Tales Of Eleutheros

by S D Huss

  Robert turned to Oros and translated.

  The creature grinned and pointed out into the darkness.

  “You came from the Spirits’ Forest, unharmed and with their blessing. I can only assume that you are not a threat to them of you would have been killed. They are not angry with you either, just curious, as we are. When we reach Vul de Rah and bring you before my father and his Espi-Dae, we will tell him as such, but until then, I can only go with what I know, and that is you are unarmed and have emerged with the Spirit's blessing.”

  Robert relayed the message to his companions, then turned back to Oros.

  “What’s Vul de Rah?” he asked.

  “It is our City,” Boros said, handing Katrina and Robert bowls of cooked meat as well.

  “Ask him how he knew where we were.” Daniel looked at Robert, who did what he asked.

  Oros looked at them thoughtfully. “We have Espi-Dae who monitor the spiritual energy around this area very closely. Once the Spirit-Forest began to react strangely yesterday, I opted to investigate. We just followed the trail.”

  Robert again relayed the message, and Daniel looked confused. “Well, none of what he said made any damn sense.” He said but dropped the issue.

  The two brothers sat back in their positions with bowls of food of their own and began to eat. Robert looked down at his. Steam rose from the meal, filling his nostrils with the sweet smell of nourishment. Like their hosts, he began to tear into it with his teeth, grabbing the meat like a savage. It was tender and delicious, much like what he was used to tasting back home. After taking time to fill their bellies with several helpings, Oros was approached by several of his fellow warriors who came from another fire not too far away. Two were creatures he had already seen and been introduced to, Eslan and Vikko.

  “So?” Eslan said. “What are they? Have they told you?”

  Oros leaned back and rested his hands behind his head. “We didn’t want to be rude, it’s easier to talk with a full stomach. Why don’t you take a seat and ask them yourself?”

  The creature did so, finding a place next to Oros, and sitting comfortably on a dismounted saddle.

  “So,” Eslan said, folding his hands on his lap. “What are you exactly?”

  Robert cleared his throat and took a drink of water from a water skin.

  “Well, we’re human beings. From a place called Earth...” He said, assuming that because he was speaking to alien-looking creatures, they were no longer on their planet.

  Eslan looked from Oros to his brother and back to Robert. “So where is Earth? And how did you get here?”

  “They don’t know.” Boros chimed in.

  “Earth is our planet… or dimension… Where all of us live. What about you?” Robert asked leaning forward to sit up straight. “Where are we? And what are you?”

  “We are Dae. And you are in Pelemont, our world. Specifically, you are in Lokkadonia, our clan territory within a Kingdom called Eleutheros.” Oros said gesturing into the darkness.

  While Robert translated, Katrina hung her head as tears welled in her eyes.

  “What troubles that one?” Boros asked, “That is a female, correct? She looks much like our own.”

  Robert reached over and put his arm around her shoulders. “This has been extremely traumatic for us, as I’m sure you can understand. Yes, this is a human female and, as I mentioned before, her name is Katrina.”

  “Ask her if there is anything we can do to help,” Boros said, looking more closely at her.

  “Robert, why is everyone looking at me now?” Katrina asked, nudging Robert with her elbow.

  “They were just asking if you were a female, also if there is something they can do to help you, that’s all.”

  Katrina forced a smile and respectfully declined any assistance.

  “What of him?” Eslan said, gesturing toward Daniel. “What of the warrior? Are we safe to keep our weapons sheathed? He seems rather coarse.”

  Robert translated and waited for Daniel to reply.

  Daniel stood dusting off his peacoat. “You are safe with me, there is nothing to worry about.” Daniel smiled, gesturing down at his new boots, a gift that he was extremely grateful for. “You saved me from a whole lot of pain, and I thank you for it.”

  Oros smiled as well after Robert relayed the message. He raised his canteen as if gesturing for a toast to drink in agreement. Daniel mirrored the Dae’s gesture and took a long drink.

  Considering the circumstances, the night was surprisingly comfortable. Katrina stirred, feeling a soothing warmth on her cheek. She opened her eyes to see a beautiful blue sky, deep and filled with white pillowed clouds. She stretched her limbs, began to sit up, and scanned her surroundings. Like the previous night, it took her a few moments to come to terms with her new and strange reality, only this time without the shouting. All around her she could see the Dae packing up their little campsites, rolling up bedrolls, dusting off gear, and mounting it on the beasts they rode. She sat for several moments, just observing and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She then spent the next few minutes helping the Dae warriors around her pack the blankets they had let her borrow for the night.

  She spotted Robert and Daniel talking to Oros. Actually, Robert was relaying the messages between them, but it looked as though they were in good spirits all the same.

  It was then that she saw, out of the corner of her eye, something very strange--almost as strange as the gargoyle creature that stalked them in the Spirit Forest. There was a long stream of what looked like dust floating through the air, several feet off the ground, like a serpent. She blinked and looked at it, standing in disbelief.

