Evercloud slowly got up from his mattress, grabbed his clothes and claw and quietly crept toward the door. Once he was outside of the dining hall, and relatively sure that no one had noticed him leave, he got dressed, armed himself with his claw and made his way to the mountain arena.
There was a guard standing in front of the arena entrance and he called out as he noticed Evercloud walking down the road.
“Halt. Who goes there?”
“It is I, Evercloud.”
“Evercloud?” said the guard in astonishment. “It’s true, you have returned. It’s me. It’s Wintersun.”
Evercloud remembered his friend from their days of playing on the Johnball field. Those days seemed so much further behind Evercloud than they really were, and brought light to how dark these days had truly become.
“How have you been, Wintersun?”
“All right. I can’t complain. Have you returned with any news of your father?”
“No. In fact, that is why I am here. I need you to let me into the arena so that I can see that beast for myself.”
“Evercloud, I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Your mother’s had all–”
“I know what my mother’s done, Wintersun. I need you to let me in anyway.”
“Do you know how much trouble I will be in, Evercloud? Things aren’t the same way they used to be. That thing killed a lot of bears, and they’re not even sure if it can be killed.”
“Wintersun, I’m getting in there, one way or another.” Evercloud looked the bear dead in the eyes. “I don’t care what I have to do. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The bear shook his head. “The Queen will have me killed for this, Evercloud.”
Evercloud smiled. “I’ll make sure she goes easy on you.”
Evercloud walked past Wintersun and slowly opened the door to the arena. There was light inside, though it had been dimmed. Few fires burned in the arena, just enough to see. Evercloud walked forward and found himself at the top of the stairs that led down into the middle of the arena. There were rows of seats on either side of him, and he made his way down to the very front row. He had never experienced the arena in such silence. It was as if the mountain had died and the spirit had left its vessel. He found his way to the front row and peered over the edge of the short wall, looking down onto the floor of the arena.
The creature’s red eyes were a beacon in the dim light. It noticed his presence and walked over to where he stood, looking up at him as he peered down over the short wall. The arena floor was at least twenty feet below Evercloud. The creature reared up on its hind legs and leaned against the wall to get closer to Evercloud. It growled lowly and then began to sniff the air. Evercloud could smell the creature’s rancid breath.
“You look like a Farsider to me,” said Evercloud. The creature just stared back at him. “Tell me what you are. Are you Eveneye, King of this mountain? Are you my father?”
Suddenly, the creature stopped sniffing the air and gave out a low groan. It began to part its lips and then it spoke.
“Den…sssa.”
The word tore through Evercloud like a spear. He stumbled backward and caught himself on a seat in the first row. It knows me, he thought. It could smell me. It called me Densa.
“No,” said Evercloud into the empty arena. His head was spinning and panic was taking hold. “No, No, NO!” His words echoed off the arena walls. “I can’t be Densa. I can’t be.”
Evercloud thought of how the disappointment would destroy his family and the Kingdom. Had he helped to unleash the creature that had killed Oaktongue, Firerock and so many others? His blood was on fire, his insides were screaming. I’m not him, he thought. I can’t be. I can’t be.
“Den…sssa,” repeated the beast.
“Noooooo!!!” screamed Evercloud and dove down into the arena, slashing at the beast as he fell. He buried his claw deep into the creature’s back as he came down upon it. The beast howled loudly and bucked Evercloud off of its back, knocking him onto the arena floor. The beast spun to meet its attacker, but Evercloud was ready. He launched himself off of the dusty arena floor, and into the creature’s throat. His claw cut through the beast and it fell to the floor, motionless.
“Evercloud!” came a call from the top of the arena stairs.
Tenturo flew down to the arena floor, staring in amazement at Evercloud and the beast lying on the floor.
“Did you kill it?” he asked.
“I think so,” responded Evercloud.
Riverpaw flew to the arena floor and the others came running down the stairs.
