Meridias

by Ryan Hodgson

  The Dahyen notice Ark and begin scurrying away into their holes. Ark darts forward with inhuman speed and closes in on the nearest of the foul creatures. He reaches it in less than two seconds and grabs it by the tail. The creature squirms and lets out a cry but to no avail. Ark smacks the back of the Dahyen’s head and it goes limp. He takes the small sphere from it and looks around. Drat. The other ones got away. He goes to the core and puts the sphere into one of the empty slots then jumps back up through the hole in the ceiling. The screen once again shows words that read: Primary Database Offline. Ark knows what he has to do. He retrieves the sphere he recovered. He would bring this one back to Ragnarok for safekeeping then he would track down the rest of the spheres the Dahyen had taken.

  Chapter 7

  A Challenge, A Flicker, and Sharks

  Elunduil found himself... floating? He noticed a golden light and looked down. The light was coming from a star. A star not of gas and fire but of pure light. He looked about and saw nine planets around the star: A world of perpetual dawn, a world of water, a world filled with trees, a world with violent volcanos, a world hidden by storms, a world shrouded in darkness, a world shielded by energy, a world made up of swords, and a world like a void. He’d been here before. A mysterious presence had taught him the meaning of fire. His thoughts turned back to the tests Angurvadel had given him earlier that day. Almost all these worlds here represented his elemental affinities and his orientation... except for the world of swords and the shield. Perhaps those were affinities to elements that the tests hadn’t covered? If he framed the question in the mind then perhaps he might remember it when he awoke.

  He sensed a presence approaching. “You have learned much since your last visit here,” A powerful voice said into his mind. Despite being prepared for the presence’s voice Elunduil temporarily found himself overwhelmed. “What is this place? These worlds... are they some sort of reflection of me?” he asked. The presence was silent for a moment.

  “Yes. You could say that this place is a representation of you. This... is the center of your universe.” The center of his universe. A reflection of who he was. How interesting. “I have watched your progress and see that tomorrow you are faced with a challenge from another being, therefore I have determined that this is a good time to teach you about the meaning of another element.” Suddenly Elunduil was surrounded by a raging torrent of water that obscured his view. It wrapped around him like a bubble. He’d guessed that this was what the presence would teach him about when it’d mentioned Maria’s challenge. “Let us begin,” the presence said.

  Since the primal time of this planet it has fostered life.

  It has captured the hearts of man with its playful nature,

  Yet they must always be wary of its unforgiving ways.

  It is relief to the thirsty, and respite from the sun above.

  It feeds and sustains all life.

  Its voice can be calming and terrifying.

  Sometimes it can cause great devastation, and make entire communities flee.

  Man travels across it with mighty wood and metal vessels,

  And revel in its embrace but they cannot remain with it for long.

  Humanity possesses its serenity and its joy.

  It is patient, it wears down stone, mountains, the whole of the world.

  It is one of the pillars that has existed since the universe began.

  It is the mother of life, the nurturer of the world, and the most sorrowful spirit.

  It is Water.

  He felt a familiarity in the words of the poem. He’d had the same sensation when he’d learned of fire. He saw images and closed his eyes in reflection. An ocean with crashing waves rolling up along the shore, a gentle stream gurgling through a forest, A turbulent river, a deep blue lake, A man kneeling by a tiny pond of water and scooping it up with his hands, a group of people swimming and splashing water at each other with cries of laughter, and finally a large wave bearing down on a coastal town. Elunduil felt a deep calm come over him. He felt a new level of awareness and deep inside of him he sensed a change. Something had ‘opened’ just a little bit more. He opened his eyes and gazed peacefully at the water churning about him. A playful spirit came over him and he grinned and struck at the water with his hand. The water split and parted as his hand came near. He withdrew his hand slowly and the nearest waters followed, enticing him to strike again.

