Revelation: The Todor Trilogy, Book One

by Jenna Newell Hiott

Numa grabbed Gemynd’s hand and the three children followed Keeper Stout down through the tunnel.

  The tunnel stretched on and on, winding this way and that. Numa began to wonder where the tunnel would end. Would they still be in Aerie when they reached the other side? Or would they be in another place altogether? Again, she glanced at Gemynd wondering why he hadn’t asked these questions. She had never known him to be so silent. When she looked at his face, it was clear to see that he was in a state of awe: looking with wide-eyed wonder at the dazzling jewels that lined the tunnel.

  “Here we are, children,” Keeper Stout said as they rounded a bend. Before them was an enormous archway that spanned the entire width of the tunnel and beyond it was a spiral staircase.

  “Where do those go?” Gemynd asked, finally free of the hold the jewels had over him.

  Keeper Stout answered with a simple sweep of his arm indicating that the children would need to climb the stairs to find out. Numa looked at both Gemynd and Soman and felt a shiver brewing in the pit of her stomach.

  “Let’s go,” Gemynd said and squeezed her hand, pulling her along behind him.

  They ascended the stairs in single file until they came to a landing that led to a small wooden door.

  “You may go through the door,” Keeper Stout said from behind. “They are expecting you.”

  Gemynd lifted the latch and pushed the door open while Numa stood on her tiptoes to see what was on the other side. She recognized it immediately and heard Soman gasp from behind her.

  “The Wishing Hut,” Gemynd said then turned to Soman. “How could you not have noticed this door before? This is where you sleep.”

  Soman shrugged. “It looks just like the rest of the wall.”

  Numa looked around the room. With the door now closed behind them, it was nearly impossible to see it as it was lined with shelves just like the rest of the walls.

  “Cleverly hidden,” Gemynd said as he studied the door.

  Numa looked around the room. She’d never been to this lower level of the Wishing Hut before. All she knew about it was that it was where the Keepers and Soman slept. And, indeed, the dirt floor was covered with several bedsacks. There were two desks against the far wall and shelves with books on them lined the walls just as they did upstairs. The only other thing in the room was the wooden staircase in the center that spiraled up to the ground floor room.

  “Go on up, children,” Keeper Stout said. “More secrets await.”

  Gemynd reacted as though he’d been set aflame and bounded up the stairs three at a time.

  “Slowly!” Keeper Stout called after him, but Numa knew he’d already reached the top.

  Numa took the stairs next, followed by Soman, and she was relieved to be back in familiar surroundings when she’d reached the top.

  “Come, sit, children,” Elder Keeper Clary said from his seat across the room. He was the oldest person Numa had ever known and he was revered by the people of Aerie for his wisdom. Numa figured that he had become so wise because, as a Keeper, he had spent his entire life studying The Book of Life. As she approached, she realized this was the first time she had seen him up close. He was smaller than she’d previously thought and looked like a shriveled piece of marblefruit. Everything about him was white: his skin; his beard; his single remaining tooth; and his thin, straggly hair. Even his eyes were a milky white. And he trembled and twitched constantly the way a dog does when it’s dreaming. But there was something about him that made Numa love him instantly. It felt good to be near him. “You’re probably wondering what’s worse. Having to see me or Keeper Stout without any clothing,” he said and grunted a raspy sound that Numa realized was his laugh.

  “You win that one, Elder,” Keeper Stout said and laughed along with him.

  “Are you going to tell us more secrets, Elder Keeper?” Gemynd asked as he sat on the floor right at Keeper Clary’s feet.

  “You want to know the secrets of Aerie,” Keeper Clary said, his milky eyes moving about the room. “It is important that you are truly ready, for once you know, it is impossible to go back to a time when you do not know. So, I ask you, are you ready?”

  Numa wasn’t sure if she was ready. She loved the life she had lived until today. What if the secrets she learned changed all of that? But when she saw that Gemynd and Soman were nodding in response, she nodded along with them.

