Afaris: Shadows on Aora

by Ciubotaru, Tudor George

  ‘Hello!’

  ‘Hello’ Afaris asked. ‘Have you got somebody to fly with?’

  ‘Not yet, I’m still waiting for the tower to clear off, and I’ll look for somebody. You?’

  ‘He’s flying with me’ Falus answered.

  ‘I see you’ve become best friends.’

  ‘Yes, until one of us slits the other’s throat while asleep.’

  ‘If you wish you can fly with me’ Fasus told Ulmaf.

  ‘Sure, I’d love to, thank you!’

  Afaris looked at Fasus. How come his opinion had changed so tremendously since their first encounter? He looked at Falus, too, but he was as surprised as him.

  Ulmaf mounted Fasus who took off and joined the other Nymphs who were waiting patiently on the sky.

  ‘Shall we?’ Falus asked.

  ‘Yes, let’s go.’

  Afaris jumped directly onto Falus’s back who leaned backwards diving from the tower top. He swirled in the air and recovered before hitting the ground while Afaris felt adrenaline flood his veins, without being scared at all. He had already become accustomed to the flight and could say he had a strong bond with the Nymphs, so he had nothing to fear. Falus rose and headed towards the flight of Nymphs.

  Below, Afaris saw his father and the advisors mounting onto Akdarosif’s huge back. From the distance they were white spots among the red feathers of the enormous Nymph.

  As soon as they were all up, Akdarosif signaled the start flying ahead and showing the way.

  Saraf-Menom, which now seemed a deserted town, was becoming smaller and smaller behind them, as if incrementally swallowed by the ocean.

  ‘Quite scary, isn’t it?’ Falus asked Afaris.

  ‘What is?’

  ‘The ocean. Not seeing earth anywhere. Not knowing where to fly.’

  ‘Currently, no. I mean we know Akdarosif knows the way. If I were alone in the middle of the ocean and not see the shore, that would be quite scary.’

  ‘What would you do then?’

  ‘No idea, I would probably swim till exhaustion.’

  ‘I don’t think it would be difficult for you. You can pop an air bubble under you or something similar to allow you to rest.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose so. Anyway, if need be, we can hold our breath for a long time. What about you? What if you lost your wings right now?’

  ‘Well, I’d be dead. There’s no point fighting, I’d sink as a rock.’

  ‘Can’t you swim?’

  ‘I’ve never thought about it.’

  ‘Can’t you float? I mean just sit in the water and move your limbs?’

  ‘I can’t and won’t try.’

  ‘So, you’re afraid of water!’

  Afaris started to laugh, discovering his friend’s weakness.

  ‘That’s too much. I rather feel uncomfortable when I think about water. Or when I see water …’

  ‘So why did you accept going on this journey?’

  ‘Craziness. But it’s not that bad. If I look ahead and not down, everything’s fine.’

  After some hours of flight, during which the two continued to talk, Falus asked Afaris:

  ‘See that point on the horizon?’

  Afaris looked directly where Falus was pointing with his beak. Indeed, something could be perceived on the horizon, but it was too far to make out.

  ‘Yes, what is it?’

  ‘That’s the Nest. If I’m not mistaken.’

  Falus called Akdarosif:

  ‘Is that the Nest?’

  ‘Yes’ he replied.

  ‘Good, so we’ll be there soon’ Falus answered and Afaris felt his friend become more relaxed.

  He glanced at Akdarosif, more precisely Saraf who was riding him, leaning on the Nymph’s enormous feathers. Akdarosif felt his glance and turned his head. He glanced back then nodded.

  Afaris replied with the same gesture, informing him he was prepared.

  To their left, another flight of Nymphs appeared and they were also carrying Aorians. The two groups greeted one another and continued flying to the Nest.

  As they were drawing closer, the Nest started to catch form until they were close enough to perceive its true greatness. It was a gigantic tree rising in the middle of the ocean, with a leaves dome larger than the plain, mountain and the forest next to Saraf-Menom. What was even more interesting was the fact that, from its top, through the leaves, an energy column came out, as if an energy pit was crossing the tree.

