by Trevor Booth
Te’oma, Ariana and Julius waited at the edge of the glacier, looking out at the seemingly endless mountains that lay before them. They had their packs full of supplies and Xerxes had given them each containers to hold as much fresh water as they could.
“Are you sure you understand the way?” asked Xerxes, who seemed unusually nervous.
“Of course. Across the glacier, across the dunes, through the mountains and up the cliffs. Got it. It’s all on the map,” said Ariana.
“You make it sound so easy,” replied Xerxes.
Xerxes lead them back down the mountain to an old trail he knew of. If you weren’t looking for it, you would hardly know it was there, but he insisted that it was the quickest way across the glacier. “This is as far as I can take you,” he said.
“We are eternally grateful for your assistance,” said Julius.
They turned and looked at the forbidding path that lay in front of them. All they could see was a tiny dirt track that weaved its way through towering walls of ice.
“Well, we’ve waited long enough. Let’s get moving,” said Ariana as she marched off down the path. Julius and Te’oma set off after her.
“Te’oma.” said Xerxes. “Wait one minute.”
Te’oma went back to Xerxes’ side. Julius and Ariana did not notice and continued on.
Xerxes’ demeanour changed. He stared at Te’oma with a powerful gaze. “There are many dangers that lie on the path before you, some more obvious than others,” he said.
“Why are you telling me this?” asked a rather confused Te’oma.
“You have very strong friends there, but they do not have what you have. You have a strength that has been passed down from your ancestors,” said Xerxes.
“What strength?” replied Te’oma.
“You will find out soon enough, but I will say this – stay true to yourself and you will find the way. Remember, sometimes things are not what they seem,” said Xerxes.
Te’oma was terrified. He didn’t know what Xerxes was talking about. He’d never been good at anything and had definitely never felt special.
“Don’t worry. I have great confidence in you,” said Xerxes. “Now, go after your friends and remember to enjoy your time. That’s also very important.”
“Thank you. Will we ever see you again?” asked Te’oma.
Xerxes smiled and walked away. Te’oma suddenly realised he was alone. He quickly ran down the path as fast as he could.
***
Ariana had reached a block in the path. Two giant pieces of the glacier had come together leaving only the tiniest gap. Te’oma came bounding down the path, puffing and panting.
“Finally,” said Ariana. “Where have you been?”
“I just wanted to say goodbye,” said Te’oma.
“Well your friend has sent us to a dead end. There’s no way we’re fitting through there,” said Ariana.
“There must be a way through,” said Te’oma.
Te’oma tried pushing the ice, before deciding that that was a rather stupid idea. He then dug at it but, once again, he realised he was not going to get anywhere doing that. Finally, he noticed that the dirt on the ground was quite loose. He lay down and dug away at it, revealing a gap under the ice.
Te’oma started squeezing his way into the gap.
“You can’t be serious,” said Ariana, looking rather concerned.
“No one said this was going to be easy,” replied Te’oma.
“But you barely fit,” said Ariana.
“Ariana, you wouldn’t be scared, would you?” asked Te’oma.
Ariana pulled Te’oma out of the hole by his legs. “Get out of my way,” she said, burrowing her way through the ice.
Te’oma smiled at Julius. He had started to enjoy getting under her skin.
After a short time the ice opened up and they were able to stand and walk again.
The path continued on for miles. The glacier was seemingly infinite. The sun quickly crossed the sky above and the night set in.
***
Xerxes stood at the entrance to his home, alone again. He had forgotten how nice human company could be. He only hoped that he had done the right thing. Suddenly, without warning, Antastus, king of the dragons, slammed down on the ground in front of Xerxes. Enormous in size, Antastus lead the dragons with an iron fist. His head alone was the size of two men. Not only was he the biggest, but he was the most vicious of all the dragons. His rule dated back eons.
Antastus moved close to Xerxes. His eyes were pale and cold; his scales encrusted with layers of ice. A deep and terrifying rumble came from Antastus’s belly before he spoke. “I sense something has changed in your heart, old man. Tell me.” Said Antastus, his voice deep with a slight echo.