  “Very well, then, I will begin,” Keeper Clary said and took a deep breath. “As you might already know, Aerie is a very special place. The primary function of Aerie is to fill its inhabitants with Joy. Every decision that is made is for that purpose, and that purpose alone. This is why we live as a true community and there is no individual ownership of any kind here. Everything belongs to everyone. You are now members of Aerie and, as such, you must do your part. You must perform the duties assigned to you, all the while remembering to contribute to the Joy. We have but one law here in Aerie and it is enforced without exception. This law states that anyone causing a disruption to the Joy in Aerie is immediately banished and prohibited from ever returning. Even children as young as you must adhere to this law.”

  Numa’s eyes widened and she felt a lump forming in her throat. Banishment from Aerie? She tried to imagine what it would be like to live outside of Aerie. To find food and shelter all by herself in an unfamiliar place. To live where there wasn’t any Joy. In that moment, she knew she would rather die than try to survive in the harsh world outside of Aerie.

  “Do not be afraid,” Keeper Clary reassured. “This is a very rare occurrence. And it’s quite easy to avoid. You’ll know when an action would cause a disruption to the Joy. Simply don’t take that action and all will be well.”

  “What kind of action, Elder Clary?” Gemynd asked. “Like lying?”

  Keeper Clary nodded. “Certainly. Lying is most definitely a disruption of Joy.”

  “But what if the lie was to make someone happy? Like telling Overseer Marta that she’s pretty,” Gemynd continued.

  Keeper Clary wrinkled his eyebrows together. “You must not lie, Gemynd,” he said sternly.

  “I think Overseer Marta is pretty,” Soman offered quietly and Numa remembered again what her mother had told her that morning. Numa realized then that Soman had the ability to see beauty where she didn’t and she made a promise to herself that she would learn how to do this. Surely having the ability to see beauty would not be a disruption of Joy.

  “Any more questions before we move on?” Keeper Stout asked.

  Numa and Soman shook their heads while Gemynd considered for several moments. “What about stealing?” he asked.

  “Stealing is also a disruption of Joy, but it is not something we worry about in Aerie. Where there is no ownership, there can be no stealing,” Keeper Clary explained. “Do you understand?”

  Gemynd nodded. “Thank you, Elder Keeper,” he said. “I understand.”

  Keeper Stout nodded with a patient smile and gestured for Keeper Clary to continue.

  “Aerie has only the one law,” Keeper Clary said, “but it is part of the Land of Todor and, as such, the inhabitants of Aerie must also follow the laws of Todor. We are subjects of Queen Helen and must obey her rule. Do you understand this, children?”

  The three children nodded. Numa had always known about Queen Helen and Todor, but there was something in the tone of Keeper Clary’s voice that made her think there was much more to it.

  “One of the most important laws of Todor that we must follow has to do with the building we’re sitting in right now. Do any of you know why this is called the Wishing Hut?”

  Numa shook her head and saw that Soman and Gemynd shook theirs as well. Gemynd glanced at her and the look in his eyes seemed to say ‘now we’re going to find out the real secrets of Aerie.’

  “The legend says that many thousands of years ago the ancients came to this very spot because they believed it had the power to grant wishes. Of course, there was no hut on the land then. There was no Aerie either. Just the Baldaquin tr
ee, the waterfall and that piece of rock sticking out of the ground,” Keeper Clary said, pointing at the ground in the back of the room.

  Numa looked and saw that underneath the lowest shelf on the furthest wall was a jagged piece of clear rock. It looked like a large, colorless jewel. And it was plain to see that this was only the very top of the rock. The rest of it was buried beneath the ground.

  “I never noticed that before,” Soman said.

  “Me neither!” Gemynd agreed as he ran across the room to inspect it.

  “The ancients believed that rock had very special powers,” Keeper Clary said.

  “What kind of powers?” Gemynd said.

  “The power to grant wishes. They would come from all over Todor to perform the wishing ritual wherein they would spill their blood upon the rock as they wished for their greatest desires.”

  “You mean there’s ancient blood on it?” Soman asked and got up to join Gemynd at the rock.