  The tree was intertwined with countless tunnels with a lot of holes allowing the light to reach the farthest corners. From outside one could enter through tens of hollows, situated on various levels of the tree. The root sank into the ocean and the enormous dome represented the main attraction. The maze made up of the tree branches and leaves, between which the sun was shining, was of unparalleled beauty. All over the place, its round and red fruit were growing, bigger than Akdarosif. The branches swarmed with all kinds of animals, brought by the Nymphs as spare food, in case they got fed up with eating the tree fruit.

  Akdarosif took the Nymphs to the middle of the tree, where there were what appeared to be small holes from the distance, but getting closer, Afaris realized they were bigger even than Akdarosif. The Nymphs entered through those holes and touched down inside the body of the huge tree.

  Afaris dismounted Falus and stretched his feet, numb from the flight.

  ‘I cannot believe how big it is.’

  ‘You can walk around for days and not see it all’ Falus replied.

  ‘Was it my impression or did I see an energy pit?’

  ‘It wasn’t your impression. A pit is flowing through the tree stem. How else could something like this grow? It’s so big that, if you climb onto its top branches you run out of air.’

  ‘And the place where it grew is perfect. Far enough from the shore so as not to be seen. What do you do here, what is the purpose of the Nest?’

  ‘It’s our home, our sacred land. We come here to spend time together when we get bored and to eat its prodigious fruit.’

  ‘Sounds interesting, I’d like to try one, too.’

  ‘Yes, obviously you cannot go away without tasting them.’

  To his left, Afaris noticed Saraf waving him to join him.

  ‘I have to go, but i’ll see you later. Thanks for the trip.’

  ‘Sure …’ Falus replied watching Afaris puzzled as he was running to his father, but he decided to mind his business. He started looking for Fasus who had landed in another hole.

  Reaching Saraf, he told him:

  ‘Let us see what this is all about.’

  The two started looking for Tiftorius and Lint. Walking inside the tree trunk, they came across countless Nymphs and Aorians. They greeted, spoke a little and Saraf asked them in a subtle manner whether they had seen Lint, which they had not.

  Reaching the centre of the trunk, where the pit energy was rising to the sky, Saraf and Afaris entered it and left themselves carried upwards to the tree dome.

  ‘This place is unbelievable! Have you ever been here?’ Afaris asked.

  ‘Yes, sure, for I built it.’

  Afaris remained blocked. He continued to watch his father who looked back and smiled:

  ‘Long before you were even born, I discovered this pit’ he started telling him the story of the tree. ‘The tree had already begun to grow around it. It was a very tense period between Aorians and Nymphs, one feared the other and peace seemed no option. So I decided to use my powers and stayed here for days help the tree grow and develop. When it finally took the form that you see now, I met some Nymphs who represented the will of their species and told them I wanted to offer them this place, as a gift, as a token of my friendship. They said yes and turned it into a sanctuary, prohibiting everybody’s access, except for me, of course. Their plan was that, if something ever happened, this would be their hideout, and that plan is on as we speak.’

  ‘I’m more shocked by this great volume of secrets you hold than this story, b
ut, still, how come I’ve never learnt about it so far?’

  ‘As most Nymphs believe the tree was built and carved by their ancestors, and those who know the truth pretend not to know the true history. It is the same for me. I respect their wish and, subsequently, I have not shared the truth with the Aorians. It is a small price to pay for peace.’

  ‘Except for my brothers and Calis, I suppose.’

  ‘Calis knows, indeed, but the rest of my sons do not. Take it as a privilege, you are the first to find out.’

  Reaching the end of the trunk, where the dome began, they stepped outside the pit. Up, among the branches and leaves Nymphs and Aorians were spending their time, speaking and laughing. Saraf caught a glimpse at Lint sitting with his offspring among the branches, enjoying small bits of the tree fruit.

  ‘There he is’ Saraf whispered to Afaris.

  ‘What do we do?’ Afaris whispered back.

  ‘I will read his thoughts. I hope he will not get crazy.’

  Saraf raised his hand towards Lint to channel energy better, but before he could penetrate his mind, he heard his name called by someone with a full mouth.

