The Guardian of Threshold

by A. A. Volts

  We anxiously waited until he was almost over us. Then, when he lifted his giant foot and was about to step on us, we rolled away in different directions, making a lot of noise in the process.

  He stopped and looked around. Luckily, after a few seconds, he resumed his strides. Had we rolled in the same direction, he would’ve found us.

  I didn’t dare to move until I was absolutely sure he wouldn’t hear me.

  “What in the world was that thing?” asked Jonas.

  “That was a Bog soldier,” replied Nyx.

  “I take it he’s not on our side,” I said as I got up and dusted myself off.

  “The Bogs aren’t on anyone’s side except their own,” said Nyx.

  “Oh great,” said Jonas. “I’m making tons of friends tonight. I kind of hope all of this is nothing more than a terrible nightmare.”

  “Does this Bog thing live around here?” I asked.

  “No, they live further down. Earth Elementals don’t get along very well with, well anyone really, so they prefer to stay isolated. I have only been to their city a couple of times in the past when I was much younger,” explained Nyx.

  We continued to push forward as the sky gradually turned a tad brighter. Although it was still night, I could start to see our surroundings more clearly.

  The ground and foliage were also changing from predominantly snow white to mostly slushy yellow. The grass was frost-burned, with a few green patches here and there. We approached what seemed to be a raised wood boardwalk that led straight into the heart of the marsh. The trees here were mostly dried birch trees.

  “This place almost looks pretty,” said Carla.

  “I should warn you that I have only been outside a couple of times, so I don’t know that many places, but I do know this place. Just don’t expect a warm welcome, at least not at first,” replied Nyx.

  “Awesome, an adventure,” I said.

  “I think I’ve had enough adventures to last me a lifetime,” replied Jonas, smiling.

  As we followed the narrow white boardwalk, it stretched for miles as it curved in the distance.

  The once-luscious scenery slowly turned harsh. The deeper we ventured into the marsh, the worse it became.

  I was distracted when, out of nowhere, water came rushing toward us. That was when I learned the reason for such a high boardwalk.

  “Where did all this water come from?” I asked.

  “The Bog must have opened the dam. They flood the area at least a couple of times a day, sometimes more. It’s their way to keep anyone in their right mind from settling too close to them,” explained Nyx.

  “It seems to me that these creatures go through great lengths to be left alone, and yet that’s where we’re heading,” said Carla.

  “I don’t have a choice. I don’t have anywhere else to go,” replied Nyx, stepping on a rotten wooden plank. Nyx almost fell in the water, but thanks to Jonas she didn’t.

  “Thanks,” said Nyx, smiling. I could be wrong, yet I could have sworn she liked Jonas. But I wasn’t exactly an expert in the subject.

  ***

  “We’re getting closer,” she said, almost whispering.

  “I think I’ll wait for you guys by this tree over here,” said Jonas, stopping near an old tree and resting his back on its trunk.

  “Jonas!” said Carla.

  I turned too.

  “What? You guys look like you just saw a ghost,” Jonas said confused.

  I watched as Jonas looked at his feet and then realized that the tree roots resembled feet.

  As soon as his hands touched the tree bark, he screamed.

  “Holy crap! What’s this—” Jonas tried to jumped away but fell to the ground.

  “Oh no, I think you made it mad,” said Carla as we both watched the huge tree lift Jonas by the ankles.

  “Why did you disturb me?” said the tree.

  “I’m… really so sorry,” said Jonas as his face turned red from all the blood rushing into his head. He dangled upside down.

  “Who are you?” asked the tree.

  Nyx approached and ordered.

  “Put him down, Elder! They’re with me.”

  “Nyxy? Is that you, is that really you?” asked Elder.

  “Holy arboretum, I haven’t seen you since you threatened to burn me when you were just a little sapling,” Elder said, gently placing Jonas back onto the narrow boardwalk.

  “Elder, it is great to see you again. What are you doing here?” Nyx asked.

