“I suppose I am.” The boat lurched backwards into the water. “Try not to break him permanently, will you?”
Roth grumbled a chuckle. “I intend to shatter him.”
Chiron nodded, as if this were a better option. “Then ensure all his parts are whole when you rebuild him.”
“As you wish, Wisdom Walker.” Still as a statue, Roth watched Chiron bob away towards the mainland.
Cole watched the boat fade and felt his hope go with it.
“Get up and keep up.” Roth stepped towards the tree line.
He was unsure if he could stand, but fear moved his body for him. Cole placed a hand on his knee and brought himself upright. Roth’s hulking silhouette was already sinking into the shadows. Cole trotted after him.
“Here.” With the talons on his thumb and forefinger, Roth yanked the knife from his thigh.
Cole took the knife, debating whether he should apologize or thank him. Instead he mumbled something inaudible as he whipped the knife back and forth, attempting to fling the blood off.
“What did you just say?” Roth growled.
“I-I said I’m sorry for stabbing you,” Cole stammered, suddenly aware of how soft his voice sounded.
Roth’s booming laughter thundered through the forest, nearby birds taking flight. “I wanted to see what you’d do when presented with an opening. Think of it as your first test, which you failed. You should have kept attacking. A real enemy won’t give you a second chance to finish the dance. Nor will I.”
“I’ve never stabbed anyone before,” Cole squeaked, clearing his throat.
Roth held up a single claw. “Inexperience is not the reason for your failure. Fear is why you failed. Fear is a magic used by The Three, Decreath to be specific. Remember that. You were pissing yourself with Fear like a scared pup.”
The insult stung him. But Roth was right. Cole felt like nothing more than a scared child since his arrival on Aeneria. A question popped to the front of Cole’s mind. “A friend of mine told me The Three were Dark Ones. Are they not with you?
“Your friend is either stupid or brainwashed. The Three are the god-generals of the darker magics, and our greatest foes. You’ll learn more about them in your lessons.” Roth’s voice took on a slightly less terrifying tone. “Take heart, human, we’ll teach you how to defend yourself. If nothing else, by the time we’re through with you you’ll have a better understanding of yourself. And if you really do have any tricks up your sleeve we’ll find them.”
Cole’s stomach did a few flips as he wondered exactly how they would try to ‘find’ his hidden tricks. “What kind of training will I be going through? I don’t think I can handle another lesson like that. I’m not built for it.”
“If you aren’t built for it then we’ll forge you into something with a little more hide. Your training has already started. I am the instructor of the Path of Rage, but you will also learn the paths of Passion and Wisdom. Through my training you will become a living weapon, or at least become more deadly than you are now.” Roth halted. Even in the near pitch black, Cole had no doubt he was staring right into him. “You have already learned my first rule; never hesitate. My second and final rule is that you will do everything with everything you have. Hold back and I break you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Cole said in a high whisper, eliciting a rumble from Roth’s chest. Cole cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “I mean, YES!”
“Good. You won’t be surprised next time my foot sends you for a little ride, eh? Now, let’s go find your unit.” Roth started off again.
They continued deeper through the woods, eventually finding a path large enough for Roth to walk through without breaking anything. The trees grew so tall that they blocked all light, and Cole had to follow Roth by sound alone. They walked in silence for a while as Cole’s curiosity overcame his nerves with every step. He wondered who he might be working with and what type of training he would go through. If Chiron and Roth were fair representatives of their race, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Cole had never been the dumbest or the shortest person in the room, but now he felt like a stupid child. Who would take him seriously if he was only waist-high and couldn’t do magic? Then again, perhaps his size would make him harder to notice and tempt enemies to underestimate him. Cole wiped his eyes, hoping Roth wouldn’t notice his tears. Memories of home were rising to the fore of his mind. They reminded him of how much he had lost, both on Earth and Aeneria. Looking up from his feet, Cole discovered a faint glow off in the distance. Stepping to the side, he could see lights through the trees ahead of them.
“Behold The Sill, Human. I’d bet you’re the first of your kind to lay eyes on its walls.” A silhouette of a clawed hand pointed towards the lights, which were evenly spaced and spread as far as he could see in either direction.
