Gateway to Astria - Part 1

by Isaiah Gray

Chapter 5

  The moment I could see the mist I could feel fear welling up inside of me. It was the mist that enshrouded a single pathway to where we wanted to be. I turned to John, who was on the edge of the foul cloud, was waiting. He had told me what He had learned about the mist. Anybody who enters gets lost. They don’t die; they just aimlessly wander within the midst.

  “How do you know it’s here?” Resh asked.

  Shaking his head slowly, John shrugged. “I don’t. But I’ve been around every rumored “headquarters” that has been brought up looking for answers... Except this one.”

  Resh looked out into the fog and back at us. “Well, what are we waiting for? It’s just on the other side... isn’t it?”

  John gave a quick nod.

  “Then what’s the catch? You seem hesitant.” Resh continued.

  “You don’t feel it?” John said, raising an eyebrow. “Something bad is going to happen the moment you set foot in there. Some say the fog brings out true you. Others say it brings out the old you.”

  I felt what John was talking about; apparently Resh did not.

  “Umm. Okay? Is there anything else?”

  “Mirages, hallucinations, the usual scary stuff. I’m honestly not sure how much of it is true. Nobody knows if these stories came from personal experience or myth to keep the people in fear.”

  Resh grinned. “Right. Let’s go!” He said, unperturbed by the mist.

  “Resh!” I exclaimed. “Y-you’re so...”

  “So what? I know you are so not yourself today. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing...” Roughing up my tone, I wasn’t going to be so weak anymore. “Why weren't phased by the mist?”

  “Dunno, Maybe cause I’m Astrian? I’m not sure!” Shrugging to me and then turning towards the mist, he walked in and whispered, “Just keep going forward,” as he disappeared into the fog.

  I glanced over at John. He entered right after Resh did, the cloud engulfing him just as quickly. Reaching out to feel the mist, all it did was bend beneath the will of my hand waving back and forth.

  Those are just stories. Nothing like that could actually happen. Right? Things like that would take magic, and magic is just a combination of science and others weaknesses. Even if I wanted to go back, Resh and John were in. I couldn’t turn back even if I wanted too. I’d be alone, and I’d be leaving them.

  One foot in front of the other. With each slow step, my grip on the handle of my gun got tighter and tighter. Every time my foot hit the ground as I moved forward, it felt like it was pushing the awful feeling harder into my body. The air wisped out of the way as I continued to walk. There was only the mist now as far as I could see in every direction. It went on forever. When I held my hand up I could barely make out my knuckles.

  I was alone, enshrouded in a place where everything was the same. Walking forward, it felt like I had been walking for minutes on a moving sidewalk going in the opposite direction. Hundreds of thoughts and images rushed through my throbbing head all at the same time, making my head throb. There were so many thoughts in such short bursts that I couldn’t make out a single image. Disoriented, I set a hand to my temple, feeling dizzy.

  “R-Resh!?” I called out. looking around for any signs of light. Not able to see a thing, I stood still and listened. I heard the gentle whisper of a soft wind. It got closer – closer and louder – then I felt a giant gust blew right past me. Spinning me around several times and then reeled me to the ground. And just like that, I'd lost my weapon and sense of direction. Slowly inching up to a sitting position, I tried to remember which way forward.

  Forward...

  A whispering voice was coming from all directions, a whisper accompanied by a soft hum of voices that grew increasingly closer.

  Forward...

  “I know!” I responded. “I don’t know which way!” I yelled out. I normally wouldn’t believe I was talking to an ominous voice, but with what John said about being aimlessly lost, I would try anything to get out.

  Forward... Is...

  I waited. That’s all I could do. I waited and waited for it to finish the sentence. A figure – a shadow – approached me from the fog. I waved my hand fruitlessly to blow the fog away, but it came back. I sat still, my head still throbbing as the figure came into view as it mumbled two words. “Hello Natalia.”

  Dad.

  There he was, my dad standing right in front of me.

  “No! You’re not real.”