“You killed it,” said Riverpaw. Everyone was astonished. “How?”
“With my claw.”
“It was a Farsider?” asked Tenturo.
“Yes,” answered Evercloud with agitation.
“Are you positive?”
“Yes, Tenturo.” Evercloud’s eyes were afire.
“No weapon in existence has ever slain a Farsider. Not one.”
Suddenly, the creature began to dissipate as if it had been made of no more than air. It slowly washed away from being, like water over sand, until there was nothing left. Evercloud ran his hand over his sweat-drenched brow and a voice came into his head, the voice of Tenturo.
What happened, Evercloud? What are you not telling me?
It called me Densa, Tenturo. It actually spoke and it called me Densa.
Tenturo’s eyes grew wide with fear.
Tell no one. Do you understand me? No one.
“Show me that weapon, Evercloud.” Tenturo walked over to Evercloud and looked at his golden claw. “There is seemingly nothing unique about this weapon. Where did you get it?”
“My father,” responded Evercloud.
“Do you know who made it, or how it was made?”
“It was forged with the fire of the Everflame, by the weapon makers of our Kingdom,” said Goldenheart. She then turned to look at Evercloud. “Your father told me that he wanted it to be special.”
“Are there any other weapons that have been forged with that flame?”
“Not that I know of,” said Goldenheart. “But Even would know better than I would.”
Tenturo heaved a large sigh.
“Let us go back to sleep. In the morning we will discuss our plans. It is now more important than ever that we find Eveneye.”
Chapter 23: His Eyes Go Red
I’m walking through the ruins again, but Murray isn’t with me. Someone is walking beside me though. Their face is blurred; I can’t make out any features. They are speaking to me, but their words are as blurred as their face. They seem happy. I feel scared.
We are walking toward the tower. It stands so regally in the moonlight, as if it’s made of more than just earthly materials. I don’t want to go to the tower, but my legs won’t stop walking forward and the blur next to me won’t stop making noises that I can’t understand.
We enter the tower and it’s no longer in ruins. There is light everywhere and everything is sparkling. It’s so beautiful. Nothing is broken, nothing is burned, and it seems like perfection. We walk up the stairs and enter the room at the top of the tower. Music is playing, but it sounds funny and horrible. It sounds like it is trying to be music but just can’t figure out how, like a melody held prisoner under the weight of chains. There are blurred people dancing all around me, but they dance without fluid motion, their dance is stunted, their dance is deformed. Then, through the mass of moving blurs, I see him, the man from the mountain, the man from the black moon.
His face is not a blur, his motions are not inhibited, and he glides over to me with a charming smile. He tells me that he loves me, and he tells me that he wants me to be his queen. The blur next to me is upset. I still cannot understand what it is trying to say, but it is angry. The man from the black moon looks at the blur and his brown eyes turn red. The blur isn’t making noise anymore.
Now we are dancing, the man from the black moon and I. He tells me he loves me again. He wants me
for his queen. He stops the music and he stops the dancing. All the blurs are looking at us now and he asks me to be his queen, loud enough that every blur can hear.
I say no. I tell him that I don’t love him. I tell him that I will never love him…
He is angry.
I made him very angry.
His eyes go red. His skin goes black. The room is on fire. All of the blurs are dead, and all I can see is fire. All I see is fire…and his eyes.
Iolana sprung awake, drenched in sweat.
“Murray, wake up. Murray.”
She shook the Messenger awake and he stared at her in alarm.
“What is it?”
“Dream,” stammered Iolana. “Nightmare…I think…I think the Holy has been giving me dreams. I think I just dreamt of Densa.”
The Messenger sat up and looked at Iolana.
“Slow down. You say you dreamt of Densa?”
“I just had a dream about the last journal entry, or rather, what happened after the last journal entry. I was Chera. I was at the ball.”
“Okay,” said the Messenger. “Tell me what happened at the ball.”