  Elunduil complied and again the water parted as his hand drew near it. He struck out towards the water repeatedly. Each time he withdrew the waters beckoned him to try again, getting closer and closer until the waters were intertwined with his movements. It was as if they were engaged in some sort of intimate dance. Eventually the waters rolled over him and pushed him about in a playful manner. Elunduil responded by pushing back with his mind and the waters spread around him. He suddenly had a sense of urgency and knew that his time was almost up. “Until next time,” he whispered and he could’ve sworn the gurgling waters laughed in response as they dispersed. When he looked around he noticed that he was closer to the flat world of perpetual dawn. He could almost make out the details... The world around him faded away and he woke up.

  Elunduil stared at the white ceiling. Odd. He felt as if he’d had an interesting dream yet he couldn’t seem to recall the details. Oh well he had more important things to worry about. He shoved off the covers and hopped down from the top bunk. While he was busy throwing on clothes he thought about ways that he could freeze the entire river for longer than Maria. The simplest solution would be to try and use the water itself to his advantage somehow. Hmm. He noticed that there was a sense of calm over him. It was as if he wasn’t even worried about the results of his match. He went down stairs and ate some cereal. It was only nine in the morning so he still had some time before he had to leave to meet Maria in Meridias. He passed the time fantasizing about how he would approach Alicia and before he knew it he had to leave. Little did he know that at that moment Maria was struggling to leave her home.

  ***

  Maria stood in the bathroom attempting to make herself look decent. She wanted to look good while wiping Elunduil’s smirk off of his face... Though there was the problem of him hardly smiling in the first place. Regardless she would at least make him recognize her abilities. She flipped the light switch on the wall so that she could see better but nothing happened. She sighed with resignation. Great, the electricity had been cut again. At least until her idiot parents sobered up long enough to go out to get another loan for more money or max out more credit cards. Heck she was amazed they could even still get money, but she was sure that had some sort of sob story lined up to gain the lenders sympathy. She resigned herself to washing her face and when done she dried it off with the cleanest rag she could find.

  There, now she should probably leave before her parents rose from their drunken slumber. She tiptoed into the hallway and looked about. Spotting no one, she made her way down the hall and into the living room. The door out was on the other side. She walked quietly across the carpet and was certain she was going to make it when a shadow came out from a hallway on her left. “Where do ya think yer goin’?” Said a woman. In the gloom Maria could just make out the features of her mom. Her mom’s blonde hair was unkept and probably frazzled from the previous night’s drunken stupor. The features of her face appeared worn down and unattractive though there were hints that they were beautiful in the past. Her mom was a wreck. “I’m just going out. I’ll be back later,” Maria said in a tedious tone of voice. It was always the same thing when she was leaving.

  Her mother shook her head while laughing. “Yes, out! I bet you’re going to that new game place again! You thought you could hide it couldn’t you but I’ve seen you over there with your little friends.” Maria was shocked. If her mother knew then... a wave of apprehension washed over her. “I’ve seen the price for playing your little game. Where are you getting that kind of money?” Her mom lunged forward and grabbed her by the neck. She was choking
her! Maria struggled to break free while her mother yelled at her. “Tell me where your stash is! I’ll let you go if you just tell me!” A surge of anger rose up in her. She punched her mother in the stomach with all her might. Her mother’s grip loosened and Maria broke free. “Get OFF!” she yelled and pushed with all her might. Her mother let out a cry as she flew back and hit the ground and went still. Maria stared in blank surprise for several moments expecting her mother to get back up but when she didn’t Maria wondered if she had... fear gripped her and she bolted to the front door, barely shoving her shoes on before she ran out into the summer morning. What had she done?

  She ran. She didn’t pause to look back she simply kept running up the street and through people’s yards until she made it to Daniel and Dave’s house. She pounded on the front door while gasping for air until someone answered the door. “Maria? Wow we weren’t expecting you for a few more-” Dave cut off when he noticed her short breaths. “What happened?” he asked and Maria pushed her way past him. Daniel came down from the stairs nearby. “Was it your parents again?” Dave asked. Maria nodded apprehensively while staring at the ground. How could she say what she did out loud? “She... she thought I somehow had money for Meridias... but you guys have been covering me,” she said with a raspy voice. She swallowed and realized that it hurt her and put a hand to her neck in response to the pain.

