The world outside surprised me. How was it that we lived so long? How could there be such a large difference in our average age of death? It was difficult to comprehend at that point.
Olmot continued, after a long pause. “This village continues to astound me… So far it was just cultural, which is understandable, given its geographic isolation. But how can the people be so different physically? What is so different about this place that the people age here this slowly?”
Olmot was depressed. I could understand why. I wanted to reassure him somehow. I didn’t know much about Valantia at that point. There was only one thing I did know that was different and so the only theory I could come up with was based on that difference.
I offered that theory to Olmot. “It is difficult for me to understand the world outside. There is little I know about it. But based on what you have said, could it be the food we eat?” I asked. It seemed to catch Olmot’s attention.
“Given our diet has little meat and has the plants that we find in this region, do you think it could be something unique we eat here that helps us stay young and live longer?”
Olmot looked a little skeptical. “It is an interesting thought.”
“Look, we are anyway in the hills. Let’s continue and see if I can tell you what all plants we use for our food and you can identify if there is something unique. I also have a book that talks about various unique plants and trees found near Villasboro. We can use that as well.”
It was a happy coincidence that I carried the book that Flora gave me.
He shrugged. He still didn’t see convinced. “Sure, let’s see what we find. In the meanwhile, let me think of other reasons this can happen.”
“Sure. Maybe if we can find the source, you can live till 150 as well!”
Olmot laughed. “Maybe… maybe… that’ll certainly be interesting… To live a hundred more years. Maybe I will forget in that time… forget my past…” he suddenly sounded quite emotional.
In the day that I had known him for, his demeanor varied from carefree to one of delight to one of extreme sorrow. I thought, in the time he spent in Villasboro, prior to that day, due to his solitude, he did not have an emotional outlet. So, although he felt calm and happy, the feelings from his past life were bottled up. In the time he spent with me, he found someone who listened to him and all those feelings were sporadically emerging. I felt it might be good for him to talk about his past so I thought I should ask him to share. But then I hesitated, as I figured I didn’t know him long enough to ask him to share anything so painful.
This trip had really taken a more interesting turn. I had set out to explore the hills and learn more about Olmot. But now I was also trying to figure out how people in Villasboro lived so long and try and help my newfound friend open up emotionally.
Chapter 3: Sound of flowing water
As we continued to walk among the hills, there were multiple things running in my mind.
I was trying to figure out things I could ask Olmot about the world outside, without him having to think about the difficulties he had faced in the past. At the same time, I wanted to see which plants or trees I could find, that could be the key for our longer lifespans.
As time passed, the sun rose to the top as the blue faded from the hills. The Kurin flowers had faded away, and the blue was replaced by green. The plants we saw in the first half of the day were similar to ones found at the edge of the forests. Olmot recognized them from his earlier travels.
When we paused for some lunch, I tried to get Olmot to read the book I had. He wasn’t interested at all, so I decided to read for myself. There was nothing in the first few pages about the magical life extending properties of any plants. I was pretty sure no one in Villasboro actually understood how lucky they were to have such long lifespans.
As we dived deeper into the hills, following the brook, Olmot found some trees that he could not recognize. There were Bael, Kailashpati and Kigelia trees, besides herbs such as Sanjeevani, Quinine and Navajo. Olmot had heard of the Bael and recognized Kailashpati as the red ball tree because of its distinctive fruits, but the others he had never heard of. As I used the book to list out the medicinal properties of these plants, he got excited.
“Maybe you are right, kid! There are so many plants here with such great medicinal properties. One of these might be the reason for your long lifespans. How often do you use these?”
“Well, depends on the type of illness you have. With my food I usually add thyme, ginger, sanjeevani and garlic regularly. I usually keep some sage leaves, catnip, Alfalfa, blood flower and Neem with me to help when I suffer from common ailments. When someone falls seriously ill, we use potions prescribed by our physician Florence, which are usually combination of some of the other herbs you see here. But that happens rarely. For example, I have not had to visit Florence for any potion so far in my life.”
“Interesting. Maybe one of these or all of these unique herbs contribute to your long lives….”
As we walked, he was lost in thought, no doubt trying to think of other differences in our lifestyle. I was thinking too, but I was also getting absorbed by the view around me. It was my first outing into the hills, and the Niladris did not disappoint.
We continued to walk along the brook and saw where it originated, just as dusk was setting in. It was coming from the heart of one of the hills, a hill where surprisingly the Kurin flowers were still in full bloom, giving the hill a beautiful blueish color, in midst of so much green. I figured that’s how the brook got its name, Neelodhbhav, which meant “originating from the blue,” in Deusorthok. The Niladris were more beautiful than I could have imagined. Even for me, a boy who had grown up in a village surrounded by natural beauty, Neelodhbhav’s origin was other worldly.
As dusk came, we found some food. I foraged and got some berries and mangoes to go with my bread. We had walked for about five kilometers, covering the width of almost two hills. We had walked pretty much along the trail by the brook, which is why we were able to walk so fast. My sense was that we were close to completing the width of the Niladris, although the pace was going to be slower now that the brook had ended and the trail was thinning out.