“Densa asked me to be his queen. He did it in front of everyone. I said no, and told him that I didn’t love him. He got angry and turned into a monster. He killed everyone, Murray. He killed everyone…because I made him mad.”
“It’s okay, Iolana. It was just a dream.”
“But, Murray. What if it was real? I don’t mean the dream, but what if that’s what really happened? What if the Holy wanted me to dream that…so I could see…so I could know?”
“Iolana, I know the dream was upsetting and I understand what you’re saying about the Holy, but right now, it was nothing but a dream. We can’t just assume that it is truth. We won’t know anything until we reach Hammlin.”
“But, Murray. If this was a dream sent by the Holy…then I know who Densa is.”
“What?”
“It’s the man I’ve been dreaming about. The man that you stabbed with the arrow on the mountain.”
The Messenger’s jaw dropped open and his head began to spin. He thought back to his fight with the man on the mountain. He remembered his strength and his speed, even the bear, it all made sense.
“I-I,” stuttered the Messenger. “We need to get to Hammlin. We should go. We should go now.”
The two travelers gathered their belongings in the darkness, and again, set out for Hammlin.
“It is him, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know, Iolana, but we’re going to find out.”
•••
“Do you smell that?” asked the Messenger.
“Smell what?”
“Burnt wood.”
Iolana and the Messenger walked among the trees as they continued toward Hammlin. The sun was high in the sky and it came through the canopy, twinkling like magic.
“I don’t smell anything,” said Iolana. She had noticed that the Messenger had been very tense today. Ever since her dream about Densa, he had been hearing, seeing and smelling things that weren’t really there. He was…nervous.
They were now coming to the end of the tree line and could see wide open space ahead of them. Iolana hadn’t realized how bright the sun really was until they emerged from the cover of the forest. The sunlight was almost blinding and she had to squint for a few moments until her eyes adjusted. Once they had, she noticed the Messenger staring off into the distance. She turned her head to see what he was staring at and saw a village that had been burned to the ground. There was still a bit of smoke in the air, as if parts of the village were still smoldering.
“We need to see if there are any survivors,” said Iolana. The Messenger blinked absently. “Come on, Murray.”
Iolana started walking toward the village, and after a few moments, the Messenger followed. The village was left blackened and charred. Windows were smashed and shattered from heat or escape. The roofs of all the buildings had caved and burned and no one could be found.
“I hate fire,” said the Messenger.
“What could have done this?” asked Iolana. “Could this have been an accident?”
“There’s no way,” replied the Messenger. ”Everything is destroyed. The fire didn’t miss a single home or business. This was done with purpose.”
“Who would burn an entire village to the ground? And where are all the villagers?”
The Messenger walked up to a house and kicked in the blackened door. He entered the house while Iolana waited outside. After a few moments, the Messenger reemerged with a scowl.
“They are still in their beds.”
“No,” exclaimed Iolana and clasped her hands to her mouth.
“Whatever happened, it came fast and it came in the middle of the night. I don’t think we’re going to find any survivors.”
“I want to leave, Murray. This is horrible.”
Just then, something moved in Iolana’s periphery. She turned quickly, but nothing was there except for a charred boat, leaning against a house. The Messenger walked over to the boat and threw it to the side revealing a small boy, cowering beneath it and clutching a small white puppy, covered in soot.
“Don’t hurt us, Misser. Please don’t.”
The Messenger dropped to his knees in front of the boy and Iolana saw a tear fall from the man’s eye. Iolana walked over and knelt before the boy.
“We’re not going to hurt you, little one. We’re here to help. Are you okay?”
“I fink so,” said the little boy.
“Can you tell us what happened here?” asked Iolana. “What happened to the village?”
“Eveebuddy died,” said the boy. “Sep for me an Eddie.”
“Who’s Eddie?”
The boy held up the little, white puppy. “Eddie saved me fum the burning man.”
