ULTIMATE FANTASY (I - III)

by J. G. Cuff

  Atticus ran upstream like a rabbit with a hungry fox behind him; jumping over rocks and logs along the edge, and then he swiftly darted to the right and crashed through a wall of thick brush to escape his brother. Tiberius ran past where Atticus had disappeared into the trees and then he stopped. He turned around and tried to peer in through the branches to see where Atticus was hiding, but the brush was too thick.

  “Atticus! I'm not chasing after you in there.”

  Tiberius bent over and placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. A moment passed and Atticus had not reappeared.

  “Atticus! Come out here and we'll fish the stream.”

  No answer. The only sound was that of the water, rushing beside him. Then, from behind the dense branches, he heard a genuinely excited voice.

  “Tiberius! Come and see!”

  Tiberius put his arms out in front of him, turned his head to shield his eyes from the thick spruce branches, and then he pushed himself through. He stepped forward and his feet slid down for an instant; jolting him as he quickly landed steady on his feet.

  Atticus was standing right in front of him with his arms outstretched and a wide smile on his face. The dirt on his hands and the bits of leave-litter in his hair, made it obvious that he had not fallen so gracefully down the small slope. Tiberius could see right away why the boy was smiling. They were standing on what appeared to be an old stone road. The large, flat rocks were laid tightly together beneath their feet. The edges were lined with large trees that gently turned around a corner with the road to the left, and then out of sight. The road was not on any map that Tiberius had ever seen.

  The branches above their heads had stretched out and over time, had intertwined, creating a thick ceiling between the road and the sky. They looked up in wonder at the canopy of long, tangled limbs, just above their heads. It was as though they were standing in a wood and stone tunnel. Tiberius spoke as if he had just solved a great mystery.

  “This must lead to something important; an ancient village perhaps. It looks like no one's been on this road for a thousand years. Imagine what we may find!”

  “Or maybe...it leads to the Void,” Atticus said, looking up at his brother with a warning expression. The boys were prohibited by their parents from ever going east of the streams. The Queen's Guard patrolled the lands around their house and the Buckskin forest, but to the east was the Void Canyon, and beyond that, the Sorrow Wood. The boys had grown-up learning all sorts of tall tales about monsters in the canyon and ravenous savages in the woods beyond. It fueled their fears and even more so, their curiosity.

  “There's only one way to find out,” Tiberius said. “Atticus, do you think you could handle some adventure this afternoon beyond fishing? We could spear another time, when the water's more calm.”

  Atticus looked at him with a very serious look, as though Tiberius had missed the obvious. He seemed to be almost offended.

  “You know I can go on adventures now, I'm ten.”

  Tiberius laughed out loud and put his arm around him.

  “Yes, you are Atticus.”

  “But, what if Father finds out?” Atticus asked quietly.

  “He won't, if you don't tell. Now grab your spear and let's be off!”

  The boys set out on their afternoon adventure, walking deeper into the east, down the mysterious stone path, with wild imaginings in their minds of lost villages and hidden treasure. They were about to get far more than they ever dreamed of.

  The Void Canyon was an immense crevasse; a deep, dry, barren trench that stretched from the Devil's Spine, 100 miles to the north, down to the Crucio Sea, 40 miles south of where the boys were now walking. The Void was an inhospitable and very dangerous place; rumored to be the home of many strange inhabitants, far away from any law and order. There was only one safe crossing at an outpost for the Queen's Guard farther north. A force of 200 armed men patrolled the Ashen Plains north of the Sparrow Vale, and their outpost was built on the western side of a large bridge that spanned over the Void's only narrow gap.

  An ancient stand of behemoth trees on the other side of the canyon, known as the Sorrow Wood, spread out across the land for many miles. Its endless roots had been creeping into the soil and stone, long before man's time. Many secrets hid beneath its dark canopy, where few people ever dared to venture. Countless souls had vanished into the vastness of twisted trees and blinding fog, to never return. Some believed that the strange, hanging cloud was the remnants of those same souls, forever cursed to haunt the Sorrow Wood as expired shadows, drifting endlessly through the stand, trapped in a living mist. But there were far worse things to fear than ghosts moving through the ancient trees.

  'Wataeo' was the sound they called themselves.