Olmot hunted for a small animal, a reptile of some sort. It was fascinating, watching him stalk the animal and silently kill it. This was the first time I saw someone kill another being that could feel pain and express it. I figured it wouldn’t affect me too much. And it didn’t. I was fascinated to see the hunt, how someone could kill something and eat it. I wondered if it hurt Olmot to know that he could have spared a life. “That’s how the world works,” I said to myself.
As we settled down to eat our dinners, there was a stillness in the air. The only sound was, us munching our food. The forests had gone quiet, with all the birds and animals having gone to sleep, resting to get ready for the next day of survival. But with the silence, I could hear something. Something at a distance. It sounded like there was a thunder storm at a distance. Only the sky was clear.
“Hey Olmot, do you hear that?”
“What?”
“That sound. It sounds like heavy rains, but I can’t believe it’s raining anywhere right now.”
“Oh, that. That’s just the Grand River. We have travelled quite a distance. So we can hear it now. Maybe by end of day tomorrow, we can see the river ourselves. It’s quite a sight, especially along these hills.”
“The Grand River?”
Olmot chuckled. “Sometimes I forget how little you know. But it is surprising that you haven’t heard of the Grand River. I am sure people of your village are aware of the river, given its proximity to the village. The Grand River is the largest river in Valantia. It runs across almost the entire continent, and it starts maybe about 500 kilometers from here. The ice in the Anantyas Mountains feeds the mighty river. The power of this river is truly amazing. Before you ask, Anantyas is the longest mountain range in Valantia.
In these parts the Grand River is also known as Dostraitox,
the White Destroyer, as it is powerful enough to destroy villages, even large cities in its path. As we reach the end of these hills, you’ll see for yourself.”
Now I was excited.
“The river seems to be really loud, if we can already hear it from here. But why is it the White Destroyer? Isn’t water blue?”
“You can see for yourself tomorrow when we reach the river. Have you never wondered why outsiders rarely visit Villasboro, despite its picturesque setting?”
That was an odd reply. Why were they linked?
“Well, I never really thought about it.”
There was a smile on Olmot’s face when I said this. I knew what he would say. “Villasboro is so special! Its people are so different!” and so on. I cut him off before he could say anything.
“But, if I had to guess, there are forests on three sides, and they stretch for a long distance. The fourth side is the hills, which would also hide the village.”
Olmot continued to smile. “Almost there. You’ll see the reason soon enough! Now I need to rest. I haven’t walked this much in a while.”
It was really difficult to believe this guy was younger than my master, a man who I have seen break a large rock into two with one strike of his hammer. But I didn’t dwell on that too much.
What was the reason for Villasboro’s isolation? How was it linked to this mighty river? I thought it might be because of its speed, but I was sure that people could swim across a fast-flowing river if they tried.
The next day would provide the answer to that question. As we walked more and more towards the end of the Niladris we had to leave the trail to continue walking towards the edge. The sound was getting louder and louder. By mid-day it was all we could hear. It ended all our conversation about the flora and fauna of the forests. There were myriad small creatures we saw on our way, along with some really colorful and some really creepy plants. There were a couple of large animals we saw as well, which Olmot signaled to me were dangerous. I figured they could hurt us, so I gave them a wide berth and was extra careful not to make any noise to attract their attention.
As we climbed up the last hill along the width of the Niladris, the ground was getting slippery and wet. It was a difficult climb, made even more difficult by the fact that Olmot was “old.” It took us almost till end of day to complete half the climb. We rested on top of a tree as there was no open patch of grass. Sleeping on a tree was a new, if unpleasant experience.
The next morning, we resumed our journey up the hill. Before we started our ascent, Olmot suggested turning back a couple of times, as he found the task extremely daunting. To be honest, normally I would have turned back, but by then the drive to see this mighty river was too overwhelming. I ended up convincing him to continue with me.
We finally reached the top by afternoon. And the sight was worth all the trouble we had gone through. The reason for Villasboro’s isolation was clear. To say that the river was fast was an understatement. The river was so turbulent and fast that it looked white as milk. We were completely drenched in seconds, as the spray from the water hitting the rocks made it seem as if there was permanent rainfall there. The river was so wide that we couldn’t see the other end. All we could see was a white bubbling mass of water, making so much sound as it flowed, that it was as if there was no other sound in the world. There was no way any man could cross the river here. It was like an immense wall, beyond the power of any man to conquer.
Olmot looked at the river along with me, equally mesmerized. Then he looked at me, pointed at the river and smiled. I nodded, smiling back in agreement. It was impossible to cross this body of water. Any man would be torn to shreds just by the force of the river, let alone the rocks along the hill which the water was continuously pounding against.
As I was admiring the river, Olmot suddenly started jabbing me hard, pointing to his left. I tried to see what he was pointing to. I was flabbergasted. A man was standing at the edge of the hill next to us, looking ready to jump in.
This man seemed to have a long beard and hair, just like my master, but there was little else I could see. As I tried to see who it was, I rushed to the spot where he stood. I wanted to save him. It was futile, as he was at least a few hundred meters away from us, and that would have been a long walk on that slippery hill top. I tried anyway, running towards him, screaming. But there was no way he could hear us. I couldn’t hear Olmot scream either. The sound of the water overpowered all else.
