“Why is there ice and snow?” Will asked, his green eyes mystified. Will looked like himself for the first time in weeks. His rugged face showed more than simply a blank expression. “There shouldn’t be ice and snow, now.”
“This is what I wanted you to see, Governor. After the harvest came early, the winter came as well. There was no warning.” Aldo led Will to the nearest home.
Aldo held his hand up to the door, hesitated for a moment and then knocked.
After a few long moments a woman answered the door, her eyes halfway open and her red hair a tangled mess. Her clothes looked as though they hadn’t been changed in days, stained with dirt and food, and her skin had a strong odor that hit him as soon as she opened the door. Will flinched as the smell of mead and filth wafted upon him, unexpectedly.
“Hello, Lucy. Can we come in? We would like to see how you and your husband are doing,” Aldo said cordially.
“Ooooh, it’s the Governor and his Captain,” the woman Aldo referred to as Lucy squealed. She opened the door wide and Aldo took a deep breath as he pushed Will in front of him.
The house was in complete disarray, and Will tried everything he could not to gag openly. He took a couple of deep breaths and closed his eyes, hoping to get accustomed to the stench.
“Governor,” a short pudgy man with greasy pieces of hair covering his mostly bald head, jumped up off of a chair and encompassed him in a hug. His clothing was like rags that hung off of his body and Will tensed as the man’s dirty clothes touched him. “I feel honored to have you in my home. You’ve met Lucy, and I’m the master of the house, Philip.”
“Philip,” Will nodded, daring not to say more than that.
Will looked around at the home, doing his best to hide his astonishment and disgust.
The entire house smelled of the sweet stickiness of mead and the stench of barnyard animals. There were empty mead bottles, dirty plates, and soiled clothing on every surface of the tiny house. Will noticed a small chair sitting in the corner, entirely too small for either Lucy or Philip to sit in.
Curious.
“I want to thank you for making the harvest come early, Governor,” Philip said as Will noticed him slurring his words.
“You’re welcome,” Will said, trying to sound gracious. His head was hurting and he felt like he had just woken up from a long, restless night’s sleep.
“He’s even more handsome up close,” Lucy said flirtatiously to nobody in particular as she stood a little closer to Will, the stench of her breath surrounding her.
“Shut up,” Philip said, growling.
“I’m just teasing the Governor,” Lucy said, leaning in closer to Will.
“Step back, woman! You’re making an idiot of yourself!” Philip said sharply, making Lucy jump back.
“I-I-I-I just meant …”
“Nobody cares what you meant. You’re stupid and you shouldn’t speak!” Philip yelled at her, his voice thick and mean.
Will took a step toward him, his body towering over Philip’s.
“That is not how you speak to a woman!” Will said, inching his face close to Philip’s pudgy one. “A woman is spoken to with respect, always.”
Philip stared up at him, his face red, his bloodshot eyes refusing to break contact with Will’s.
Aldo stepped gracefully in between them, breaking the tension.
“Do you mind if we look around?” Aldo asked Philip whose face was slick with sweat.
“Fine!” Philip said, turning toward Lucy who looked like a small child embarrassed in the corner.
Will hoped the other rooms in the small house would look better than the one they were in, but he was wrong. The other rooms were just as cluttered and dirty, all bearing the same stench and odor.
After Aldo checked the stock on their food and supplies and was satisfied, he announced it was time to leave.
“Stop by anytime, Governor,” Lucy said, suggestively.
“Yes,” Philip grunted, barely looking Will in the eye as they left.
Will got back into the carriage, quiet again. But this time, Aldo noted the look in his eyes was different. No longer distant and faraway. Will looked like himself for the first time in weeks, sharp and alert. His face was etched with worry and concern. He looked like himself again, and Aldo felt a twinge of hope spark within.
“What did you think, Governor?” Aldo asked when they were travelling again.
“Is that how all of my People live?” Will asked, his voice strained.
“Not all of them, Governor.” Aldo said, careful not to show any emotion. “Those two are the extreme, though I’ve never seen them quite so bad before. It’s as though the early harvest has given them an excuse to be more slovenly than usual.”
