by D. C. Payson
Julia futilely tried to wriggle free again.
“BE STILL,” he repeated.
Julia relented, letting her body lie limp against the ground. Her mind raced with nightmarish images of the fate awaiting her. She could only hope that whatever was going to happen, it would be over quickly.
The man let go of her arms and sat up at her side. “You don’t look like a Party spy,” he said. “But you still should not have come here.”
Julia was too overwhelmed to respond. She rolled into a ball on her side, facing away from her captor. Unexpectedly, she felt her necklace warming.
“I am sorry for attacking you. I was surprised to hear someone coming through the brush.”
Julia continued ignoring him, though as her necklace warmed further she could feel herself re-centering.
“Are you hungry?” the man asked. He waited a few moments for a response then stood up and walked off.
It took Julia a minute to realize that he wasn’t there. She sat up and looked over in the direction of the fire. The man was squatting next to it, turning the spit. She watched him, still wary but no longer deathly afraid. He was young, perhaps only a few years older than she was, with a powerful physique that showed even under his animal-hide getup. He had a long crop of reddish-brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and a thick but meticulously kept beard.
“It’s warmer over here,” he called without turning. “I would be happy to share some of my tira with you.”
Sitting amid the riverbank bushes, Julia was both frozen and starved. The fire looked warm, and the food smelled delicious. She got up and tentatively made her way over, sitting down just out of arm’s reach from the man.
He extended a meat-laden skewer in front of her. “You should eat.” There was a great intensity in his stare, but also pensiveness and sincerity. “I do not know who you are, but we can talk after you’ve eaten.” He could see Julia eyeing the meat but also hesitating to reach for it; he scooched closer and gently clutched her arm, guiding it to his offering.
Looking into his eyes again, Julia could see that the invitation was genuine. Hunger overpowered what was left of her fear. She grabbed the meat from the skewer and devoured it as quickly as chewing and swallowing would allow.
The man laughed at her ravenousness then reached to get her another piece.
Julia ate without interruption, the man patiently offering her piece after piece in silence until she’d had her fill. It was only after she leaned back on her hands to digest that he finally spoke.
“I am Thezdan, of the Guardian Clan. Why are you here?”
Julia looked up at him and shook her head. It was a question that she herself wished she could answer.
“You are young; do you even know of my clan?”
She shook her head again.
Thezdan furrowed his brow. “Then why are you here?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, without realizing it, in English.
Thezdan’s eyes widened.
Julia shook her head and put up her hands, realizing her mistake. She could hear translated words but had never tried to speak them. She grabbed her necklace, hoping that it might allow her to speak as well. As it warmed in her hand, she focused, waiting for the words to come.
“I. I. I am … am sorry,” she began, struggling to channel the language. “I. I. Am Julia. This. Necklace, it … ”
Julia was frustrated at being so tongue-tied. Looking across at the confused man, she felt a new intuition come over her. She offered her free hand and gestured for him to take it.
“What is this?” he asked.
Julia tried to ignore the misgivings evident in his stare. She gestured again, and he reluctantly reached out and took her hand into his.
As their palms met, Julia closed her eyes and felt an electric wave of language, emotions, and even faint memories come through to her, as if she had plugged into his consciousness. First, she focused on the language, absorbing a lifetime of listening and speaking. Then she turned toward the memories. Rather than focus on any single one, she let the vast tapestry pass by, the images and emotions giving her an impression of the man. He was decent, loyal, and courageous. But he also harbored a deep frustration and a hidden but terrible anger.
Julia opened her eyes again to see Thezdan peering quizzically at her. If he had felt anything these past few moments, he showed little sign of it.
“My name is Julia,” she began, the language now coming to her fluently. “Where are we? Why were you yelling?”
“How did you find me?” Thezdan asked, ignoring her questions.
“I heard your screams, then saw the light of the campfire. I didn’t know you were going to try to kill me.”
Thezdan’s eyes narrowed. “But how did you end up in the forest? This is a very dangerous place for the uninvited.”
“I woke up yesterday morning in an old, ruined fortress up in the mountains. I followed the path, and it led me here.”
“What do you mean you woke up in a fortress? You mean the old monastery? What made you trek up there in the first place?”
“I didn’t,” said Julia. She was quiet for a moment, reflecting on how scared she had felt when she first woke up. “I just woke up there, okay? Look, I have no idea where I am or how I got here. I just want to go home.”
“You really … do not know where you are?” Thezdan repeated haltingly.
“Well, I think I’m in Aevilen,” said Julia. “Where my grandmother was from.”
“That’s right,” said Thezdan. “These are the Western Woods of Aevilen.”
Julia sighed. “I know you probably don’t believe me, but until a few days ago I’d never heard of Aevilen. I’m from California, in America. I just put on my grandmother’s necklace and went to sleep in my bed. Then I woke up here. In a freakin’ abandoned monastery.”
“So that artifact belonged to your grandmother?” asked Thezdan, his voice tinged with anticipation. “And it brought you here? Who was your grandmother?”
Julia checked her necklace. It was still warm. She looked back at Thezdan. “Her name is Elleina.”
