Shazar awoke up from his thoughts and stared at his black boots. The stone had been buried by the edge of the river; they had given it back to the earth it once came from. Ashanna had thanked it and cried like she would have at a loved one’s funeral, but the stone’s spirit didn’t mind the prospect of the rest it deserved.
‘We were thought to be dangerous to the human race,’ Shazar said to her. ‘Being different and strange in their eyes, we were thought to be a threat. We have powers people can only dream of but we were never a violent species; until we had to defend ourselves. We never used our skills on any living being without respect, only for our own survival and enjoyment. Never to hurt. We lived in harmony with all around us respecting life and the animals and trees. We fled. We never take away an ability of an animal; it is given to us in a mutual agreement to protect the animals’ life if needed. They will call us when the time comes. Wherever we are we have to obey; for that is the deal,’ he swallowed before he continued. Ashanna forgot about her own problems for a moment, feeling for this man and his history, intrigued as well. ‘When the first of us was slain, the war began. At first we didn’t want to fight them; they were barbaric but still part of the animal kingdom and surely still developing. We didn’t want to interfere but rather fled to avoid contact. Instead they chased us, hunted us down like pack predators, my grandparents told me. Apparently we tried to reason with them, to make them understand that we would be no threat to them and keep to ourselves but, them being lower beings, they were not ready to understand. We killed many but that only worsened the matter. You see; had we not they might have lost interest in us. Now they had even more reason to blame us for everything. We were captured, tortured, slain and killed in numbers throughout the years, all over the entire planet.’
Ashanna had not known about his species before, having lived an isolated life with not much knowledge of the things outside the temple. It had not been her concern. Now she felt like she had been living in a shell. Moreover she felt a link to this man as he, or at least his kind, had been treated unjustly like her.
‘But according to Twello you are very powerful and strong. Then how-’
‘They were too many,’ he replied quickly, known that the question would come.
‘Our kind lives longer but produces less offspring and we mature more slowly. Humans are always greater in number, like ants. Perhaps that was our downfall. Perhaps we too should have bred in numbers. Only to see our children slain…We only defended ourselves and our birthright; our lives, yet it didn’t help much. Humans seemed to adapt better than we did. Perhaps that’s why they’re so successful overall. But,’ He hesitated. ‘We… get stressed really easy and overwhelmed by people and their reactions; their noises, their smells sicken us. It weakens us.’ he hesitated again before he concluded, ‘That’s what made us vulnerable and weak.’ We cannot use our abilities when stressed or frightened. It’s a miracle we managed to kill at all…
‘That is a horrible history, Shazar. You must hate us very much.’
‘Hate, that is something only humans are capable of. It was their hate for us that got us killed. Now we stay away from them, like a wolf when he smells a human village. But we loathe them alright. It grew in our hearts, our blood and bones over the years and it remains in our instinct,’ but here I am, talking to one! And not only that, I raided a human building, and left one alive! No, I saved a woman and a child; there is no wrong in that! Even if they are human and have the potential to do evil…
Nothing more was said. Ashanna wasn’t capable of soothing Shazar but she knew she wasn’t the one he needed. He needed his family with him. He was so focussed to find others of his kind and would not want her around. It was a surprise he had helped her escape at all. Although he had shown kindness to her there was also a kind of darkness in him. Perhaps because she had been hurt by pretty much the same type of people that hurt him and his family he felt he needed to help her?
Shazar had not mentioned the name of his kind, so she couldn’t tell anyone what he exactly was; even if she did promise to keep the secret, one could never be certain. And Ashanna had not asked.
~~~
The next morning after breakfast they decided to pack up.
‘Why don’t you come with me to my aunt’s house to rest and get your strength back before going north?’ Ashanna spoke gingerly.
‘I suppose I could pay you two a visit in the Southeast in the near future but not now. Was it near Randaria you said you’re aunt lives?’
He smiled at Twello who smiled back a little.