Cole didn’t say it out loud, but as they drew near there was something familiar about the place, as if he were walking through a forgotten dream. The walls were made of trees thick as buildings which grew so closely together that they appeared airtight. Imbedded in every tree was an oval gem glowing brilliantly, casting hundreds of shadows into the forest. The path led them to a part of the wall that shone a bit more brightly with roots piled above ground. Cole flinched as part of the wall stepped out towards them.
A man greeted them with an airy voice, like ocean waves heard from a distance. “Who approaches so unannounced?”
“It’s me, Whind,” Roth said, clearly annoyed.
“You did not leave through one of the gates as you know you should have,” Whind replied, his outline becoming more solid, revealing a thin, pale man dressed in clothes made from leaves and bark.
Roth grumbled, “Last I checked I didn’t need permission to go for a walk.”
“Of course. But with events unfolding so rapidly around us, you would do well to communicate such things to the gatekeepers.” Whind raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t want us to attack you by mistake, would you?”
Roth laughed. “I want you to try.”
Whind gave Roth a slow blink before bringing his eyes down to Cole. “I am Whind, Gatekeeper of The Sill.”
“I’m Cole. I’m the new guy.” He wished he had a more impressive title.
“So you are.” Whind held Cole’s eyes, his face expressionless. “You are a human.”
Cole waited for him to continue, but Whind only stared in silence. Cole felt like he was having a staring contest with a tree. “Um, thanks.”
Whind maintained his vague eye contact for a moment longer before addressing Roth, “Should I open the gate, or would you prefer to jump back over the wall?”
Cole rubbed his cramping neck as he tried to guess how tall the trees were. He couldn’t even see the canopy. There’s no way someone could jump that high.
Roth’s lip curled, revealing Goran-like canines. “The landing would break the kid’s spine. Open the gate, Gatekeeper.”
“As you wish.” Whind stretched a slender arm towards the roots of one of the trees. His hand glowed a dull olive as vines sprouted from his palm, creeping towards the bark and seeping through the crevices. The tree released a series of earsplitting cracks as it stood up on its roots, creating a neat gap underneath. Whind touched an adjacent tree and it stood up as well, completing a tunnel. The vines receded back into Whind’s hand and the green light faded. He stood aside, raising an arm in welcome. “Enter.”
Cole followed Roth through the tunnel, which was lit by more glowing gems embedded under the roots. Each gem was the size of Cole’s chest, and the trees were so thick it took half a minute to emerge on the other side. As they approached the opening, the air became noticeably warmer and wetter. Cole thought about undoing some of the wrappings which were now soaked in water and sweat. He walked beside Roth, eager to see what lay beyond.
They emerged from the mouth of the tunnel into what Cole first took as another forest. It was far less dense with no underbrush, and the trees seemed to scrape the stars. Hundreds of
the glowing gemstones spiraled up the colossal trunks. Cole was awestruck, then movement caught his eye. The trees were not just trees, but structures. What he took as insects were actually people walking up and down staircases that wound up the trunks.
Jogging after Roth, Cole made out windows and doors cut into the tree bark, and bridges connecting branches higher up in countless levels. The architecture looked natural, as if the trees themselves had decided to grow into structures. The city was immense. Cole saw no sign of the opposing wall as they continued on, just more trees that looked like buildings. There were objects gliding and darting far above. As one flew close, Cole recognized it as a sun lily leaf bearing a package. Another had two passengers sitting cross-legged with their hair whipping back over their shoulders.
Cole trotted after Roth, following a path that brought them through a crowded market. Ignoring the stares, Cole gawked at the items displayed. One shop sold clothing and armor, another potions and powders. One shop definitely sold weapons, though Cole could only recognize the most basic of knives and maces. He had hoped that his small size would hide him, but it seemed that every eye was glued to him as he ran by. People offered simple greetings to Roth, bowing slightly or giving salutes. Roth must have been someone of importance, Cole realized. To Cole’s dismay, not a single person was under seven feet tall, though none were quite as tall as Roth. Anxiety twisted his guts as he thought about meeting his unit.