  Turning around, they saw Tiftorius coming towards them, holding a juicy fruit piece he was biting with an appetite.

  ‘I regret not giving a sign, but time has not allowed me to go back to Saraf-Menom before my departure, so I came here with them’ he said mouth full and extremely energetic. ‘Mmm, you must try this fruit. It’s outstanding!’

  ‘Maybe latter, what happened? What can you tell us?’ Saraf asked impatiently

  ‘Nothing to worry about. I felt the energy you mentioned the very first days, and then it disappeared. I found nothing wrong with them, they are alright. Slightly agitated that a Nymph would die, but alright for the rest.’

  After Tiftorius finished his words he peered at Saraf for a couple of seconds, then started laughing hysterically.

  ‘What is so funny?’ Saraf asked angrily.

  ‘Your face. You are too serious. Have a bite’ Tiftorius urged him offering him a piece of fruit.

  Saraf was regarding Tiftorius with suspicion.

  ‘No, thank you …’

  He could not believe his input. It seemed that Tiftorius too had changed. He was much more joyous than usual, but it probably came with the fruit...

  Saraf stretched his hand towards Tiftorius’s head.

  ‘May I?’

  ‘Sure, sure, be my guest’ he answered.

  Saraf entered his advisor’s thoughts, looking for anything not in order in the past few days, but found nothing. Neither with Tiftorius nor other Aorians from Lint-Menom. Lint was as he knew him, bursting with arrogance.

  He finished checking his advisor’s mind and lowered his arm.

  ‘Yes … I do not see anything bad.’

  ‘Told you. Nothing to worry about. Let’s all have fun now. Have some!’ he urged Afaris with a piece of fruit.

  Afaris took the piece and looked closely at its sticky yellow core. He lifted it to his nose and smelled it and Saraf grabbed his hand stopping him:

  ‘It contains a substance which affects your senses and thoughts. You start losing your psychic balance, you become joyous for no reason and start hallucinating. That’s why this fruit is so appreciated.’

  ‘Sounds interesting. Why won’t you let me try it?’

  ‘This is not the good time. Let us see what happens and then we will all eat it.’

  ‘Well, Tiftorius said everything is alright.’

  ‘I have a bad feeling which I cannot describe.’

  ‘Well then …’

  Afaris threw away the fruit, sad.

  ‘I really am curious what it is like …’

  Chapter 16

  The shadow’s appearance

  For the rest of the day, the Aorians and Nymphs sat together having a good time. Afaris spoke with Ulmaf and Falus, becoming more and more jealous noticing how good they felt under the influence of the fruit, but respected his father’s wish to remain clear-headed.

  Until dusk they discussed about the tournament, the finalists and how they thought the duels would be fought. The following day there would be four fights, and four finalists would remain, one day later two semi-finals and on the last day, the final fight. They already made bets on which Nymph would lose his life. It was a mature Nymph, slightly bigger than the others, but who, because of a poor landing, had lost his left front foot and a wing. The tournament ending was not certain. The other Nymphs had all reached maturity recently and were short and weak in comparison with the normal stature of a Nymph.

  The fights would last until either opponent swooned. The following day, regardless if he was able or not to fight, they had to fight again. On day three, at the final fight, it would last until the opponent was dead.

  As they arrived in the evening, Aorians and Nymphs went to bed knocked out by the effect of the mysterious fruit. The tree went silent and everybody was sleeping on leaves, supported by branches or wherever they could find a spot. Eventually, Afaris decided to go to bed and one person stayed awake, patrolling to and fro in the tree: Saraf. He was too agitated to go to sleep, he felt something was not alright, but could not tell what exactly. It was not only about the death of a Nymph.

  The following day, as the sun started to cast its rays among the tree leaves, they started waking up. Most felt dizzy, but, after a short bath in one of the countless pools made of leaves, in that cold water, they all came back to their senses.

  ‘Wow, last night was very strange’ Ulmaf told Afaris.

  ‘Do you mean the fruit?’