“There is one thing I don’t understand,” Will said, slowly.
“What is that, Governor?”
“There were so many small things.”
“Small things?” Aldo asked, knowing what Will was going to ask.
“Yes. Small things. Small furniture, small clothing … for small People, several small People.” Will spoke thoughtfully, trying to make sense of what he had seen.
“Yes.” Aldo said, “I saw it, too.”
“Why? Why would there be so many things for small People? Where were these small People? Who would use it?” Will’s voice was showing frustration, as though he were trying to put together a puzzle that didn’t make any sense.
“I don’t know, Governor.” Aldo said quietly. “I don’t know.”
32
THE RESCUERS
Emilie was choking, the feeling of a thousand knives going through her entire body as she gasped desperately for air and finding none.
Voices she didn’t recognize were telling her to “Breathe, breathe. Take your time and breathe.”
Her throat was squeezed closed, and her body was stiff from the effort of breathing. There was nothing she could do but gasp. Long moments passed as tiny bits of air finally made their way into her lungs, giving her the slightest bit of relief.
“Breathe, breathe, Warrior. You are going to be fine.”
Emilie tried to remember what happened, but all that she could remember was the sound of Hadley’s screams.
“Hadley!” Emilie tried to sit up, but fell immediately back to the ground.
“I’m here! I’m here.” Hadley’s sweet voice was warm in Emilie’s ears as she strained to find her. Before she knew it, Hadley was in her arms, sobbing.
“I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead,” she repeated over and over.
“I’m okay,” Emilie said, her voice strained and barely above a whisper.
“Take your time, Warrior,” the unfamiliar voice said again, her voice gentle and soothing.
Emilie looked up to see two beautiful, dark-haired girls a few years older than Hadley standing in front of her. She knew she had never seen them before. Where did they come from?
“I’m Sonya, and this is Paola. We are sisters.” The girls looked to be twins, though Paola stood a full foot taller than Sonya. Both girls had intense blue eyes, and thick black hair that fell long and heavy down their backs. Sonya smiled at Emilie, putting her at ease, but Paola glared at her intensely.
“Why is your sister looking at me like that?” Emilie asked, attempting to cover up her annoyance.
“Don’t mind her,” Sonya smiled.” She looks at everyone like that.”
Paola grunted.
Emilie was suddenly aware of the intense pounding in the back of her head as Hadley refused to let go of her. “What happened?”
“What happened is we saved your neck,” Paola spoke for the first time, her voice sharp and angry.
“What … From what?” Emilie asked as she remembered the well and the giant Creature that was choking her.
“This is what,” Paola moved to the right and Emilie gasped. Five feet behind her lay the dead body of the Creature who had tried to strangle her.
“It was going to kill you,�
� Hadley whispered, her eyes still big with fear.
Emilie stood slowly, her legs wobbly beneath her as Hadley tried to support her. She walked slowly over to the Creature, stopping a foot away. She marveled at its length. From head to tail it was at least thirty feet long, its gigantic head almost half the size of her entire body. It was widest in the middle, scaly and bright green, and even in death it was terrifying. Emilie made sure she didn’t get too close, remembering how it wrapped itself around her neck. She noticed a large gash in the Creature’s belly, as though it had been cut open from one side to the other.
Hadley stayed hidden behind her, trembling in fear.
“How …?” Emilie asked, staring at the wounds in its body. She stared at the sisters, amazed they could overtake such a Creature. They’re not even adults! How could they be any match for this Serpent?
“We are tougher than we look, and we’ve fought bigger and worse than this and overcome,” Sonya said as though she was reading Emilie’s mind.
“But how? Why?” Emilie couldn’t imagine the girls needing to fight so much.
“We are all we’ve ever had.” Paola said simply, her words clipped as though she didn’t like speaking much.
“We look out for one another,” Sonya said, giving Paola a smile. Paola smiled for the first time, but only at Sonya.