Roth led him down a darker path where the trees grew small enough for Cole to see the tops.
Walking a bit more slowly, Roth spoke: “Your unit is just down this path. Should be wrapping up a lesson right now. You’ll join them for the remainder, then I’ll assign someone to orient you with The Sill properly. You’ll have two other teachers, both of which are your superior and have similar rules to mine. You have any problems you come to one of us. Don’t even think about asking me for help unless something bit your ass off, or else I will.”
Cole took a deep breath and projected his voice: “I understand.”
Roth steered them downhill. Cole could hear what sounded like a dozen lumberjacks chopping wood off in the distance. As they neared, the chopping sounds moved up to the canopy, though it was too dark to see what caused the noise.
Cole swallowed, looking up to where he guessed Roth’s head was. “Roth?”
“What?” he growled.
“I can’t see. I had a friend that put a spell on my eyes so I could see better, but it must have worn off. Can you or somebody here fix my eyes with Wisdom?” Cole knew the answer before he finished.
Roth was silent for a moment, or as silent as he could be with his massive clawed feet tearing at roots and crushing rocks. “No. You’ll get no help or special treatment. You’ll do everything with your own teeth and blood. And until I say so, you won’t tell anyone that you brought the barrier down, or that you’re from Terra. If anyone asks, you’re an Underkin. Got all that?”
“Yes,” Cole responded, grateful he didn’t get hit for asking a stupid question. “Do you get a lot of Underkin on the dark side?”
Roth shook his head, his bladed hair clinking together. “No. Underkin are the little creatures bred by The Three to fuel their disgusting magics. We’ve no use for such tricks. You must have seen a few on the Light Side. Stupid things smaller even than you.”
“Two of my friends are Underkin. They’re not stupid,” Cole said, a little more aggressively than he wanted.
Cole saw Roth’s teeth flash through the darkness. “You’ll make more powerful friends here. Gonna need them too. The Three have grown fat and their armies great. You did us a favor in my opinion, taking down the barrier. It’s been too long since we danced with enemies worthy of our Rage. We’ve grown soft.”
Cole swallowed. He had no desire whatsoever to go toe-to-toe with anything Roth considered a worthy opponent. His clawed hands looked like they would make short work of a battle tank.
“There’s your unit.” Roth halted, pointing at three evergreens. Cole couldn’t see anyone, however; he could just hear the chopping noises racing up and down.
“What is it that I’m supposed to do?” Cole asked, feeling a mixture of bemusement and worry.
“This is a physical lesson. They have partnered up and are racing each other up and down the trees.” Roth lowered his voice, giving Cole a look that could melt steel. “Get going.”
Cole almost asked how, but ran for the trees when a rumbling sounded from Roth’s chest. Luckily there were a few of the glowing gems imbedded at the base of the trunks, bathing the area in dull rosy light. His heart raced alongside his nerves. He was sure something was broken in his chest from where Roth had kicked him. Every step and breath sent a hot wire of pain through his sternum. Cole reached the tree, placing a hand on the rough bark. To his dismay, the nearest branch was about ten feet above his head. Heart hammering, he looked to the other trees but there were no better options. Fearing hesitation, he jumped as high as he could. His fingers stretched pathetically into open air about a foot short of the branch. Desperate, he jumped again, a bit higher but still nowhere near the branch. Not sure of what to do, he kept jumping, calves burning before long.
Cole yelped as something huge crashed to the ground beside him. It was a person. Another figure joined the first.
“Hah! Beat you that time!” said a muscular woman dressed in sturdy cloth attire.
“Cheater! You didn’t touch the top!” said a man in a similar uniform.
“It’s a tad difficult to touch the top of a tree after someone’s ripped it off, wouldn’t you say?” The woman gave the man a playful slash with a clawed hand. A series of iron bands held a thick rope of auburn hair over one of her shoulders, exposing a squared face of rugged beauty. She snapped into a defensive posture after noticing Cole standing beside the tree. “What the hell is that?”
