Will’s eyes caught Rya, who until now had remained quiet. As he looked at her, her eyes avoided his. Will sighed, whatever they had before was probably gone forever. He looked back to Tripp, whose eyes had now become wily with anticipation.
“Well, let’s go.”
Awad awoke to the sound of yelling and arguing from the center of where the festivities had been the night before.
As he started making his way over to the outcry, he saw Rika and Tareen yelling at each other.
"Where is he, Tareen!?" Rika yelled.
"You tell me! Is this one of your games? The Algaer people will not stand for this!" the chief yelled back.
Both men looked like puffer fish with flailing arms, testing each other.
Awad walked up next to an Algaer and asked, "What are they yelling about now?"
The Algaer turned toward him wide-eyed and pointed his full hand toward him in shock.
"You speak Algaer as well!" The man cried out.
Awad looked at him dumbfounded, he understood him.
Both tribe leaders directed their attention to him, "Where is the Hiktar?" Rika yelled.
"He's no Hiktar," Awad said disgruntled, forgetting that they understood him.
"I told you he was a fake!" Rika yelled, kicking the dirt and snapping his makeshift sandal.
Tareen walked in closer to Awad, "Why would you say that? I know you two are not close by any means, but he has proved himself."
Awad became angry and started shouting, "This Hiktar you so aptly named is actually named Will! He is just some drifter we found to fly us here!"
"Are you Hiktar, my friend?" Rika had not seem him the night before and had no knowledge he even existed before now.
The whole crowd turned toward Awad.
"I..." A faint whisper reached Awad’s ear, "Yeeeessss...."
Awad stood up straight, lifted his chin and declared, "Yes, I am the Hiktar!"
15 Anur-Keth
Will awoke with Tripp by his side. So much for trust. Will got up quietly, slowly putting on his clothes, then armor, trying not to wake his guard. The sun started to rise outside of his tent. The rays came in and brushed his skin with warmth. Instinctually, Will stepped toward the light, wanting to watch as much as he could.
“Oh no you don’t.” Tripp grabbed onto his leg and started to get up.
“I’m just heading outside. We have to get going.”
“We, exactly. We have to get going.” Although there was a slight chuckle in Tripp’s voice, the ordering part was frustrating.
Will walked out of the tent and left the hole open while Tripp slipped on his pants, showing Tripp off to the world.
“Hey…!” Tripp balanced inside, trying to get his second leg in. Will could hear a thump behind him, and he didn’t need to look to see that Tripp had fallen over. In front of Will laid the most beautiful landscape he had ever seen, plush with vegetation. They were between a mountain and the ocean, and in front of them was the lake. The sun was rising and created a fluorescent pink strip that wrapped the sky, like a belt for the planet.
Resting on a rock in front of Will’s tent was Rya, her arms wrapped around a bow. She was using her pack as a pillow. For such a beautiful and soft woman, she really knew how to rough it. Her bronze hair was naturally wavy and went over her shoulders, and her face was so innocent, so naïve, he hated that she was there. He took a step forward to wake her, but as his foot fell, her eyes opened. Like lightning, Rya pulled an arrow from a sheath at her side and pointed the weapon at Will’s torso. Her control was incredible. She didn’t even blink, at least not until she saw Will’s startled look. Her weapon lowered and she jumped to her feet. A concerned Kellin rushed up from behind her.
“Is everything alright?” Kellin looked honestly concerned.
Rya turned and gave a death glare to Will and walked off into the forest behind the tent. Will just shook his head and turned toward Kellin.
“Where were you all night?” Will asked.
“I had to sleep near my father’s tent to ensure everything looked normal. Where is Tripp?”
“I’m right here,” Tripp walked out of the tent with a gigantic bag on his back. His knees were ready to buckle under the weight. He was wearing all his armor and carrying the flag Will had been handed the day before. “I’m ready to go when you are.”
Kellin and Will stood quietly taking in the sight of Tripp and his obnoxiously large bag.
