by Blair Drake
And then something extraordinary happened. Something Jasper would never believe if he hadn’t witnessed it himself. The silverback slowly crumpled to the ground and curled up in a ball. The howls became whimpers as the beautiful animal rocked himself to and fro. With his hands over his head, it was like he was trying to hide from the rest of the world.
Before Jasper’s eyes, the gorilla’s coat became the rough homespun tunic Rylan wore. The silver slash on his back became Rylan’s long hair and beard. Bit by bit, the gorilla disappeared, and in its place lay the healer. Jasper stood frozen to the spot, stupefied. And then Rylan’s arms lowered, and he opened his eyes. Though it was still dark, Jasper saw the exact moment Rylan became aware of his presence.
The old man’s tawny eyes widened in shock, and a curse fell out of his mouth. “Jasper!” he cried. “What are ye doing here?”
Chapter 8
Jasper gulped, stunned beyond words. He’d never seen anything like it. Even now, he wondered if perhaps he was dreaming. And then Rylan spoke again.
“What are ye doing here, Jasper? Ye should be asleep. Ye had no right sneaking up on me like that—no right at all.” By then, Rylan had climbed to his feet and anger radiated off him in waves.
Jasper refused to be intimidated. “You woke me with your screams. I thought you were an animal. I thought you were in distress. I didn’t know if you were caught in a trap, or what was going on. All I knew was it sounded like you needed help.”
Rylan drew nearer, his steps slowing. “Ye thought I was a wounded animal? Ye followed the sound so that ye could offer help?” His tone was filled with curiosity and wonder as if he couldn’t quite believe what Jasper said.
“Yes.” Jasper thrust out his jaw at a stubborn angle, refusing to accept the blame. It wasn’t his fault Rylan sounded like he was hurt. Jasper had only tried to help.
Rylan’s expression softened. He closed the distance between them and reached out to touch Jasper on the shoulder.
“Ye are a good man, Jasper Walker. No wonder ye were chosen for this quest. Ye didn’t even know what kind of danger lay ahead, and yet ye were prepared to put everything on the line for someone else. I haven’t forgotten, it’s not the first time, either. Ye have a heart of gold.”
Rylan’s words bounced off him. Jasper shrugged the man’s hand away. He didn’t want pretty words. He wanted an explanation. “What happened back there?” he demanded.
Rylan regarded him steadily for a long moment and then finally let out a heavy sigh. “Forget about it.”
Jasper shook his head in disbelief. “Forget about it? You have to be kidding! You were a real, live silverback gorilla, crying like his soul was destroyed. Then you morphed back into Rylan. How do you expect me to forget that? What are you, some kind of weird, reverse shapeshifter?”
Rylan didn’t answer. Instead, he hobbled out of the clearing, through the forest and back to where they were camped. The whole time, Jasper’s thoughts spun wildly around in his head as he came to terms with the most bizarre thing he’d ever witnessed.
Okay, he knew Rylan was a healer and had magical powers in that regard, and he was beginning to accept that. He really was. But watching the man change from a silverback gorilla to a human was disconcerting, to say the least. He wasn’t over the shock of it.
As if sensing his turmoil, Rylan took a seat on the fallen tree trunk beside their camp and undid the strap on his knapsack. Feeling around inside, he pulled out a small piece of cheese.
“Tisn’t much, but it’s something,” he said, offering it to Jasper. “It might help settle yer stomach.”
Jasper took the food gratefully and murmured his thanks. Though they’d eaten earlier, he was still hungry. The berries and hares they’d feasted on previously could no longer be found, and the two men were left with the meager contents of Rylan’s knapsack.
He couldn’t wait to reach the river where they might catch some fish. The very thought of the sweet succulent taste of fresh catfish cooked over an open fire made his mouth water. He noticed Rylan didn’t eat and immediately felt guilty for having more than his share. He handed the food back to the healer.