Xerxes stepped back from the dragon. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied nervously.
“You can’t hide your feelings from me. Never forget you’re only here because we tolerate your existence,” said Antastus.
“I honestly don’t know,” replied Xerxes.
“Who do you think you’re talking to!” demanded an angry Antastus.
Xerxes scurried back. Antastus leaned down and puts his giant nostrils right up against Xerxes and sniffed. “I sense … I sense hope,” said Antastus, as he continued to sniff, “but it is not all coming from you,” he said. He leaped into the air. The ground shuddered as he flapped his giant wings. Within the blink of an eye Antastus had disappeared off into the distance.
***
The jagged peaks and valleys of the glacier went on like an endless ripple. Ariana struggled to climb up the ice. Te’oma reached down to give her a helping hand, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to take it.
“We need to take a break,” said Julius, as he sat exhausted on the ice.
“I agree,” said an equally tired Te’oma.
Ariana looked out at the ice ahead. She looked back and saw how little distance they had covered. “Are we even getting anywhere?” she asked, as she plonked herself down in a huff.
The sun was slowly setting on the day yet again. “The ice feels like it’s getting colder,” said Te’oma, “if that’s even possible.”
“We need to get out of the wind for the night,” said Ariana.
They made camp between two large blocks of ice that were close enough together to block the wind a bit. The animal skins they brought to sleep on did their best to keep the cold out but they knew eventually the water was going to seep through.
‘This is going to be one long, cold night,’ Te’oma thought to himself; he only hoped that they reached the end of the glacier before another day ended.
As the sun settled into the distance, it gave off one final blast of light. Looking down the glacier, the light refracted off the ice, and with a clear sky and a faint mist above the ground, the scene was simply breathtaking. Unfortunately, the beauty was lost on Te’oma. His mind was caught between exhaustion and what Xerxes had said to him before they left.
As if night time on the glacier wasn’t cold enough, the wind decided to play its part. Te’oma, Ariana and Julius slept, wrapped up in their animal skin rugs but still shivering. The wind whipped through the small gap in the ice behind them like a hurricane.
“Ariana?” said Te’oma. “Ariana, are you awake?”
“I am now,” she said.
“Do you believe him?”
“Who?” asked Ariana with evident frustration.
“Xerxes,” said Te’oma. “Do you believe that there is still a good dragon out there?”
Ariana rolled over in her bed to face Te’oma. “I know he exists,” she said confidently.
“How?” enquired Te’oma.
“Because I met him,” said Ariana.
“You met him? When?” demanded Te’oma, nearly waking Julius from his sleep.
“It was a long time ago,” said Ariana.
“How?” said Te’oma.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Now go to sleep,” snapped
Ariana, rolling over.
“I only hope he’s still alive,” she added quietly, a moment later.
Te’oma stared at the ice, confused. Every time he seemed to make a breakthrough with Ariana she clammed up on him.
The morning came and, with it, another long and painful day of climbing. Their arms and legs were starting to ache in muscles they didn’t know they had. The glacier seemed to go on forever. To make things worse, heavy rain and snow had been pelting down on them all day long.
Ironically, the rain and snow eased as they climbed down from one last pillar of ice. They could see the end of the glacier. Unfortunately it gave way to a cliff face that ran for miles in each direction. Sitting in a small valley between them and the base of the cliff was a crystal clear lake. The water was calm and inviting.
“Great, now what?” said Ariana.
On the other side of the lake was a small path that wound its way up to the top of the ridge.
“It would appear that the only way to get up the cliff is to go through the lake,” said Julius, as he dropped his bag to the ground. “But I, for one, want some sleep before I contemplate submerging myself in that,” he continued.
“I’m really sick of being wet and cold,” said Ariana.
The next morning, Julius cleverly fashioned a raft out of a large chunk of ice he was able to break off the glacier. They put everything they owned onto the raft to try and keep it dry.