“Are you serious?” Will asked, half concerned and half chuckling.
“What do you mean?” Tripp asked, completely confused.
“You can’t possibly plan on bringing all that on this trip.” Kellin said in all sincerity.
“I… I need all of this. We can’t survive off of nothing.” Tripp replied, slightly frustrated at his now apparent naiveté.
From where she left, Rya returned carrying her bag, which was the size of a couch pillow.
“Even she packed lighter than you Tripp,” Will said. This time it was Kellin’s turn to start laughing.
Tripp’s face went red and he immediately turned and entered back into the tent to strip off his armor.
By the time the sun was halfway over the ocean, everyone was packed and ready to go. As they left, they all turned and looked at the village. It was the first time any of them had thought of what they were leaving.
“Do you think they’ll be alright?” Will asked Kellin.
“They will still fight. The pain they have endured from the Thohg until now has been unbearable. They will not quit.”
Will felt guilty for abandoning them in their time of need, but he knew what he had to do.
“Where are we going first?” Tripp asked while holding the map.
“To the Mahfur.” Kellin said.
“Who are the Mahfur?” Will asked.
“They burrow themselves into the mountains to avoid the Sahk-Behk. No Algaer or Ruik has seen them for over a hundred years.” Kellin’s face had grown stern.
“What’s wrong, Kellin?” Will asked, noticing his expression.
Kellin hesitated and then answered, “They abandoned us when the Thohg arrived, leaving us in the hands of those demons. It is said they took refuge in the mountains of Ruong-Kish and have thrived off whatever is inside those mountains.”
They began their ascent of one of the many grassy hills that covered the coastline, the first bump of many. The sun was now halfway through the sky and Kellin was leading the way, with Will behind him, then Tripp, and then Rya who was holding the rear. The trees around them had begun to grow eerily darker and more wild, and every noise spoke of some unknown danger. The fog that covered the Ruik did not reach the forest due to the hills. The name of the forest through which they traveled was Anur-Keth. In the ancient tongue of the first people who arrived by sea, it meant “last stretch.” It was called the last stretch because it was a long stretch of thin land leading straight to Thohg Behk. There was no path for them to follow, merely the direction of the sun by day and stars by night. Before now there was no need for a path because no one desired to head south.
It would take two days to reach the Mahfur, but there remained the issue of finding them. No one had even communicated with the Mahfur in over 100 years. They could have been wiped out for all the Algaer knew. This was a rather frustrating subject for Tripp, who was constantly planning and re-planning the trip.
“I told you, I don’t know if they use some sort of sign to indicate where they are. I am going to say probably not, because they are like Kitaw hiding in their hole. The cowards,” Kellin answered Tripp angrily.
“I’m just thinking of ways we can identify them.” Tripp answered defensively.
“Well, stop thinking,” Will replied, chuckling to himself.
“It’s not funny, Will. We could be lost out here for days. We don’t even know which mountain they live in,” Tripp replied.
“You said your ancestors traveled by boat to this place?” Will said, changing the subject.
/> “Yes, they sailed to this land to escape the Thohg-Behk and the Niphil, who ravage the lands on the other side,” said Kellin.
“The other side?”
“There are lands far from here, two places I know of, only from the texts which were given Tripp.”
“Ishari and Brahem,” Tripp interjected. Ironically, he was intrigued by the change of subject. “They are two cities the ancestors of the Algaer fled in order to get here.”
“Are we on a peninsula? Because there has been ocean on the west and on the east side of this place,” Will asked.
“Didn’t you see the map?” Tripp asked.
“No, I was busy with other things,” Will snuck a glance at Rya, who was quietly listening behind Tripp.
“We’re on an island, Will.” Tripp replied.
“Oh!” Will didn’t mean to sound stupid by his exclamation, but this was news to him. “How big is the island?”
“It is two days across by horseback and five days long,” replied Kellin.
“Where is Thohg-Behk?” Will asked, perplexed by the realization that they were surrounded by water.
