by Blake Vanier
“Was there any trouble?” Ryder asks.
“The container I hid you in shields Aether, so the Erohsians didn’t detect anything suspicious,” Sosimo says. “It should be safe to ride upfront in Gracie now. So, stretch your legs a bit and get in. I’d like to put as much distance on these wheels as we can before night.” He closes the trailer, walking toward the front of his faded green, well-worn truck.
“Hey, Mr. Sosimo?” Thea says, stepping forward.
Sosimo turns. “Yes?”
“I was just thinking.” She looks to the ground for a moment, then at him. “You wouldn’t look so scary if you smiled sometimes.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. I’ve never met anyone so sad as you… Well, Nero can be pretty sad sometimes, and he’s scared a lot, and Korbin was pretty sad when we made him leave his toys, and this one time our pet mouse named Mousy died and we were all really sad, and even when I lost my necklace I was really really sad… but I’ve never seen anyone as sad as you. You’re so sad it makes me want to hug you, but you’re so big it’s kinda hard.” Thea walks up to him, hugging his leg. “I can barely get my hands around your leg and all, but I’ll still try because maybe you’ll cheer up.” Thea looks at him. “Why are you so sad? Did you lose a pet or something?” Sosimo purses his lips. “Is it because you’re so tall, and you always have to bend over to go inside, and maybe your back hurts? Or maybe because your truck is so old. You could always buy a new one. Or at least paint it. It looks like pea soup, and I hate pea soup.” She scrunches her face, sticking her tongue out.
Sosimo pats her on the head. “You’re so full of life, little one. I hope it rubs off.” He turns away, pulling himself into the front of his truck.
Ryder walks up to Thea. “Jeez, Thea. You shouldn’t talk to people you just met like that. It’s rude.”
“Yeah but he’s so sad,” Thea says with her hands out, leaning forward. “I just couldn’t stand it anymore.”
Ryder nods. “Yeah, he is.” He looks at the grassy, flat landscape, pointing. “I’ll race you to the bush!” Ryder takes off and the rest of the children run after him. When they finish running, they pile into the truck. Ryder and Iona sit up front with Sosimo. The others scramble into the back.
After forty-five minutes of driving in awkward silence, Iona finally breaks it. “So, you said earlier that we’re going to Kiats?”
“That’s correct,” Sosimo says.
“Tell us about it,” Iona says after a moment.
Sosimo moves the toothpick to his front teeth and chews it for a moment. “Kiats is the Borukin capital, on the other side of the Siroté Mountains. It’s a beautiful city.”
Iona waits for more, but Sosimo stays quiet. “Umm, it sounds nice,” Iona says. “Why are you helping us again?”
“Because you need it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. I couldn’t turn my back once I saw the size of the mess you’re in. I’ll help you until we figure out what’s going on with your guardian, Fae.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to contact her?” Nero asks.
“There’s no way to say, but I know some people. We’ll try. You all made a tough decision leaving her. Considering how intently the Erohsians are looking for you, it was the best decision. You would have been in their hands by now if you had stayed,” Sosimo says. “Now I want to know how you ended up in this situation.” No one says anything. “Come on, speak up. I should know, since I’m in the middle of it now.”
Another moment of hesitation passes until Thea jumps into their story at a dizzying pace. All the while, Sosimo listens without saying a word. She flies through the story of the canisters, the Erohsian patrols, and their trek through the forest.
Sosimo holds up his hand. Thea stops. “Holy Stone, girl, we’re going to be driving for a couple days. There’s no rush.”
“I’m sorry,” Thea says.
“Don’t be sorry, just let me think for a moment,” he says. “It would seem the Erohsians are after you because of the essence you absorbed from those canisters.”
“What’s an essence?” Thea asks.
The coldness in his face diffuses ever so slightly. “Essence is what gives people the ability to use Aether. In order to become stronger with Aether, people need to practice and exercise their essence. Humans, on the other hand, have the ability to absorb essence, which increases their Aether abilities proportionally to the strength of the essence. The problem with this is, the essence is imprinted with the owner’s personality, so it’s not just Aether abilities you’re getting. Many Humans have lost their minds in their quest for power by absorbing too strong of an essence, or too many. It’s something you should take very seriously.” Sosimo looks at all the children. “Have any of you noticed strange or different behavior among you all?”