“Here. It’s not right that I should eat when you don’t. I understand we need to be careful with our supplies. We still have quite a way to go before we reach the river. I don’t want us to run out. Besides, my stomach’s fine.”
“Take it, boy,” Rylan replied, waving away Jasper’s offer. “Believe me when I tell ye, yer going to need it. Ye don’t want an empty stomach if yer going to listen to the story of how I was given the power to shift into a gorilla. I’m telling ye, it’s not pretty.”
Jasper nodded, filling with curiosity. His initial fear and shock were wearing off. Now he just wanted to know how it came to be. He put the cheese in his mouth and slowly chewed, savoring the tasty treat. Rylan closed his knapsack and cleared his throat. Somehow, he seemed older, grayer, more fatigued. Jasper could only guess the effort it took to change from the human form and back again.
“I’ve already told ye how I fell in love with King Defyron’s daughter and how he cursed me with this evil spell making me old before my time. What I didn’t tell ye was that he also cursed me with the ability to change out of my human form and into a silverback gorilla. Ye are on the right track when you called me a reverse shapeshifter.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I’ve never thought of it that way before, but that’s exactly the way ’tis. I start out as human and become a wild animal. Fortunately, I also have the power to change back.”
“You’re saying the King did this to you as some other form of revenge?” Jasper asked, still trying to get his head around the whole thing.
“Yes. He thought it would be funny and knew darn well it would mean I could never love again— or have someone fall in love with me. After all, who could love a man who was half man, half gorilla? It’s bad enough that I’m a shriveled up old man.”
“You mean, he did it out of spite, so that you’d never know love again?”
“Some people use their powers for good. Others use it for evil. The King is one of the latter.”
“But you must have some control over it,” Jasper insisted. “I’ve been with you for almost a week, and this is the first time I’ve seen you in that state.”
“The only control I have ’tis the control I have over my own feelings. When I get down or depressed and I let those feelings overwhelm me, the next thing I know, I’m a silverback. King Defyron did that on purpose, ye see. He knew losing the love of my life would be a heavy blow—that I would be sad beyond measure. He also anticipated that as the years passed, my heart might heal and I could find someone else to love.”
Rylan smiled sadly. “The irony is, my love for Aeysha was all consuming. She was my soul mate, my lover, my friend. There would never be another who could take her place. The King didn’t understand the depth of my feelings for his daughter, or he would never have considered I might try and find someone else.
“So I’m stuck in this tired old body with my healing powers fading fast, and every now and then when it all gets too much for me, I transform into the silverback. There is nothing I can do to stop it, and every day I feel weaker than the last. All I want is for my strength and vigor to be restored so I can heal the sick, the dying, and the people who are hurt. I don’t care that I look ugly or I scare small children in the street. My destiny is to be a healer, and even though the King might not realize it with this curse, the King took away the most important thing he could.”
Rylan sighed and scratched at his beard. Jasper waited for him to continue.
“It’s a vicious cycle from which there’s no escape. The sadder I get about my lot in life and the people I’m unable to help, the more often I have to deal with shifting to the ape.
“That’s what happened tonight. My bones are aching, my muscles sore. My heart is hurts even more. We still have many days ahead of us, and there’s no guarantee we can even reach the cave in time. The end is drawing near, an
d there’s nothing I can do about it. Each time I shift to a silverback, I lose another piece of myself, and it wearies me beyond measure. I lose my strength, and it never returns as strong as it was before. Soon, I will have nothing left to give. That’s when my heart will give up, and I’ll lose the fight.”
Jasper stared at him, aghast. “No! You can’t give up like that! You’re a wonderful healer. You have so much to give! The world needs people like you! Especially your world!”
Rylan shook his head sadly. “That might be so, and inside this tired old body, I’m still a relatively young man. Unfortunately, the King’s curse ages me before my time, and what ye see on the outside will eventually take over everything inside.”
“Unless I can break the spell in time,” Jasper finished quietly.
Rylan looked at him. “Yes, unless ye can find the golden stone and break the spell in time.”
