by Toni Cox
“Over time most of his divine knowledge was lost. Most of The People forgot the Allgod and everything he had taught them. The knowledge of The Channel, and the Gates through which one travelled, faded from memory until The People of only a few planets still remembered this connection. To preserve the knowledge, The People elected The Elders, who, still to this day, are the guardians of The Channel and rule it strictly.”
During his telling of the story, Silas had taken out an old scroll outlining the relation of the planets to each other in the universe. Not every planet was linked with every other planet, some only linked to three or four. Elveron was linked to Earth, Naylera and Karakrr, but one could still travel to the other planets if they used one of those links. It was a complicated, but Luke and Jasmin were fascinated.
“So you can connect to other planets by going via Earth for instance?”
“That is correct, Luke. Every planet is accessible if one knows how to get there. The only planet we cannot visit any more is Brath. Its people have destroyed it and nothing lives there. It is a dead wasteland.”
“And every planet is home to a different race? That is amazing. In our myths and legends at home, the different races always inhabit the same world.”
“What do you mean?” Silas asked with genuine interest.
“Well, we have stories and fantasy books about Dwarfs and Elves and other creatures. They often feature together in the same story. We also have stories about Vampires, winged horses and giants. Our mother used to read them to us when we were young. The ones about the Elves were always our favourite.” Luke smiled at the memory.
“And Fairies. I really used to like the Fairies,” Jasmin added.
Silas smiled. “The different planets used to trade with Earth, many, many centuries ago. Maybe that is where your people got the inspiration for your stories.” Silas went quiet for a moment, thinking. “I used to have a friend on Earth, Merlin was his name. I helped him erect the Gate you now call Stonehenge. His king at the time used to invite us to visit with him often. He was very interested in our magic. Merlin was the only Human I ever met that had any real knowledge of magic. That is why he became the Elder responsible for your Gate. I was saddened when he passed, although he lived longer than most Humans, because of the magic.”
“You knew Merlin?” Luke asked, and both siblings stared at him. “We thought those were just stories. That is amazing.” Turning to Jasmin, Luke said, “Dad always used to joke that he was some long lost descendant of Merlin. We used to think it was a fantastic story.”
“Yes, he was a good friend, and quite real, I assure you.” Silas rose, rummaged through one of his shelves and returned with another old scroll, which he unrolled for the siblings to see.
“This is some of his writing. These are the original plans to Stonehenge and how it was built. That is his handwriting and drawings you see here. He gave it to me for safekeeping when he passed, as at the time there was some unrest between the clans of your people and war was threatening. He did not want it to fall into the wrong hands.”
With great reverence, Luke took the scroll from Silas and he and his sister studied it for a while.
“I think Queen Charlotte the second would love to get her hands on these schematics,” Luke said wistfully, but at the look on Silas’ face quickly added, “but of course she can’t. Your secret is safe with us, Silas.”
Silas talked with the siblings a while longer, before they said good night and left him. Luke and Jasmin both loved learning the histories of Elveron and were diligent students. He enjoyed teaching them. He had grown especially fond of Luke. He was a serious student and a quick learner. Already he had learned how to steep leaves to make a poultice for drawing out infection. He knew how to peel the bark of a birch tree, soak it in water until moist, to be formed into a cast for a broken arm. He could suture a wound, soothe a cold, cure a headache and knew of various teas to calm the mind or induce sleep.
Jasmin had also done well. She could now walk in the forest without making a sound, learned the difference between the scat of a prey animal and that of a predator and knew how to recognise the spoor of different animals. Maia would be so proud of them when she returned.
Also, Silas had made a startling discovery. It seemed that when the Humans left Earth, they had not been as healthy as they were now. For one, Luke had needed eye glasses to see properly and especially to read, which he could do now without them. Aaron had discovered that his scar on his right calf from a work accident was no longer there, and neither were the aches and pains that often assaulted his joints. The acne scars on Luke’s back were also completely gone. Jasmin had also mentioned that she used to get very ill once every Moon Cycle, for a reason Silas could not fathom, but that she was healed from it now.
The only conclusion Silas could come up with was that Maia had healed them as they crossed over. He made some notes in his book. He would discuss this with Maia when she returned from Braérn.
Whatever she did, it must have healed their ailments and changed their language. This is becoming more complicated every day, he thought.
He also made a note about Luke’s comment. It might have just been a fantastic story to the children, but if they were, indeed, somehow related to Merlin, then that would explain a lot of what happened. The Humans might have dormant magic in them after all.
Midnight met them a few miles from the city. The horses shied and whinnied in fright as he landed in front of them. Maia reached out with her mind to calm the animals, before jumping off Fire to greet Midnight. Closing her eyes, she leaned against him and breathed in his heavy dragon smell.