Iona looks back at the others as they look around, shaking their heads. She catches Nero’s eye but he pulls it away quickly. He’s acting different…
“Well, at least there’s nothing majorly different,” Sosimo says. “What you did was outrageously stupid.”
Ryder looks back at Korbin, glaring.
“It was horribly risky, and you were lucky to come away from it sane. Ideally, for your first essence, you’d absorb an entity.”
“What’s an entity?” Thea asks.
“It’s the most basic form of essence. They’re naturally forming and have very little imprint. They’re unlikely to make a large impact on the person that absorbs them.”
“Are you sure we’re all okay?” Nero asks.
Sosimo shakes his head. “I didn’t know you before, so I can’t say.”
“Would you, like, hear voices or something?” Nero asks. “If it was a bad one?”
“No, it’s more of a fundamental change. The person affected wouldn’t really know,” Sosimo glances back to Nero. “Why? Are you hearing voices?”
Nero shakes his head. “No… I’m just wondering.”
“Good. Now, it seems since the Erohsians are after you, the only responsible thing is for me to train you to use Aether when we get to Kiats.”
Korbin bounces in his seat. “Sweet! Can you use Aether? I really want to do something awesome!”
“Settle down, Korbin. You children are giving me a headache,” Sosimo says, putting his hand on his head. “Ask me again tomorrow. We need to finish your story. Going through the forest… That was a brave decision and it was probably the only reason you slipped by. Not many people dare to venture into Ferin Forest.”
“Why’s that?” Iona asks.
Sosimo lets out a sigh. “About a hundred years ago, when the Erohsians first started to develop weapons of Aether, they were at war with the Humans. The Erohsians hoped to dominate the Humans before the Humans could build up momentum, so they pushed a large-scale attack up the Carn River toward Bahsil, a city now buried under Sunta. The battle was horrific. Both sides pushed all of their resources to stop the other. In the end, though, the Humans weren’t prepared for the technology of the Erohsians. They were overwhelmed, but it nearly cost the Erohsians their entire army.” Sosimo shakes his head. “There was so much death in the week-long battle that the essence couldn’t dissipate fast enough. It soaked into the land, creating a spatsentzin.”
“What’s a spatsentzin?” Iona asks, spitting the word out.
“It’s a land that has a large amount of essence trapped in its surroundings. It drastically increases the amount of background Aether, making the physics quite interesting. Unfortunately, the essences trapped in these areas are usually from large battles, so the land is tainted with an ugliness that can make them extremely dangerous.” Sosimo moves the toothpick around his mouth. “Hmm. Since you’re young, you’re still mostly pure, and your desire for power is minimal. The forest might not have recognized you as a threat, which would explain why you made it out with little trouble.”
“Little trouble?” Korbin slaps the seat in front of him. “We were chased by monsters!�
�
Sosimo glances at Korbin. “Why are you slapping Gracie?”
“What?” Korbin asks.
“I said, why are you hitting my car?”
Korbin pats the seat. “I didn’t hit it very hard,” Korbin says. Sosimo remains silent. “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
“And, don’t be so quick to label a creature a monster. Many are just misunderstood, and no more dangerous than you or I. Understand?”
“Yes, but―” Korbin is silenced by Sosimo’s raised hand.
“Many great warriors have been lost to Ferin Forest. If it wants you, it gets you and there’s not a thing you can do about it. Especially if you’re a bunch of children. You’re lucky to have slipped under its nose. Now, as for those creatures you encountered―” Sosimo says, eying Korbin. “The big one, I'm not sure about. There are many odd creatures that live in the forest, so it's hard to say. I do know who owns the golden eyes. They’re called cressen, or golden-eyed demons. They are creatures of Aether. They only show their eyes when they are stalking, or preparing to attack. They’re guided by an anterraktor, which is an extremely powerful creature. In stories of old, they were said to be the planet’s guardians. I have a theory that the anterraktor in the Ferin Forest is a Creature of Aza.”
