A World Apart (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 1)

by Tolle, Steven A.

  As the tall man kicked the man off his blade, two more of the men who captured Jake came through the bushes, swords bare. The tall man did not hesitate. He closed the distance with them before they had time to set, blade moving, seemingly to blur in the morning light. Faster than Jake could follow, both men were on the ground, dead or dying. The tall man paused, listening, then moved quickly back towards the fire. He stopped and stood there, waiting, like a snake coiled to strike.

  The remaining four men came through at once, Matus slightly behind the others. All had their swords out; clearly they had heard the fighting before they got there. Surt saw Jake lying on the ground, hate causing his face to twist into an ugly mask. It was obvious that he did not intend to recapture Jake. At Matus' order, they spread out, trying to surround the tall man.

  Despite the odds, the tall man again launched himself at the men. Surt leapt to the side, his sword flying from his hand, dodging a blow as the tall man seemed to move like a ghost among the men. Another was not so lucky and went down. Matus engaged the tall man with his remaining man at his side. The tall man had drawn his long dagger with his left hand as he fought with both men. He moved so fast that Jake could not follow. The other man went down, screaming, as his stomach was opened and Matus and the tall man were left one-on-one.

  Surt moved away from the fight, his eyes fixed on Jake. He drew his dagger, the blade curved with a slight hook on the end, and came for Jake. "Time to die, boy." He hissed, eyes crazed. Jake could not move or react, his body frozen from fear and exhaustion. He simply watched as Surt came towards him, too tired to even call out.

  Suddenly, Surt's eyes went wide as the blade of a dagger blossomed from his throat. It was the tall man's dagger, thrown at Surt. He fell to his knees, then toppled to his side, his life bubbling away as he frantically clawed at the dagger. Surt gave a strangled gurgle as he breathed his last and went still, eyes open and staring.

  The ringing of steel on steel echoed across the clearing as Matus and the tall man fought. At first, they appeared to be evenly matched. Their swords, metal flashing as they caught the light, seemed made of fire as they exchanged attacks and parries.

  In the end, though Matus was quick, the tall man was quicker. The tall man's sword suddenly went low, stabbing Matus in the thigh. He gave the sword a slight twist and ripped it out, causing Matus to cry out and fall to one knee. The tall man blocked a counter-stroke from Matus with his armored forearm and brought his sword down. He cut through Matus' arm at the elbow, severing the forearm and hand that held the sword. The tall man spun like a dancer, blade extended, and Matus' head went tumbling to the ground.

  Jake lay on the ground, stunned by what he just witnessed. This man just fought and killed eight men by himself. The tall man moved back to Jake, scanning the area for more opponents. "Are there any more, boy?" He asked quietly, eyes never leaving the surrounding bushes. "Are there more?!" He repeated, tone harsh, when Jake did not say anything.

  "No, there were only eight." Jake said softly, voice raspy from his exertions.

  Nodding, the man went back towards the dead men, pausing to remove his dagger from Surt. He went over to Matus' body and wiped the blood off his dagger and sword on Matus' cloak and sheathed them. He searched Matus' clothes and cloak, finding some gold and Jake's phone. He looked at it with curiosity.

  "That's mine." Jake said, struggling to sit up. "He took it from me when he captured me."

  The tall man stared at Jake for a moment or two, then casually tossed him his phone, earbuds trailing like a streamer. Jake could not catch it, but it landed next to him. Jake picked up his phone, tears of relief coming to his eyes, as the tall man searched the rest of the bodies.

  Satisfied, the tall man went over to his supplies, which were lying next to his sleeping blanket, and searched through his saddle bags. He pulled out a large piece of cloth, a waterskin and some wrapped food and came back to squat down next to Jake.

  "Here, boy, drink some water." He said, handing Jake the waterskin, as he used the cloth to wipe the blood off his armor and clothes. Jake gratefully tilted the skin back and drank deeply. The tall man reached out and pulled it away. "Not so fast. In your condition, you are as likely to throw it up if you drink too much. Take small sips only." He handed the skin back to Jake and opened up the wrapped food.

