your technology.”
“Behind? They don’t have any!” Shane snorted.
“Joson is a very ancient country, and the Kidahara makes up most of our kingdom,” Jiho said. “It is huge and has never been completely explored. That’s because it is dangerous territory. There are many supernatural forces at work in the Kidahara. You must respect the magic, or you won’t make it out of there alive.”
Shane’s smiling face changed while Calvin, who’d been quietly listening, stood very still.
“I think I want to hear all about the Kidahara tonight,” Calvin said. “But let’s get some dinner first.”
He put a companionable arm around Jiho’s shoulders and steered him to a large truck that looked like a moving café.
“What do you want to eat?” Calvin asked. “They’ve pretty much got the staples of all the cuisines here. Orion hot dogs, Urcian creamy noodles, Cloverly fish and chips, Bellprix spicy seafood stew—you name it and they can probably make it taste absolutely . . . terrible.”
Jiho laughed. “What’s the least terrible?”
Calvin and Shane looked at each other. Shane shook his head.
“Dude, these guys have such a special talent that even toast tastes bad,” Shane said.
“It’s okay, I’m pretty hungry,” Jiho said.
“Hmmmm, you like pizza?” Shane asked.
“Never had it,” Jiho replied.
“Good, then you won’t know how disappointing it actually is.” Calvin smiled and ordered the meal from the surly-looking server at the coun
ter.
Jiho quickly ate the greasy cardboard-like food and washed it down with a chocolate drink that was far more enjoyable.
“Well, the chocolate drink was good,” he said.
“That’s cause the drinks are all bottled, and they can’t mess it up with their nasty cooking,” Shane replied.
“Hey! I can hear you!” the surly server replied.
“The truth will set you free!” Shane yelled back.
Calvin laughed. “Come on, Jiho, let’s introduce you to the gang.”
He walked toward another group of young teenagers sitting around a campfire.
“I hate this place,” a pale boy with light blond hair and strange-colored eyes was saying. “No electricity. No computers. It’s like the land that time forgot.”
Calvin stepped forward. “That’s why we’re here. To bring the modern world to Joson.” He pushed Jiho in front of him. “Speaking of Joson, this here is Jiho, and he’s gonna teach us about this forest.”
The pale boy jumped to his feet and pumped Jiho’s hand enthusiastically. Jiho could now see that the boy had eyes as blue as the morning sky. “I’m Frankie. I come from Brookland, Orion,” he said. “I’m glad to meet you. Not too many of you guys have joined us. There’s only three that I know of, and they’re all with the tree-cutting crews. I mean, we’re the scouts. We have to clear the areas before anyone else. Shouldn’t we have a local person first? How do we know where we’re going without someone to guide us? Let me tell you, I wasn’t looking forward to going in there without a local. I heard too many strange stories, you know what I’m saying?”
Jiho knew exactly what he was saying. But before he could respond, Frankie was introducing him to the rest of the group.
“That’s Buddy. He’s from Orion like me. Mac and Gabriel are from Cloverly. They hardly ever speak except to play their stupid Quest game. And that’s Tess and Jay, and they hardly ever shut up,” he said as he pointed to each of the team members.