Glaide was thinking of this story again when a muffled sound was heard: Emily had collapsed from fatigue. Seeing her, the young man suddenly felt the hours of walking weigh down on his legs. A stop was necessary, so that was what they did. Glaide, who had a bit of a phobia of insects, obstinately refused to sit down. Instead, he stayed standing, though he massaged his aching legs. Emily and Gwenn were content to stretch out on the ground, though they kept their eyes open wide – it was impossible to relax in such a place! They took up their places in the middle of the path, as the crooked trees, the eerie noises, the darkness, and the tall foliage deterred them from venturing off to either side.
Glaide spoke, saying, “Jeremy, what do you think of everything that has happened?”
“I don’t know... This world is incredible, but cruel and without pity. Those men and women didn’t deserve to die, and because of us, no less! Truthfully, I just don’t know what to make of it all. Since we arrived, I never cease to alternately laud and hate this place. We are protectors and maggs, and as such, we are supposed to bring aid to the people of Galadria. But so far, we’ve lost a protector and a village. A village, too, that could have taught us the technique of Iretane. And while we’re on that topic, as we were walking, I was thinking back to that story the general told us.
“You, too?”
The young man nodded, adding, “I was wondering if we could ever gain that kind of power. And by that, I mean, are we capable of mastering these fighting techniques, with their obscure origins? We’re protectors, and that is a point in our favor, but we spent a week in training, and I don’t see that it made any difference! And then there is this story of the ‘true power of the maggs’ – a power that Uziere didn’t even mention.”
“Well, try to keep an open mind. After all, we never really had the chance to truly train, and I think that it’s too early to say whether or not we’re capable of mastering Iretane. After all, we’ve hardly even touched our swords! Uziere contented himself with teaching us how to react to the unknown, and we built up our strength, so we won’t injure ourselves with our own swords. Really, though, we never saw anything of Iretane. That’s the part that angers me the most.”
“Yes, I suppose so...”
The two friends continued to discuss both everything and nothing while the two girls rested. The latter had no particular interest in taking part in the discussion – perhaps because they couldn’t really understand it, the young man thought – though they listened carefully to his reasoning. How could he still dream of learning how to fight? How could he speak again of Rackk, of its inhabitants, and of its master, who were all dead?
Glaide finally conceded to his fatigue and sat down, no longer able to stand the pain that had taken up residence in his legs. “One has to confront their fears!” he announced. “Plus, I have an idea this won’t be the last time I find myself resting on the ground...” The adolescents rested there for a long while, after which they each felt ready to return to the road. And so, that’s what they did, without delay.
Chapter 8
AS they travelled, the trees began to seem less menacing: the foliage began to let the fading light of day filter through, and they were able to distinguish a new plain in the distance. But as they approached the forest edge – half running and half walking due to being so happy to finally leave – the light was suddenly blocked out by something... Not an object, but some living person... or thing. The protectors were on high alert: it felt like a potential ambush. Glaide stayed with the girls while Jeremy moved closer to get a better look. They considered moving into the foliage at the side of the road, but instead decided to remain where they could see clearly. The protector returned a few minutes later. He seemed both excited and frightened.
“It’s the same kind of monster that attacked us back home,” he whispered.
“The same? Are you sure?” the others demanded in chorus.
“I’m sure. It has its back to us, and hasn’t seen us. I think it’s alone.”
“If it really is the same creature, we certainly can’t let ourselves go up against it again; it's too dangerous,” declared Glaide. “We were lucky once; there’s no point in pushing our luck.”
“We could try to take it by surprise, though, don’t you think?”
“That would be a good idea, but what if it turned around?”
The young people stood in silence for a moment, then the face of Glaide lit up. “We can take it from the sides! If it really is alone, we have nothing to fear in the bush. It would camouflage us, and it’d have no chance of seeing us before the last minute, when it would already be too late!” Accompanied by his magg, the young man moved towards the left side, while Jeremy and Gwenn headed towards the right. The group approached the creature as carefully as possible. It seemed to pay no attention to them. They were ready to attack now. Glaide lifted his hand and began to count down on his fingers. Five... four... three... two...
It was then that they heard a whistling sound. The four friends instinctively threw themselves to the ground, then watched as five arrows struck the beast. At almost the same time, more than a dozen men jumped out from their hiding places – just a few feet from the teens – and attacked the monster. The group was too stunned to speak; they’d thought themselves alone, only to discover they were in the company of twenty!
The monster savagely defended itself, but there was no escape; it was soon cut to pieces. As an outcome of the confrontation, however, one of the men appeared to be gravely injured, and his companions seemed powerless to help him. They applied a pomade from out of one of their numerous satchels, but Emily was already before them, accompanied closely by Gwenn. Jeremy and Glaide realized what they were doing and moved to catch up to them.