  Katrina approached the extraordinary spectacle with excitement and a bit of fear. The floating stream was about a foot in diameter, and at least two hundred feet long. It moved slowly but in a steady, undulating pattern. She turned to look at the camp behind her--no one even noticed it. She looked back at the stream, it was so strange and looked so alive.

  -What the hell is this?- She thought to herself for a moment. Cautiously, she reached out, pressing her fingers into the flowing dust. It was cool, and seemed to pulse with some sort of low electric current. The sensation was startling at first, and she withdrew her hand. Then suddenly there was an outburst behind her. Katrina turned her head to see Boros waving his arms and running toward her. The sight startled her, and she backed away pushing her shoulder against the strange stream. There was a sudden shock, and her vision went a bright white. Then it fell into darkness.

  There were muffled sounds of men yelling around her and dull movement as she was jerked around. -Am I being carried?- She thought. Her left shoulder burned with pain, and her fingers tingled with some electric pulses that flowed numbly up and down her arm. She blinked her eyes open and began to take in blurred sights. Finally, focus came, and she saw a young, red face looking down at her. It was Boros. Her eyes scanned his features with a more calm and passive curiosity than before. He had a rigid, yet young and proportionate face. His hair was very fine, like strands of silk that hung about his burning features, complementing the red with a pearl white color. She met his eyes--yellow and brilliant. they suddenly opened with surprise and he smiled. Then Robert’s face entered her vision looking worriedly down at her. He was saying something, it was muffled; she still could barely hear anything.

  The silence was calming so she closed her eyes again, basking in it. Then suddenly her senses flared. Her eyes opened wide and she shot up, almost smacking Boros in the face with her head. Her hearing was amplified, her eyes were extremely sensitive, and every inch of her skin was irritated by everything it came in contact with. It seemed all of her senses were amplified and irritable, like an exposed nerve.

  “Katrina!” Robert yelled, grabbing her shoulder. She winced in pain from the sudden pressure. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?” Katrina raised her hand and nodded in assurance.

  “What happened?” She asked in a raspy and weak voice. She heard Boros start t
o speak and Robert translated.

  “You approached a plains spirit. They are very dangerous if you don’t communicate with them properly. You scared it, and it attacked you.” Robert put his hand on Boros’ shoulder. “Boros ran over and calmed it--he saved your life.”

  Katrina looked at Boros and gave him a weak smile. “Tell him that I said thanks.”

  Boros’ eyes widened and he began to speak excitedly to Robert.

  “He says he understood you!” Robert said, looking at the young Dae, confused. “Say something again.”

  Katrina paused. “Uhh… I have a massive headache?”

  Boros laughed and stood from his kneeling position, confirming to Robert that he could, in fact, understand what she was saying.

  Robert rubbed his brow and contemplated. Then Daniel walked up, giving her a nod. He had been standing just behind Boros, present, but not in the way.

  “Maybe it will develop the same way it did for Robert,” Daniel said, hands in his coat pockets. “They can understand you now, and in time you will be able to understand them.”

  Robert stood as well, placing his hands on his hips. “But she was attacked by a spirit, I wasn’t.”

  Daniel looked to his feet in contemplation. “You were as good as dead when I found you, Robert. You had a pretty bad head injury, cerebral fluid leaking from your ears and nose, unresponsive pupils. If we were back home, you would have died without any treatment, and even with it, you probably would’ve been a vegetable. Then all of a sudden there was a gust of wind and voices. Then you woke up as if nothing had happened.” Daniel looked at Katrina on the ground. “You remember this, right?” She nodded slowly, reliving the moment in her head. “Maybe you were saved by a spirit. I mean, we were in the “Spirit Forest” after all. What if contact with these things somehow augments us, and the result is us understanding them and vice versa.”

  There was a pause after, as the three humans pondered Daniel’s words. Katrina rubbed her head again, standing up with Roberts help. “Robert, relay what Daniel just said to Boros, see what he thinks about it.” Robert did so, and the Dae seemed just as puzzled.

  Boros muttered something in his language and motioned for the humans to follow him. Katrina began to walk. As she did, she refused help from Robert who, offered to assist her. The rest of the Dae warriors were mounted on their steeds, everything was packed and they were ready to move. Eslan made a few laughing comments to her as she passed him atop his mount. Robert placed his hand on her shoulder and asked her to stop. “He wants you to ride on one of the Cro’kan.” He said, facing her to one of the riders. He had pale blue skin, and dismounted the Cro’kan, gesturing to the creature.

  “No thank you.” She said casually, dismissing the offer. Eslan’s eyes were wide with surprise. He began to stutter something as Boros explained Daniel’s theory involving the spirits and them now being able to understand her. Eslan then barked something to the warrior who had dismounted, then looked to Katrina and gestured again. She just shook her head and gave a smile. Eslan frowned a bit and looked to Robert, saying something else in his language.

  “Uh, Katrina?” Robert said with a hint of fear in his voice. “Maybe you should get on the lizard thing. He’s being pretty insistent.”