Ashanna nodded, ‘Yes, she has a hut in the dunes set a little apart from the village so quite safe for you,’ and she sighed, ‘I do hope you’ll find your kind!’
‘Somehow I have a good feeling about it.’
‘So do I,’ she said with a half smile. ‘Don’t forget us.’
‘I won’t.’ He smiled back.
There was a certain tension in the air, Shazar felt it and didn’t know what to think of it. Did the woman feel bad about him leaving her?
‘Don’t be afraid, Ashanna. It will be alright, you’ll see. When you find your aunt and make a living for yourself and the boy, your confidence will grow and time will heal your wounds. The nightmares will lessen in time.’
He had heard her mumble in her sleep, waking with sweat on her troubled forehead.
“Time will heal your wounds and time will fade the memories.”
‘Sure,’ she replied, squeezing her mouth tight, not really believing it.
Shazar sighed. Even though he had been able to comfort her before, when she cried, he didn’t know how to deal with these courtesies. He hardly remembered how to act in social situations, having stayed away from people. He’d always acted on instinct and followed his heart.
He remembered to shake her hand though. Her lips parted in response and she took his so human warm hand in hers.
‘Goodbye for now,’ he said and laid his other hand on top of hers, before letting go with some reluctance and turning to the boy. ‘I will pay you both a visit, that’s a promise.’ Shazar ruffled Twello’s hair but the boy shook him off and hugged him by the waist. Twello knew how to say goodbye properly, ‘I’ll never forget you, Shazar.’
Tears welled up in Shazar’s eyes. ‘You better not, for I’ll be back. Your parents are so proud of you. You stood up against evil and that is never forgotten.’
‘I didn’t save them. They’re gone,’ he said in a tiny voice, still holding the man closely.
‘You did! Even though they’re no longer here physically, they are watching over you, keeping you safe and will remain in your heart and in your memories. They’re truly free now and you have to make them proud with what you do with the rest of your life,’ he took the boy’s chin in his hand and stared into his pale blue eyes. ‘Never stop fighting against the wrong in the world and try to do the right thing, Twello. Never stop living. Never stop caring. And…look after Ashanna for me, yes?’
Twello nodded, although tears dropped down his cheeks.
‘Take care Ashanna. Same thing goes for you.’ He gave her an uncertain half smile. She nodded back, fighting back tears. She had started to feel again after thinking she never would.
‘Good luck, Shazar.’ She turned to the boy and as Shazar hitched his rucksack higher and left the camping spot, Ashanna and Twello soon would leave as well, he saw her putting an arm around the boy saying, ‘I know this story about tears…’
~~~
Shazar smiled and grabbed the straps of his rucksack pulling them tighter, touching his head band, feeling it was in place to hide his unusually pointy ears from the rest of the world.
It would be a long road, but he was patient. He would search high and low in the Balla Mountains. The stone didn’t reveal the exact location. He did not ask the Truthstone if he would ever succeed. He could have done so but he wanted to let the future remain as it would be and thus make life more interesting; a surprise.
Well, and wi
th “one and a half” comyenti wouldn’t it be just that?
PART III Summer Struggles
The morning
feels cool and crisp.
Smells of the fragrant earth
reek the air,
Hear- the twitter of the birds,
I SEARCH FOR YOU THERE
In the bumble of the bees,
the slow opening of the rose
when the bee kisses the petals,
the exuberance of the thunder,
the flash of the lightning,
the lash of the sea waves
on the pebbled shore,
I SEARCH FOR YOU THERE
The rapturous glow of the moon
the twinkle of the stars,
the rise of the dawn,
the flame of the afternoon
the closing shades of twilight
I SEARCH YOU THERE
In the velocity of the tornado
the pitter-patter of the raindrops on my rooftop,
the sway of the leaves of the tree
the lustre of the diamonds
the flow of your poetic verses
I SEARCH FOR YOU.
On my heart with folded palms
in devotion I pray for your wellbeing
But still,
I’M SEARCHING FOR YOU.
