by D Leon D.
ARUTERS
The exile in Tenebris
D Leon D.
Original title: Aruters: El exilio en Tenebris.
Author: D Leon D.
Cover illustration: Willder Valera.
English translation: Keyla Castillo
Copyright: All the reserved rights © 2017
IBSN: 9781973536048
All rights reserved. Published by D Leon D. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informal storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
To my parents, for being my guides.
To my brothers, for being my strength.
To Yoryi, for believing in me.
To Keyla, for supporting me.
To Gen, for everything.
ÍNDICE
PROLOGUE
FIRST PART.
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
SECOND PART.
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
THIRD PART.
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE
Aruters: The exile in Tenebris tells us the story of Ramsil, Ycze and Onevin, who after a series of events are forced to abandon what they have considered a home during their lives and cross their roads only to discover they have much more in common than what they could imagine, because the loses and the pain which they have gone through are not the only thing they share.
A story that reminds us of the value of friendship, the importance of family and where the romance is not absent, centered in mystery, intrigue, death, treason, fantasy and entangled in secrets which will hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end.
Welcome to the planet Tenebris.
Welcome to the exile.
FIRST PART.
Sacrifices.
Before sleeping, it would repeat over and over again in my head: “We are all exiled”. I belong to the planet Tenebris, located in the Andromeda galaxy, what we, its habitants, know as time it’s a vague measurement that actually doesn’t matter to us, –no one wants to measure time– a sun that spins around the planet once a year, practically on the other side of the universe, almost everything is in darkness, almost, five moons which change of phase to indicate the moment of the day we are, therefore, it’s a simple system if we take into account that time is relative in all its possible forms. As in every culture, there are also legends, myths, secrets in Tenebris, it’s supposed that everything in this planet has a natural order, but I want to know more, I don’t want to sleep every day with so many doubts in my head, maybe I’m going crazy, now it’s a custom to question the existence of everything before going to bed. I walk to the window and I watch the village: Aruland, as peaceful as always, its little cabins sheltering us against the cold of the night, I turn my face and I see him sleeping as if everything were Ok, who has said otherwise?, «Sometimes I wish I were normal» –I think– one second before analyzing the word “normal”, all of this bores me.
- Don’t be afraid – I hear someone says.
That voice is so familiar to me, always giving me advises or at least that’s what I feel. I find myself feeling tired already and I think I shouldn’t continue denying myself from sleeping, anyway life always goes on in a repetitive cycle, “Tomorrow it’ll be another day” I say that just before closing my eyes and falling asleep.
CHAPTER 1
I was awoken by the noise of a strong explosion, it was so sudden, I know that when I fell asleep I was in my room, however the next thing I heard was a crowd of Arudians begging for everything to end soon, I managed to distinguish a voice that shouted at me “Ybrian, run”, without having a chance to react I felt my body moving, I got out of my house stumbling just seconds before a second explosion affected the structure «I could’ve died there»–I think–, I run following the pace of the oscillating creatures that march in disorder away from the fire, I knew that one day this would happen, because the elders in Aruland had been warning us for at least two suns before, everything happens so suddenly, so quickly that without noticing it I was at the top of a flight of stairs, everything had happened so fast that I hadn’t noticed how tired I was, it took me a moment to breathe and it is then when I see it, I know what’s going on and I beg Soid, our deity, for this not to be true, then I realized that I was so scared that I didn’t think about Ramsil, I don’t know where he is, before leaving my home I didn’t think about looking for him, «Had he died with the second explosion?» without thinking about it twice I run back to my home, it’s possible that he’s gone, but I must try. Moving forward turns out to be difficult, because I’m running against the flow of the crowd, I stumble, I fall and I try to stand up again, but the fear of the population it’s stronger and they walk over me, I feel kicks and I hear people screaming, I protect myself with my arms on my face, as soon as I get a chance I get up, with all my body hurting so much that I can’t run anymore, but I keep moving forward, back home I can only see one thing, fire.
- Forgive me –I tell myself.
- Ybrian –I hear him scream– I see you, caref… –He doesn’t finish the phrase.
I just heard him and I try to look for him with my eyes, but I don’t see him, then a new explosion throws me a few feet back and I fall on my back on the ground, then I hear the steps of an army, «this can’t be happening» I had been trained to face this, but when the day has finally come I’m no more than a coward and a weak novice.
- I won’t be able to do it –I say aloud, expecting that Ramsil can hear me.
- Stay where you are! –He answers me back louder.
