Finding The Soul Bridge (The Soul Fire Saga Book 1)

by Zax Vagen

  Thist had opted not to have any of his tea as the last time he had used it, it had caused him to wet himself.

  Jem had opened the plans but could make out nothing in the poor light and decided to stash it for the time being. Kelvin had fletched himself three more arrows.

  The air was rich and fresh and the tired trio fell asleep quickly. The forest writhed beneath them. The stream came alive with all manner of deadly creatures. Arrow headed snakes weaved like living lattice work. Bats darted over and through the bamboo. Insects crawled and flew and bit and stung. Everything in the forest was trying to eke out their living. It was kill or be killed; eat or be eaten. Every nook was a niche, every niche was a thing and everything unto itself was both predator and prey. There were symbions of mutual and parasite, amphibians and rodents, reptiles and fish but none of them came out to show themselves in light.

  24

  Thist was dreaming. A shimmer of light in the distance, a flicker on the side, an apparition rose like steam from a pond. It was Skylah, her voice was soft and smooth as she sang. “The small things, Thist.”

  Thist answered “What small things?”

  Skylah shimmered in the dream, “The small things will get you.”

  “Skylah wait.” called Thist.

  She seemed to float away and fade.

  “Skylah wait, I have questions.” called Thist.

  Skylah was in his face, she grabbed his face in her hands. Thist could feel his soul being pulled. “Wake up Thist!”

  Thist jerked hard in his sleep, and woke up with a yell.

  He sat up and flailed his arms above his head. It was too dark and he could see nothing. “Jem… Kelvin…” called Thist, as he jerked the other two. “Wake up you idiots!”

  “What is it you idiot?” said Kelvin. “We’re trying to sleep here.”

  “This had better be good.” said Jem. “Oh wow! It is dark.”

  Thist tried to point in a direction in the sky but it was futile, he couldn’t even see his own hand. “It’s the lights; you know the lights of legend travellers. Look over to the horizon yonder.”

  The three looked around toward the direction of the horizon, the edge where the blackness of the night ended and the starry sky began. There in the sky they saw a sight that few fortunate people ever saw, the lights of the legend travellers. It was a display of dancing lights, shimmering green and blue and turquoise. It was said that only a legend traveller could see the lights and if a person saw the lights together with other people then their souls would be linked.

  Kelvin was quiet for a short while and in a sleepy voice he said, “Nothing can prepare you for the sight of the real thing, no matter what the legends say.”

  Kelvin lay back in the bamboo basket shelter with his hands behind his head like a pillow. The air was fresh but not cold. It was still dark out, probably two hours to first light. The three boys lay awake. They felt like they had had all the sleep they were going to need. Thist and Jem were sitting cross legged in the basket just enjoying the sight beheld. The hooting of owls in all directions gave them goose bumps, a solemn reminder that they were in a wild place.

  “I think I will go hunting at first light.” said Kelvin. “I fletched a couple of good arrows last night. Are you guys going to come along?”

  “No.” said Jem. “I want to have a look at the scrolls as soon as the light is good, just for interest’s sake.”

  Thist looked at Kelvin; the rule was that no person should wander off in the thick jungle alone for safety reasons. But there were some morning chores to try to coordinate.

  “I think I should stay and make a fire for what you are going to catch.” suggested Thist. “Don’t go farther than you can call for help, what do you think?”

  “Should be some fowl or hare nearby, I’m just itching to shoot the bow, it feels like it’s calling my name. Kelvin, Kelvin, Kelvin.”

  Thist gave Kelvin a playful punch to the shoulder. “Are you mocking me?”

  “A little.” chuckled Kelvin. “How has the voices in your head been the last two days?”

  Kelvin rubbed his ankles as he sat to keep the insects from biting him. “Better since the old man gave me the tea. They are more controlled, more…how can I say, obedient. I have found that talking to them and reassuring them that I will treat them well has helped. But many of them seem to think that they have a message for me. I get the feeling that if I were in a pickle and needed some advice that I could ask them and at least one or two of them will have a good answer.”