He lifted his gaze to Jasper’s. The sun’s earliest rays struck the branches around him and streamed down through the canopy of green leaves. Its filtered light illuminated the desolation in Rylan’s eyes. Jasper’s heart clenched with sadness. He’d come to like and respect the healer. He cared about how the man felt. It distressed him to see Rylan so upset, and Jasper was determined to do all he could to put an end to the man’s suffering.
He’d find the damned magic stone and break the spell once and for all, even if it was the last thing he did.
The sun had climbed much higher in the sky by the time Jasper and Rylan broke their fast, packed up their meager possessions, and started off on their journey. Their packs felt lighter as their strength built up and the weight of their food diminished. They walked for some time in silence before Rylan spoke.
“Thanks for listening last night, Jasper,” he said without turning around. “I burdened ye, and ye took it like a man. Ye are a good man. Don’t let anyone tell ye different.”
Rylan’s voice was gruff with emotion. Jasper compressed his lips against a surge of feeling. He loved his father like any son should, but he left home for boarding school at the age of twelve. He’d never been given the opportunity to know him like this, on a more equal footing, man to man. His affection for Rylan felt akin to something he might feel for his father, if he were ever given the chance.
His father wanted him to go into construction, build condos and apartment blocks, like he did. Jasper hadn’t found the courage to tell his dad he wanted other things in life. Jasper preferred science over construction and wanted to study forensics and maybe apply to the FBI. He like solving puzzles, mysteries, crimes. He guessed, when he thought about it, he was perfect for Rylan’s quest. He had physical strength when he needed it and an enquiring mind that should make it easier to find clues. He only hoped it would be enough to save Rylan.
They continued forward. The thick undergrowth of the rainforest eased, and more and more light filtered through the canopy above them. The air had also risen in temperature but seemed less humid. Jasper looked forward to reaching the other side of the forest and making it to the river.
“I never showed ye my locket while I told my sorry tale last night,” Rylan said, breaking the silence. “Would ye like to see it?”
“Of course,” Jasper replied and moved closer.
Rylan’s hand reached inside his homespun shirt and a moment later emerged with a golden locket caught between his fingers. Jasper leaned forward and touched the fine gold.
“I gave an identical one to Aeysha the night before I attended upon her father. Neither of us had any idea he would banish me from her presence forever.”
“What happened to hers?”
“I don’t know. Nobody could tell me. They couldn’t even tell me where she was buried.”
“What’s inside it?”
With fingers that weren’t quite steady, Rylan picked at the clasp. A moment later, the locket opened. Jasper moved closer until he saw a charcoal likeness of a woman so beautiful she snatched his breath. Her long hair framed a perfect face. Big eyes stared back at him. It was almost as if she saw right into his very soul. Though the picture was in black-and-white, he realized he’d seen her before, in the dream he had at Rylan’s.
“The locket I gave to Aeysha contained a picture of me, the way I used to be. Each time I shift to the silverback, it takes a little more out of me. It takes longer for me to recover. It’s like the King is jeering at me from his throne, over and over. He takes glee in knowing I’m slowly dying.”
Rylan dragged in an unsteady breath and glanced at Jasper. “Ye don’t know how hard it’s been for me to keep up this pace over the past week, to keep going when my legs feel like giving out.”
Jasper looked at him in surprise. “But you’re so fit! I’ve struggled to keep up with you! Many times I’ve marveled at your stamina. Don’t tell me it’s all been an act?”
“We all believe what we want to believe and see what we want to see. Ye expected me to keep a fast pace. I keep telling ye we’re running out of time. I could hardly slack off and rest every time I felt like it, no matter how hard it’s been to go on.”
Jasper regarded him solemnly. “We need to get to the stone and break the spell, and we need to do it soon.”
Rylan nodded, his expression serious. “Yes.”
After tucking his precious locket inside his shirt, Rylan continued picking his way through the rotted vegetation covering their path. Jasper followed behind him in silence, lost in thought. He considered the challenge ahead and prayed he was up to the task. Yes, he’d been given the power of supernatural strength, but what if that weren’t enough?