I remain on the floor after what Ramsil said, I know he can see me and perhaps he can see something else, he approaches me running without making too much noise, I guess he has heard the army that has arrived to Aruland.
- You can do it –He tells me– You can’t leave me, not today…–He finishes the sentence fully gasping for breaths when he reaches me.
- I need you to keep your promise, give me your hand.
He reaches his trembling hand with eyes full of tears, I take it and I close my eyes, the neon shine passes through some of my veins into his, it’s done, I have transferred him my greatest responsibility, and he’s the only one who can take it anyway, our blood connection has no conflicts.
- You know what you have to do, Ramsil, leave now, don’t follow me.
- Ybrian… –He pauses before continuing, not knowing what to say.
- Don’t say goodbye, just go. «I hope to see you again» –and I stay there, on the cold ground.
When I try to stand up I become aware of how little strength I have left to do it, I managed to look at the sky and the second moon waning just before my body is filled with a strange sensation
, I feel heavy, as if I were under water and I hear a voice, is it talking to me?
- «What does it say? I think it’s singing –I speculate in silence, I feel as if I were drowning at the bottom of an ocean, without being able to move, to breathe or to even see»
I don’t know how long it has been, it could’ve been several suns, maybe several phases of the moon, but something tells me it has only been two seconds, it this possible?, I’m still unable to see, but I hear what appears to be someone singing, I don’t know what it’s saying, I feel dizzy, maybe I have even died, deep down I wish I were dead, but I’m not, I recover my vision and I notice I’m lying on the floor on some sort of temple, there’s still someone singing, I wish this person wouldn’t stop doing it, but he does, he stops singing and he comes closer to look at me, it looks like a monk and he has a strange expression in what I assume it’s his face–my sight is still a little blurry– he seems confused about my presence there, he steps back without knowing what to do, I’m still unable to move, but I think he has heard something, with a quick movement he turns back to another side of the temple, he moves just enough to let me see a little more of the place and although I can see now, I don’t know where I am, but something is certain: I am not in Aruland anymore.
I gather with difficulty the little strength I have left and I move my sight in search of the monk, his appearance is solemn, impetuous, he’s wearing a robe with some flashes of light, and on top of his shoulders he has some sort of a crown that makes him seem taller than he is; he’s still moving, looking for something or someone. I think he’s talking with another monk, I can’t see him. I great pillar keeps him away from my vision, but even in my agony I hear a scream that clatters in the walls of the temple.
- You have to find her! Can’t you understand what she has taken with her? – I hear the monk says with so much anger that rings in my ears–I want Ycze back in the temple this very night, I don’t care what you must do.
With those words he puts an end to the conversation and walks back to where I’m still lying, with strength he grabs my face.
- What am I going to do with you? –In his eyes I can see so much rage as disappointment– something hasn’t gone right, although anyway you will die, I can’t leave any loose ends, not any more.
The last thing I think I see it’s a shining light inside the temple, followed by a strong and sharp sound, and then, nothingness.
CHAPTER 2
«She has died», Ramsil thought while he was running, he could feel it as if a part of himself had died with Ybrian, without having time to be able to cry or be sorry, he looked at the sky, the third moon was starting to wane, he kept on running, making way between the bushes and the thorn trees that announced the entrance to the Exile of Crystals, some kind of forest on the outskirts of Aruland, as dangerous as staying there during the attack, maybe he would have more chances getting out of there, without room for feeling nostalgic he ran until midnight, there were only five new moons in the sky, none visible. He had to rest.
He was so tired he fell asleep, he fell asleep before taking into account the risks, then the voice of Ybrian brought him back to the present, a memory he didn’t know he still had, a memory of a close past. It was a warm night, one of those you know are going to last for a long time, but you want them to last longer, they were together on the floor, eyes on the sky, so they could see the moons, like they used to.
- Ramsil, you have to promise me –she said between breaths because of the racing game where she had just won.
- What do you mean? –he asked trying to evade the gravity of the subject.
- You have to promise me that when the time comes you will take my Feider, you know we don’t have anyone else, Ramsil, promise me.
- You know I can only take it if you fail, and I know that’s not going to happen –he answered without looking at her face, but he knew she was looking at him.
In that moment the fourth moon was changing of phase in the sky of Aruland.
- I would feel more secure if you promised me, just that –She said, closing the subject again, giving him her back, without standing up.
- I promise –He finally expressed, while the fifth moon ended its transition, he thought by that moment she’d be asleep, but he was surprised to hear her answer.
- I have visions, Ramsil, I know that soon I will need you to keep your promise and to run in search of Cornelium.