“That name sounds familiar. What are those?” Iona asks.
“Creatures of Aza are truly evil,” Sosimo says, the corner of his mouth turning down. “It’s any animal that has its essence tainted in such a way they gain an unquenchable thirst for killing. Something changes within them, and they no longer just hunt for food. They’re also very capable with Aether, which catches many off-guard.” He shakes his head. “Nasty stuff. Anyway―if I had to guess―the cressen were herding you and preparing to attack. I don’t know why, but they let you go.”
Thea takes advantage of the pause and continues her story, finishing with their capture. She nudges Nero in the ribs, and he hesitantly takes over, telling how the woman from the forest found him.
“And she said she committed autonomicide?” Sosimo asks.
“Yeah, what does that mean?”
“It’s a Borukin tradition when someone wants a fresh start. They give up their name and everything attached to it in the hope of finding a new self. It’s odd that this Human would practice this. Anyway, continue with your story.”
“She then spent the whole day teaching me to use Aether and coming up with a rescue plan.”
“Come on, Nero, you can't use Aether!” Korbin says.
“I can, too!” Nero picks out a small wrapper from his pocket. “I'll show you! Hold this on your hand.” He hands the wrapper to Korbin.
Korbin puts the wrapper on his palm, holding it up. “Good, cuzz I gotta see this! Whatcha going to do?”
Iona turns in her seat to see Nero and Korbin. Woo, he’s serious about this. Maybe he's telling the truth.
“Watch!” Nero glares at the wrapper with squinted eyes. A few tense seconds slip by. Nero shifts in his seat.
Korbin's arm begins to droop. “Gee, you’re making my arm tired from holding this up. Awesome.”
Iona looks out the window to the rocky cliffs surrounding them. Too bad…
“I did it before. I swear!” Nero says while his shoulders drop.
“I bet you did.” Korbin crunches the wrapper in his hand.
Iona’s vision turns a tint of red. She turns back to watch.
Nero's face begins to boil. “Shut up, Korbin!”
“Enough,” Sosimo says, an edge in his voice. “I will not have fighting while I drive.” Several minutes of silence follow. “What happened after Nero freed you all?” The calm back in his voice.
Thea starts without hesitation. “After we escaped the boat, you came in and rescued us!”
“Yeah, that was awesome!” Korbin says. “If Sosimo were an animal, he’d be a giant gorilla!”
“What, Korbin?” Sosimo asks. “Did you just call me a gorilla?”
“Is it because they’re big and strong?” Iona asks.
Korbin throws up his hand for a five. “Nice job, first try.”
“Thanks.” Iona returns the five with a lack of enthusiasm. “Your insightfulness knows no bounds.”
“I got one,” Thea says. “If Mr. Sosimo were an animal, he’d be a mountain that almost touched the sky.”
Ryder lets out a sigh.
The corners of Sosimo’s mouth turns down. “An animal mountain? What’s going on?”
“Sh.” Thea puts a finger to her lips. “It’s a game we play.”
“And Thea doesn’t always follow the rules,” Ryder says. “Is it because mountains are big?”
“Nope!”
“Is it because they’re scary?” Nero asks.
“No again!”
“Is it because they are rock hard?” Korbin says, flexing his arms and waggling his eyebrows.
“Please, Korb,” Thea says, squeezing his arm. “Those are jelly, and you’re not even close.”
“Does anyone care to fill me in on this game?” Sosimo asks.
“We’re trying to guess why Thea chose to compare you to a mountain,” Ryder says. “We usually don’t get it. She can be a bit special.”
“Thanks, Ryder, I am! Any last guesses?” Thea asks.
“No,” Iona says. This should be good.
Thea sits up straight. “Okay, so Mr. Sosimo is a mountain because, to someone that doesn’t know them, mountains are dangerous and intimidating. They’ll probably end up dying by falling off a cliff or starving. But, someone who knows the mountain can live there peacefully. They can find water and food. Maybe they even know where some gold is or something. And they also know where all the secret paths are, so if someone else tries to get them, they’re safe.”
There is a moment of silence before Ryder speaks. “Who wants to break that one down?”