When the men saw them approaching, they were surprised for a moment. The two girls, without any formality, moved towards the injured man. Glaide quickly explained that they were protectors, and the two girls were going to try to heal the man on the ground. Not a word was spoken; a reverent silence installed itself on the group as the two teens knelt. The man was unconscious. He had an injured arm and a wound to the head. Emily brought her hands towards him and tried to concentrate. The first time, the magic had appeared spontaneously before the wound of her friend, but this time, she would have to make it come – to control it. A breeze came from nowhere, lifting her hair, then letting it fall again. Small white charges seemed to run along the length of her arms, then to her hands.
“It’s working,” Jeremy said with a quick breath. Again, they were spectators in the presence of magic. Glaide felt pride grow in him at the thought of having the mission of protecting this girl who had the capacity of saving lives. He watched her as sweat pearled up along her brow; she was deep in concentration. “Whether you want it or not, Emily,” he thought to himself, “you are invaluable here. These people are counting on you to help their friend. Even if you fear the future – even if what you see frightens you – you are one of these people in whom others have faith, because you can make the future better.” The head wound turned into a scar in a few moments, then Gwenn insisted on taking over to deal with the arm; she was anxious to try applying her own gifts! However, this was no easy task; the young woman tried to control the sparks and flashes and apply them to the cut, but they didn’t seem to have any effect. The wound didn’t heal. Emily drew closer. Perhaps the two of them together could accomplish something. She tried to send her magic, too, towards the wound, but nothing happened. Discouraged, she stopped.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can do anything for his arm,” she said, apologetically.
“Wait,” said one of the men. “I’ve seen maggs heal serious wounds before by combining their magic into a single ray. Please – this man is our leader. Could you try it?”
The girls looked at each other. They had let an entire village die. There was no way they were going to let this man die from his wounds. They knelt again. They held hands, then concentrated again. The result was specta
cular: a flash of light four times the size of their previous attempts appeared, lasting more than a minute, and illuminating their surroundings like the bright of day. A violent wind came up, enveloping the girls. Everyone held their breath. Glaide couldn’t believe his eyes.
Then, suddenly, it was silent. The light and the gust of wind disappeared as quickly as they had come. The two girls fell into the arms of their protectors, unconscious. The injured man awoke a few seconds later, still weak, but alive. The men responded with shouts of joy, cheering for the two maggs.
The group decided to leave the forest. Outside, they found the sun had set. They lit a campfire, and Jeremy accepted a flint that was graciously offered to him, “just in case”. Then, they began to eat, getting to know each other while the injured man rested. The maggs remained unconscious, but their lives didn’t seem to be in any danger.
The protectors learned that these men were from the Adrish militia. They were charged with preventing and eradicating all sorts of dangers in the area near the forest. The forest was only a few miles away from their village, and acted as a natural barrier that the monsters could certainly not be allowed to pass. Glaide seized the opportunity to ask the name of this creature that they had fought.
“What? You’ve never run into a chimera?” exclaimed the man. “This area is riddled with them. They’re practically invulnerable; their heads are their weak spot. That being said, with their great height, it’s a difficult spot to reach. Lucky for us, these monsters rarely attack in groups, unlike orks. Plus, they lack intelligence; they’re nothing but massive, savage beasts.”
A soft murmur reached Glaide’s ears.
“So that’s what attacked us.”
The young man jumped up and spun around, only to find himself nose to nose with Emily. “You’re up! Are you okay? Do you remember what happened?” he asked hastily.
“Yes, I’m fine. I remember a phenomenal amount of energy passing through my body. It was as though I was caught in a raging current... I struggled to keep it from carrying me off.”
“Well, it was certainly impressive! You practically created a tornado, and the ray of magic was enormous!”
Gwenn opened her eyes a bit later. Adrish wasn’t far, and the warriors offered to accompany them, since their watch was now over. The four friends accepted, pleased by the offer.
A horse has a very significant advantage: they’re fast. The four teens were thrilled to watch the countryside pass by so quickly that night, after spending so much of the day traveling, without moving far at all, and a half an hour later, they arrived. Unlike in Rackk, here no one knew who the young people were. They left them at the entrance to the city, after pointing out where two or three inns were located. The first observation the four companions made about the place was quite a simple one: it was far larger than Rackk. It still had a wall about it, but far more cottages and people were sheltered within those walls. Beyond that, the architecture remained the same.
The young people were exhausted. They simply wanted to clean themselves up and sleep, and the inn that welcomed them suggested a hot spring for a bath. They scampered along to see it and plunge themselves into its waters. Rackk had had nothing more to offer them than a small wooden basin, so it was more than time for them to bath themselves properly.
The building that held the spring was of wood, and looked much like their old school. The interior was divided into two sections - one for the women, and another for the men. There was a large cavity in the floor, filled with water, from which swirls of steam escaped. They stayed immersed in the water for a good hour or so, refusing to face the cold that awaited them on exiting.
