The Children of Calm

by Smith, J Michael

  They followed him as he walked towards the waterfall, then were surprised to see a path leading to a small opening that the falls obscured. The cave was dry and warm, once they put some space between themselves and the waterfall, and it seemed to stretch on into the mountains for a long distance. Rylek used his starpod torch to light the way, which prompted Altan to marvel, “Now, I haven’t seen one of those for a very long time.”

  The journey was lighthearted for the most part, as the girls excitedly talked about what they had seen earlier. Tresten seemed to walk in a fog as he occasionally muttered, “I don’t understand how it’s possible.” Altan hummed cheerily to himself in the front. Rylek brought up the rear, and was content to listen to everyone for awhile, until he began to have the awkward feeling that someone or something was following them. Unsure of whether it was a trick the acoustics of the cavernous tunnel were having on his ears, or paranoia, or something else, he found himself looking back over his shoulder occasionally; but he never saw anything.

  Some time later a faint odd glow began to grow in the tunnel. Altan stopped and turned towards the others. “We are about to enter a curious area,” he said. “It would be wise of you to chew on these.” He then brought out of his robe a small pouch that contained some small leaves of a type that Rylek had never before seen. “These will prevent you from becoming sick.”

  “What are they?” Tresten asked as the others began to chew on them.

  “The leaves of the turchura tree,” Altan said. “The effects of flarefruit have been known to cause nausea.”

  Selenor grew excited. “Do you mean the Forest of Contrary Light is real, too?” she asked.

  “I must be dreaming,” Tresten said. “That’s it - I must be dreaming.”

  “Oh yes,” Altan said in response to Selenor. “I wonder, what do they actually teach you?”

  “And are there Tauffles?” she asked.

  “Tauffles?” he repeated. “I confess I do not know what those are.”

  “Take what you can get, sister,” Tresten said.

  Altan smiled and turned back around. “Now, it would be wise to hold on to one another’s hands as we enter. The light of the flarefruit can be somewhat disorienting. I will carry your coats for you.”

  The leaf of the turchura tree tasted curiously strong of mint in Rylek’s mouth. He found it refreshingly clean. Lana grabbed one of his hands. His other hand instinctively reached out for Selenor’s, and they met halfway.

  The light grew stronger as they continued. Everything began to fade to a piercing black. Rylek found himself squinting so hard that he barely had his eyes open. Why is it hurting my eyes if it’s so dark? he wondered. Once they reached the point where black was all they could see, something odd began to happen. Colors began to gradually reappear, only they were the opposite of what they had previously been. He looked down at his hands and saw they were now a deep blue color, while the coats that Altan carried were a very pale blue. As the pain of the light lessened, Rylek squeezed Selenor’s hand, and they looked into each other’s eyes. Her usually dark irises were almost white, while the silver streaks within them were now black. “Wow,” he said softly, impressed by the exotic beauty the light of the flarefruit had on her. She smiled and shyly looked away.

  Soon enough the tunnel ended, and they came out upon a forest. Their eyes were bombarded with shades of gray, deep purples, soft pinks, various shades of blue, and faraway whites. Growing upon the branches of the trees were large black oblong orbs, which seemed to be surrounded by a foggy shadow.

  “Welcome to Ekthaal’daar, Forest of the Dying Light,” Altan said. “Or if you prefer, the Forest of Contrary Light.”

  Rylek looked at Tresten. “If this is all a dream, I don’t want to wake up,” he said.

  “Neither do I,” Tresten said with awe in his voice. “I’m sorry, Altan. Forgive me for doubting you.”

  “There is nothing to forgive,” Altan said. “You spoke from what you did not know.”

  “Are those black things the flarefruit?” Rylek asked, pointing at the orbs hanging from the trees.

  “They are indeed,” Altan said. “I would not advise consuming them.”

  He began to lead them into the forest, and Rylek quickly realized he heard a steady sound, a cluster of sustained notes that tickled his ears. It was so faint he only noticed it after everyone had stopped talking. “What’s that sound?” he asked.

  “The humming?” Altan asked. “That is the breeze rustling through the leaves of the flarefruit trees. Not an unpleasant ambiance, is it?”

  “No, you’re right. It is rather relaxing in its way,” Rylek said. “It makes me feel a little sleepy.”

  “We have no time for sleep,” Altan said. “There is still nearly an hour before we reach the gate.”

  “What exactly is this gate you keep speaking of?” Tresten asked.

  “It is a teleportation device created by the Aedaar long ago with the intention of keeping an unseen eye on Khragzul and its survivors, and especially Fornrihgula,” Altan said. “This forest was chosen as its hiding place to deter curious passers-by from ever locating it.”

  “Do the Aedaar still use it?” Tresten asked.

  “I cannot say for certain, but I would venture to guess that they do not,” Altan said. “They care little for the events of the mortal, and only interact when they feel that they or Mira are threatened.”

  “How do you know about the gate?” Rylek asked.

  Altan grew silent for awhile. “The paths of destiny are curiously carved,” he finally said sadly. “Come, let us not linger on my past. It is Mira’s past we are wanting to study.”

  The others were afraid to ask him much more, so they walked in relative silence for the rest of the journey. Rylek was torn between studying Altan’s slouched figure and fighting the paranoia they were still being followed. He finally subtly took Tresten aside.