“On another island, south of this one,” Kellin answered.
“Are there other people on the island? Other than the Algaer and the Ruik?”
“As far as I understand, the only tribes on the island are the Sahk-Behk, the Mahfur and the Niphil. There are rumors of more, but there is no way of knowing. We do not travel often for fear of the monsters of the forests,” Kellin ended gloomily.
“Like the Rohk?”
“Yes, and many others. Our world is plagued by them. They haunt our villages, our people, our children, even our dreams. They truly are evil incarnate. They live to please themselves by destroying and taking all that is good and corrupting it. Even the wretched Sahk-Behk were once a beautiful branch of our tribe.”
Will looked to Rya, trying to read any emotions she might be having but was unable to catch a glimpse of anything before she noticed.
“What happened to them?” Will continued.
“A long time ago, the Algaer and the Sahk-Behk were friends and helped each other to fend off the demons of the night. My ancestor, Raek the pure, was chief of the Algaer, and Saleek the brave was the chief of the Sahk-Behk. In that period of time, our peoples were fighting against the Thohg, but we were losing fast. In the battle of Ku-Nem, the Algaer, the Ruik and the Sahk-Behk stood side by side and drove the Thohg to what is now Thohg-Behk. The momentary success was nothing compared to the monumental defeat that followed. The Thohg came back tenfold, with demons from faraway lands, and crept back into our lives. It wasn’t long before the Sahk-Behk bent their knees. The Thohg snuck in beneath heavy darkness and killed Saleek, ending the Sahk-Behk’s leadership. The leader of the Thohg at that time was named Isabek. He had them pluck out their eyes to prove their loyalty to him, and as a means of punishment for their past grievances. As for the Ruik, they remained hidden to the north, and grew by avoiding the darkness. The Algaer remained and continued to fight, but the defeat of the Sahk-Behk had satisfied the blood lust of the Thohg. That is the reason why, for so many years, the Algaer has sought to help the Sahk-Behk the only way we know how: by stealing their children.”
Will stared into the distance. The sun had begun to set and dusk was upon them. The mountains to their right were beginning to become steeper and more jagged, revealing the tectonic shifts of the planet. Will suddenly realized it was time to make camp before there was no light.
“Let’s stop here,” Will announced so everyone could hear.
Camp took only moments to set up. First they tied the horses to different trees, then Kellin began building a fire. Tripp immediately began setting up his bed on the ground while Will pulled out food to cook on the fire. Rya remained aloof and stayed on the outskirts of camp, staring into the forest and listening for followers or creatures that might be drawn in by the fire. After eating, it was decided that shifts would be taken to keep watch during the night. Will would take the first shift, then Kellin, then Tripp, and Rya would take the last shift before waking the group for departure in the morning.
Will’s shift passed rather quickly because he couldn’t stop thinking, which up until now hadn’t been a problem. His whole world was constantly changing around him, and the pressure of another world was resting on his shoulders. In front of him laid Rya. Her form was beautiful and he caught himself watching her a number of times. Around him was a brand new world, full of history and power, unlike he had ever known on Earth. Above him was God, not physically, but that was where he looked when he thought about Him. He kept trying to avoid thinking about Him, no longer out of rebellion, but rather out of fear. Yet something in his mind was screaming at him for having ignored God, for not bowing and praising God, and Will couldn’t stand it. He didn’t pray, not now. He wasn’t ready. Eventually his shift ended and he woke Kellin, who humbly assumed his post, and the night drifted away with the stars.
16 Mahfur
Sweat began to drip down Will’s brow and roll into his eyes. It was getting hotter as they traveled further down the island. There were no clouds and the sun was able to shine directly on the group as they slept. Will’s mind incorporated the heat into his dream to justify the sweating. In his dream, he came to realize that he shouldn’t be sleeping while the sun is out; they should be leaving. Will’s eyes opened frantically, staring first at the position of the sun, and then at his cohorts who were laying fast asleep. Something was wrong. Why weren’t they awakened when the sun started to rise? His eyes went to where Rya was sleeping. There was nothing there, just an impression on the ground of where she used to lay. Will jumped to his feet and stood stiffly in the middle of the camp, searching for Rya. After staring off into the surrounding areas to no avail, he turned toward the two sleeping beside him.
