by Pamita Rao
The Myrth moon had descended beyond the horizon. Daylight would be upon them soon, and they had to make their journey only in the shadows of dawn. Alaira held Neelahaim’s sleeping form gently on her shoulders while she and Freddic made their way towards their horses. They mounted their horses quietly, trotting through the streets until they reached the last house in the row.
“How soon will we see the enchanted forest?” asked Freddic.
“In the map Father showed us, they were somewhere north of Groigad. It is well known that the enchanted forest hides itself.”
“Then how are we to see them?”
For the first time, Alaira truly did not know what their next steps were. For as far as she could see, there was nothing but dry, barren land, with not even a speck of vegetation in sight. High above them, eagles circled in a thick black mask, and vultures perched on a lifeless tree, observing them, queer, waiting silently for their prey.
Alaira covered Neelahaim and herself from intense heat and dust winds that blew towards them as the day progressed. Where are the enchanted forests? she thought, panicking. What if they choose not to reveal themselves to us?
The soldiers would be in search of them once more, and if they found them, wandering in these dry lands, they all would be captured and dragged back to Creed for suffering and pain.
“Are you certain we are on the right path, Alaira?” asked Freddic.
Alaira shook her head. “I am not certain, but the map father showed us pointed to the north, and that is where we are headed.”
Above them, the sun glowed bright orange, reminding them that they had travelled through half of the day, but their destination was still a mystery. There was not even a sliver of shade or food in sight. If they continued on this path, they would soon tire and have no place to hide.
Neelahaim curled his legs around her waist. “You must be tired and hungry,” she said to him. He closed his eyes and remained quiet. He depended on her and she had nothing to feed him. The thought made her heart ache, but they had no other choice, as returning to Groigad was inviting a death wish.
It had not been long ago that she was a child herself and relied on her mother for everything. A particular memory from Taelk poked its way back into her mind. It was late evening. Father puffed his cigar, and the swirls of smoke made shapes in the air. Mother moved around the house, cleaning, making room for dinner, and Elora sat near Father’s legs, listening to stories of war. They had always been fascinated with the stories of the past and spent days by Father’s side, listening to them.
She moved closer to Mother, who was now paying her attention to the story. As Alaira approached her, she smiled and patted her curly hair. Her eyes sparkled like the ocean and her smile lit up the entire room. Alaira had never seen anyone so beautiful. Her perfume drifted in the air as she took Alaira in her arms and cuddled her, pecking her cheeks. “My baby,” she whispered.
“Something is not right, Alaira!” Freddic’s terror filled voice woke Alaira from her trance. She turned towards where Freddic pointed. “Look,” he said. “It’s the same tree.”
At first, Alaira did not understand what he was pointing towards, but then she understood. The vultures rested on the exact same tree they had passed a while ago and the same eagles circled high in the sky.
“How could that be?” asked Alaira.
“I think we are going in circles. We are caught in a maze, Alaira! We must be near the enchanted forests!”
“Then we must find a way out of this maze and wait for Horace to arrive with Elora and your father. We will then proceed to the enchanted forests together.”
They wandered aimlessly on the cracked, uneven land, with the same tree appearing after every turn. Without a way to escape, mirages began to play tricks with their minds.
“Do you think they will find us?” asked Alaira. Horace should have reached them by now. Father had handed him the map, and it would be easy to follow the path shown.
Freddic did not say a word. He was lost deep in thought just as she had been a while ago, and Alaira knew he was thinking about his father. Alaira continued to wonder why Horace had not arrived with Elora and Inglan. Were they lost? Maybe the route was harder for them, she thought.
Suddenly, the clouds above turned dark, and a shattering sound thundered across the skies. Lightning flamed to the ground, burning everything in its path. Their horses reared, almost throwing them to the ground, but both Freddic and Alaira held onto their reins. Lightening whirred and whipped across black clouds, followed by the clapping and bellowing of thunder.