  Jem nodded his head and pursed his bottom lip, “Wow that could be useful. Could you try it now?”

  “Sure.” agreed Thist. “Why not?”

  Thist closed his eyes and mouthed some words as if he were calling someone’s name.

  The three boys were quiet. Jem and Kelvin watched the lights of the legend travellers while Thist chanted to himself. After a long while Kelvin asked Thist with a slap to his back. “Did you get anything?”

  “Yes.” said Thist. “The one said, the road we travel is long, and another one said there are jaguars in the forest and another said something about a jaguar.”

  Jem sighed while whistling, “Not very specific, or even motivating.”

  “Could they say something useful?” asked Kelvin.

  “I guess in time I could acclimatize to the new skill. Let me try again later and see if I can make one of the souls talk.”

  “I guess it’s like the bow and the scrolls.” said Kelvin. “We’ll never know how badly we fail until we try.”

  Morning was breaking. The horizon lit up and silhouettes of forest animals and plants started to appear, followed by an uncanny change in sounds. There were loud grunts of forest apes and high shrill chirps of small birds. A mocking fowl could be heard in the distance calling, “koo-where! koo-where!” Even the insects changed from biters to annoyers.

  As the daylight brightened up just minutes before the sun crested the horizon, the early morning life seemed to buzz loudly. Swarms of insects roiled in clouds here and there, then dissipated as birds dived in for a feast. The stream that gurgled beneath their shelter was drowned out by the clicking and chirping of day frogs all trying to be a part of the song and feast.

  Kelvin climbed down with his bow and a few arrows, “Okay chaps and I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Thist climbed down just a minute later and gathered up some dry dead fall and snappy kindling and rustled up a fire on a rocky outcrop over the stream. In a few minutes he had the small travellers pot all cleaned up and set next to the fire.

  “These darned bugs.” Thist cursed. “I wish they would leave me alone.”

  “Stinging nettle.” rang a voice in his head. “Over yonder.”

  Thist looked this way and then that way, and finally spotted a small shrub of stinging nettles a good twenty yards away.

  “I’ll try to avoid it then.”

  “No Thist.” said the voice clearer. “Put some in the fire.”

  “And then what?” asked Thist.

  The voice was gone. Thist walked up to the small shrub and used a thick ear leaf as a glove to pick a hand full of nettles. They were notorious for making inexperienced travellers very uncomfortable, so Thist handled the nettles with caution. As he threw them into the fire, the green stems started to crackle and smoke. Thist choked a little and covered his face with his tunic. The smoke billowed and rolled. It was thick and relentless and smelled ghastly.

  Jem came down from his bamboo perch. “What are you doing, you idiot?”

  “A voice told me to do that.” said Thist.

  “What? To put nettles in the fire? That’s stupid.” said Jem. “It looks as if the whole forest is on fire. You know, you and your voices have become a group liability.”

  “The insects.” said the voice.

  Thist looked around and then at Jem with a bright smile, “It worked” he said.

  “What?” asked Jem who didn’t hear the voice in Thist’s head.

  “The
insects,” said Thist, “look they’re gone.”

  Jem stood still and looked at his arms and legs. For the first time in an hour he was unbothered by small biting and stinging insects. There were no flying and jumping insects trying to drink from his face. Then their eyes started to burn.

  Thist rubbed his eyes, they were watering from the smoke but he was still so pleased with himself. He had managed to summon a voice and glean valuable information from it.

  Neither he nor Jem knew that burning nettles could be used as an insect repellent.

  “The smoke is really thick.” said Jem, “I’m sure it’s going to alarm Kelvin and he’s going to abort his hunt and come running straight here.”

  “He has been gone for about half an hour.” said Thist. “He must have caught something already.”

  25

  Kelvin jumped.