ANJALI SINHA
Chapter 17 The Halfling
A warm summer breeze blew through the bright green canopy of trees. Beech, oak and pine stood spread about. Underneath lay a carpet of fern and blueberry.
A wood warbler sang its cheerful song overhead. A sudden disruption below caused it to stop singing and fly off.
There was a slight rush from the parting of ferns and a soft low thumping sound of two small feet; hardly a disturbance to the peace of the summer wood, however added to that a high pitched child’s exited squeal and it was alarming enough for the shy birds to flee on rapid wings.
The child continued to squeal and laugh, running extremely fast until she entered a clearing. She ran towards a figure lying on a blanket with their eyes closed on the grassy meadow.
Presently the dark haired tanned woman looked up, resting herself lazily on one elbow, smiling warmly at the child running towards her.
‘Mummy! I was faster again!’
Sula opened her arms, caressing the little girl on her back with tender hands. Holding her at arms length, Sula looked proudly at her. The blond girl’s blue eyes shone brightly and intelligently and her laughing mouth showed her little white teeth. The sun had darkened the few freckles on her tiny nose and made her olive cheeks a lovely rosy apple colour. Her ears were slightly pointed and stuck through the strands of hair.
The only piece of clothing she wore was a pair of orange shorts that were full of mud-and grass stains. Her feet were bare and splattered with mud as well, as were her knees, but the mother knew well enough that this child was hard to keep clean during the day. The young girl of nearly five autumns looked so happy and proud that Sula didn’t worry about yet another piece of clothing to be washed. In fact it was better in the summer when the child could run around half naked and did not stain too many clothes as she would in the other seasons. She reminded Sula of herself at that age. She would do anything in the world to have her feeling this way for as long as possible.
Before the confusion starts.
The dazzling woman smiled at her daughter with shining emerald eyes.
‘Fay, you amaze me every time! Now, where did you leave your father?’
The girl grinned gesturing over her shoulder to glance at the woods behind her. A young handsome blonde man approached the sunny clearing, heavily panting and leaning with both hands on his bare knees. He too was bare above the waist and sweat shimmered on his toned torso; only dressed in short brown linen breeches. They both stared at him, laughing at his exhaustion.
As soon as he saw them Felix looked up and quickly contained his weariness; laughing slyly as he walked in a fake relaxed fashion towards them with opened arms. His firm stomach and hairless chest shining like bronze in the sun. When he’d almost reached them he suddenly said in a teasing voice, ‘Who said the chase was over?’ And made a dash for Fay. She screamed high pitched, giggling, attempting to run away but this time her father was faster and lifted the little girl up, roaring loudly.
‘I’m going to eat you!’ He bit her softly on her upper leg. At that the girl screamed more. Her mother chuckled at the infectious giggles of her daughter and looked with amusement at the scene.
After spinning her around and around, Felix finally put her down to stroke her fuzzy shoulder length hair with a couple of small braids.
‘That wasn’t fair daddy!’ the girl objected suddenly looking up at him seriously.
‘I got you, didn’t I?’ he replied laughing.
The young fair father, who also had small braids in his hair, leaned over to his stunning wife to kiss her on the lips before letting himself fall beside her. Felix, who laid on his back with the sun reflected in his blue eyes, looked up at her and said, ‘She is getting faster by the day, Miss Sula! Already she outruns me.’
She smiled down at him, laughing at his special term of endearment for her, referring to when they first met.
‘Of course she does. She’s my girl!’
‘She sure is! No doubt about that,’ he said smiling with his eyes closed against the bright sunlight. It was late afternoon and the warmth felt pleasant now, not oppressive any more.
’But she definitely has your good looks,’ Sula added sweetly and lay down beside him, putting an arm around his bare suntanned chest with her eyes suddenly dark and yearning. Felix gasped when he saw it and grinned at her.