  “Woah your neck is all red. Did she hurt you?” Maria looked shakily up and Daniel and nodded. “She was choking me... I-I didn’t mean for it to happen, but I just got angry and hit her... then I... I pushed her away as hard as I could and she fell and... she didn’t get back up.” Maria held back tears. It wasn’t that she cared about her mom. She hated her with every fiber of her being but she’d never wanted to kill her. Dave gave her a comforting pat. “I’ll call the police and have them send someone to your house. Daniel go tell mom and dad I’m sure they’ll let you stay here for as long as you need to. Here take a seat” he said in a comforting voice and led her into the living room. Daniel hurried back up the stairs. Maria smiled gratefully. “Thank you,” she said wiping her eyes. Dave nodded and hurried to the other room to grab the phone.

  She sat down and her hands tightly gripped the edge of her shorts. What was going to happen now? Would she get in trouble? Her thoughts raced as she contemplated her situation. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice Daniel until he tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up in a daze and saw that his parents were with him. Dave came back from the other room and said that the police were sending an ambulance to Maria’s house and that an officer was heading here. Maria then slowly relayed her story to Daniel and Dave’s parents while they were waiting. They looked shocked by the end of it and appalled that her mother had attacked her for money. “If the officer allows it you can stay here with us dear.” Mrs. Lammen said. She put a comforting hand on Maria’s shoulder.

  There was a knock on the door and Mr. Lammen went to answer it. He returned with an officer a moment later. “Officer Jack!” Maria exclaimed when she recognized him. He smiled gently. “Hey, kiddo! Mind if I take a look at you?” Maria shook her head and he took a step forward to examine her more closely. Officer Jack, how to describe him? He was tall and when she’d first met him she had been a little scared of him but he had a gentle heart. They’d first met much under the same circumstances as now. Maria had been about eight and her parents had been smashing things in the house. She got scared that they would come into her room so she’d jumped out her window and ran away until she’d bumped into Dave and Daniel whom she’d hadn’t met until then. After Dave managed to get her to talk they took her to their house and their parents had called the police. Officer Jack was the one who came. She was so scared of him at first but he talked gently and eventually she told him what happened. After that he wrote down his personal number and told her that she could call him if she needed anything before taking her home and having a stern discussion with her parents.

  Ever since then he always came out to make sure that she was alright whenever he heard that something had happened. She tried not to call him but he made her feel safe in a way that no one else could and sometimes when she couldn’t hold it anymore she had called him to pour out her woes and worries on him. He never seemed to mind and always helped her see the better side of things. He was probably the closest thing to a father that she had in her life.

  Officer Jack finished his examination. “Your mom did this to you?” he asked.

  “Ye-yeah,” Maria stammered. The look in officer Jack’s eyes... she’d never seen him look so angry. “Well they aren’t going to be getting out of this one,” he said and held a hand up to his earpiece. “Looks like your mom was just passed out. It’s nothing serious.” Maria let out a sigh of relief. “Tell me what happened, from the beginning.” Maria nodded and told her story for the third time. Officer Jack looked furious but kept his cool while he jotted down some notes. “You mother has gone too far this time. I’ll see to it myself that you get out of there for good.”

  “Really?” Maria asked with hope in her eyes. officer Jack’s eyes softened and he nodded his head. Relief washed over her and her eyes started to tear up. A laugh escaped her lips and she wiped her eyes. Officer Jack put an arm around her shoulders and she gratefully leaned in. They’d talked about it for years but now... maybe now it would finally be a reality. She felt safe in the warmth of that embrace and only pulled away because she remembered she had somewhere to be. “What time is it?” she asked and Dave looked at his watch.