“Wake up! We have to get going!” Will whispered as loud as he could.
Tripp woke first, “What’s wrong?” he asked lazily.
Kellin was already up and looking around at the scene and had come to the same conclusion as Will. Rya was gone.
“Let’s move out,” Will said angrily.
“I think she left a while ago. There was no struggle.” Kellin stood next to where Rya had lain, studying the features on the ground. Tripp had already begun packing up his bed, and the other two began preparing to leave as well. Will moved rather quickly and harshly. It was obvious he was worried.
Will neared the horses, saw that Rya’s horse was gone and continued toward his own. As he was preparing to throw his bag over the horse he noticed it; there was a large white speck over the horse’s eye, and its head was vibrating uncontrollably. Will was only two feet away when it all came together in his mind.
The Rohk stared at Will, attempting to see if he had been discovered. Its eyes darted from head to toe on Will. Will stopped in his tracks and gave a big smile. “At least I still have you,” Will said to the Rohk as sincerely as he could. Will’s hand was in his bag in a flash. He grabbed the hilt of his knife but held it in his bag until he was closer. When he was a foot away, he could smell death on the creature and see its raggedy mane. He pulled out his knife as quickly as he could and thrust at the creature’s neck.
It was a spoon.
The Rohk barely had time to realize what had happened and its reaction was slow and confused. The creature became less tense and loosened its form while staring madly into Will’s eyes. Its hind legs began to bend unnaturally, allowing the Rohk to stand at its full height. Its right arm, which was the size of a large brown bear’s, reached toward Will. Cruelty and malice filled its eyes and its slow pace heightened the suspense of the moment and the terror it created.
As it reached full height, something behind Will snapped and a thud hit the Rohk in its chest. Will turned to see Kellin fumbling for another arrow and heard the beast fall.
Kellin notched his second arrow and prepared for anything.
“Hiktar…” The beast growled. Will’s eyes widened and
he backed away.
“Hiktar, the chosen one, ha!” The beast gargled as he spewed out his last words.
“Chosen… as a sacrifice,” It choked one last time and closed its eyes.
Tripp was standing next to Will, and Kellin was off at an angle, prepared to take another shot just in case it was a ruse.
Tripp stared at Will and attempted to put his hand on his shoulder. Will shrugged it off and began to walk toward the shore.
Expressionless, Will stared at the ocean and continued to walk toward the water, out from under the trees. Will was only feet from the water when he faintly heard Kellin yell his name over the crashing waves. He turned toward a large rock that was tall enough to tower over the waves. Again Kellin called and said something, but Will didn’t hear. How could he hear over all this insanity? Where was he? Why was he there? Could he leave? This never-ending nightmare filled with monsters and foreign lands was just becoming too much. He took a seat on top of the rock and let his feet get close to the water. He closed his eyes and just breathed.
“Will, get away from there!” This time Will heard him.
Will opened his eyes and looked down into the water, where two eyes met his. Will cocked his head to the side and looked closer. As if a reflection, the eyes and what looked like a face did the same.
“Will!”
Another pair of eyes opened. They were both bright blue, almost fluorescent. Will pulled his feet back a little and something inside the water moved at the same speed. Was it a weird reflection? he thought. An arrow pierced the water where the eyes were. Will looked and both eyes were gone. A thought flickered in his mind, No, wait, come back. The eyes were peaceful and loving.
Two arms pulled him back, and he realized he was standing like he was about to dive into the water. Kellin held him with all his might.
“What are you doing!?” Will demanded.
The Crooked Staff (The Chronicles of Will Book 1) Page 9