The next day, after having eaten, the young people launched into a debate: a large map was attached to one of the walls of the inn, and Rackk didn’t appear upon it. Should they inform Adrish of its destruction? Jeremy was against that; after all, no one thought they were anything more than just maggs and protectors from this world, and to arrive at Rackk, one apparently had to already know both of its existence and its location. By mentioning the village, they would give away their origins – and in their situation, it was better to remain discreet.
Finally, they decided not to tell anyone, and to simply play the role they had taken on. They determined that at this point, their priority had to be to continue to learn the technique of Iretane and to meet with the king, so it was imperative that they reach the capital. Besides, it was more than time to continue on their way, despite how much they wished they could stay for a while longer in Adrish.
None of the young people knew how to ride a horse – though they swore to learn soon – and they didn’t particularly relish the idea of the long walk that awaited them. They were already terribly sore, and the distance seemed to be significantly more than what they’d just covered. Nonetheless, they purchased some provisions – taking the opportunity to also ask what foods found in the wild were edible, and which were not, since they knew very little about how long their supplies would remain safe. Then, after charging a guard with the task of thanking the militia members – who had already gone back to their watch beyond the wall – for escorting them, they passed through the great wooden doors.
Leaving the village, Glaide couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in his heart. This place should have been nothing but a short stop to him; however, he felt connected to it. It was as if, with the destruction of Rackk – which had been more or less their first home – he needed a place that he could always think of as welcoming and comforting. “I didn’t think the destruction of the village had affected me as it did my friends,” he said to himself, “but I think one could say that I, too, was attached to the place...”
Chapter 9
THEIR journey continued, but they had no more stops before the capital – before Shinozuka. The four friends rapidly decided to set a schedule for their walking time and their resting time: they would walk for two hours, then stop for twenty minutes. That would prove much more efficient than their previous method, with its disorderly pauses showing up whenever, as had been their system the day before. And it was with this level of organisation that they started their journey towards Shinozuka.
Once on their way, the girls didn’t wait long to ask the question that was on their minds. Were their powers limited to healing? And if so, healing to what extent? If their protectors encountered major problems, perhaps they would regularly have to heal broken bones – or worse – and if they had to combine their powers, and faint each time.... This question, like so many others, was one no one could respond to then, because none of them knew the scope of a magg’s powers. They would have to have patience and wait until this fabulous world showed them more of its marvels.
The village was already nothing but a tiny point on the horizon when the two boys stopped for a moment. Glaide spoke, saying, “Listen to me. I want us to talk for a minute. Actually, I want to know what your impressions are of everything that has happened so far. We’ve now been here for a dozen days or so, and I still don’t know what you think, and what has motivated you to continue with me.” Jeremy was the first to respond.
“Personally, I’m simply curious about the new horizons that we’ll discover, the new cities... I’ve seen some magnificent scenery, and I want to see more. Plus, this nomadic life pleases me well enough.”
“As far as I’m concerned,” declared Gwenn, “I think that I follow you because you’re the only one that seems capable of getting me through all of this. I don’t know where we’re going or what we’ll have to do to survive, and I don’t know if we’ll be any help at all, and I often ask myself how we’ll ever get through this alive, but I know that if I have my three friends with me, that will be enough.”
Glaide turned towards Emily.
“For me... I don’t know. Perhaps I also have some faith in you, perhaps it’s that I hope to be able to return home, or perhaps it's that I’m simply becoming used to this life. The only thing that I know for sure is that as long as the four of us rema
in together, nothing can frighten me.”
Things were now more clear, and Glaide felt able to return to their route without any backwards glances. It wasn’t necessary to stress about his companions; they were beginning to accept what had happened. Now, they needed to simply continue on their way, so they could have answers as soon as possible.
“Ugh, we’ve been walking for hours,” exclaimed Jeremy. “Would it really be so bad if we stopped for just a moment?”
“Yes! We decided on one stop for two hours of walking, and it’s only been an hour since our last break,” Glaide responded sharply.
“Should I remind you that we also agreed on twenty minutes of break, and that you didn’t want to pause for more than ten, under the pretext that no one was tired, and that we’d barely started?” intervened Emily.
“They’re right, Glaide. No one is waiting for us at Shinozuka. We don’t know how long the trip will take, and we have no time table to follow.”
The young man sighed. “So be it, then. If you’re allied against me, I have no choice but to give in.” Then he added, with emphasis, “But ten minutes, and not more. And after that, we return to the normal rhythm.”
“That works,” responded the other three friends in chorus. They rested, discussing other things. Glaide decided to stay quiet, and simply listen to and analyze what they said. He soon realized that they were speaking of nothing but their memories of everything that had happened here, in Galadria. No one spoke of their parents or their other lives. He realized that everyone was hoping to quickly forget that old life.
Chronicles of Galadria I_The Other World Page 8