by Toni Cox
He was frustrated by the time they reach the stream, but as he beheld the site they had chosen to stop, he felt as if a weight lifted off his tortured mind. It was beautiful. The mid-morning sun streamed in through the trees, highlighting ferns and shrubs along the gurgling water. The shade was blissfully cool and the purple flowers gracing the vines that wound around the trees gave off an almost sensual aroma.
As he found a flat stone to sit on next to the river, he thought of the holidays he had taken his family on back home. The Imagine Paradise locations were popular tourist attractions located all over the world and they had once chosen an exotic Caribbean location, complete with sand, grass and palm trees. Of course, everything had been manmade and even the ocean was just a massive wave pool. Nevertheless, it had been pretty and it had been one of their best holidays. What the simulation had lacked, although he had not realised it at the time, was the smell.
Here the sheer multitude of different smells assaulted his senses. Everything had its own scent; the grass, the flowers, the horses, the trees. And when the wind changed, it sometimes brought a gust of something unseen, something he had never smelt before. Despite himself, he was starting to like this place.
He startled when the wolf came to drink noisily from the water. A horse snorted downstream from him as it stepped into the water and then also drank its fill. He would have to get used to the animals; they seemed to be an integral part of these peoples’ lives.
Taking his shoes off, he dipped his hot and swollen feet in. At home, such a thing would be unthinkable. There were no natural fresh water resources left on Earth, none that were not polluted anyway. All their water was stored in huge reservoirs around the planet and severe restrictions applied. All water had to be cleaned and refined before consumption. The oceans, too, were polluted and most marine life had died out years ago. He put his head in his hands, suddenly feeling ashamed.
“Oh, Papa, you are such an old goat.” Smiling, Jasmin planted a kiss on his cheek and sat down beside him.
He narrowed his eyes at her, but he knew she was just being playful. “What?” he asked anyway.
“Putting your feet into the water like an old man,” she grinned.
He kicked his right foot and splashed water over her legs. “Not all of us have the privilege of being carried around on dashing young men’s steeds.”
Jasmin blushed. She knew he was joking with her, but she also knew him well enough to heed the warning in his words.
After they had eaten and rested, they moved on through the small forest and soon reached the other side. The little forest was situated on somewhat higher ground than the surrounding plain, so the scene that presented itself to them took Aaron’s breath away.
Endlessly rolling hills of swaying, tall grasses stretched as far as the eye could see. To the west, the large mountain ranges they first viewed from the Gate were now encased in a forest so large one could not see where it began and where it ended. Indeed, the mountains now seemed even taller; taller than any Aaron had seen in all his years travelling on Earth. Its towering peaks were capped in snow, which glinted blindingly in the sunlight.
He stared at the scene for a moment, absorbed in his thoughts. He jumped when Silas spoke right next to him. He had not heard him approach.
“The fields will take us about three hours to cross. It gets very hot within the depressions and it is best you cover your head and most of your face.”
Silas handed Aaron a large finely woven cloth of a material similar to that of the tents. Silas showed him how to wrap it around his head. He felt a little silly wearing it, but noticed that everyone was doing the same.
One of the young men - Aaron thought it the same who had kissed Maia on that first day - was also covering her head and had erected a kind of sunshade above her. The wolf was lying on the strangely floating stretcher with Maia, his head resting on her stomach. He did not seem to mind the young man tending the girl, but it gave Aaron a bitter taste at the back of his throat. Then the man gently wiped her face with a damp cloth and then kissed her on her forehead, then on both cheeks. Aaron’s hands balled into fists. Bitter jealousy gnawed at him. Could the man be her lover? Her husband? And, if he did not believe that the girl was, indeed, Lisa, why then was he feeling this way? Frowning, he turned away and followed Silas into the fields.
People and horses that had gone before them had trampled the tall grass, and it was thus easy to walk through, but, to his left and right, the stalks almost reached the height of his shoulders. They walked two abreast and he found himself alongside Silas the entire way across the fields. The old man seemed undaunted by the long walk. His breath was even and his stride strong. Aaron wondered how he kept himself fit at such an age and why he was walking instead of riding his horse, which was now being led by one of the uniformed men.
Jasmin was on the horse again and Luke was talking to the young man who had kissed Maia. Aaron frowned at the thought and tried to examine where his feelings were coming from. He didn’t even know this girl, so why did it upset him so?
“You are a quiet man, Aaron,” Silas commented. “What troubles you? Can I help in any way?”
Aaron thought about his answer. What troubled him? The first issue that came to mind was his wife. She was his foremost concern. Then, however, he was stumped. He had never felt this free, this whole. It was something about this place. It made him feel good.
“I am worried about my wife. I cannot believe that she is not still in England. We have to find a way back home.”
Silas was quiet for a while before he answered. It was clear to him that he, Aaron, had trouble coming to terms with the situation. Maybe Silas pondered whether it was time he was told everything they needed to know while they were here.
“Maia, the girl on the stretcher …” Silas pointed behind them and both glanced at the horse pulling the stretcher for a moment. “… she is not only Lord Longshadow’s daughter, but she is also a Prime Elemental.”