  “Well, don’t tell anyone, but things weren’t going so great at the Living Forest. So I crossed the Twilight River and settled here,” explained Elder as he shook his branches. Some dried leaves fell on us.

  “But what about the Bogs? Don’t they bother you?” asked Nyx.

  “They don’t even know I’m here. You see, I’m getting old, and I need constant water to keep my leaves healthy. This is the perfect place for me since they’re constantly releasing fresh water. They think they’re scaring others away, when in fact they are actually making my life pretty easy,” explained Elder.

  “But don’t you get lonely?” asked Nyx.

  “Oh, I’m not here alone. There’s a huge group of us. We chose to spread out a bit in order not to be so obvious.”

  “Do you think they’ll let us in?” asked Jonas.

  “I honestly don’t know, they aren’t exactly the fuzziest creatures in Threshold, but I choose to believe they aren’t all bad either, perhaps they’re just overprotective of their own kind,” explained Elder.

  “I have no choice. I just have to trust they will accept me,” said Nyx, sounding discouraged.

  “What’s going on?” asked Elder, raising his wooden eyebrows.

  “I’ve left Phasma, but this time I’m not going back,” said Nyx. Her skin started to change, and her orange eyes dilated and turned reddish orange, which warned us she was about to burst into flames again.

  “He’ll find you eventually, but I hope I’m wrong,” said Elder. The hairs on my arms and neck stood up just thinking about that possibility.

  “Elder, I may need your help,” said Nyx. “I mean, we may need your help.”

  “I don’t know how much help I can offer, but I’ll do what I can. I’ll pass the word to the others just in case, but I can’t promise anything from them. I’m here for whatever you need,” offered Elder, smiling compassionately.

  “Thank you, Elder. You’re a good friend. Right now, I just need to talk to Oldroot… hopefully, I’ll be able to see him,” replied Nyx.

  “Be careful. He’s still stubborn and even older than you remember. He’s getting crankier every season. I haven’t seen him in a while,” said Elder, pausing for a second. “If at all possible, please don’t mention that we are here.”

  “Don’t worry, we won’t,” I replied quickly.

  “It was very nice seeing you again, Elder,” Nyx said as she approached the old tree creature and gave him a gentle hug.

  “Take care, young sapling. Don’t forget to be careful. I sense that the winds are about to change,” replied Elder, backing away from the boardwalk and blending with the other trees in the marsh.

  “I have to admit, I didn’t like him at first, but he actually turned out to be pretty nice,” Jonas said.

  “We shouldn’t expect too much from Oldroot,” said Nyx as we pushed on.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  WATERTOWN

  After walking for a few minutes, I started to see the hazy shape of a gate in the distance. As we got closer, I noticed it was a big wooden gate with a guard on each side.

  “They don’t seem very friendly,” Carla said as we approached slowly and heard one of the guards grunt and ready his weapon.

  “We’re here to see Oldroot!” called Nyx.

  They looked at each other and then marched toward us.

  “We mean you no harm. Please get Oldroot,” said Nyx as they continued to march toward us.

  “Get back!” warned Nyx as her skin and eyes cha
nged rather quickly.

  Soon a ravaging fire ignited from within Nyx’s body. Even though I was few yards away, I could feel the shockwave passing through me.

  “Get me Oldroot before it’s too late!” yelled Nyx as flames burst from her body.

  For a minute, I thought the worst was about to happen, when suddenly we heard an old voice coming from the other side of the gate.

  “Nyxy? Is that you?” the voice asked.

  “Oldroot, I need your help,” Nyx said as the flames on her body diminished.

  “Calm down, Nyxy. Come on in, and we’ll talk,” Oldroot said as the guards backed up slowly but kept their weapons at the ready.

  “I guess he’s not that unreasonable,” said Jonas from way in the back.

  Nyx seemed to calm down, and her flames extinguished.

  The wooden gate creaked as it opened, and Nyx walked forward.