  His feet and hands found scant purchase on the next overhang as the jaguar nipped at his heels. He scrambled with his hands and feet slipping and chafing on the rocky outcrops. The jaguar clawed at the rock face, crawling after Kelvin. Tears rolled off Kelvin’s cheeks, he was terrified and exhausted.

  The jaguar was gaining on him and his muscles were burning. He pressed on, willing himself ahead of the beast. His life was now seconds from ending, he clawed rocky outcrop after rocky outcrop; hand over hand, thinking of nothing but the next moment. He could hear the jaguar snarling and panting. Kelvin’s heart raced. His shirt was drenched in sweat and tears “Just keep going" he sobbed at himself.

  He glanced back at the jaguar. It was just a second behind him. They locked gazes. The jaguar was panting. Kelvin slowly un-slung his bow, he was spent. The sweat burned his eyes and he choked back his tears as he gasped for breath. He had one gammy arrow left. Terror turned to anger as he notched up. “It’s either you or me." he mouthed through deep breaths of air. He took aim. The two creatures stared at each other. Kelvin leaned hard against the steep mountain side. The jaguar was clawing against the outcrop between it and Kelvin. Kelvin realized that it was the end for one or both of them. Whoever lost their footing first was doomed.

  The two had been in a chase for only a few minutes but in those brief moments Kelvin had experienced a rare phenomenon; that seconds could feel like hours and minutes could feel like eternities. Kelvin had also realized what was important in life and what was not. He had epiphanies of life and love and the importance of small things. He philosophised the smell of a flower, and the colours in a sunset. He questioned the universe and he bargained with it. He appreciated the smallest things for the first time, like fresh air, healthy legs and arms and the ability to see and hear. Time was warped in that moment of fear and adrenalin, it raced and it stood still, just like his heart.

  Kelvin drew back the bow string, his breathing changed. He took a bead on the jaguar. He only needed to unbalance it and it would fall to its death or at least break its leg. The jaguar had been panting for breath for a few moments. Now it had recharged what it needed, his kill was in reach and in sight, just one more leap and it would eat. He licked his lips, he was ready. Kelvin watched the jaguar down the edge of an arrow. The jaguar leapt, claws outstretched in full flight with its mouth wide open. Kelvin’s last arrow had just enough space to travel to the end of the bow when it hit the jaguar’s chest. The arrow penetrated flesh and bone, robbing the jaguar of the use of its racing heart. Its eyes glazed over in mid-flight as it crashed into Kelvin. The jaguar slumped over. It clawed feebly one last time and landed four gashes on Kelvin’s arm.

  26

  Kelvin staggered.

  He was exhausted from his ordeal. As he arrived at the clearing, he threw two small ducks on the ground near the fire and then stumbled into the stream. He started washing his wounded arm in the water. The cuts were deep. “I can’t believe it.” As the blood washed off his arm it revealed four parallel grooves on his arm.

  “That stupid jaguar.” said Kelvin.

  Thist sat down and started plucking a duck and Jem jumped into the stream next to Kelvin and cradled his arm in one hand. “Nasty cuts, but how did you escape a jaguar? Those things are huge.”

  “Dude, I got off lightly. The jaguar, not so much. I’m not boasting; let’s just say that I’m never putting down this bow. Did you get a look at the plans of the castle?”

  “Gibberish.” said Jem. “It’s absolute gibberish.”

  “There are four large pages; all seem to have something missing, like it was erased or never drawn in.”

  “Maybe there is a key or a code.” suggested Thist.

  “Maybe one of the voices in your head can tell us.” said Jem sarcastically.

  Thist looked annoyed. “Yes maybe!”

  Kelvin shook his head. “I’m still just glad to be alive.”

  “Let’s dress this wound.” said Jem. “By the way, did you see the smoke from Thist’s fire?”

  “It was impressive but strangely short lived. How did you do that?” said Kelvin.

  “Did you know that if you put stinging nettles in a fire it makes an insect repellent smoke?” asked Jem.

  Jem was curious to know if Kelvin knew this because he had a vast knowledge of most things.