“Prime Elemental?” Aaron echoed.
“All Elves are born with some power over one of the elements. An Elemental is gifted with the power over two or three of the elements, these being Fire, Water, Earth and Wind. Maia, however, was born with power over all four elements, as well as an extra, very special gift, making her one of the most powerful Elementals in existence, a Prime.”
Aaron’s mind reeled. He had struggled with the concepts of Elves and Dwarfs and Gates that worked like wormholes, and the mere fact that they were supposedly on another planet. Now this man talked about powers. If this didn’t feel so real, he could have sworn he was dreaming.
“To master this power, the Prime Elemental has to go through a series of trials and tests to establish if she is worthy to receive this gift. Maia has been my student for many years and this was her last test. Once she wakes, we will hold a ceremony to officially recognise her as our Prime.”
Aaron was quiet. He didn’t know what to say, or how this related to his absent wife. Nothing was making sense.
“We have been expecting her back for some time and were concerned that something might have happened to her. Jaik, the man walking with your son, has been riding patrol day and night, keeping watch for her.”
“Jaik.” Aaron forced the name out through his teeth. He didn’t know why the handsome man infuriated him so, or why it should bother him that Maia had a man in her life that cared so much for her.
“Yes, Jaik. He is our crown prince and Maia’s twin. He is also the Commander of our Guard, which is why so many warriors came to see Maia home.”
The air whooshed out of Aaron as he realised what that meant. He was surprised by how much relief he felt.
“The very last test for a Prime Elemental is for her, or him, to spend two years away from home, on another planet, to learn the ways and lifestyles of people that lead a different life than we do here. Maia chose Earth. It is one of the harshest planets to live on, but what makes it really difficult is the time difference.”
Aaron’s bro
w furrowed; Earth might not be beautiful any more, but it was their home and they had managed all right. However, the something else Silas had mentioned caught his attention.
“What do you mean by time difference?”
“You see, Aaron, one year here on Elveron equals to roughly ten years on Earth. Times that by two and that makes it a twenty-year term for the Prime. It is hard to be away from one’s family for such a length of time, but it is part of the test. Maia always wants to prove herself and she never takes the easy way out.”
“Twenty years? I met my wife twenty years ago.”
Silas raised one eyebrow and gave Aaron a significant look. Aaron stopped dead in his tracks, causing the man behind him leading Silas’ horse to almost walk into him. Aaron felt like he was going to faint as his brain made the connection. The realisation was almost something physical, as if gears in his head had engaged with a click and were now finally turning.
Silas laid a hand on Aaron’s shoulder.
“The Prime undergoes a slight change when travelling to the chosen planet, so as to fit in with the local population. This is only possible for a Prime Elemental to do. The experience has to be as realistic as possible. She would have been the same relative age as a Human as she had been here, but then aged over the twenty years, as a Human does. As the term comes to an end, the body eventually becomes tired. It becomes unable to sustain the change and will become ill. There usually is a period of sickness and suffering, which is part of the test, before the Prime is able to return home. Once returned, the Prime will revert back to his or her true form and will carry on with normal life.”
Silas gave Aaron another moment to comprehend what he had said. Then he carried on in a gentle voice.
“You see, Aaron, your Lisa is gone, and our Maia is back. I am very sorry for everything you are going through right now and I wish I had easier answers for you. I myself do not understand how you, and your children, came here, but I hope to learn more once Maia wakes up. And I promise to do everything in my power to find a way home for you.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say. Silas’ words kept replaying in his head. Was Maia his wife? Was she some kind of other being from another planet? A princess? An Elemental? Was she not human?
The others had all overtaken them and they were being left behind. He let Silas guide him along and they followed at a slow pace.
His mind struggled to comprehend the information Silas had given him. How could any of this be possible? He felt numb, his feelings muted by shock. Everything that had happened over the last few days was fantastical enough, but now this. Logically, it did not seem possible, but he could not deny what his eyes were seeing or his ears were hearing, nor what he felt deep down, if he cared to admit it.
Had he lost his wife forever? Should he mourn her or be happy that she was finally back where she belonged? No, how could he be happy without Lisa? She was the love of his life. She was the only woman he had ever had an interest in. He had been in his mid-thirties already when they met. All his friends had been married by then. Lisa had stolen his heart and they had married within months of meeting. She had borne his children. She had been his life partner.
He felt as if his life was shattering and thought he would fall to pieces. He trudged along after the others, not looking, nor caring, where he was going and allowed Silas to lead him on.
Silas was quiet now, giving him time to come to terms with the facts. He understood it was not easy for Aaron and nothing he could say now would make it any easier.
Aaron sat in the cavernous room of the Hollow Tree, not talking to anyone. He vaguely noticed Jasmin coaxing him to eat something, but he had no appetite. They had arrived here late during the afternoon and made camp.
Aaron didn’t remember the long walk through the fields, or the arrival at the large forest. The only thing he remembered was the pain. It was all he felt now. The others bustled about him, starting the fires, arranging the sleeping mats along the back wall of the large interior of the tree and then started their evening meal.