“Relax, Sitra, that’s the Underkin Roth told us about.” The man then addressed Cole, looking as though he’d smelled something foul. “Underkin, what is your name?”
Cole looked from the man to Roth, who was watching them intently. He debated whether it would get him another boot if he stopped to talk. “I’m Cole,” he replied, then quickly resumed his tree-jumps.
“Well Cole, you know it’s rude to ignore your superiors don’t you?” The man stepped closer to the light, revealing an adolescent face with a sharp nose and cheekbones. His face curled into a sneer, giving him the appearance of a handsome gargoyle. “That means you look at me while I’m talking to you.”
Cole didn’t know much about this planet or its inhabitants, but he could recognize a bully when he met one. He stopped jumping and approached the Aenerian, noticing the black claws that adorned his hands and feet. “Who said you’re my superior? Last I checked I answered to Roth. I don’t even know who you are.”
The giant boy’s eye twitched. “I’ve never met an Underkin before. If your intelligence is any indication of the rest of your species, then I see why you make good livestock. Seeing as you are more helpless than even our children, everyone here is your superior. You would do well to remember this, or else I may remind you of your place.”
Silence fell between them. Cole wrestled with his embarrassment and ire, unsure of how to react. Back home he’d stood up to bullies, but he was not home. This was a world of giants and magic, and so the bully would win this round.
“Oh stop it Valen!” Sitra smacked her male companion on the shoulder with a bladed hand of her own. “He only just got here. You were new here not too long ago. We weren’t so mean to you, were we?”
“At least I’m Aenerian. He has no right. He would be more useful digging up-” Valen’s sneer melted into mortal terror as a massive clawed hand wrapped around his forearm.
Roth had appeared behind Valen, unheard and unseen. Valen’s face paled as Roth squeezed, blood squirting from in-between his bladed fingers. Cole swallowed back vomit as he heard a muffled crunching from Valen’s arm. Sitra leapt up the tree, her claws chopping
away at the bark and showering them all in wood chips.
“I don’t remember idle chatter being a part of this lesson. Get back to it, or else you’ll be finishing with no arms.” Roth’s voice was hushed, though no less dangerous.
Roth released his grip and walked away. Valen’s arm now dangled below the elbow like a wilted plant. He cradled his bloody appendage, which looked dangerously close to falling off. Cole had noticed that both his hands and feet had lost their black claws. Without a word, Valen leapt up to the nearest branch and scaled the tree. His speed was unaffected by the loss of an arm and claws.
Cole resumed his attempt at the lowest branch, terrified of what Roth might feel a fitting punishment for him.
Cole felt Roth’s massive footsteps draw near. “That’s obviously not working. Try a different way.” Roth walked past Cole towards the other evergreens.
Shaking with both fright and exhaustion, Cole searched the ground for anything that might help. There were no nearby rocks or sticks he could use as a step. He tried getting a running start before jumping, but he was so tired that he was now a good two feet shy of the branch. The running gave him an idea, however. Stepping back several paces, he ran towards the tree at full speed, continuing up the trunk a few feet before kicking off. To his surprise, his hands wrapped around the branch. Grateful for all the weight he’d lost, he curled his legs up and wrapped them around the branch as well. Cole’s elation was short lived however. As he wiggled it became clear that he was quite stuck. The rough bark cut into his palms as they began to slip. Panicking, he adjusted his grip and interlocked his fingers on the top side of the branch. The cloth wrappings stuck to the branch like Velcro, holding him in place. Slowly, he shimmied his body side to side, ratcheting himself around to the topside of the branch. Relief washed over him as he rested his face against the bark. Fortunately the next branch was well within reach. Not wanting to be found resting too long, he continued his way up the tree.
Cole’s hands were rubbed raw before long. He had to jump to reach some branches, though the higher he climbed the closer the branches grew together. He couldn’t tell how high he was, but Sitra and Valen passed him several times. Eventually the sky opened up above him and he could identify a few of the constellations he’d made up while on the river with Habbad. Winded and soaked, he rested his hand on the broken tree top, sap stinging his raw hands.
Saving The Dark Side: Book 1: The Devotion Page 19