‘Oh, really, you think so, huh?’ he joked and heard Fay laughing stretched out on the grass, throwing her legs upwards so that the sun would shine on the soles of her feet, wiggling her toes. A butterfly landed on her biggest toe and the girl giggled and waved her short leg in the soft wind like a tall stem, imagining her toes to be the flower.
The little family spent every summer travelling; staying a month in one area, camping here and there, taking every day as it came. In Fay’s first summer they had undertaken a light four days walk towards the sea in Westland. The second year, they had set out to go deeper in the mountains to see the numerous lakes in the north, a little closer to home. The third year they travelled to Eastland with its long stretches of plains with flocks of reindeer and meerkats inhabiting the unusual shaped rocky land with its endless caves and steppes. Last summer they strolled through the warm Midland with its woodlands and enormous clear lakes with little bird islands.
This year they’d let Fay choose where they should go and she said she wanted to see the mountains, deciduous woodlands and open steppes in the Northwest where wolves still roamed freely despite the many wolf hunts. The rest of the year they travelled frequently too; short distances in the gentle area where they lived near the small village of Rosinhill and its hilly meadows and friendly forests, lakes and rivers and surrounding mountains.
It would have been a great sacrifice for Sula to give up her life’s goal altogether; the search for others of her species, but her love for Felix made it easier for her to settle down. She called it her ‘small sacrifice’ and after a couple of moons their child was conceived. Fay Rosinhill was that child and with her a new era was about to begin. Through her the species would or could live on.
Sula Comyenti, known as Sula Rosinhill in the village since their blessing and to keep her safe, had not given birth to any more children.
Back in the meadow, not knowing yet what a heavy burden she carried, the girl slept carefree between her loving parents in the shade of the protective beech trees. Felix and Sula soon fell asleep too, cuddled up against each other.
Chapter 18 One and One
Like a soft breeze someone moved amongst the ferns and blueberry bushes across the forest floor towards the grassy meadow. With the sweet scent of resin in his nostrils, he stood completel
y still beneath a large pine tree that marked the entrance of the wood. Taking a sharp breath at the sight, he pinned himself to the tree so as not to be seen. The sweet sap of the pine was almost overpowering now, he tried to focus on his hearing and eyesight instead.
He had heard and seen the small child running earlier; drawing his attention and although it was just a flash of her, he instantly knew she could not be human. No human child could run that fast at such a young age. He knew he had to follow her. He was on the right trail.
Shazar had been silent like a cat in his chase so that the man following the girl had neither seen nor heard him, and neither had the child. They were both laughing; too wrapped up in their own game, so he knew she was not in danger. The man chasing her was no threat. The girl seemed unaware of any dangers, though.
No doubt the man’s fault. A human? What is he to her anyway? Shazar thought with loathing.
Dressed in black and standing with his back exposed to the heat of the sun which he was used to, being born and having spent a lot of his time further south, he hugged the tree. The heat seemed to bother him suddenly or was it anger? Sweat trickled down his neck and between his shoulder blades.
He patiently waited several moments. He observed the young girl, the man and another sleeping on the grass. He suddenly found himself having a vision of other people; his own mother, father and baby sister lying on the grass similar to this. However this was not a happy vision: they were all covered in their own blood… slain. Rage and sadness overwhelmed him at the memory and he clenched his fists tight. Blocking the thoughts out, throwing them back into his memories of long ago he regained his stature and tried to relax.
Yes, relax, for there is hope still. One and a half comyenti…
Walking slowly, softly, making no sound he came closer to the three people on the grass meadow; a man, a woman and a child. He stood over them, taking a good look at them with his slanted green eyes. The young man was handsome and healthy looking with a suntanned muscular body. Unmistakably human, strong and seemingly flawless. He quickly directed his eyes away. The girl had his fair looks, but she had very different ears; high and pointed at the tips. Pine needles were tangled in her blond hair. Shazar touched his own ears under his headband. His skin felt itchy and damp.
The Comyenti Series Book Bundle, Volume 1 and 2 (Epic Romantic Supernatural Fantasy) Page 15