  "Eat this and chew slowly." He said as he handed Jake a small piece of what looked like jerky. Jake bit into it and he was in heaven. Though a touch salty, the jerky had an unusual spice flavoring that made his mouth water. After two plus days with limited food and massive exertion, he felt he could eat twenty pounds of this. However, the tall man kept the pieces small and, after a little while, put the jerky away. Jake could not contain his disappointment and groaned.

  "Don't worry, boy. I'll take you where you will be able to eat your fill." The tall man said. "What's your name?"

  "Jake. Jake Thomas."

  "Well, Jake Thomas, my name is Dominic, of Sanduas." The man said with a slight nod of the head. "Let me take a look at your injuries."

  Dominic examined Jake's face, his rough hands almost gentle as he probed the extent of the damage. When Jake shifted and winced, Dominic asked him about it and Jake told him about his injured ribs. Dominic examined Jake's side and let his hands fall.

  "I don't think anything is broken, but you should be seen by a healer. Unfortunately, the nearest ones are a two-day ride away." Dominic said, looking intently at Jake. "I will take you there, but before we leave, tell me how you came to be pursued by the half-men."

  "Half-men?" Jake asked, confused, mind fuzzy from exhaustion. "Are you talking about the men chasing me?"

  "Yes." Dominic paused, looking thoughtful. "Have you never heard of half-men before?"

  "No. I'm not from around here." Jake replied.

  Dominic made a waving gesture with his hand, dismissing the question. "It is not important. Tell me how you came to be here."

  Jake, tired, but relieved to have someone to talk to, told Dominic his story, starting from his fight after school. Dominic listened quietly, face unreadable.

  After Jake had finished, Dominic shook his head and said. "That is quite a tale, boy. When we get to the city, this is something that my friend, Jonas, will need to hear and maybe even be able to understand. Can you ride?"

  "A horse?" Jake asked stupidly.

  Dominic just stared at Jake. "Of course...I didn't mean for you to ride me."

  "I rode a horse at my grandfather's house, but that was years ago."

  "No matter. In your condition, I don't think you could stay in the saddle on your own. Rest for a moment." Dominic said as he rose and saddled his horse. He gathered his supplies and packed them away. He slung his saddle bags and came back to Jake. "Can you stand?"

  Jake tried to get up, but his legs would not cooperate. After watching him struggle for a bit, Dominic just reached down and picked Jake up. He carried him over to his horse and set Jake into the saddle. He had Jake hold onto the pommel and swung up behind him. He reached around Jake and grabbed the reins.

  "Don't worry, boy. I won't let you fall off. On, Shadow." Dominic said as he booted his horse, getting him up to a gallop.

  They followed a winding dirt trail from the clearing, which, after about ten minutes, connected to a large hard-packed dirt road. Dominic turned onto the road and set a moderate pace. The temperature rose as the sun moved over the forest. Jake could feel himself getting groggy and tried to stay awake by focusing on the passing terrain, but shortly, secured between Dominic and the saddle, rocking with the movement of the horse, drifted off into sleep.

  …

  Jake ran as hard as he could, running through a forest, the trees and bushes a blur as he passed them. He was racing to avoid Surt and Matus; they were pursuing him, calling his name, sharp daggers in their hands. He suddenly felt his legs cramp and he went down in a heap.

  He rolled onto his back, seeing Surt and Matus approaching, daggers gleaming, cruel smiles on their faces
. Behind them, a dark shape rose. Jake could feel its malice; Surt's hatred was a pale thing compared to it. The dark shape reached for Jake. Jake could not escape, his body would not move. Surt and Matus raised their daggers, the cold metal turning black as the shape reached between them for Jake. Jake screamed for help and...

  Crying out, Jake came awake. Awash in the emotions of the nightmare, Jake could not recall where he was. He thrashed against the blankets covering him, struggling to get free.

  "Easy, boy. You are safe." Dominic's deep voice said, cutting through the emotions racking Jake. He followed Dominic's voice and saw him sitting across a small fire from Jake, using a stone to hone his sword. Jake was lying on the ground next to the fire, covered in Dominic's blanket, a saddlebag for a pillow. "You have slept all day, though I am not sure it was restful for you."