  Keeper Stout chuckled. “Most likely the blood was worn off long ago,” he said. “Now, please join us back over here. Elder Keeper has more to explain.”

  “What did the ancients wish for?” Gemynd asked as he sat back down.

  “Such a smart boy,” Keeper Clary remarked. “You ask just the right questions.”

  Numa gave Gemynd a smile, feeling proud to know the boy who impressed the Elder Keeper. “He always asks all the questions,” she said.

  “To answer this one, I am certain the ancients wished for many things. But there were four in particular that are important to us today. One of them came to the rock and wished for a simple life filled with Peace and Joy. Another came and wished for great physical strength while the third wished for superior intelligence. The fourth wished to be able to have control over all of nature itself. And do you know what happened?” Keeper Clary asked and Numa found herself utterly mesmerized. She’d never heard a tale such as this one. “Their wishes all came true.”

  Gemynd jumped to his feet again. “I’m going to wish that my father was still here,” he announced and ran back to the rock.

  “Gemynd, stay here, please,” Keeper Stout scolded.

  Numa didn’t want to get scolded, but she secretly began thinking about what she would wish for as soon as she got the chance.

  “The powers of the rock were all used up that day and it no longer grants wishes,” Keeper Clary said and Numa felt her shoulders sag with disappointment. “But the remarkable thing that happened was that those ancients created new races of people. The people who wished for a simple life and those who wished for special powers. And these races divided Todor into regions.”

  Numa scrunched up her face and looked to Gemynd to help her make sense of what Keeper Clary was saying. But Gemynd just shrugged and looked as confused as Numa.

  “The region of Todor that Aerie is in is called the region of Terrenes,” Keeper Clary continued. “Terrenes are ordinary people--the people who wished for a simple life, just like the people you know in Aerie. But outside of the region of Terrenes live people who have special abilities; abilities that go beyond what a normal person can do. These powers are called glinting. As you grow, it is possible that one or more of you will begin to glint. If this happens, do not be afraid. It is a marvelous thing to be a glinter, or so I am told. If you discover this about yourself, simply come to Keeper Stout and tell him about it. You will then be sent to a special school where you will be trained on how to use your powers. And here is the most important thing to remember: it is against the law of Todor for glinters to live in the region of Terrenes, which includes Aerie. So, if you find that you are a glinter, you may choose to return to Aerie after your training only if you vow to never use your glinting powers. Anyone who glints in Aerie is banished. Now, surely you must have some questions.”

  Numa stared wide-eyed at the Keeper and noticed that her mouth had fallen open.

  “Are you a glinter, Keeper Clary?” she heard Gemynd ask, though it sounded far away.

  “I am a member of Aerie,” he replied simply.

  “Are any of the other people I know really glinters?” Gemynd asked.

  “All the people you know are members of Aerie and there is no glinting allowed here,” came the reply.

  Numa felt dizzy and was only vaguely aware of being ushered from the Wishing Hut to the Meeting Yard to join the feast. She felt disoriented and confused as she was seated between her friends at the head table. Platters of food were placed on the table and there was a swirling of colors before her as dancers glided and spun to music that seemed to be coming from the sky itself. All the things she had learned that day buzzed through her mind. The mine tunnel. The Laws of Todor. Glinting. It was all too much to take in. She looked around, trying desperately to find a familiar face to focus on, but it felt as though she was seeing it all for the very first time.

  “Glinting,” Soman murmured next to her. “I guess there really was a big secret we didn’t know.”

  Numa looked to Gemynd to make sense of it all. For seven years she had counted on him to be the voice of reason, to figure everything out for her. But now she saw only a far off gaze in his eyes.

  “Nothing is what it seems,” he whispered.

  Soman

  Soman pulled on his flaxen breeches and crept quietly from the Wishing Hut at dawn as he did every morning. He loved early mornings. He reveled in the masterpiece of each sunrise and the way the mist from the waterfall hung low across the village before the warmth from the sun lifted it into the sky. He basked in the scent of dew mixed with fairytooth that was always strongest at this time of day.