  “Of course I am! I’ve been waiting for you for so long...” He responded. His voice sounded just the same, so soothing and gentle. It conflicted with what John said. He looked so real! The same shaped wrinkles on his forehead, same slanted smirk. Everything about him was just what I remembered. I slowly got up, my gaze fixed on what I was trying to comprehend.

  “Natalia... Come to me, let me hold you.”

  “Y-you’re not real!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, trying to convince myself. It wasn’t helping. I need Resh.

  “Stop telling yourself things that aren’t true. The mist is messing with your mind. Let me take you away from all of this.” My dad’s tone sounded so soothing as he looked into my eyes. What do I do? As my gaze locked with his, the words he said seemed to be using my eyes as almost a gateway to my heart. Somehow, it compelled me to move to his now outstretched arm. Resh, please come....

  I inched closer. “That’s it.” My dad said in his calm tone. Just as I was about to grab a hold of his hand, the image of my dad burst into mist.

  “DAD!”

  Another image of my dad appeared behind me. “Ouch!” He exclaimed. “What was-” He was cut off as a golden flash seared right through his torso.

  “Stop doing that! Natalia, come quickly! Take my hand!” he reached out to me. This time I wasn’t budging. I knew something wasn’t right now. I merely shook my head to the peculiar image of my father. He craned his neck, his expression becoming angry. “NATALIA!” He yelled, but it was as if multiple voices were saying it once; that is because they were. Image upon image of my father appeared in a circle around me. Each mumbled my name with outstretched hands. The words rung in my ears, generating a shrill that did not subside as I gripped my ears in pain. Then one by one, each image dissolved into the mist after a flash of gold and blue this time.

  His voice howled through the air and slowly drowned out the moment the images were all gone. Where the final one had there stood, was a new figure kneeled down. In his hand, he held a sword. He had cut right through the image of my dad. The blade was a deep blue, with gold trim along the handle and edges of the gleaming weapon. There was only one person who had a weapon like that. “Resh...” I muttered.

  He didn’t respond; he just stood up and walked away without a word. “R-resh? Where are you going?”

  That reaction wasn’t him. That and the fact that he was in different attire threw me off. He was dressed in royal robes similar to what he was wearing when I found him so many years ago. He was wearing a hood that covered his head enough so I couldn’t see his face from any direction other than straight ahead. The black and red flowing silk was expensive, rich fabric unlike any I’ve ever seen – clearly Astrian. There were some leather straps going from his shoulder to belt. Every stitching in the leather had a pattern that was followed: wings. I’d never seen him wear anything like it before. What’s with him? Why did he leave me?

  John was right about one thing, this mist messed with your mind. He was the one I had to find. Resh will survive on his own; he always does.

  I looked around for any sight of him. I couldn’t see, but I could hear: joyful laughs and a happy bark of a dog. Then saw a path. The thick fog started to move to the sides to create a path to a patch of clear air. As I approached, my foot ran into my handgun, sending it sliding across the ground. After picking it up, I walked over to where John was. I saw him and a dog. That was honestly the last thing I expected. If anything, the dog should be attacking him, but it wasn’t. They were playing together,
wrestling, laughing and barking. The dog looked like a young wolf pup. She was wagging her tail and even was smiling.

  I stood astonished. John finally noticed me. “Oh! Hey! How’s it going?”

  “Umm... Who’s this?” I said ignoring his question, more concerned with the dog... wolf thing.

  “Hmm? Oh, her? She found me in the mist! Do you know what it is?”

  “You don’t know what this is?”

  “No?” He said, patting the dog on the back, who yipped happily and panted heavily. His tongue hung out the side of his mouth.

  “That’s a dog.”

  “A DOG?” He said looking at the little beast. “But she can’t be!”

  “Why couldn’t she?” I said sitting down. The dog came prancing over to me and put its front paws on my lap and looked at me with its ears perked up and neck craned.

  “Because dogs are these rough looking things with beady red eyes! And... and... “ His words drowned out mid-sentence. A confused look was on his face, until a light bulb went off in his head. “And that’s what you were!”

  “What?” I said confused. Even the puppy turned and looked confusedly at John.