  “I’m fine Robert, I don’t need to ride that thing. Besides, it creeps me out.” Katrina turned to walk again but stopped as she heard Daniel grunt something. “What was that?” She said, looking at him. His face was stern and his eyes focused on her. “Get on the creature.” He said in a low voice. He stepped forward and walked past her. As he did, he said. “Let’s not argue with the strange warriors,” and continued walking.

  Katrina’s eyes flared with anger. -I wasn’t being rude.- She thought to herself. -Who the hell does he think he is?- It was then that she heard loud thumps behind her, and felt the hot breath of a large and smelly animal. Her spine stiffened as she spun to see the Cro’kan right behind her, and its rider walking beside it, handing her the reigns.

  Katrina swallowed hard and resigned herself to riding the animal. She took the reins from the Dae, who helped her mount it. She gave a nod in thanks, and let out a deep breath.

  “Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

  Chapter 5

  Daniel let out a silent sigh of relief when the city of Vul De Rah finally came into view. The trip had been an extremely long and tiring one. From what Oros had told them, the ride from Vul De Rah to the Spirit Forest was around half a day; that is, mounted and running at a decent pace. The slow trot that they traveled at resulted in almost a full day of travel, every moment of which was spent ignoring the occasional glare from Katrina atop her Cro’kan. She was clearly still angry with him, but Daniel observed that she wasn’t having a terrible time. She was now having full-blown conversations with the Dae riders, who treated her very respectfully. Especially Boros, who seemed to have taken a particularly close interest in her. -I should probably apologize to her.- He thought to himself, looking back at the young woman.

  “Finally here,” Robert said, exhaling in relief. “It doesn’t look like I Imagined.”

  Daniel looked out to the valley which stood before them. The land was draped much more naturally with green grass and trees. It looked normal in comparison to the colorful brilliance that they had seen in and around the Spirit Forest. Oros had told them that the spirits infused their energy into everything around that place. Even the air the humans were breathing there was infused with elemental energy. Daniel didn’t know quite what that meant, only that it changed the way everything looked. Now trees looked like trees, and the grass was its green self.

  Daniel then focused on Vul De Rah ahead. It was put in a fairly strategic position, placed between two large hills fortified with massive walls of stone. The walls curled up the hills maintaining their height, standing thirty or so feet tall. Daniel smirked and looked at Robert. “This looks a lot like a medieval city doesn’t it?”

  Robert nodded, unable to pry his eyes from the sight.

  Oros rode up to where the two humans were standing. He said something in his language, gestured down the hill into the valley and began to ride down.

  Daniel felt the nudge of a Cro’kan’s leathery face against his shoulder. He turned to see Katrina sitting atop it. She said nothing but shot Daniel a sharp glare. Daniel glanced at Robert, who shrugged and began walking after Oros and the riders who had passed.

  Daniel looked again to Katrina, annoyed. “You can’t still be angry about the other day, can you? We aren’t safe yet by any stretch of the imagination, which means we need to stick together. We can’t afford to be petty or hold grudges.”

  Katrina stared at Daniel for several seconds, letting him bask in the silence. Then she gave him a smile of satisfaction and nudged her Cro’kan forward. “Don’t worry Daniel, I’m not holding a grudge, but I do think you owe me an apology.” She said as she trotted down the hill to the valley below.

  Daniel shook his head and grumbled.

  ◆◆◆

  The massive gates of Vul De Rah slid open without so much as a creak. Daniel could hear warriors atop the palisades shouting down in their strange language. Oros shouted something in return and ushered the group into the gates as soon as they could fit inside. As they entered, Daniel could see what could only be described as a work of art. Small but sturdy stone structures rose from the ground, not like they were built, but grown; all with a unique and beautiful design. The first structures through the door looked as though they belonged to traders and other merchants who displayed their wares and were seen haggling in front of their shops.

  It wasn’t the strange structures that caught Daniels eyes however; it was the immense sight of the Dae who crowded the opening to this extremely large city. The occupants were all different colors, Daniel saw people who were blue, green, red, yellow, and much more. They wore very interesting clothes too, cloaks and colorful sashes. There were warriors that patrolled as well, though they had cloaks of black instead of the crim
son of Oros’ riders.

  Warriors in black began to run toward Oros and his group, clearing people out of the way, and making a path for them. As Oros passed, they brought their fists to their chests as some sort of salute. -Is he a high ranking officer or something?- Daniel thought, trailing behind the Dae. Daniel turned to see if he could find Robert, but he had fallen behind in the group and was out of earshot. He looked up to his right and tapped Katrina’s knee, gaining her attention. “Hey, can you ask Boros why these warriors are saluting Oros?” It really didn’t matter, but Daniel was curious. Katrina turned and asked Boros his question. He laughed and answered her. She turned to Daniel pulling her reigns a bit to slow her mount. “He says that Oros is the oldest son of their father Agron of house Ignos. So, I guess he’s royalty or something.”

  Daniel rubbed his brow. “Why would they send their prince out to go investigate a disturbance in the forest? Is that place really that important?”