Thezdan was stunned. His father had told him stories about the flight of Princess Elleina, heir to the Vorraver throne. He also told of her eventual return, that the same magic that had sent her away would one day bring her back. Thezdan had always believed these stories to be myths; yet now he found himself staring at a strange, young girl who bore a remarkable artifact cast in the shape of the royal symbol.
Thezdan asked, “Are you a Vorraver?”
“My grandmother’s maiden name was Vorraver, yes,” Julia said. She shrugged. “Maybe that makes me one?”
Thezdan studied the girl. She was wandering alone deep in Sylvan-watched woods. She claimed to be a Vorraver, a direct descendent of the Lost Princess, yet she seemed very much a foreigner, nothing like any plains-dweller he’d ever met. None of it made sense, yet something deep inside himself was telling him to believe her.
“Thezdan, why do you want to know?” Julia asked anxiously.
“Princess Elleina Vorraver was said to have escaped a long time ago via the monastery you mentioned,” Thezdan said finally. “My grandfather died protecting her.”
Julia leaned forward. “Was his name Eovaz?”
Thezdan nodded, smiling appreciatively. “The Princess told you of him?”
“Yeah, she did. But I also found something that mentioned him back at the monastery.” She reached into the bag that hung at her side and withdrew the two notes. Scanning them quickly, she found the one she was looking for and held out for Thezdan to take. “I think my grandmother wrote this a long time ago.”
Thezdan pored over the note, mouthing the words as he went. When he had finished, he refolded it and looked up, staring at Julia in silence.
Julia furrowed her brow. “W-What is it?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. He stood up and beckoned for her to follow. “Much has h
appened since Princess Elleina left. But it’s late, and you should get some sleep. Come. I will give you some skins so you can sleep by the fire.”
“Wait,” Julia said. “Sleep here? Have you forgotten that you attacked me? And aren’t those awful forest creatures up there somewhere? Thanks for the food, but—”
“By the Goddess, I swear that no harm will come to you by me. The Sylvan will not bother you, either. By our heritage, members of our Clan and our guests may enter the forest. So as long as I am with you, they will leave you be.”
It seemed a strange explanation to Julia, but Thezdan’s confidence persuaded her. “Then I could have used you earlier,” she said, turning over her leg to show off her cut. “I think one got me with one of their arrows.”
Thezdan came around to look at the wound more closely. “This was caused by a Sylvan thorn?” he asked, concerned. “When?”
Julia pulled her leg back, not wanting to be fussed over. “Sometime earlier today? I’m fine. It’s not that deep.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I told you, I’m fine. What’s this all about?”
“Sylvan thorns carry poisons,” said Thezdan. “Even if one just grazed you, you may have been exposed.”
Julia swallowed hard. “Maybe that’s why I fell asleep by the riverbank. I’ve never felt so tired.”
“Tired?” Thezdan repeated. He chuckled, suddenly much more at ease. “That’s good. There’s no need to worry then. I take that one when I’m sick!”
“Really? Phew. You had me worried for a second!”
Thezdan got up and headed over to his pack. “I apologize for alarming you. Do you think you’ll still be able to sleep tonight even after sleeping all day?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure why, but I actually still feel tired. The real issue is these woods. I know you say that the tree creatures won’t bother me, but they’re not the only thing I’m worried about. Right before you attacked me, I saw a huge shadow moving around just outside the clearing, somewhere over there. It’s probably still out there.”
“Was it taller than me and this big around?” Thezdan asked, holding his arms out wide.
Julia cocked her head, eying him skeptically. “Yeah … ”
Thezdan smiled. “That wasn’t a monster. That was Scylld! Allow me to introduce you!”
Thezdan turned toward the forest and brought his cupped hands to his lips, blowing across the knuckles to produce a low-pitched whistle that filled the forest with sound. Almost instantly, a rumble reply came from within a stand of nearby trees, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
Julia nervously awaited sight of the creature. The footsteps got closer and closer, louder and louder, until finally it came into view at the edge of the clearing: a huge, hulking creature, built like a man but easily several feet taller and thicker than any man she had ever seen, with a cracked hide that from across the camp appeared to be made of stone. It had a smooth, mouthless, and noseless face with two black stones set where a man’s eyes would be. Julia watched it make its way toward Thezdan, transfixed by its size. She reflexively reached behind and put a hand on the ground, ready to turn and run.
“Julia, meet Scylld,” said Thezdan. “He is one of the Ogarren.”
The creature came to rest in front of them, raising one of its long, thick arms up and across its body in something resembling a salute.
“O … g-garren?” Julia stuttered.
“Yes, you know, the ones mentioned in all the children’s stories. Have you not heard of them?”
In fact, she had; she remembered hearing that name when she had traced the words on the panel in the library. “Born of godly passions … ” she whispered.
Thezdan turned toward the creature. “That’s right. Scylld is one of the few remaining. The Ogarren are living earth, beings created by the energy released by the Goddess and Shaper as they communed on the plateau here in Aevilen.”
“Is he actually made of rock?”
“Yes. And soil, and leaves, and vines. Whatever the Goddess and Shaper touched as they were together took on their energies, and those things coalesced into the Ogarren.”