Maia had been brought in and was ensconced in one of the alcoves to the right. He now sat at the farthest point across from her, not wanting to look upon her beautiful, sleeping face. He felt betrayed, as if his entire life with Lisa had been a lie. If it weren’t for the children, he would believe it had all been a dream.
However, here they were, fussing over him. They eventually gave up and left him to his moping. He saw them sitting around one of the fires now, talking to the handsome young men who had brought them here. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, unaffected by their strange circumstances and his heartbreak.
Did they know? Had Silas told them? Did they care? Questions chased each other around Aaron’s head. They had had a good life back home. At least that’s what he had thought. Only during the last couple of years had it been difficult. Lisa’s illness had put a strain on their family, but they managed. He had always been convinced that Lisa had loved him.
Now he wondered if she had just been with him for the experience, like Silas had said. Well, I hope she got what she came for, he thought, letting the bitterness overwhelm him for a moment. He thought of the pain and suffering Lisa had endured because of her illness, and felt instantly guilty. Was she feeling better now? Was she still in pain? Silas said he didn’t know why she didn’t wake up. Maybe she was not better, although she was home now. Maybe the cancer was still there and she was going to die after all.
She would have died, had she stayed on Earth. The doctors had said she only had weeks to live; that had been two weeks ago when she had her check up at the hospital. Maybe it was her time to go, but that didn’t mean he was ready to let her go. Would he be happy if she were to wake up healthy, able to carry on living, even if it was without him? It was a question he could not answer.
He was still sitting there by the time everyone else had gone to bed. The fires had burned down low and it had gotten dark within the tree. The sound of people sleeping lulled him to sleep. He leaned his head against the smooth inner bark of the tree and closed his eyes.
When she opened her eyes, it was dark, but not the stifling, oppressive darkness that had accompanied her nightmares. No, this was a warm dark, full of friendly sounds and textures. Maia listened. She could hear the soft sounds of people sleeping, someone mumbling in their sleep, and the soft snores that were unmistakably her father’s.
Although confused as to where she was and why, she felt immediately safe. She had been tense when she had woken up, but now, as she felt the Life Forces, the Eläm, of so many people close by, she felt herself relax. She thought back to what had happened, to make sense of the situation she now found herself in. She was home, that was clear, and she felt a knot of excitement form in her stomach.
She did not remember coming through the Gate, nor coming here. Here, she had established in the meantime, was the Hollow Tree. It had been used for centuries as a stopover lodge for travellers. The tree was thousands of years old and so cavernous on the inside that it could hold up to one hundred men.
It was always stocked with provisions and sleeping rolls and once, many years ago when she was going through her rebellious phase, she had lived here for a fortnight before her father had dragged her home. As punishment, she had to re-stock all the provisions she had used up, including gathering the grains from the fields, drying the fruits and vegetables and even curing the meat. She would never forget how long it had taken her to produce the amount of product she had so thoughtlessly consumed in such a short time. It was a lesson well learned, and that was how she knew she was on one of the cots that rested against the northern wall of the tree, with the opening to her left.
She glanced towards the entrance and was just able to see its outline. She thought it had to be very early, maybe an hour before sunrise. How had she gotten here? She did not remember. Vaguely, she recalled a wet and grey place, broken stones placed all around her, and her body feeling so weak she thought she might collapse. She closed her
eyes again, just for a moment, and focused her attention on the last details she remembered.
Almost instantly, her eyes snapped opened again in shock. They had been there! She could clearly see their faces in her mind’s eye as they were racing towards her. Jasmin’s outstretched hand, the shout frozen on Aaron’s lips, the pleading look in Luke’s eyes.
She shuddered and for the first time realised how sore she was. Her body felt stiff, her muscles ached. She was incredibly thirsty. How long had she been here?
Maia sat up slowly, groaning softly as her body protested. She felt dizzy, too. Carefully, she swung her legs over the side of the cot and her bare feet encountered something furry. Wolf immediately sat up and proceeded to lick her feet vigorously. She giggled. Of course he was here. Oh, how she had missed him. She grabbed the scuff of his neck and pulled him close, burying her face in his thick fur. He smelled like the forest, damp earth and pine needles, and that musty smell that was so uniquely his.
“Come, Wolf,” she whispered. “Let us get out of here. If I don’t relieve myself soon, I think I will have an accident.”
Wolf did not need to be asked twice. Silently he jumped over the nearest sleeping form and was out of the entrance before Maia had risen off the bed. Cursing her stiff muscles, she made her way across to the entrance, trying to be as quiet as possible. Outside, she stopped for a moment and breathed in the clear and pleasantly cool morning air. It felt so good to be home. Then, without any further thought, she made her way down to the river.
Once her business was done, she knelt by the water and drank. The water was cool and satisfying. Wolf was beside her, drinking somewhat more noisily. Somewhere to her right, an owl hooted, its nightly hunt at an end.
On an impulse, she decided that she might as well wash while she was here and before anyone else woke up. She began to undress, wondering about her strange clothes. Why was she still wearing the suit? She remembered that it was a standard clothing item on Earth. It was specifically designed to provide the body with oxygen and even had breathing tubes that could be pulled over the mouth when one went outside.