  Carla and I followed Nyx from a safe distance, just in case Oldroot changed his mind. Jonas seemed to be doing the same, except that he was well behind us. I guess Jonas realized we would be safer in a group because he came running toward us, crashing into Carla.

  “Watch where you’re going,” complained Carla.

  “Sorry, this place gives me the creeps,” Jonas replied.

  “I need your help,” Nyx said even before the wooden gate was fully opened.

  We couldn’t see anyone inside due to the thick grey fog. The only exception was a tall and rather large outline of a person in the fog.

  Suddenly the outline became darker, and a hole in the fog formed to reveal Oldroot as he walked toward us with gigantic strides. His eyes glowed green. He looked like an old and rather large baby, except that he was composed of yellowish roots and a variety of fungi that seemed to grow wildly all over his body, particularly around his face, stomach, and feet. He looked as cranky as his reputation.

  Jonas stopped in his tracks. Carla was much braver and continued to inch forward with Nyx and me.

  “Oldroot, I need a place to hide for a while,” Nyx said. “These are my new friends. They must not be harmed. They’ll be on their way as soon as they know I’ll be okay.”

  “Certainly, Nyxy. You have grown a lot since I last saw you,” replied Oldroot.

  “It was many cycles ago since I last saw you. I’m sorry for intruding like this, but this is the only place I know of,” said Nyx.

  I sensed something was bothering her.

  “Can we trust him?” Jonas whispered to us.

  “I don’t think we have much of a choice at the moment,” replied Carla.

  As soon as we walked inside the town I understood why the place was called Watertown. The whole town floated on top of long and complex boardwalks that were illuminated by torches. Next to the main boardwalk there were several dock-style shops and houses.

  Everything was made out of wood. Yet instinctively, I knew it wasn’t regular wood from trees but wood from creatures just like Oldroot. Creatures that had been destroyed long ago. The whole place felt morbid and sinister.

  The boardwalk wobbled. I’d never had a weak stomach, but the radical swaying motion was starting to make me queasy. Apparently I wasn’t the only one.

  “I think that I’m going to get sick,” Jonas said as we followed Oldroot deeper into the town.

  “Here we are,” Oldroot said as fungus spores flew from his mouth as he spoke.

  I noticed that some spores landed on my right arm and shoulder, but I didn’t dare remove them. After all, I couldn’t risk offending him.

  Jonas, however, quickly dusted himself off and wiped his hands on his pants, drawing concerned looks from Oldroot, Nyx, Carla, and me.

  “Please rest. I’ll have someone come and get you once you’ve had a chance to rest,” said Oldroot, looking wary of Jonas.

  “Thank you, I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” replied Nyx.

  “Don’t worry, Nyxy, I’m sure you’ll find a way,” Oldroot said, finally looking away from Jonas as he started to walk away.

  Oldroot left us outside an old wooden shed.

  “I think we’re supposed to rest inside,” said Carla.

  “This doesn’t look like the sort of place where one can rest,” Jonas replied.

  I opened the door slowly. It creaked as moonlight entered the shed and illuminated the dirty wooden floor. One of the first things I noticed were the dust particles reflecting the moonlight… next came the horrid smell. It smelled like old, rotten, and wet wood. Not only could I smell but I could also see the mold and mildew on the floor and walls. It wasn’t a very nice place. In fact, the Cave of Sorrows seemed much more hospitable.

  “This isn’t my idea of nice place to stay,” said Jonas as we entered the shed.

  “This will do just fine,” said Nyx.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here?” Carla asked, concerned.

  “I’ll be fine,” replied Nyx.

  ***

  Despite Nyx’s confidence, something didn’t seem right. I could feel it in my bones. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t quite figure out what was bothering me.

  “Something is not right,” I said.

  “Everything is fine, don’t worry,” Nyx assured me.

  “No, Mark is right. Something is wrong,” said Carla. She had been quiet for a while, so I knew something was bothering her too.

  “I agree. I don’t like this one bit,” added Jonas. “I had a bad feeling about this since the beginning.”

  “I don’t know, I think everything is fine,” said Nyx, pacing back and forth.