  “Almost eleven,” he said. Suddenly he realized why she asked. “Oh, yeah! I completely forgot about that. We’re going to have to hurry if we want to meet Elunduil on time.” Maria started to get up from the couch then stopped. “I can go, right?” she asked Officer Jack and he nodded. Maria smiled and went to the door with Daniel and Dave. “I can give you a ride you know,” Officer Jack said as he came up behind them. Maria nodded and they went out to his police car. They got into the car and told Jack where to go and he began driving. “You said you were going to meet someone called Elunduil, right?” he asked. Maria nodded. “Well there was a boy back in April called Elunduil that got kidnapped. You wouldn’t know if it’s the same guy would you?” he asked.

  “Wait, that kidnapping was that Elunduil?!” Maria exclaimed.

  “Huh, now that you mention it I remember seeing his picture on the news. Don’t know why I didn’t realize it until now,” Dave said. Maria looked to Dave.

  “Yeah, I was the one who untied him from the chair he was in,” Officer Jack said from up front. “We never found the perpetrator or the reason they kidnapped him but he was in that house for several days without food or water. I’m honestly surprised he was in as good of condition as he was.” Maria digested this information and was silent for the rest of the ride. All those condescending things she’d said to him... If she had known than maybe she wouldn’t have said so much. I mean it was something similar to what she experienced every day. She always had to go to Daniel and Dave’s if she wanted dinner and there would be days where she didn’t eat at all... maybe that’s why he was so haughty? Was he just trying to hide what he’d been through? The car came to a stop and she realized that they were at the VR center. As she got out officer Jack said, “Tell Elunduil I said hi.” She nodded and with Daniel and Dave went to Meridias.

  ***

  Elunduil sat waiting with Alicia, Tim, and Tanis by the Terminus. He was currently wearing his robe. He checked his watch again. It was five minutes past eleven. Maria and her friends were bound to show up any moment now. “Nervous?” Alicia asked. Elunduil shook his head.

  “Nah, I’ve got some good ideas,” he replied. Alicia chuckled. What he’d wanted to say was that he was nervous because he was in such close proximity to her, but he’d choked down the words. This wasn’t the time nor the place for such a thing. His attention shifted as a portal hummed to life. Three figures stepped out of it a moment later and he stood to go m
eet them. Daniel, Dave, and Maria looked around then spotted them and walked over. “You ready?” Maria asked confidently. Elunduil nodded in response. He turned to go to the Terminus but Daniel’s question stopped him. “Where you the one kidnapped back in April?” Elunduil turned his head to look at Daniel. “Yeah... why?” he asked.

  “Wow. I’m still not sure why I didn’t recognize you from the news back then until today.” Dave shook his head. “It was a couple of month ago,” Elunduil pointed out. Dave nodded in agreement. “I haven’t really thought about it since,” Elunduil said.

  “Why not?” Maria asked with interest. He shrugged.

  “Dunno, it’s not exactly something I have any reason to talk about.” He and Tanis shared a meaningful glance and he turned back to Maria. He noticed Maria’s neck was red but decided not to say anything. Elunduil turned back to the Terminus while Maria was wondering about his response. “Anyway, lead the way,” he said and Maria stepped forward. She pulled up the Terminus’ transport location screen on her APL device and selected the river that she had gone to yesterday. The device queried for a group transport and she hit yes and selected everyone near her. After hitting confirm the Terminus hummed to life and for a moment the world around them distorted and the noises seemed distant. In the next moment they were standing at the top of a hill and in the distance they could hear the sound of water. A sea of trees blocked their view of the river.

  “This way,” Maria said and led the group down the hill and towards the sound. It was a short walk and they quickly broke the tree line and reached the rocky river bank. Several people where already there and Angurvadel stood gazing over the river. Today he donned a simple yet elegant green robe. “Ah, you’ve arrived!” he said as the group approached. How had the elf known it was them? Then again Elunduil wasn’t at all surprised by the elder’s perceptiveness. The elder turned to them. “Before we begin I shall explain the rules of this competition. First: You can use any magic you desire. Second: There shall be no help from others. Third: Whoever freezes the river for the longest period of time wins. Any questions?” Elunduil and Maria shook their heads. “Excellent. Now it is customary for the challenger to attempt the task first, so if you would Maria.” Angurvadel waved a hand towards the river. “Show us your mettle.”