  The feral tribesman had earned a well-known reputation for hacking the limbs first; crippling their victims after an ambush and dragging their injured bodies into the dark trees. The Wataeo had a taste for the flesh of man, and they did not discriminate. Their captives would be kept as livestock; fed, fattened and cared for until their time came. Then, they would be tied to a blessing tree. The special trees were sacred to the Wataeo. They chose the oldest and the largest in the forest, and had worshiped them for thousands of years by fastening their victims together, side by side around the massive trunks; binding them tightly with long vines against the red-stained bark. For days, the savages would circle them, chanting and praying, taking bites; slowly eating their catch alive—feeding on the meat from the blessing tree.

  FOUND

  3

  HE over-grown stone road coursed along through the Buckskin. After what seemed to be nearly an hour, the tree branches had separated above them and the thick trunks had been replaced by stone banks on either side. The natural rising of the bedrock below the forest floor had been cut away to keep the road level. The banks had grown to more than 10 feet, lining the path with two sheer rock walls. Tiberius was continuously looking up, as he was starting to feel very uneasy. The walls beside them made it felt as though they were being funneled into a trap. He thought it very foolish to bring his young brother to an area of the forest that neither of them had ever been, and had been adamantly told to never go. This was all his idea and now he had changed his mind. Tiberius stopped walking.

  “Atticus, we need to go back. We've come far enough. This is nothing but an abandoned stone path.” He knew that was not true. Many hands had obviously worked very hard to carve out the rock and build a road out of solid stone. He was no less curious than before, but his gut was telling him to get out.

  “Just a little farther? Around that corner,” Atticus asked and pointed to the left-turning bend ahead of them.

  “No. We're way beyond the patrol boundary. It's not safe here.”

  “Please?” badgered Atticus, pointing ahead. “Just that last bend, please?”

  Tiberius sighed and hesitantly submitted to the birthday boy.

  “Alright, but only around the corner, and then we turn around and head back. We don't have much time before dusk.”

  Atticus was already walking ahead and Tiberius jogged to catch up. As they rounded the turn, both brothers stopped abruptly in their tracks. No more than 50 feet ahead of them, the road ended and dropped-off at the edge of a cliff. A vast gap in front of them, more than a mile across, ran perpendicular to where they stood facing. The boys were mesmerized by the sight.

  “The Void,” Atticus said under his breath.

  Tiberius pointed to the opposite side, along the ridge in the distance, where there stood the edge of a massive stand; giant trees, spreading out as far as their eyes could see.

  “That has to be the Sorrow Wood. I've seen it in one of grandfather's books. It covered the whole right side of the map. Father said the forest is larger than the Crucio Sea.”

  The boys walked ahead to within 20 paces of the canyon's drop.

  “Let's look down over the side!” cried Atticus. Tiberius quickly shot his arm out to stop him.

  “Wait! The gr
ound may be loose. Let me see if it's safe first,” Tiberius cautioned.

  Atticus huffed, but he stood in his place, as his older brother moved slowly, creeping carefully toward the ledge. Tiberius could now see the bottom of the canyon on the other side. It was a long way down.

  Nothing would survive that fall.

  Tiberius judged the drop at over 150 feet. He knelt down to set his spear on the ground beside him, and then he crept closer. As he turned his head left to look to the northern end of the canyon, he noticed something black on the wall beside him, where the ledge ran outward past the rock wall. In the hard stone bank, nearly four feet above the ground, was a long, narrow crack that looked like it might be a cave entrance. Tiberius moved toward the opening and cautiously looked inside while Atticus watched him. It was too dark see anything. The moment he put his face near the opening, he blocked most of the light.

  “What are you looking at?” asked Atticus impatiently.

  “I think it's a cavern. Come on, the ledge is solid. Just stay close to me,” Tiberius said, nodding toward the steep drop behind him. Atticus slowly walked to the edge until he was standing beside his brother and he looked down with a start.

  “That's high.”

  “Yes, it is. As long as we stay close to the wall, we'll be fine,” said Tiberius.

  Atticus turned his attention to the crack along the rock face beside them. He looked into the dark opening and he too blocked the light, and pulled his head back out. He had never seen a cave before. Neither of them had.