But before we had moved even a few meters, the man jumped.
Chapter 4: My fear of death
It was as if the world around me had slowed down.
The man raised his hands and jumped with such grace, it seemed he was going for a swim and not jumping in to end his life. I was shouting as I ran towards the man, with the memories of the death of my parents suddenly filling up my mind. Olmot couldn’t keep up with my pace. I didn’t realize that I had left him behind. I ran till my lungs exploded, slipping and falling multiple times. It took me over 10 minutes to reach the spot. It felt like an eternity.
I could identify the spot he jumped from, because he had taken his shirt off for some strange reason and cast it aside before jumping in. I looked down from that place on the hill. It was the one spot where the drop off was almost vertical. So the man could have jumped to his death without getting hit by the rocks on the way. Somehow this gave me hope. “Maybe the river hasn’t torn him apart yet!”
And I was right, as I saw his face appear sporadically for couple of moments here and there, as if he was trying to gasp for breath. I hoped I could save him before he drowned.
“I’m coming!” I shouted to no one in particular, as I jumped into the water to try and save this man. The move would have certainly been fatal, as I wasn’t a great swimmer, and the water was way too turbulent. Additionally, I had the task of finding this man, catching him in the turbulent water and dragging him out to safety before the river tore us both apart. After which, I had to find a path along the slippery hill side to climb up, while carrying this man and escaping the raging water. It was an impossible task. But I couldn’t stand by idly as someone died. Not again.
Well, what you already know is that I didn’t die, as I am still around to tell this story. But there wasn’t much I remembered after I jumped in. As soon as I hit the water, it knocked me out.
I started to regain consciousness when I felt my head bump against a rock. But not inside water. I took a deep breath in, and I breathed in air, not water. As I opened my eyes, I felt I was in the air, floating. Then I realized someone had his arms around my waist. I suddenly felt alert again, as I realized what was happening. Someone was holding me in one hand and climbing up the near vertical hill side with the other.
Was it Olmot? Had he finally reached me, jumped in to rescue me? Didn’t seem like Olmot. He didn’t have the strength to reach the spot I jumped from fast enough, let alone rescue me. I tried to turn around to see who it was, but couldn’t see much. Just a shirtless man with long hair. “Wait, have I just been rescued by the man I was trying to rescue?”
I tried to shout, “Who are you?” but there was no way my voice would reach him, even at that distance. So I tried to tap the arm that held me, to indicate that I was up. The man felt that and hoisted me up so I was face to face with him. I could see who it was. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought I was actually dying under water and hallucinating before my soul finally left my body. But somehow, I didn’t think that was the case.
The man I saw, the man who had jumped in to commit suicide and suddenly decided to give up his pursuit of death to prevent mine, was my master, Forresgrim. And he looked furious. I had never seen such anger in his eyes before. He signaled me with his eyes to hold onto his neck. This, I guessed, was to allow him to use both his hands to climb up. I complied, still trying to comprehend what he was doing there. Why would he try to kill himself? Why save me, if he wanted to die? How did he see me jump in as he was dying?
There was no use a
sking him anything at that point. I had to wait till we reached the top of the hill and moved downhill towards Villasboro for some distance till we could hear each other shout. Grim was surprisingly fast at climbing this steep and seemingly smooth hill side. It took him less than an hour to climb up an almost 500-meter-high vertical rock wall. More questions were popping up in my head—how did he know how to climb this fast? Had he climbed this hill before? Had he done this before— jumped in, decided he didn’t want to die and climbed back up?
As we reached the top, I saw a tearful Olmot look incredulously as the two of us emerged from the hill side. My master saw Olmot, looked at me, shook his head and went ahead to pick up his shirt. Then he just walked off. I was still stunned by the events of the past hour, so it took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. I was staring down the edge of the hill along with Olmot and when I turned back to see Grim had already disappeared into the dense forests. I tapped Olmot and signaled that I was going after him.
I ran into the forest, screaming his name, trying to locate him. I was tired, so I was winded soon. I still pushed on, searching for him. After some searching, I located him. Given it was downhill, I was able to travel quickly and Grim seemed to be in no hurry.
“Grim! Grim!” I shouted as he finally heard me and turned around. Some of the anger seemed to have left him, as he looked calmer. But I had no doubt, he was still angry.
Grim replied in a big booming voice, shouting at me for the first time in 10 years. “What is the matter with you? Why in the world would you jump into the Grand River rapids? Are you crazy? Has that old man made you lose your will to live? I should break that man into half!”
I shouted back. “Am I crazy?! Are you crazy? I jumped in because I saw some man jumping off a cliff! I thought the man was trying to kill himself. I couldn’t let anyone die in front of my eyes! It turns out the man was you! Why would you want to kill yourself, Grim? You are not the person I know. And where did you learn to climb like that! No… No… more importantly, WHAT DROVE YOU TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE!” I screamed the last part so hard, I thought my throat would come apart.
Age of Azmoq: The Valantian Imperium Page 5