  ‘Yes, it gives you a sensation of quiet and peace, everything seems nice and funny and you start seeing things and you can’t tell what is real and what not.’

  ‘Sounds like fun, I think I’ll give a try tonight.’

  ‘You must!’

  When the sun was up on the sky, the Nymphs started screaming and shouting, announcing the beginning of the tournament. The fights would take place in the centre of the tree dome, at the brim of the energy pit, where the tree was broader and more compact than elsewhere, forming a perfect arena. The Aorians and Nymphs gathered around that area, sitting on the tree branches, lower or higher, closer or farther from the arena.

  The battles would be fought in turns. The first gladiators were the disabled Nymph and another Nymph, shorter, yet stouter than him.

  The two went onto the battle field and stood one in front of the other, leaving a considerable distance between them. They both seemed calm and relaxed, as if nothing bad followed.

  Akdarosif, too, entered the battle field to announce the rules of the fight. His voice sounded strong in everybody’s thoughts:

  ‘This is the first battle of the four to be waged today. The rules are simple, no deadly blows or which may cause harm as to render the opponent incapable for the next fight. You are not allowed to leave the square. Failure to observe these rules will result in disqualification and you will take the opponent’s place in the fight tomorrow. He who cannot continue the fight will be declared defeated. I wish you life to be your companion tomorrow as well.’

  Akdarosif left the ring. The weaker Nymph took a fight position, the claws of his front limbs on the ground, ready to charge, and his two pairs of wings were waving trying to intimidate his adversary. The Nymph without a limb and a wing was not impressed and continued to watch him calm and patient.

  ‘Fight!’ Akdarosif shouted.

  The Nymph dashed to his crippled opponent who ducked to one side. The other Nymph opened his wings and started to fly in circles around the disabled Nymph who remained aground. Trying to catch him unprepared, the Nymph was diving, attempting to hit his opponent, but, despite his disability, the latter, avoided or deflected the blows.

  ‘He’s trying to exploit his weaknesses’ Afaris heard Falus’s voice from behind.

  ‘Yes, I see. That’s why he’s flying so much, he knows his adversary stands no chance if he tries to fight him in the air. It see
ms sad and unfair somehow …’

  ‘No need. For us, a life doomed on the ground is not worth living.’

  ‘Can’t he fly at all?’

  ‘He can, but for him, flying is so tiresome and painstaking that he’d rather stay aground. He’ll soon remain aground forever, anyway…’

  ‘Are you so sure about the ending of the tournament?’

  ‘Yes. If I were him, I, too, would let myself be killed.’

  The Nymph dived again, trying to strike his opponent with a claw hit from the side, but he grabbed his arm with his right claw and by the time he could understand what was happening, with his back limb stroke him in the thorax, knocking him to the ground. The Nymph tumbled several times and came to a hold. Everybody was surprised and watching breathlessly.

  The Nymph tried to stand up, but he was out of breath and the pain was overwhelming. He did not seem to have suffered a serious blow. In the meantime, his opponent was waiting patiently.

  ‘See? I’ve told you, he could charge now and finish the fight, he’s giving him another chance, in exchange.’

  ‘That’s stupid, he could ask Father to help him. I’m sure that with his powers he could restore his arm and wing.’

  ‘I doubt it. He would have to work with the genetic code of this being. If this were possible, the Nymph would have asked for his help a long time ago. Or at least this is what Father told me.’

  The Nymph stood up. His feathers were soaked in blood, but he was determined to continue the fight. He dashed to his adversary, raising his front claws. His disabled opponent tried to block the two blows with his only front limb, but, despite deflecting the attack, the other Nymph charged again hitting his stomach with his claw. Then again and again.

  His adversary fell to the ground, on one side and was trying to defend, but the hits were too fast. One to his head soaked him in blood, blocking his view, and the pain was slowing him down.

  The Nymph resumed attacking and flying. The disabled stood up slowly, in search of balance, but before he could understand what was happening, his opponent dived onto him, dragging him along the arena. Then he grabbed him in his claws and threw him in the air, under the eyes of the crowd. Some were breathless, frightened and terrified, others were perceiving it as a show.