  Jake slowly relaxed and laid back down. His mind calmed and he became aware of the night sky, stars shining though the gaps in the trees around their campsite. He glanced around and found Shadow tied up a few feet away. The night was cool, with a slight breeze blowing.

  "I have something for your injuries." Dominic said, setting aside his sword. "It will help you rest and speed healing." Jake saw Dominic take out a small poach and tap some powder into a cup. He added water and stirred it with his finger.

  Dominic brought the cup over to Jake. "It tastes terrible, but it works. I have used it many times. Drink it." Jake gave the cup a distrustful glance, thinking about how he could politely refuse it.

  Dominic shook his head slightly and said. "It's not poison, boy. I wouldn't need that if I wanted to kill you." He took a quick drink from the cup and held it back out to Jake. "Drink it."

  Jake took the cup and sniffed. It smelled terrible. Feeling Dominic's eyes on him, Jake brought the cup to his lips and drank it down in a single gulp. Jake gagged; it tasted even worse than it smelled. He fought the urge to vomit as Dominic took and filled the cup with water and handed it back. The water helped and the taste faded quickly. He handed the cup back to Dominic.

  Jake laid his head back on the saddlebag while Dominic went back to honing his sword. The soft rhythmic rasping sound as the stone slid across the metal soon had Jake's eyes closing. He started to drift off into sleep when he heard the cry of what sounded like a large cat. He looked around worriedly until Dominic spoke.

  "Rest easy, boy." He said softly, never stopping his honing. "Nothing will harm you while I am here."

  Jake, comforted by Dominic's words and protective presence, felt more secure than he had since coming here. In a few seconds, he was asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  It was just before dawn, the sky bluish-gray, when Jake was nudged awake by Dominic. Jake had slept soundly, dreamless, throughout the night. Jake awoke to find that his head did not hurt anymore and the pain in his side had faded to a light dull ache. His knew that that his injuries were still there, but the pain was gone and it seemed that the healing process had sped up.

  "Get up, boy." Dominic said, tapping Jake in the shoulder again with his boot. "We need to get on the road if you want to sleep in a bed tonight. If you need to answer nature's call, there is a stream back over there." Dominic pointed across the clearing to where the ground sloped down. He tossed Jake a small object in waxed paper.

  Jake looked at it confused, unsure what it was. "It is soap." Dominic said as he turned and started repacking his supplies. Jake saw that Shadow had a feed bag on when he glanced over at the horse.

  Jake sat up and slowly stood, unsure if his legs would support him. To his delight, it appeared that the foul-tasting potion Dominic had given him worked on his legs as well. He stretched for a second, then headed for the stream. The morning air was cool, but not uncomfortable. His feet still felt damp as he walked across the clearing and he could see that his sweats were worse for wear, dirty and torn in multiple places from his race to escape Matus' group.

  After he used the bathroom, he bent down next to the stream and pulled out the soap. His gave it a sniff and found that it had a pleasant floral scent. He washed his hands, rewrapping the soap and headed back, letting his hands air dry rather than wipe them on his dirty clothes. Jake walked slowly, twisting and stretching out some of the stiffness he felt as he moved. Dominic had packed the supplies and was saddling Shadow when Jake got back.

  "Can I help?" Jake asked, feeling odd just standing there watching.

  "No." Dominic replied shortly. He pointed to the waterskin and a small pouch sitting on a nearby log. "There is something to eat and drink. Eat it all as we will not stop for a meal until mid-day." He went back to tightening the hitches on the saddle.

  Jake's mouth watered and his stomach grumbled in response to the thought of food. He picked up the pouch and opened it. He saw several large pieces of the jerky and a rough-cut piece of cheese. He immediately pulled out the jerky and dug in, tearing at it with his teeth and savoring the flavor. He ate all of the food, chasing his bites with sips from the waterskin. Once he was done, he closed the empty pouch and capped the waterskin and went back over to where Dominic was waiting.

  "Do you feel strong enough to stay on the horse without help?" Dominic asked as he put the pouch in a saddlebag and slung the waterskin over the pommel. Jake nodded and Dominic swung up into the saddle. He held down his hand and pulled Jake up and behind him.