- Ybrian… I promise –The promise came from the deepest of his being, his words burned him.
The memory seemed hard to be processed and at that moment it changed, he was then younger, maybe without even knowing how to walk, because he was sitting on the floor staring at his oldest sister: Ybrian –of about six suns of having been born– in the arms of their father, while he spoke with their mother, it was a muted memory, lacking of any detail he could hear, although he noticed his mother crying. The rest of the memory seemed like fixed images, dad giving a shiny kiss on the forehead of his sister just before leaving her on the ground to come closer to him and caressing his already messy silver hair and giving Ramsil a hug that he felt so close, dad hugging mom who wouldn’t stop crying, then he was just staring at the back of his father becoming smaller in the distance, when he could no longer see him, Ybrian came close to him and sat at his side, Ramsil saw her eyes full of tears and he was able to hear her say:
- Dad’s gone.
He woke up shaken up, a little sad and still nervous, for the first time in his life he was worried about time, how long had he slept?, he looked at the sky to check how many moons had changed of phase, verifying that barely the second moon showed an increasing thread of light, it hadn’t been long, but he had to continue.
He took a moment to check his surroundings, he had heard talks about the Exile of Crystals, but he had no idea of how beautiful and somber it could appear, a strange combination, that spectacle of crystals of all shapes, colors and sizes combined with a scarce vegetation, a little unusual, some trees with long logs and cups of leaves with sparkling flowers, were they made of crystals?, some vines that hugged the tallest crystals, they looked like their own veins, and now, with a full moon bathing in light all the crystals everything lighted up, without where to head to, he chose a path with the darkest crystals, he walked examining everything that he could in his path, focused on any movement or sound, just the breeze was heard whistle through the crystals, there was a strange silence that bothered him, the silence used to shout at him things he didn’t want to hear and at that moment it spoke of Ybrian, he missed her as if many suns had already passed since he last saw her, he felt her absence.
- «I must find Cornelium»–He went over it again, and at the same time he tried to recognize something on the way that would help him remember.
He heard some steps while he walked, he stopped to check that they weren’t part of his imagination, when he sharpened his sense of hearing he proved it, someone was close, rushing toward the direction he was in, he got scared and decided to hide, he looked around trying to find a place that could be used for this purpose, but there were only crystals, he decided to run too, however he no longer knew where the steps were coming from –steps that with each second were heard closer and closer– he made a quick choice, he found a good place to hide between some tall and dark crystals, just when he was crouching to hide from the sight of anyone who was after him, he was able to look at a pair of feet some steps far, he stood up quickly without being ready to run or fight and he saw her in front of him, it was a girl who seemed tired, she looked battered, he was about to ask her who she was or what she wanted, but the girl interrupted any kind of intervention.
- Run, they’re coming for me.
Without having decided whether to trust this girl or not, he thought running was the only thing that made sense, because he heard more steps that were no longer hers. The Exile of Crystals was a challenge to anyone’s sense of orientation, even knowing it well they took the risk of not locating the way back, «Will I go
back to Aruland someday?» –He reflected without stopping his run, without noticing it the girl was ahead of him and she looked back every few seconds to check that he was following her, she pointed out the way with her hands, he wasn’t sure if she knew the way to somewhere, but honestly he didn’t have another choice, at least by then he didn’t hear the steps of anybody else.
He was tired of running so much, he didn’t know if they were just running disoriented or if the girl actually intended to find something in specific, he rambled off about several hypotheses, but then he stumbled over something and fell face first on the floor, hurting his face with a crystal, any thought he had was blocked by the surprise of his fall, while he was pulling himself together again, the girl came back.
- Move, you idiot! –She told him, and at the same time taking his hand to help him.
- Wait! –He screamed, shocked by the intense pain he was feeling on his leg.
- Damn it, I don’t have time for this –Then she turned back and started running again.
- «What a way of keeping a promise –He thought– Now I don’t even know where I am».
A moment passed before the girl returned, she had something in her hands.
- Take this –She said, while she gave him something to swallow. Ramsil swallowed it, without knowing why that girl seemed trustworthy, she was rude and very rough, but instead of intimidating him, she made him feel safe.
- Who are you? –at last he asked the strange girl.
- If you don’t get up and run, I am someone who’s going to die because of you, move now!
- You said they were coming for you, why would I go with you? –It made sense to let her go alone.
- You got any other plan? –And actually he didn’t have any, so he stood up, almost painlessly now.
- What was that you gave me?
- Enough questions, move!