Julius took his clothes off and delicately put his foot into the water, expecting it to be so cold that his big toe would break off the instant it went in, but he was pleasantly surprised. The water was warm. Julius dove into the water head first.
Ariana and Te’oma looked at each other shocked. They thought that Julius had lost his mind. “Come on in. It’s like a relaxing, hot bath,” said Julius.
Ariana and Te’oma made their way towards the water’s edge, still a little unsure if Julius was playing a prank on them but, sure enough, the water was warm and inviting.
Julius kept a firm grip on his raft as they swam across the lake. The water was so warm and peaceful that a sense of calmness came over them. This feeling of warmth and comfort was something Ariana and Julius had not felt for a very long time. For Te’oma, it was the first time that he had felt this warm and safe. It was almost as if the water was warming their very souls.
As they got further into the lake, they began to drift through the water aimlessly. Julius lost his grip on the raft and let it drift away. He floated in the water, blissfully unaware of what had happened.
Their minds began to wander. Suddenly their purpose for crossing the lake seemed unimaginable. The more their minds relaxed, the more they sank into the water, until they were completely submerged. Their eyes closed and their minds turned off as they drifted through the crystal lake.
Julius and Ariana drifted deeper and deeper into the illusion, their minds taken to where they were most happy. For Ariana it was with her family in their pool, for Julius it was in the arms of the woman he loved.
Te’oma’s mind wandered back to his earliest memory. He lay on a thick woollen blanket on the floor of his parents’ old wood cabin. He was only three years old. His mother was making funny faces at him. Her eyes were so bright and full of life, her smile lit up the room. Te’oma felt a warmth that he had forgotten. He laughed and laughed until his sides began to hurt, then he laughed some more.
Gaia glowed like an angel. She took Te’oma by the hand, her eyes piercing through to his very soul. “You must wake up,” she said. Te’oma just smiled back at her, so captivated was he by her warmth.
The walls to the cabin began to rumble and creak. Gaia got up and slowly stepped away from Te’oma. Her smile started to fade as a tear rolled down her face. Te’oma reached out to her, “Mother, please,” he said.
“You must wake up, my son,” said Gaia.
Suddenly, water burst through the walls and wood flew everywhere. Gaia and Te’oma were engulfed by the deluge. The water levels rose higher and higher as Te’oma desperately tried to keep his head above it.
The water reached the top of the cabin. Te’oma held his breath as he was submerged. Gaia stood before him. She was relaxed. She took his hand and looked deep into his eyes. In his mind he heard her voice, “You must wake up!”
Te’oma’s eyes opened. He suddenly realised he was in the crystal lake. He looked around and, to his shock, there were dozens and dozens of people and animals of all kinds floating in the water.
Te’oma swam to the surface and gasped for air. He looked around but could not see Ariana or Julius. He ducked back under the water and frantically swam around. There were so many faces down there, some of them were old and wrinkled, their skin soft from years of being in the water.
A glimmer of light from deep in the water caught the corner of Te’oma’s eye. He swam down towards it, pushing away the floating bodies that blocked his path. Behind them was Ariana; her necklace was reflecting the sunlight. Te’oma grabbed her and pulled her up to the surface.
She did not wake up. Te’oma dragged her to the edge of the lake and pulled her up onto the dirt. He turned around and looked for Julius. He saw the raft that Julius had made, floating not far from the shore. He dove back into the water and out to the raft. Te’oma went under and, to his enormous relief, Julius floated below the raft. Te’oma dragged him and their supplies to the shore.
Ariana started to cough and splutter. She sat up and coughed out a huge amount of water. Te’oma rushed to her aid. “What happened?” she said.
“I don’t know,” said Te’oma.
“Where’s Julius?” said Ariana in a panic.
“Relax,” said Te’oma. “He’s right next to you. He just hasn’t woken up yet.”