  "Hang on, boy." Dominic warned Jake. Jake grabbed the straps on Dominic's breastplate. "On, Shadow!" Dominic called and Shadow leapt forward. Dominic guided the big horse down a small dirt trail and back onto the forest road. The trees moved by quickly as Shadow picked up speed.

  Jake shifted a few times to get comfortable as Shadow settled into a steady gallop. He saw that they were still surrounded by the forest, though the trees seemed fewer and farther apart. The morning light was scattered around the forest floor, streaming through the many gaps in the trees.

  "How big is this forest?" Jake asked Dominic loudly, trying to be heard over the sound of Shadow's hooves. "It seems to go on forever."

  "It is called the Great Southern Forest for a reason. It stretches for hundreds of leagues south, perhaps the largest forest in the world. It begins in the east at the base of the Gray Ridges mountain chain and spills out onto the Plain of Sanduas." Dominic said over his shoulder. "However, we are closer to its northern edge than you might imagine; we should be out of it within the hour. The road we are on travels north-northeast. We will exit onto the plains and travel to the Sanduas Royal Highway, the main east-west roadway. From there, we will be able to reach Sanduas, the capital city, by nightfall."

  "So, once we get there…" Jake started, trying to get a sense of what lay ahead.

  "I know that you have many questions, boy, but talking over my shoulder to answer them is not something I want to do. I am sure when we get to Sanduas, Jonas will have a map and be more than happy to answer all of the questions you want to put to him. Until then, the trip will be easier in silence." Dominic turned his head forward, ending further conversation.

  Rather than bounce along in frustrating silence, Jake carefully took out his phone and powered it on. He checked the battery and saw that he had about a ninety percent charge. Even though he did not want to drain it, he decided to listen to some music to pass the time. He put in his earbuds, picked a rock playlist and let his mind wander as the terrain blurred past. His thoughts turned randomly to his family, Sean and Matt, Tina and, of course, Sabrina. He was saddened by the thoughts, homesick, but, recalling his father's words, tried to set aside that emotion and remain calm.

  As the music seemed to beat in time with Shadow's rhythmic gait, he silently pondered how he would ever see them again. He knew he was no longer on Earth; the past couple of days made that clear. He had no idea how or why he came to be here, wherever here was; as such, he had no idea on how he could return. He mulled that over for awhile, finding no answers. In the end, he decided that he had no choice but to let this play out. On the plus side, he felt safe with Dominic, despite his gru
ff demeanor. Dominic seemed to have a lot of faith in this friend of his, Jonas. Hopefully, he would be able to help Jake find out the answers to his questions and, more importantly, find a way home.

  Without much transition, the trees suddenly fell away and a rolling expanse of grassland opened up, cut only by the road. Jake could see that there were clumps of trees scatted randomly across the plains and shadowed against the horizon. The sun, shining brilliantly in the nearly cloudless bright blue sky, lit up the grasses and plants that covered the ground. He could tell that it was still at mid-morning. He felt Shadow increase his pace, as if the open land triggered a need for more speed. The grasses flowed by, Shadow moving effortlessly, seemingly tireless in his stamina.

  After about an hour of travel, they came to a fork in the road. To the east, there was a road that intersected the road they were on. The road ahead split off into two paths, one bending off to the west and the other heading north.

  There they encountered the first people other than Matus' group and Dominic that Jake had seen. A wagon being pulled by four horses, its bed covered with a canvas tarp, was coming from the east along the intersecting road, followed by two men on horseback. They reached the crossroads at the same time as Dominic and Jake. Dominic slowed Shadow to a walk, raising his hand in greeting to the wagon's occupants and pulled up next to them, Dominic facing the driver.

  The wagon driver was a stout man with a large belly, his round face red from the sun. He was dressed in plain brown leather clothing, along with a shirt of chainmail. He carried a large wooden club over his shoulder. The following riders were dressed in similar garb, armed with swords. They eyed Dominic, clearly a trained and armored warrior, with suspicion and some concern, but made no threatening moves.