  “Think about it, isn’t Oldroot supposed to be cranky?” I asked.

  “Yes, he was when I met him before, but I guess things change,” replied Nyx.

  “According to Elder, he’s supposed to be crankier than ever,” I said as I went to the door to peek outside.

  “What do you see?” Jonas asked.

  “Trouble,” I whispered.

  “What do you mean?” asked Carla, coming closer to peek out as well.

  “Two armed guards outside our shed kind of trouble,” I replied.

  “We need to figure out a way out of here,” said Carla, looking at Nyx and I for suggestions.

  Carla wasn’t sure of what to do next, and Nyx wasn’t yet completely convinced we were in trouble.

  “Nyx, I know we haven’t known each other for a very long time, but where we come from people are very deceptive. So I know the telltale signs when someone is trying to be deceitful,” I said.

  “Maybe Oldroot placed the guards there to protect us from Phasma,” Nyx replied, sounding almost desperate.

  “If they’re truly there to protect us, then they shouldn’t mind if we try to walk around,” suggested Carla.

  “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. They do have stores here, right?” I asked.

  “Yes, they trade all sorts of goods,” replied Nyx. Jonas seemed mesmerized by her; he was looking straight into her big orange eyes.

  “What’s the closest store?” I asked.

  “Well, there are some in the center of town, but I suppose the closest one would be the Kunkanly Store. I don’t like that place, though,” replied Nyx.

  “Kunkanly? What is that?” Carla asked.

  “Kunkanly is where they sell and exploit harmless creatures for a profit. Manuk runs the place,” explained Nyx.

  “So it is like a pet store?” said Jonas.

  “Nyx doesn’t know what a pet store is. She has no point of reference,” added Carla.

  “Actually, I do. I’ve visited Earth many times before,” replied Nyx, surprising us all.

  “Okay then, we’ll tell the guards that we’re going to the town center, and we’ll see if they’ll let us go. If they don’t, then I guess we’ll just have to make a run for it,” I said.

  “Nyx, you go first, and we’ll follow you,” suggested Carla.

  Nyx opened the door slowly and carefully so as not to startle the Bog guards.

  As soon as they noticed
her, they blocked her way with their spears.

  “We’re going to the town center to look at some of the stores,” said Nyx as the guards exchanged confused looks.

  “Very well, don’t be long,” one replied.

  I followed Nyx outside. The water level seemed to have risen, as did the rotten smell. If I had to guess, I would’ve said they opened the dam again, almost flooding Watertown and flooding the swamplands surrounding it.

  As we walked toward the town center on the narrow boardwalk, I looked back and noticed that the guards weren’t standing guard at our shed anymore. They were discreetly following us.

  “Guys, don’t look back. We’re being followed,” I warned.

  Much to my disbelief, Jonas turned around and looked back several times before I pulled him by the arm.

  “I said don’t look back!”

  “You can’t tell someone not to look back and expect them not to. If you didn’t want me to look back, you shouldn’t have said anything,” replied Jonas.

  “Here we are,” Nyx said.

  I looked around and found everyone looking at us.

  ***

  The store was a large wooden building with windows that resembled glass and a sign that read “Kunkanly Store, Since 6932 WC.”

  “What’s WC?” I asked.

  “It stands for wind cycles. We don’t count time as you do on Earth. Time here exists exclusively for organizational purposes. One of your years on earth is three WC here in Threshold,” Nyx explained.

  “Welcome, dear strangers. What brings your kind to my humble store? Would it be this precious and rare gold dragon?” asked the creature behind the counter.

  He couldn’t have been more than four feet tall. He stood on top of a wooden platform that made him look taller.

  He reached behind the counter and waved at a translucent cage, which promptly opened to reveal a small, dubious dragon. The dragon took flight and flew around the store several times, as if it had been trained. He must have been worth a small fortune for he looked gorgeous and menacing. I had never seen anything like it before.

  “We’re not here to shop. We are simply looking around,” replied Nyx.