Ariana shivered in the cold air. Te’oma took their clothes from the raft and handed them to Ariana. “You wait here with Julius. I’ll see if I can find some bushes to make a fire,” he said.
The night set in. The days seemed to be getting shorter. Te’oma had managed to make a small fire, around which he and Ariana sat, enjoying its welcome warmth. Julius, still asleep, lay next to them.
“When do you think he’ll wake up?” asked Te’oma.
“I don’t know, but I hope it’s soon,” replied Ariana.
“Memories can sometimes keep us from seeing what is in front of us.”
Chapter 7
Distant Memories
At the Grand Cross Junction, centre of all transport, hundreds of people wearing stunningly colourful silk clothing, scurried in all directions – the noise was deafening.
The building housed a massive tunnel. Immaculate gold pillars wrapped around the tunnel walls, with gorgeous coloured glass between each pillar. Large crystals hung from the roof, lighting the tunnel. Hundreds of smaller tunnels led out of the junction.
Ethaniol walked with purpose through the busy crowd. He was Grand Chancellor of the council, a man of class, a man so well presented that every hair on his head was in its place. His son, Julius, walked three steps behind him. Julius was terrified of his father.
Ethaniol walked past a line of people. A glass dome with a mirror-like surface sat upon a pair of crystal tracks. Two guards in full armour, with large staffs, stood next to the dome.
“Get in,” said Ethaniol.
One of the guards tapped the glass of the dome. It started to ripple like a drop of rain in water. Then, from nothing, a small hole appeared in the side of the dome. It rippled outwards until the hole was big enough for a person.
Julius got into the dome. Inside was a plush, burgundy leather couch that wrapped around the sides. The walls were dark grey. Julius and Ethaniol sat down on the couch. The opening in the dome quickly disappeared and everything went quiet. The grey walls became transparent and the junction came into view, distorted only by the tiniest of water blurs.
“How old are you, Julius?” Ethaniol would always start a lecture by asking a question he already knew the answer to.
“You kno
w how old I am, Father,” replied Julius.
“How old are you?” demanded Ethaniol.
“Nineteen, Father,” replied Julius dejectedly.
“Hmmm,” said Ethaniol. He never had to say much to get his point across.
The dome began to move, bursting out of the junction and speeding down a dark tunnel at an incredible rate. The rapid motion did not seem to affect Julius and Ethaniol.
Faster and faster, the dome travelled along the tracks. The tunnel outside was just a dark blur. Soon, the tunnel walls turned to glass and the depths of the ocean were visible through it. The tunnel wove its way around the bottom of the ocean. Thousands of fish, stingrays, and sharks the size of houses swam around the glass passage, oblivious to their presence. They were so far down that the surface of the water could barely be seen above them.
Julius looked up longingly toward the surface and wondered what it was like up there.
“Stop gazing up into nothing and focus on the here and now,” snapped Ethaniol. Julius looked down at the floor, dejected. “Your mother tells me that you have been seeing Jade,” he said.
“Yes,” replied Julius, terrified that he was going to tell him to stop.
“She is a fine young lady, Julius. Make sure you treat her well,” said Ethaniol. He could always surprise Julius when he least expected it but there was always a self-serving purpose behind his episodes of goodwill. “You represent our house in everything you do,” continued Ethaniol.
The dome disappeared into a dark tunnel again. As it started to slow down, they emerged from the tunnel and came to a stop in a small room. Plain grey walls surrounded the room, with only one doorway, which lead into darkness. The doorway was lined with gold, woven into a pattern that appeared like a vine growing around a tree. A single crystal hung down from the roof, lighting up the room.
The dome opened up and Ethaniol stepped out. Julius went to leave, but Ethaniol stopped him. “Go see her. You have no classes tomorrow and remember your actions reflect back on us,” he said.
“Yes Father,” said Julius.
Julius sat back down in the dome as the door closed. It whisked back out into the tunnel. Julius couldn’t help but feel excited. He did not expect his father to be so generous. He could not wait to tell Jade the news.