The creature knelt, letting its arms rest palm-up against its legs. Julia sensed that the Ogar was offering itself for her to examine.
“May I touch him?” she asked.
“Sure,” said Thezdan. “I don’t think he’ll mind.”
She got up and moved to within arm’s reach of the Ogar. She could see that Thezdan had not been lying about its body. The rocks that formed its skin fit very tightly together, though in some places she could see vines and twigs poking through. Looking up at the creature’s head, she saw the two rounded, black stones, their polished surfaces reflecting the lapping flames of the campfire.
“Are these his eyes?”
“Yes, they are. His other senses are not like ours, though. He feels sounds with his whole being. He does not taste since he does not eat. Nor does he smell. And touch … ” Thezdan chuckled, gesturing toward the creature’s four thick, triangular digits set like an eagle’s talons in his giant hands. “Just don’t ask him to fasten your sandals.”
Julia was so focused on the eyes that she barely registered Thezdan’s joke. “Beautiful,” she muttered under her breath.
The creature came to life again, returning to its feet and rising to full height. It took all of Julia’s bravery to remain in front of it, so puny did it make her feel. It loomed easily three or four feet overhead, and she imagined her arms might only make it halfway around its tremendous girth. As their eyes fixed on one another, the Ogar brought its claw-like hand forward and opened it at Julia’s side. She glanced at the open hand then back at the creature. Her necklace warmed. Somehow, she knew that it was inviting her to connect with it in the same way she had with Thezdan.
How do you know about that?
Julia placed her hand into the creature’s palm. No sooner had she closed her eyes than an overwhelming torrent of life-energy poured into her. It was much too much for her to absorb: thousands of lifetimes’ worth of visions and sounds and experiences. Like a dam faced with restraining the ocean, Julia tried to relax her mind enough so as not to break amid the flow.
Suddenly a deep, booming voice came to her:
You have courage, young Vorraver, and greater strength than you yet know. You will need both. This land is threatened by a darkness that would see it changed forever. You must defend it! Assemble the divided key, and fulfill the promises made by your ancestors!
She reopened her eyes. Thezdan was standing next to her, clutching her shoulders.
“Julia!” he called in a loud voice. “Julia!”
Julia shook her head to clear the lingering cobwebs and slowly removed her hand from the Ogar’s. She didn’t know what to make of the experience. Where did that voice come from? What did it all mean? Her whole body tingled, feeling as though she’d been touched by the divine. Looking up at Scylld, she felt an even fuller appreciation of the ancient power that flowed from his very core.
“Are you okay?” Thezdan asked. “You seemed to be passing out.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” Julia replied. She thought about sharing her experience with Thezdan, but decided to keep it to herself for now. It felt important, but it didn’t make sense yet. She needed time to process.
The Ogar raised an open hand and bowed its head. Julia smiled and bowed deeply in return.
Thezdan raised an eyebrow, not knowing what to make of the spectacle. “Um, why don’t I go get you those skins I promised you?”
Julia walked over and settled in close to the fire, letting the warmth envelop her. “Can I ask you something?” she called to Thezdan.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice muffled by his pack.
“Why did I find you alone in the forest? Why you were yelling?”
When after a few moments he didn’t reply, Julia turned around. She was surprised to find him standing
just behind her.
“I am here to train,” Thezdan said, his body tense. He dropped a small stack of skins at her side. “To find the Rage that made the Guardians the greatest warriors in history. And when I do, I will use it to reclaim what was taken from us.”
It was barely after dawn when a heavy hand woke Julia from her sleep.
“We have to go,” Thezdan said quietly.
Julia sat up and tried to shake off her grog. “Am I going with you?” she asked through a yawn. “Where are we going?”
“I have an appointment in Breslin to trade some skins and foraged greyroot for supplies. Afterward, I will take you to meet an old friend of my father’s. There aren’t many left who would know anything about royal artifacts, but he would be one. Hopefully, he can help you.”
Julia hesitated. She wanted to trust him, but he was still a stranger … a stranger she’d found screaming in the woods. “I’m just going to slow you down,” she replied, shaking her head. “Why don’t you just drop me off at the closest village? Anywhere with a phone should be fine. I’ll just call my parents and they’ll help me get out of here.”
“A phone?”
Julia mimed a telephone with her hands. “Yeah, you know … ”
“Like animal horns?” Thezdan asked, confused.
“No. The thing you use to talk to people far away. Don’t you have them?”
“Is that another royal artifact? I have never seen it.”
Julia shook her head, flustered. “Why don’t you just drop me off at the nearest town, anyway. I’ll figure it out.”
Thezdan laughed dismissively. “You would be in danger the moment I left. It is a miracle you were not killed by the Sylvan yesterday. And out on the plains, there are horrors greater than anything you might find here among the trees.”
“What do you mean?”
“It is dangerous in town, in the countryside, and in the little villages and hamlets we’ll pass. All of Aevilen is dangerous, for me and especially for you. The eyes will never stop watching. Even the kindest-looking old farmer would report you to a Party guard. The extra rations he’d receive would go a long way toward clearing his conscience. And were anyone to discover you are a Vorraver … ”