  The Keepers usually slept past sunrise so this was Soman’s time to be alone. Once outside, he flexed and stretched all his muscles, feeling them come alive for the day. Then he began to run. He could run the entire perimeter of Aerie in less than ten minutes, so he did it twice. And it never felt like enough to him. He could hear his muscles calling for more, but he stopped so he would still have time for a swim.

  Most members of Aerie chose to do their bathing in the bath and laundry houses where the water was kept warm. The water in the lake was bracingly cold, but Soman preferred it that way. It excited him to peel off his breeches and plunge his heated body into the frigid water, shocking his skin and invigorating his blood. After swimming several laps across the lake, he laid perfectly still on his back and let the water have complete control over his naked body.

  “Joyous day, Soman,” he heard a sultry, female voice come from the shore.

  “Joyous day,” he replied without looking. The voice could have come from any number of Aerie girls who always seemed to appear when he was naked. Soman was seventeen years old now and had had more than his share of sexual encounters with women. Since he was about twelve, women began flocking to him like wastrelflies to meat. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something about him women liked. And he delighted in lying with them as well. He had yet to find anything better than the soft warmth and smell of an amorous woman.

  “Would you like some company?” the woman asked.

  Soman closed his eyes and patted the water with his hand. “Sure, but it’s cold in here,” he said.

  “I’ll take my chances,” the woman said and Soman heard her gasp as she splashed into the water.

  Soman kept his eyes closed as they came together, allowing himself the pure pleasure of feeling with his body, and he thought about what a great way this was to start the day.

  As always, Soman was the first person seated at the Eating House for breakfast. The smell from the kitchen made his stomach grumble and his mouth water. Across the room, he saw Numa setting eating knives around the tables. Ever since they’d finished discipleship, the majority of her work was as a server in the Eating House. She seemed to love it and served everyone with a glorious smile.

  “Numa!” he called and waved. She waved back and walked to his table. Soman felt himself becoming aroused at the sight of her. She was a magnificent sight to behold. She was tall, w
ith curves in all the right places. Flawless, pearly skin. Wine-colored hair that spilled down to her perfectly-shaped rump. And green eyes that always seemed to pierce right through him. She was probably the only woman in Aerie he hadn’t bedded. He knew that her heart belonged to Gemynd. He’d always known that. Still, he couldn’t help himself from wondering what it would be like to spend one night with her.

  “Joyous day, Soman,” she said and handed him a knife.

  “Joyous day,” he replied and playfully patted her backside.

  She arched an eyebrow at him. “I saw you in the lake with Pauline this morning.”

  Soman felt a wicked grin curve his lips. “Is that who that was?”

  Numa rolled her eyes. “You’re insatiable,” she muttered and turned back to the kitchen.

  “I’m certain the right woman could satisfy me,” he called after her. “Perhaps a tall redhead.”

  “Still at it?” Gemynd said, appearing from nowhere behind Soman.

  “Mostly out of habit,” Soman replied. “I know it’s useless, but I can’t help myself.”

  Gemynd stepped his long legs over the bench and sat down across from Soman. He chuckled and shook his head. “I wouldn’t say it’s completely useless.”

  Soman studied his friend. Gemynd had grown into a handsome man. Around age thirteen he had finally stopped cropping his hair and now it hung below his jaw in glossy, black waves. He, too, had become a favorite among the women in Aerie. Not just because of his good looks, but also because he was the smartest inhabitant of the village. The women would remain frustrated, however, because Gemynd’s heart belonged to Numa. But his life belonged to The Book. For Gemynd had chosen the path of a Keeper. And now, despite his chuckle and good-natured smile, Soman could see that Gemynd was troubled. Gemynd was always troubled.

  “Numa is and will always be yours,” Soman said.

  “I have no claim to her,” Gemynd replied.

  Soman shook his head. “She belongs to you. And you to her. Why do you fight this? For all that I jest about having her myself, she will always be yours in my eyes and, more importantly, in hers.”