  The opening was obviously too narrow for Tiberius to fit through. Atticus smiled, looking up at him and handed out his spear.

  “Here, hold this. I'm going in.”

  Atticus pulled himself up and squirmed his head and shoulders into the dark gap. The crack was just wide enough for him to squeeze through. Once inside, he found that he could stand. The slim beam of light coming through the opening, only allowed him to partially see. He squinted in the darkness and felt around the dry rock walls. Atticus was disappointed that the small cavern was no bigger than the loft that the boys shared at home.

  “What do you see Atticus?”

  “It doesn't go anywhere,” Atticus said, his voice echoing out of the small chamber. Tiberius was about to reply when the boy shouted,

  “There's something in here!”

  LUECROKOTA

  4

  IBERIUS could hear his brother scuffling around inside the small cavern. He poked his head in through the crack and Atticus was quick to complain. “Move out of the light! I can't see.” Tiberius pulled his head back.

  “Well what did you find?”

  “It's a box!” cried Atticus, “I'll push it over to you.”

  Resting near the far wall, opposite the opening, was a wooden box, nearly four feet in length and one foot deep and equally as wide. The box was nearly buried in a thick layer of dust and sand. Atticus' heart raced with excitement and grand visions filled his thoughts with jeweled crowns and long strands of pearls atop a pile of old coins.

  “What kind of box?” Tiberius asked from outside, “Open it up and tell me what you see.”

  Atticus tried to open the lid; pushing and pulling on the top, but the heavy iron clasps were completely seized. Thick, rusted hinges and iron bands ribbed the outside of the box, holding its wooden frame, tightly clinched together. It was very well constructed. There were two iron ring handles on either side. They were the only part of the box that Atticus could move. He had both hands around the left one, pulling the heavy case forward, inch by inch, into the slim shaft of light where he was able to see it better. On the left side of the top he saw a black circular burn mark, the size of a man's head, and what appeared to be an eagle's claw inside the circle, clutching onto a star with eight points.

  Atticus yelled out to Tiberius,“I'll lift up the end so you can pull it out from your side. There's a handle you can grab.” Atticus heaved the box up toward the crack and held it against his chest.

  “Tiberius, grab the ring!”

  Silence. Atticus yelled again, tiring from holding up the weight.

  “Tiberius! Where are you?”

  Atticus leaned forward and dropped the box to the ground with a thud. He stood on the top and pushed his head and chest out of the cavern. He saw Tiberius to his right, facing in the direction that they had come from, and he watched him bend down quickly and pick up his spear from the ground.

  Atticus called to him,“Tiberius! What is it?”

  Tiberius did not look toward him. He spoke from where he stood, maintaining his gaze.

  “Atticus stay where you are.”

  Atticus quickly crawled back out of the cavern and onto the ledge. Tiberius was holding his spear in both hands and was looking up toward the rock wall along the road. Atticus followed his gaze to their right and immediately saw the body of a large wolf, quietly standing behind a low shrub at the top of the steep bank above them, no more than 20 feet away. It appeared to be hiding its face behind the bush. All Atticus could see was a large body and pointed ears sticking out from behind the shrub.

  The boys had seen wolves before. The secretive animals occasionally ran past their fields in the early mornings. Their father had always told them that wolves don't attack people and are only aggressive when they are starved. Yet, Atticus was scared nonetheless. He had never been this close to one before and he quickly darted behind Tiberius' legs, where he picked up his own spear from the ground. They stood together, tense as drawn bow strings, holding their sharp iron tips out in front of them. Tiberius seemed to calm.

  “Don't worry Atticus. Wolves don't attack people who have spears in their hands.”

  He stood up straight and lowered his weapon, placing his hand on Atticus' shoulder to reassure him.

  “He won't bother us. He's just patrolling his territory and wants to let us know that this is supposed to be his place. Father told me that they walk for miles, marking on the trees and rocks, and then after a while, they do it all over again to keep their borders in order.”

  Tiberius looked up and spoke bravely to the big, black wolf on the bank, to impress his younger brother.

  “We're leaving now. You can go back into the forest old wolf. Go on, leave us be!”