Hadley continued holding tight to Emilie and Emilie held her close, finding comfort as well. She realized as Emilie was squeezing her tight that her armor was gone, destroyed by the Creature.
“Here, we found this close. I don’t know how it wasn’t destroyed … you’ll need it.” Sonya handed Emilie her sword and her belt. Emilie marveled at its perfect condition and wondered how it had remained intact after the vicious attack from the monster.
“What are we going to do?” Hadley’s tiny voice was full of fear.
“I don’t know what you are going to do, but we are leaving. You’re on your own.” Paola said, starting to walk away.
“Wait!” Emilie cried. “Don’t you think we should all stick together?”
“Why?” Sonya asked simply, her voice still kind.
“Because, we would be safer if we were all together,” Emilie said as though it were an obvious question.
“Nobody is safe. It doesn’t matter if we are together or not,” Paola said, staring into Emilie’s eyes. Emilie was amazed at how blue Paola’s eyes were. They were bluer than the sky and bluer than any sea she could imagine, and she found herself lost in them for a brief moment.
“Of course it matters if we stay together,” Emilie said adamantly. “We can look out for one another.”
“No. You’ll only slow us down,” Paola said flatly.
Sonya grabbed Paola’s hand and pulled her away from Emilie and Hadley. They spoke in hushed tones, Paola animated while Sonya remained calm. Emilie knew they were talking about them, and was frustrated with herself for wanting them to stay. She felt as though she had always been able to take care of herself, but after the Serpent attack, she was feeling weak and unsure of herself. You haven’t been on your own like this for a very long time, she told herself, though she wasn’t sure how she knew. You haven’t been a Warrior. Instead, you’ve been a …
“Fine!” Paola’s voice cut through her thoughts as she stomped past her. “We will stay together.”
“We will all stay together,” Sonya said gently as she smiled as Emilie and Hadley. “Yes, we can watch out for one another this way.”
“But you better not slow us down. You better move fast and listen to everything we tell you.” Paola snarled as Hadley hid behind Emilie.
Emilie nodded and looked to Sonya for direction.
“We should walk on and look for a place to sleep. Somewhere farther from here, and safer. We can’t be certain that there isn’t another Creature like this one.” Sonya started walking away from the well.
Emilie grabbed Hadley’s hand and walked closely behind Sonya, careful to match her pace while keeping her eye on Hadley.
Hadley was young, but she walked quickly, eager to keep up.
Emilie noted that Paola stayed farther behind them, but close enough that she could keep her eye on them. For the first time Emilie noticed the large dagger strapped to Paola’s slender hip. She looked up to see a matching one on Sonya’s hip with a smaller one strapped to her thigh. Both girls kept their hands close to their weapons, their bright blue eyes alert as they watched everything around them. Emilie was sure to keep her hand close to the sword that she had belted tightly to her hip. She wished they had been able to find her own daggers, but she was grateful to have at least one weapon.
I wonder which one of them sliced open the Creature who tried to kill me? Emilie wondered.
“I did,” Sonya said smiling, reading her mind again. Emilie startled as Sonya looked at her as though she was continuing to explore her thoughts.
She’s an Empath! Emilie closed her mind off, careful to guard her thoughts. Empaths were rare but dangerous, and as nice as Sonya seemed on the outside, Emilie knew she needed to be careful.
They walked on for a long while in silence. Emilie noted that Hadley’s lips were dry, but she waited before she spoke.
As the sky grew darker, she said quietly, “We need to find something to drink and somewhere to rest.”
“Shhhhh,”” Paola said, urgently.
All four of them froze as the rustling in the woods around them became more evident. It surrounded them, first from one side and then the other, back and forth, until they could no longer tell where it was coming from.
The Warrior, Sonya, and Paola drew their weapons, and without speaking, faced outwardly, forming a triangle with Hadley in the middle.
The rustling became more violent, though the source remained invisible.
“Show yourself!” Paola shouted fiercely. “Show yourself, now!”
The sound grew louder and eerily reminded Emilie of leaves flapping in the wind, though the trees stood naked around them. Paola’s call out to the unseen enemy simply echoed through the dead wood, while the trees stood still and nothing moved around them.