“What happens if I manage to find this stone and break the curse?” he asked.
Rylan glanced back at him and then continued walking. “I’ll be restored back to the age I should be. Thirty-nine, if I’m not mistaken. My health, my life would lie ahead of me. I’d no longer be an old man on the verge of death. Who knows? I might even have the energy to begin searching for my daughter, or at least to confirm the truth about what happened to her all those years ago.”
“I remember you told me once your daughter’s name was Willow. She looked like you, didn’t she?”
“Yes, at least that’s what I was told. I never met her. By the time I found out about what happened, our baby had disappeared.”
Jasper shook his head. “I can’t imagine fathering a child and never meeting her. It must have been tough.”
Rylan nodded, his eyes reflecting his sadness. “It’s still tough. Not a day goes by I don’t think of her and her lovely mother. I refuse to believe my daughter’s dead. I tell myself she’s alive and well and living the best life she can. If I manage to beat this thing, I’m determined to seek out the truth. To find her.”
Jasper reached out and squeezed Rylan’s arm. “I’m going to break that curse, Rylan. I promise you. You’ll have your chance to find your daughter. After all you’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do. Besides, it’s the reason I’m here, right?”
Rylan patted Jasper’s arm. Jasper understood the healer was grateful for his reassurance that he’d continue, even if the old man didn’t quite believe it. As the days wore on and Rylan’s strength was tested to the limits, Jasper’s confidence they’d achieve their goal diminished.
That was fine. Rylan was entitled to feel dubious. Jasper literally arrived from another planet. The fact Rylan recognized him as the one he was waiting for only counted for so much. At the end of the day, it was up to Jasper to prove he had what it took. He hoped he was up to the test.
Out of nowhere, the heavens opened up and dropped a bucket load of rain. The canopy had thinned and within moments, the two were drenched to the skin. The warm rain was a welcome relief from the heat. Still, they were some way from the river, and Jasper didn’t want anything to slow them down. Shouting over the din, Jasper urged Rylan to keep going and they continued to slog through the rain and mud, sometimes sliding to their knees on the slippery path.
The going was tough and, not for the first ti
me, Jasper admired Rylan for his courage and endurance. The old man held the lead and barely faltered. He plowed through the foliage, tugged up his collar, ignored the driving rain, and simply continued forward.
Just as quickly as it started, the rain shut off and the sun came out, steaming them dry. Jasper didn’t know which was worse: being drenched to the skin or steaming to death. He felt like he was cooking from the inside out, his every breath labored. When Rylan finally called for a rest, a grateful Jasper fell down beside him.
“How much further?” he gasped, hating Rylan’s breath seemed no faster than usual.
“We’re making good time, boy. Ye are doing well. We should hit the river before dark.”
The thought of them being so close to one of the major turning points in their journey filled Jasper with a rush of anticipation. Reaching the river meant they were that much closer to their final destination. It also meant they’d be free of the rainforest and all the difficulties they faced there. No more gnats and mosquitoes. No more sleeping on damp and moldy ground. No more man-eating spiders—bigger than they ever had a right to be. No more air so hot and humid he could barely breathe.
Rylan handed him a small piece of what looked like beef jerky, and Jasper put it in his mouth.
“It’s a good thing we’re nearly at the river,” Rylan mused. “We’ve just eaten the last of our supplies, and I haven’t been able to find fresh nuts or edible berries for days.”
Jasper chewed more slowly, savoring every subtlety and flavor he could from the small piece of food. He was hopeful Rylan knew a thing or two about fishing because Jasper didn’t have a clue. His father was always busy running a company and never had time to fish. His mother would die at the thought of threading a worm or any other squirming, squishy, living thing on the end of a hook.
Once again, Rylan seemed to read his mind. “We should be eating fresh fish tonight. That thought should be enough to keep ye going.” He chuckled.
Jasper grinned. “I swear you read my mind.”