  “In school, they always taught us that dogs were these savage beasts. I was wandering through the fog when I heard a growl. A large silhouette with piercing red eyes approached me, I tried to run but tripped over a snag and fell. I knew it was going to kill me so I stood up and accepted it... I thought I was going to die! Strike that KNEW I was going to die. The big ugly shadow of a dog jumped out. I don't really know what happened, but I feel like I accepted the fear – conquered it so to speak. It brought the light.” He said pointing up to the sky. a light shone down at the spot we were at. “And this lil' girl appeared instead of what I feared.”

  I nodded. “So... The stories were true. The mist does do things to you.”

  “You too?” John asked. “What happened?”

  I was about to explain, then I remembered that we actually had somewhere to go. “Not now. We have to get out of here first.”

  Dissapointed, John nodded. “I know they way out! Follow me!” He hopped up and walked towards the fog.

  “Wait!” I exclaimed. “How do you know?”

  “I heard a voice. It talked to me.” He said with a triumphant smirk. It had to be the same voice that half-spoke to me.

  “What did it say?”

  “That’s the thing about forward, forward is whatever direction you walk in as long as you’re walking on a straight path.” He said with a large grin before he turned and marched into the fog. But instead of disappearing, the light followed him and the mist created a path in front of him. He turned back, bent over and patted his legs. “Here Misty!” He said calling the dog, who got up and happily ran over and jumped into his arms.

  “Misty?” I said, chuckling a bit.

  “Yea! I thought it’d be appropriate as of the situation.” He said turning and walking away. Misty gave a chirp of a bark at me and laid her head down on John’s shoulder as he carried her.

  “Cute!” I couldn’t help but grin at the dog. It reminded me of the puppy my dad got me after my mother died. A simple Siberian husky, very hard to find with all the crossbreeding and new breeds nowadays. That was probably one of the best memories of my childhood. I even remember her name too: Mistress.

  I followed John as he led the way through the mist. Unfailing, the light kept making a straight path in front of John. I questioned whether we're actually going in the right direction but I decided to just trust.

  I still tried to wrap my mind around what John did to have the light follow him. Sticking my hand out into the fog, I tried to see if it would do the same for me. The fog didn’t move – it only felt frigid as I dragged my hand through it. How did he do it? I wondered. What did this young boy have that I lacked?.

  Then I remembered a moment when I was a little girl. My dad was taking me through a history memorial. It had a single path that wandered through a beautiful garden. It changed every now and then in design, and the change was based on one thing and one thing solely: A plaque. Now this plaque wasn’t a plaque of award, not one of distinction or accomplishment, but a way to remember. Each one of these held a quote. So long ago, I walked through it with my dad; him reading each one to me out loud. I only remember one.

  “I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” ~ Rosa Parks

  So John knew that he would have to deal with the oncoming fear, and he stood against it. How come it didn’t work for me?

  I didn’t try yet – at least not truly. If it wasn’t for Resh, I would have given into fear.

  I needed to let go. I thought about what I had, as compared to what I didn’t, I took a deep breath. I had Resh. He would always be there for me; I can always count on him to make a decision in my best interest. He’s a brother to me, and the best one at that.

  Oddly enough, I had John. I never would have expected me to ever think of him as a friend. I figured once this was over we could just get rid of him if he didn’t get himself killed in the process. There’s something about him that I don’t have. He’s so much... Happier.

  Then there were the people I had neglected for so long, people like my uncle. The hurt expression on his face back at the hotel came back. I can't believe I treated him like that. He always went out of his way, even unnecessarily, to try and help me through losing my parents, and I treated him only with contempt and disgust. There were so many times I waved him off even when he was just trying to ask how I was doing. If I ever got out of this, I need to make it up to him.

  My heart was growing softer, but for once – maybe – that was a good thing.

  I reached out into the fog once more, and just as I expected, nothing happened. I sighed, but I let my hand linger in the frigid mist just a little longer.

  But then, It got warmer, warmer and warmer until the mist was the same temperature as the normal air. The path widened where I was and it spread all along the path. Misty perked up and yipped and then buried her face back into John’s shoulder.

  All I could do was smile. Strangely, I felt good, better than I had in a long time.