He would usually wait until after dark to see her, and then often a distance away from the people and the horses, so as not to cause alarm. However, the few days in Braérn had been so emotional for Maia, she had not been able to hide her feelings from him. He was worried and had insisted that she meet him as soon as they left the city. It had taken her a little while to explain the situation to the people from Tarron Heights, who were travelling with them for the return trip.
Jaik gathered up Fire’s reins and led the stallion and the group of people away, while Maia ran up Midnight’s leg to settle on his back.
“We will make camp at sundown by the second bridge. You can meet us there.” Jaik waved at her, then rode on, the others following.
Midnight waited until all the horses were out of sight, before he spread his leathery wings. Maia felt his muscles bunching beneath her and suddenly they were in the air. She held fast to the plated ridges along his neck and savoured the speed with which he rose into the sky.
Soon, her companions were mere specs below her and the river a silver serpent slithering across the land. They circled higher and higher, the air becoming colder as they climbed. Maia nestled closer to his warm skin. Finally, he levelled out and glided over the land, so high that she could not see his shadow below.
They flew together the whole day, sharing their feelings, and Maia told him about her concerns for her people, the attacks, and even her strange dreams and the stranger from the courtyard. Although dragons did not exactly think like people, the emotions she felt and worries she had were something Midnight could relate to and she found comfort in his thoughts, and for the first time in days she felt safe and relaxed.
She met with her brother and the others every night on the way home, but she spent the nights nestled close to Midnight’s skin and flew with him throughout each day. It gave her time to sort through her feelings and, although most her questions remained unanswered, she was more settled by the time they reached home.
It was early evening when Maia and the others finally returned to Shadow Hall. By the time they had put the horses away, the sun had already set behind the mountains and Aaron was nervous to see her. The torches and lanterns along the path to the stables were lit and glinted between the trees as he stood at the top of the ridge, watching their approach. Even though he was anticipating Maia’s return, the beauty of the cit
y at night with all the lights in the darkness was not lost on him. Earth had never been this beautiful, at least not in his lifetime.
He heard a sound then and looked up along the path. He was not the only one awaiting their arrival. Once word had spread of their return, a small congregation of Maia’s family, some Elders and a small host of others from the city came out to greet them. He now stood next to Jagaer and had to suppress his reaction when he saw Maia walk up the path. She looked like a goddess, even in her simple travelling clothes.
Then, much to Aaron’s delight, Jagaer decided to hold an impromptu feast once he discovered that the people from Tarron Heights had returned as well. Everyone went to the Gathering Grounds, fires were lit and Jagaer even ordered a barrel of wine to be brought from the caves.
During the meal, the kids held much of Maia’s attention as they asked her questions of the city she had visited. She seemed a little subdued, almost sad, but answered all their questions in detail. He listened as well, her voice music to his ears.
After the meal, Aaron plucked up his courage and invited Maia to sit with him. He exchanged a quick glance with Luke, and the siblings moved away, leaving him alone with Maia. He fetched two goblets and poured them some wine. He had never really seen her drink, but when he handed her the cup, she put it to her lips and took a sip. She smiled her thanks at him, making his heart skip a beat.
“We will be finished with the house in a few days. It has been a lot of work, but it has now really taken shape. I think you will like it,” Aaron said, twisting his goblet in his hands.
Maia looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling in the firelight. Without answering, she took another sip from her own goblet, before returning her gaze to the fire.
How can she be even more beautiful now? he thought.
The days while she was gone had been torture. During the day, he had put all his energy into the construction of the house. In the evenings, they often sat with Silas while he told them about the history of their world and other planets. At night, however, lying alone in his bed with nothing to distract him, his thoughts always returned to Maia.
Although he had struggled in the beginning to come to terms with their situation, once he recognised Maia for who she was, things had become very clear to him. No matter what planet they were on or what the people called themselves, as long as Maia was here, this was where he belonged. He would win her heart, one way or another. She had fallen in love with him once before and he hoped, given time, she would again. True, she was both younger and older than the Lisa he knew and he was hardly anything to look at by the standards of her people. There were other things he could offer her, though, and he would do everything in his power to make her see it.
He would have to go slowly. He did not want to rush her and frighten her away. Every time he looked at her, his heart beat faster and his loins tightened. He couldn’t help it. He was afraid she would notice and he took great care when he spoke to her, so as not to let his emotions take charge of his words.
“Your people have done a great job of getting the tree to accept the house. I have never seen anything like it.”
This won another smile from her and she looked back at him. He was transfixed by her sparkling, green eyes.
“Ten of them came the day after you left. The main structure of the house had by then been put up between the four main trunks. I thought the house was already secure and ready for the finishing touches, but then they all stood around the trees, holding hands and chanting and then, slowly at first, but then faster and faster, new shoots shot out from the main branches and they encircled the framework and anchored it in place.”