Alaira turned to see if Freddic was all right, but he had vanished, and so had the tree with the vultures and eagles above. Alaira panicked, frantically searching for Freddic. This must be one of the enchantments. It was splitting them apart. She had to escape and find Freddic. He might be stuck in a similar enchantment.
“Help! Help!” Alaira squinted at someone running towards her from a distance. The figure grew bigger as it moved closer, and a small hand lifted up, waved at her. Alaira hesitated. Was this person real, or was this a part of the enchantment? The figure was that of a woman draped in a long, printed gown. “Wait,” she said, stumbling as she trudged down the path towards her. The force of the wind had now turned to a howl.
“Help, my husband needs help. He is injured.”
“What seems to be the matter?” Alaira asked, sensing an urgency in her voice.
“His walking stick, it is stuck in a large boulder. If you can release it, he will be able to walk again.” Her eyes pleaded with Alaira. The storm above her was brewing, and soon they would all be drenched. What was the worst that could happen? she thought. Maybe she could ask the woman to let her and Neelahaim stay at her house after she retrieved the old man’s stick for him.
The wrinkled skin of the woman bored into her bone, her eyes sunken into their sockets. Maybe she was just imagining it, but it seemed as if the woman’s eyeballs turned transparent when she eyed Neelahaim. A chill crept up her spine, but she ignored it. Someone needed her help, and she had never said no to anyone before. Plus, this woman could provide them shelter from the storm. She slid down her horse to aid the woman. “Tell me where it is.”
The woman’s lips lifted in a smile, and Alaira realized for the first time that she had scabs all over her wrinkled face. She tilted to one side as she walked, as if she had injured her hip. Alaira reached out with one hand to keep the woman steady while holding Neelahaim securely in place with the other. Alaira walked slowly, matching the woman’s pace as she heaved and plodded her way to the location.
“She has scars,” whispered Neelahaim in her ear.
Alaira shook her head. “You shouldn’t say things like that. Everyone is unique.”
“I am hungry.”
Alaira felt her heart squeeze in her chest as if in pain. She had nothing with her to feed him. “Maybe the woman will be kind enough to give us some food after we help her.”
“Yes, yes,” said the woman. “We have plenty of food for the boy. My husband and I are the only ones in our home.”
Alaira nodded in gratitude. Even if this was some kind of an enchantment, they still needed some shelter.
“There it is.” The woman pointed at a crooked piece of wood sticking out of a crater in the boulder. Alaira let Neelahaim slide until his feet touched the ground and pulled the stick with one hand. It did not move. She put her foot against the boulder for support and used both her hands to pull again, but it stayed where it was. Alaira then crouched and peered through the cracks in the boulder but could not find the end of the stick.
“Shall I try to pull it, Khala?”
“No, Neelahaim, stay away from this. We do not know what will come out of the ground.” There was no sight of the woman’s husband anywhere. “Where is your husband? I thought this was his stick and he was hurt.”
“Yes, yes. It is his stick, but he is resting back at home and I need to get it for him. Now hurry,” she said, waving towards Ala
ira.
Neelahaim was now at her side, “Let me try, Khala,” he said, excited at the prospect of helping her. He bent in front of Alaira and snatched the stick out of her hand. Before she could say another word, Neelahaim held it with both his hands and pulled.
First, a glow appeared below his palms, where he touched the stick. The light spread from beneath his fingers to the stick and continued the journey around the boulder like a snake. It illuminated the entire rock as it went along, until it disappeared into the cracks. The stick moved as he pulled and slid out of the crater with the ease of a knife from butter. Alaira held her breath, and the woman clasped her hands, shrieking loudly. She bent on her knee and raised her hands above.
“He has arrived!” Alaira moved away from the woman as her eyes turned gray. “Ni-ahr hyat klan,” she repeated as the clouds gathered above them and turned a deep shade of purple. The storm brimmed above her, the sky growled louder, and a streak of lightning hit the ground near them. Alaira pulled Neelahaim close and lifted him in her arms as the woman transformed. Her hands and legs turned large, her height increased, and her body twisted until a monster stared back at them. It bared its teeth and snarled. Alaira screamed and ran with Neelahaim clinging to her.