  The wolf stood still, unmoving, and then it slowly lifted its head out from behind the low brush. Its eyes were closed. If it had not have moved, it would have looked as though it were sleeping while standing up. Something was not right. Tiberius thought the animal may be sick. And then to their horror, it opened its eyes and looked right at them. The boys both gasped and every hair on them stood straight-up. The animal's eyeballs were swollen and solid white. No pupils. No color, just white, as though the eyes had rolled back into the skull.

  “What the hell is that?” whispered Tiberius.

  Atticus wrapped his hands tight around his spear shaft and glanced up at his brother who was doing the same thing.

  “Atticus, get behind me. Now!” Tiberius said through his teeth, without taking his eyes off of the wolf.

  Atticus stepped backwards slowly, moving behind his brother, and the wolf immediately came forward; bounding down the steep bank, stirring up sand and small rocks that clacked into one another as they rolled, racing down to the stone road. The wolf stopped on the road to face them, only 20 paces away. The boys stiffened. Their hearts were racing and their palms were already slick.

  “Go away! Leave us before our spears find you!” Tiberius yelled, out of nothing more than absolute fear.

  The wolf stood still and lowered its head. A sickening grimace seemed to widen unnaturally across its muzzle, revealing its large, sharp teeth. A long, black tongue slipped out from inside and licked slowly around its lips.

  “Tiberius, what's wrong with it?” Atticus whispered.

  The older brother had no answer this time; no words at all. They were gone, along with his bravery. His stomach was tying new knots. The wolf hunched down and began to creep forward, meticulously placing one
large paw affront of the other. Closer and closer it came forward. Atticus had to go to the bathroom. The ledge was directly behind them, only five paces back. If the wolf did not stop coming toward them, then they would have to fight for their lives. Imagining Atticus being harmed or falling off the edge, made Tiberius suddenly desperate and furious above his fear. He shouted louder this time, shaking his sharp spear in a menacing display.

  “Stop! If you come any nearer I'll kill you!”

  To his surprise, and great relief, the wolf stopped. And then a strange thing happened. The large black animal turned around and walked away from them, back down the stone road in the direction that the boys had originally come from. They watched it slowly make its way around the bend, and then disappear. Just like that, it was gone.

  Atticus dropped his spear and threw his arms around his brother. Tiberius kept hold of his weapon with his eyes fixed on the road ahead. The wolf may have gone, or it may be waiting for them around the corner. He wished his father was with them now; wished that they had never come here at all. He knew that if Darius ever found out where they were, they would be in a lot of trouble, especially Tiberius. As the older brother, he always took the brunt of it. The guilt was overwhelming now. He should never have brought them here.

  “We need to move away this ledge Atticus, and get ourselves home, fast,” he said, glancing up at the dimming sky, “Soon we won't be able to see anything in that tunnel of branches.”

  Atticus nodded and picked up his spear.

  “Is he gone?” he said, asking for reassurance.

  “Perhaps,” Tiberius answered, still staring at the bend in the road ahead, “Just keep your spear out in front of you, until we make some ground.”

  The boys began walking, very slowly and very nervously away from the Void's edge and back up the stone road.

  “Atticus, I'm sorry I-” before he could finish, the wolf's large head appeared out from the turn ahead, followed by its long, muscled body. It snarled loudly and then ran in a full-charge toward them. They could hear its claws scraping rapidly across the flat stones, propelling it forward. Tiberius jumped in front of his little brother, but it was too late to aim his spear down. The wolf leaped off of the ground and its long teeth punctured Tiberius' soft wool shirt and sank deep into the inside of his right arm, in between his bicep and the bone. He cried out and dropped his spear, as the wolf jerked back and yanked him forward onto his knees. Atticus screamed in terror, frozen in a nervous shiver. He was petrified. The wolf quickly let go and ran back up the road, where it turned around to face them head-on again. Fresh blood stained its broad muzzle. Tiberius was trying not to cry; holding his left hand around the deep holes in his arm. He looked down and saw blood running out from between his fingers. He let go of his arm and reached for his spear, but as he did, the wolf charged, and was on him instantly. It went after his arm again; slamming its gaping mouth around the wound and biting down hard; pulling away with its powerful haunches. Tiberius screamed out in agony, dragged forward on his chest, as the long, thick needles dug in deeply behind his bicep. The wolf snarled and shook its head violently, back and forth, yanking and tearing the muscle away from the bone.