  Kelvin looked around him, then at his ankles, and then at his arms.

  “No, I didn’t know that.” Kelvin lied. “That is impressive, did the head voices tell you?”

  “Yes.” said Thist. “Jem thinks it’s a joke.”

  “We’re all a little hungry.” said Kelvin. “Let’s have some boiled duck and then pack up and go.”

  Thist was relieved; a subject change was just what he needed. The voices in his head had been an annoying distraction and had become tiresome. Now that it was becoming an advantage to him he was happy to have it. But Thist was annoyed to have someone tease him and make sarcastic remarks about it.

  Kelvin winced. They had been walking for hours. The claw marks on his arm had changed from uncomfortable to painful in the last hour. He kept on telling himself that “It’s just pain.” but the burning sensation had him worried that he might be getting an infection. His right arm was his bow string arm and he needed to keep it strong. Not that he valued his one arm higher than the other; you needed both to do most things.

  “I think we should change the poultice on this.” said Kelvin.

  “Now?” asked Thist.

  “Yes now.” said Kelvin. “The pain is too distracting, and it’s making me exhausted.”

  Kelvin had stopped walking and started to remove his bandages.

  “Let’s make it quick.” said Thist.

  Jem un-shouldered his pack and started to remove the small field kit.

  Thist was unskilled at field nursing but he knew Jem and Kelvin were adept at it.

  “I wish I knew what to do that could make things better.” He mouthed to himself without making a sound.

  Instantly a voice sounded in his mind. “Mixed tea and hum poultice.”

  “Huh?” the voice was gone. “You know.” said Thist. “We can make a hum poultice. I’ve heard it can be good for infections.”

  Kelvin nodded. “Get some in my bag. There is a fresh jar.”

  “Let’s save the fresh jars for trading.” said Thist. “I’ve got the open one in my pack.”

  “Sure.” croaked Kelvin, he wiped his forehead, he had a fever, and he knew that was a bad sign.

  Thist scooped out a levelled measure of tea and held the spoon tightly, “I hope that I’m doing the right thing.” As he said it his eyes felt hot and he remembered the time that he was in the caddels. There was the same taste in his mouth, but he felt more controlled this time. He scooped the tiny measure into the nearly empty jar of hum and replaced the jar lid. He gave it a vigorous shake with his back turned to the other two. The other two hadn’t noticed what Thist had done besides the shaking.

  “Hurry up you scoundrel, what’s taking you so long?” scolded Jem.

  “Something looks settled, does hum go off?” asked Thist.

  “No.�
� said Kelvin. “It just turns sugary and then goes hard.”

  Kelvin didn’t care at this point, he just wanted relief. “Bring it and smear it on thick.” He presented his arm and Jem started to apply the hum. “This might sting a little.”

  “Do it.” said Kelvin as he looked away.

  “How is that?” asked Thist.

  “No stinging, it feels good actually.” said Kelvin. “Can we rest here a while?”

  “Sure.” said Jem.

  27

  The boys had crossed above the forest and had come to the wide clearing where the main river was at its widest and most shallow. They would cross here when they were ready but it could still be treacherous and resting before they crossed was wise.

  They could see small foot paths traversing into and out of the river at this point but no evidence of wheel tracks or road signs.

  “Someone comes here often or this is a natural place for people and animals to cross on foot.” said Jem.

  “I wish we had some longer ropes.” said Thist.

  He waited for a response, none came. The voices in his head were not genies and did not respond to material wishes.

  After a few moments of rest Kelvin announced. “Rest time is over.”

  He shouldered his pack. He felt as strong as an ox and wasn’t going to waste it. Jem had rested his head on a rock while chewing some grass blades with his hat covering his eyes and didn’t stir at Kelvin’s announcement.

  “Come on you guys.” said Kelvin. “We are burning day light.”

  He waited for the other two to respond as he gazed over the scenic horizon.

  “I cannot believe it.” said Kelvin. “Look over there.”