“Who are you?” asked Alaira.
The monster laughed. “I have been waiting many years for the heir to arrive. I am Kaikra, the witch of Tireol. The stick your child holds is a magical wand that Balthasar was granted to aid the gods in enchanting the forests. When he was done, everyone wanted a piece of it, so Balthasar plunged it into this stone with a spell that ensured only the rightful and deserving one would be able to retrieve it. I have been waiting and guarding this stone since then, waiting for the one to arrive.”
The monster’s eyes flicked to Neelahaim. “I know who you are. I am an old and experienced witch. I know that smell. The smell of your family’s blood; you are related to Balthasar.” The monster’s eyes went wide, as if the answer surprised it. Its breath smelt like burning coal as its face neared them.
“There is something different about you. You are not like him,” it said, searching Neelahaim’s face. “Your eyes, they are not as soft and kind as his were. You seem more evil.” Its eyes gleamed. “You are Creed’s son, are you not? Creed came here once, when he was a child, and tried to control the wand, but it would not allow him. My husband guarded the wand then, and Creed killed him. Now, I will have my revenge with his son. Come here child, and give me the wand. It belongs to me.”
Alaira raised her sword. “You shall not come near my nephew. Is it this wand you seek? Take it and we shall be on our way. We have no need for such enchantments.”
“All these years, all I wanted was the wand. It is known to possess great powers. But now, I want him,” said the monster, pointing at Neelahaim. “I want him to destroy Creed.”
Alaira’s heart beat faster. There was no escape from this maze. Everything was an illusion, and she had to find a way to break the enchantment. She turned and ran as far away as possible from the monster.
“Do you really think you can escape me?” asked the monster.
The dead tree where the vultures perched appeared in front of them again, and Alaira took shelter behind it.
The monster raised its hands and absorbed the lightning that struck its arm and waved the same arm towards them, throwing the lightning bolt at Alaira. The force of lightning struck a branch, and it crumbled around them. Alaira held her body over Neelahaim as the branch fell on her. She bellowed in pain as the monster threw more lightning bolts towards them.
‘Nothing is as it seems.’ Her father’s words echoed in her mind. Neelahaim trembled under her, holding the wand to his chest. The wand had worked with Neelahaim’s touch; maybe it would do it again. She placed her palm over his hands, covering the wand.
“Make this stop, Neelahaim,” she said, looking at his terrified eyes. “You can do it.”
Together, they hit the end of the wand against the ground. The wand vibrated first and did nothing. Alaira watched in horror as the tree finally fell apart, revealing them to the monster. Its fangs grew bigger as it approached them, and Alaira drew her sword. Then, suddenly, the ground beneath them shook. The tip of the wand glowed brightly, and the glow spread all around them like the veins of plant. It continued to branch and move in various directions. The monster screamed and moved away as the veins spread all across the barren land. Soon, from the veins on the ground grew grass and plants, trees, flowers, branches, and before she could realize what was happening, an entire forest was created around her.
Alaira gaped, awestruck at the sight in front of her. She stood in the enchanted forests. Myth had turned to a reality. The foliage was something she had never seen before. A vast array of shrubs, plants, and trees covered the land. Trees grew tall and majestic, towering over her, covering the evening sky. The rising moon emerged from behind the leaves and branches.
“No!” the monster cried as its legs froze into the ground, its body hardened, and uneven surfaces formed on its stomach, tentacles expanding and branches taking its place. Soon, it had roots, and the monster turned into a tree.
Alaira bent to embrace Neelahaim. His grip tightened on her shoulders. “I am scared, Khala. Can we go back home?” His pleading voice broke her heart.
She ignored the pinch in her heart and kept her voice strong. “No, we are going to a place where no one will hurt you.”