“Is it because you think he can give us shelter and take care of us but also teach us things at the same time?” Nero asks.
“Exactly!” Thea says then gives Nero a quick hug.
The corners of Sosimo’s mouth quiver with the hint of a smile. “That is quite the game.”
“So, speaking of gold, can you teach us to fight like you did?” Korbin asks.
Sosimo shrugs. “If you’re willing to have the discipline, I'll teach you what I can.”
Korbin pumps both of his fists. “Awesome.”
“How was it you were conveniently there to save us when no one else was around?” Ryder asks.
Sosimo raises an eyebrow. “You’re still suspicious?
Ryder shrugs. “It’s just a question that’s been bothering me.”
“It was luck, if anything. I’m usually only in Blue Horin briefly to tend to one of my stores there. It just so happened a woman roped me into having dinner with her.”
“Ooh, were you on a date?” Thea asks.
“Is that why you were dressed up?” Iona asks.
Sosimo nods. “If that’s what you want to call it… she ended up not showing, but while I was waiting outside the restaurant, I heard the explosion. Nero,” Sosimo pauses for a moment. “What did the woman who helped you look like?”
“Like she was going to hurt someone. Mean, and mostly scary. Kinda like she hated everyone.”
“But what color hair did she have?”
“Oh. I think brown.”
“Was it short and did she wear a yellow dress?” Sosimo asks.
“Just for a little. How did you know?”
Sosimo looks down the road for a long moment. “I think the woman set me up. Clever.”
“Ooh, you have a crush on her!” Thea says. “Was she pretty?”
Iona snorts.
“Do you want to marry her?” Thea asks, squirming about her seat.
Sosimo shakes his head. “If I knew how much trouble you’d be and how many questions you’d ask, I would have thought twice about helping you at all.”
“We’re not asking that many questions,” Korbin says.
“Ooh, do you sell awesome weapons?” Korbin asks.
Sosimo takes his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Korbin. “I have a few candy stores spread out in Blue Horin, Sunta, and Kiats.”
“Candy?” Korbin asks with shock.
Thea bounces on her seat. “Candy! I love candy. Do you have any now? I like the gooey worms that make your face go―” She squints her eyes and pinches her face together.
“I do, but nothing sour. You can have some later tonight. It’s the best chocolate you’ll ever find.”
Thea closes her eyes, dancing her feet around. “Mmm, chocolate. That’s good, too!”
“If you have so many candy stores, then why don’t you buy a new truck?” Iona asks.
Sosimo lets out a huff. He pats the steering wheel. “I couldn’t replace Gracie so easily.”
*****
Sosimo leans over the yellowed map covering Gracie’s hood. He taps northeast of Blue Horin and Sunta on the opposite side of a mountain range. “Here we are, just outside the town of Red Cliff, about one-thousand kilometers from Blue Horin.”
The children lean in, slurping from bowls and standing on Gracie’s bumper.
“Why’s it called Red Cliff?” Thea asks.
“Because the cliffs are red,” Sosimo says. “There is a large castle-like mansion built into the cliffs which brings in some tourists.”
Iona squints against Illi as it rises. “I thought we were over here.” She points to the larger mountain range east of Sunta. The smaller mountain range, containing the town of Red Cliff, meets up with the Siroté mountains in the shape of a lambda, with Sunta and Blue Horin nestled between the two. “I thought we are going to Kiats.”
“We’re going to skirt Erohsia by staying on the far side of the Laifen Mountain range. This is our best bet to avoid any more Erohsian patrols.” Sosimo traces an arc that passes along the north west edge of the mountains. “This is a big day. I hope to cover about fifteen-hundred kilometers and camp somewhere in the north end of the Laifen Mountains. From there, we’ll have an easy drive to Jasmeer, a Borukin mountain town, where we can try to stay in real beds with some old friends.” He traces his finger over a path that cuts through the Siroté Mountains. “This mountain road is eight hundred kilometers long, and slow in spots.” Finally, he taps on a star labeled Kiats by the South-East coast. “From there, we'll have another thousand or so kilometers to the capital of Boruk. If all goes well, we should be at my shop in Kiats in three to four more days.”