He knew he was babbling. She probably knew better than he how they got the tree to accept the houses, but she was listening, watching him, and he wanted to hold her attention, so he continued.
“Once the house was secure, the chanting changed in pitch and they concentrated on the spiral staircase that leads up the house. At first, nothing happened and I wondered if something was wrong. Then I saw the bark split on the centre tree and it grew and grabbed the wood of the staircase, and when you look at it now you would be hard pressed to see where the stringers of the staircase end and tree begins. It was the most astonishing thing I have ever seen.”
“That’s great, Aaron,” she said, gracing him with another of her beautiful smiles.
He refilled her cup. She drank.
“And now that the house is part of the tree, we’ve been able to finish most the rooms. The washroom still needs to be connected and the kitchen does not have its counters yet, but the fireplace is in and by tomorrow, the glazers will be ready with the windows. Jasmin has chosen a nightingale to be the centre picture of each window, but our front door has been caved with horses. I thought you might like that.”
He watched her carefully for her reaction to his words, worried that he might have assumed too much. He needn’t have worried. Although her eyes narrowed for a fraction of a moment, she was soon smiling at him again, making his heart race.
Maia cursed herself as she awoke. Her head throbbed and she had an awful taste in her mouth.
That’s what you get from drinking that wicked brew, she chided herself.
Groaning, she sat up and put her head in her hands. She wanted to carry on sleeping, but she needed to relieve herself, which was what had woken her in the first place. Treading softly, so as not to jostle her aching head, she made her way to the washroom. Once she had relieved herself, she decided to shower. She thought it was still very early, but when she tested the warm water tap, she was pleasantly surprised when the water was hot. The Servers had lit the boilers already, probably because they knew most people would wake feeling slightly under the weather this morning.
While she showered, she thought about last night. She didn’t usually drink, knowing what effect it had on her. Silas said it was because of her elemental magic. Last night, she just wanted to let go of the strains of the last few days and enjoy herself. There had been music and she had enjoyed her food and the company of Luke and Jasmin and later, she remembered, she had sat with Aaron and he had talked to her. She remembered she had enjoyed talking to him, but she could not remember what they talked about. She wondered if it had been the wine that made her enjoy the conversation or if she had enjoyed his company. The thought worried her.
Now agitated, she decided dress and find fresh air. Everyone was still sleeping, so they would not miss her anytime soon.
“Come, Wolf.”
She signalled him and he bounded out the door ahead of her. As she stepped through, she grabbed her bow and a quiver of arrows that always hung by the door, as well as her hunting knife. If she was going into the forest, then she should not do so unarmed. She had learned her lesson.
Once outside, she realised exactly how early it was. The sun had only just breached the horizon and the trees cast long, eerie shadows across the Gathering Grounds. Mist still clung to the ground, swirling in eddies where the wind touched it. It was beautiful and her mood lifted.
I am going for a walk in the forest. Will you stay close? She gave Midnight a mental picture of where she planned to go and she felt him acknowledge her.
The fresh air cleared her head and soon the throbbing faded to a dull ache she hardly noticed. Wolf was already waiting for her at the bottom of the steps, wagging his tail, eager to go. Quickly, she crossed the Gathering Grounds and proceeded into the forest on the northern side of the village. It was flatter here, not as mountainous as the forest to the west and south, and would make for easier walking.
Wolf was soon out of sight, darting in and out of the bushes, startling squirrels and other small creatures. Maia opened her mind, letting the Eläm of the living creatures touch her. Although she knew it, the sheer number of living creatures in the forest astounded her and she revelled in the brilliance of their multitude.
She walked like this for over an hour, more feeling the forest than seeing it. Eventually she came to a small clearing a
nd she sat on a log and drank from the water flask she brought. Wolf sat by her feet, his mouth open, panting and his long tongue hanging low, dripping onto the ground. He almost looked like he was smiling. It had been a long time since she last spent this much time alone with him. She rubbed his shaggy fur and then scratched him behind the ear. He tilted his head, enjoying her attention.
The clearing was too small for Midnight to land, but she saw him circling overhead and waved at him. Through his mind she saw herself as a small speck in a small space of green surrounded by tall trees.
She slung her water flask across her chest and dove back into the forest. She followed a narrow game trail she knew would eventually come out by a lake with a clearing large enough for Midnight to land. As she walked, the woods became denser and the small amount of light that filtered through the canopy was only just enough to see by. The air smelled of pine needles and the hum of beetles and insects was a constant companion to her footsteps.
She kept her mind open as she walked, aware of the creatures around her, but she knew that Midnight was also scanning the area around her and no one would be able to sneak up to her. If all the attacks had indeed been Vampyres, then maybe she should not be walking in the forest by herself. Her father would not approve, she knew, but she had Wolf and Midnight with her and felt safe enough.