“The burning man, is that who burned the village?” asked Iolana. The little boy nodded. “How did Eddie save you?”
“He wan off into the woods.” The boy pointed to where Iolana and the Messenger had emerged from the forest. “I had to chase him. He knew the burning man was coming. He saved me.”
Iolana looked back at the Messenger who was still on his knees. His face was drawn and tears ran freely down it.
“Why would he show me this?” he whispered.
The boy stood up and walked over to the Messenger.
“Don’t cry, Misser. You can hold Eddie, if you want to.”
The boy held the small, white dog out and the Messenger slowly reached his hands and took hold of the sooty, little puppy. He held the dog against his chest and stared at it as it licked the tears from his chin. He might as well have been holding his heart in his hands.
“Thank you,” he said to the little boy. The boy smiled at him.
“What’s your name?” asked Iolana.
“Roman,” responded the boy.
“Well, Roman. Do you think it would be okay if you and Eddie came with us?”
Roman nodded at Iolana. The Messenger stood and handed the dog back to the boy.
“What’s your name?” asked Roman.
“My name is Murray,” said the Messenger.
“And I’m Iolana.”
“Can we go see my cousins?” asked Roman.
“Yes,” said Iolana. “Can you tell me where they live?”
“No,” said Roman.
“How would you go to see them?” asked the Messenger.
“We would go on a boat,” answered Roman.
“There’s a river nearby?”
“Uh-huh. Down that way.” The boy pointed at the other end of the village.
The Messenger looked at Iolana. “We’ll follow the river downstream. That will take us to them.”
“Are you…all right, Murray?”
“I am. I’m sorry. I’ll explain later.”
Iolana nodded and looked back down at Roman.
“Okay, Roman. Are you ready to go see your cousins?”
“Yes ma’am.”
> Iolana smiled at the boy and they all began walking toward the river, changing course downstream once they had reached its bank.
They walked for hours along the side of the river. Being such a small boy, Roman was unable to go very far. When he grew tired, the Messenger scooped him up and let him sit upon his shoulders. Iolana never thought she would see the man that was in front of her now. He was so tender and gentle with the boy. Iolana just shook her head. Who is this man?
The sun began to set and it was decided that rest was the best option. The Messenger made a fire to sleep around, and as soon as Roman curled up with Eddie, they both fell into a deep sleep.
“I’m sorry for how I reacted back there,” said the Messenger as he picked pieces off of a small stick and threw them into the fire. “I never should have allowed my emotions to take hold of me. I-I just wasn’t expecting to see that.”
“It’s okay, Murray…You can talk to me. I just don’t really know what’s going on.”
The Messenger took a deep breath.
“Seeing that boy and his dog was like being shown a mirror. It revealed the most vulnerable place I’ve ever been. I just couldn’t handle it. You see, when I was a boy, I had a dog who was my best friend…my only friend. A man who was a blacksmith in the village near my home gave the dog to me. My father was never around, always away due to work. Anyway, this blacksmith became close with my mother as well as with me. He became what I wanted a father to be. I was happy. My mother was happy…” Again the tears began to fall down the Messenger’s face. “I haven’t been completely honest with you, Iolana. My name isn’t Murray. My name is Edgar Shein. Murray was the blacksmith’s name. I told you the name was mine because, for a very long time, I haven’t been able to deal with being Edgar Shein. I tried to bury him in the past, but I know how foolish that was now.” The Messenger shook his head. “There’s so much I should tell you…I don’t even know where to start.”
“Just start at the beginning,” said Iolana.
“I don’t know where I come from,” said Edgar. “Not really. I never knew my real parents; a man named Joe Shein took me from them. He killed them…because he thought the Holy wanted him to. He brought me home to his wife, Rachael, and they raised me as their own. Well, Rachael raised me. Joe was never there. He was insane. He thought that the he was being commanded by the Holy…who knows what he was really doing?”
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