Mother had so much information about the forest. She had always told them stories of various enchanted creatures that lived there. Alaira wondered how she knew about them. Had she been here before? From the corner of her eyes, she observed a path within the forest. A trail led from where she stood to deep within the forest. It looked like someone had walked on it before.
The wind picked up speed and pulled the strands of hair from her neat plaits while she trudged her way on the path, hefting Neelahaim higher up on her shoulder. Twigs crunched under her feet as she avoided broken branches and boulders on her way. She did not know where the path led them, but they had to continue on this journey.
“Are those fruits?” Neelahaim pointed towards a tree. The round red fruits from the tree sagged under their own weight from the branches and glowed under the evening rays.
“I am not certain what they are. You must not touch then.”
Neelahaim ignored her, reached up to touch a fruit, and pulled one from the branch as they passed the tree. The fruit snapped, and the branch swung back into its place.
“I am hungry.” He twirled the fruit in his hand, observing the colors dance in front of him.
“Let me see,” she said, taking it from his hand. The color was too bright for anything she had ever seen, but according to the myth, the enchanted forest was filled with many unusual things. She took a bite from the fruit to see if it was poisonous. Juices from the fruit burst into her mouth like fireworks, and the sweet nectar flowed through her tongue into her throat. She had never tasted a fruit that sweet. She had never before seen the deep colors it had on it. She placed the fruit to Neelahaim’s lips, and he bit into it. The juice flowed down the side of his lips and dripped from his chin. He swallowed it without chewing.
“You must chew,” she said as she extended her arm to break a few more fruits from the tree.
Soon, the night sky settled in, and hundreds of butterflies swept past them, a few hovering over flowers. Various patterns on their wings glowed in the dark, and the flowers sparkled like silver. As she lifted her head, she found the entire forest illuminated by different insects. All of them glowed as if showing them the path.
Where was Freddic? Alaira had not seen him since the witch had revealed herself to them. What if he was injured in the enchantment? What about Horace and Elora. Were they in another enchantment as well?
But Alaira had no choice but to continue on—if Creed’s soldiers were looking for her, they would be trapped in the enchantment as well.
As they walked, a gushing sound became louder, and a st
ream came into view. She struggled to keep her balance on pebbles as she crossed it. Water rushed on her legs, frothing around her as she set one foot in front of another. It was as if the water was drawn to her feet, soothing her as it touched her skin. Her gown quickly became soaked and felt heavier than before. All the glimmering diamonds that encrusted the lace were now weighing her down. She held onto Neelahaim as they made it past the stream and searched for a place to rest.
A large tree came to view. Its branches hung low, touching where the roots met the trunk. Alaira saw that the hanging branches covered an opening. A small drop of water fell onto her shoulder, and she looked up to see the skies darkening once more. They had to find shelter before rain poured down on them. Alaira scrambled into the entrance of the hollow of the tree as raindrops pelted on them. Without a thought, she entered the cave and lowered Neelahaim to the ground.
“It’s dark.” He held onto her dress while she made space for them to sit.
“I am here. No one will hurt you. We will leave as soon as the rain stops.” He climbed onto her lap and rested his head on her chest. Alaira took a deep breath and released it, taking pleasure in being able to stretch her limbs even for a short while. She looked at the clouds above. She did not know how much farther they had to go and what other enchantments they had to face, but luck would not always be on their side. She prayed that Horace, Elora, Inglan, and Freddic were safe. She had dragged Freddic along with her, and now he was in danger. She should have stayed by his side, seen when he vanished, but she had not, and it would be her fault if he were hurt.
The thought of reaching the gate seemed even more tiring to her. What would happen when they reached the gate? What sort of realms existed beyond their own? The gods had created the enchanted forests for a reason, to stop anyone from reaching the gate. She wondered what sort of power there was in the realms beyond their own that the Gods wanted to protect from being seen. Were they headed in the right path?