Slowly, the dirt began to kick up, starting at their feet as it swirled up and through their hair, enveloping them almost immediately. The Warrior sheathed her weapon and instinctively tried to cover Hadley the best she could, while Paola and Sonya did the same. They held onto one another as the wind picked up and violently shook them, forcing them to the ground. All four women huddled over one another, a tangle of bodies while the dirt stung their skin and their eyes.
As the whirlwind overcame them, they sputtered and choked, doing their best to protect Hadley who cried out beneath them, “Make it stop, make it stop!”
Just as quickly as it came, the whirlwind disappeared. And with it, the Warrior, Hadley, and the sisters disappeared too.
33
KYLA AND THE UBILEZ
Kyla hid in her secret place far from the Governor’s House where no one could find her as she prepared to summon the Ubilez like they had shown her. The Ubilez had led her to the small abandoned enclosure made of large stones. It had no purpose standing in the woods where it was, but she didn’t question its existence, she merely accepted it.
She was glad that she didn’t have to go to the depths of the earth as she had with their first meeting. She knew that any time away from Will was dangerous, so she dared not leave him for too long. She knew the longer she was away, the weaker her tie would be to him, her blood not fully mingled into every bit of his body and soul, yet. The Ubilez had told her that this wouldn’t happen until the third Blood Moon, which was still a full seven days away. The Blood Bond she had with Will was not strong enough to overcome her absence, and this made her anxious every moment they weren’t together.
She felt strained under the pressure, her debt to the Ubilez weighing heavily on her mind. She reminded herself that she was doing all of this for Will and his love, and that it was all worth it in the end.
Kyla recalled the legend of the
Ubilez that she had known her entire life, written deep into the souls of all the Yashwa upon their birth. As one of the descendants of the protectors of Tamaryn, the voice of the legend echoed through her. The voice reminded her of everything she had chosen to defy, and all she put at stake.
Long, long before the Dark Time, Tamaryn had once been peaceful, rich in beauty, and bountiful in resources. Yashwa and Human lived together in harmony, the Land benefitting from the peaceful and harmonious union between the two. There was no need for protection as the Cycle of Life balanced everything, trading Birth for each End and Death for each Beginning. Thousands of years passed quietly and happily while everything and everyone had a meaning and a purpose. During the Bountiful Time, Tamaryn was plentiful and all things grew and multiplied without end and nobody wanted for anything.
The Ubilez were evil creations that were spawned from the blackest and deepest part of the earth by an unknown Creator long purged from the memories of all Humans. On The Darkest Day, the Ubilez ascended onto the peaceful Land without warning and began to destroy and consume everything and everyone, nearly discovering and destroying the Yashwa’s precious Pytos that housed and protected their kind. The Ubilez ravaged Tamaryn, the living plants, animals, and Humans, until there was barely anything left. The Governor’s ancestors were the only ones who remained, banding together and living in hiding where the Ubilez couldn’t find them. They cried out for someone to save them, to protect and heal them from the destruction of the Ubilez.
The Great Yashwa had taken his kind into hiding, but when he heard the Human’s cry, as desperately as he tried to ignore it, the suffering was too deep and he could not. Finally, he appeared to the Governor’s ancestors, a band of only twenty men and twenty-two women. The Great Yashwa forged a Bond with them and promised the Humans that his kind would banish the Ubilez back to the center of the earth in exchange for the simplest of things. The Great Yashwa wanted his kind to remain a secret to Humans, in order to remain safe and uncorrupted. The Yashwa had existed for many centuries, before most living things. But the power of the Yashwa was fragile and vulnerable by any offset in the Balance of Tamaryn. They were a Creature formed from an equal Balance as that of the universe, none too corrupt or none too righteous, the Balance remaining their greatest strength and power. The Yashwa were Protectors of Tamaryn, powerful enough to banish the Ubilez with the collective strength of their Light.
The Forgotten (The Lost Children Series Book 1) Page 12