  “Have you felt at all that something has been tracking us?” he asked.

  “No. Why?” Tresten asked. “Apparently you do.”

  “I don’t know. Something in my senses just keeps alerting me to…the possibility anyway, I guess.”

  “Who in all of Mira would be following us?”

  Rylek shrugged. “That’s what I can’t figure out.”

  “It’s probably just exhaustion and paranoia. What is it with you being so paranoid lately?” Tresten paused and dropped his voice even more. “But let’s face it, what we saw in the Aesids’ secret basement is not exactly the stuff of children’s bedtime stories. Have you been haunted by that hooded figure chasing us?”

  “Maybe,” Rylek said. “I don’t know, usually I’m not so quick to give in to irrational thoughts and fears, but I can’t shake this. I’ve had the feeling for quite awhile.”

  “Could it possibly be the effects of the flarefruit?”

  “No, I had the suspicion before we reached the forest.”

  “Well then, let’s both keep an eye and ear out,” Tresten said. “But whatever you do, do not say anything to the others. There is no sense whatsoever in scaring them.”

  “Don’t worry. I had no intention of doing that.”

  ***

  Eventually they came upon a small clearing. There sat a large circular stone dais, and surrounding it on its perimeter were nine large arched pillars curved in towards its center. On the tip of each pillar was a shiny white rock. Small runes covered all the surfaces, different from those that were on the walls of the cave Rylek had fallen into three days prior. These were more intricate, more mysterious looking. In the middle of the dais was carved a familiar sight: a large crescent moon cradled within an even larger mirrored crescent moon.

  Tresten ran ahead, admiring the handiwork. “Simply amazing,” he said. “I could have never imagined anything like this.”

  “We are finally arrived at the Twilight Gate,” Altan said. “If everyone is ready, we will…”

  “Look at that!” Lana said suddenly to Selenor, seeing the cresce
nts on the dais. “That’s the same design as in your Twilightstone.”

  “And on Silran,” Tresten said softly, drawing his blade and examining it.

  “What is this?” Altan asked, surprised at their outbursts. Selenor showed him her ring, and Tresten showed him his sword. A curious look came into his eyes that Rylek could not read. He stood silently for a moment, and then looked at Selenor. “I believe you will find that ring of yours has powers you were probably unaware of,” he said slowly and softly. “Here, let us put on our coats.”

  The others exchanged wordless glances as they dressed themselves in the coats. Then Altan motioned towards Selenor and she stepped forward. As she approached the dais, the usually dark blue Twilightstone began to glow yellow-orange in the flarefruit light, which in turn caused the runes on the pillars and dais to glow. The white stones on the tips of the pillars grew lighter until sharp rays of amber light shot out towards the center of the dais. Then much to Rylek’s surprise, the rays of light appeared to raise the two crescents off the dais and into the air. The now amber-tinged crescents then switched axes so that they were now vertical instead of horizontal. Suddenly the crescents began to revolve one within the other, spinning in opposite directions of each other, faster and faster till all that was left was a large bright yellow sphere. A swift wind blew into Rylek’s face and whipped the girls’ hair backward.

  “The time has come!” Altan shouted over the wind. “Herein lies our path to Khragzul and answers that outnumber your questions. It looks frightening, I know, but trust me when I say it will not hurt you. Follow me and step into the sphere!”

  They watched as he walked onto the dais and disappeared into the yellow spinning mass. Instinctively they grasped each others’ hands and slowly approached the sphere. This is a distinctly different feeling from when we did this at the sea, Rylek thought. After they exchanged glances, he counted off “One, two, three!” and together they jumped into the gate.

  Chapter Twelve:

  The Cursed Ruins of Khragzul

  The trip through the Twilight Gate was nearly instantaneous. After jumping into the spinning yellow sphere, and while his feet were still in midair, Rylek felt like he was being torn apart, rearranged, condensed, stretched, and flattened. He swore his toes were tickling his brain. But the sensation only lasted for a moment, and by the time his feet landed on solid ground he felt completely normal again. His hands were still holding those of his sister and Selenor.

  Altan stood off at a distance from them, smiling mischievously. The colors were back to normal. “I am glad to see you are all in one piece,” he called out as a wind was whipping around them. “I’ve heard tales of limbs being lost by people who did not warp properly.”

  Rylek looked around and saw they were in yet another cave, standing on an identical dais as before except now the sphere, rays, and runes on this dais were glowing blue. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Selenor’s Twilightstone was also shining blue. Unexpectedly he thought he felt something bump up against his back. Looking quickly over his shoulder, he did not see anything, and hoped that it was some effect from the gate. He did his best to quell the paranoia that told him they were still being followed.

  “Are you kidding?” Lana asked. “I thought you said we weren’t in any danger.”

  “Of course I am merely kidding you!” Altan said “Step down. What do you think of your first trip though a dimensional gate?”

  “It kind of takes one’s breath away,” Selenor said as they stepped off the dais. Once her feet were on normal ground, the Twilightstone darkened again, and the dais instantly returned to its normal static state. The wind ceased and everything grew still. Rylek noticed it was much colder here than it had been in the Forest of Contrary Light. It was also completely dark, so he immediately turned on his starpod torch.

  “May I never cease to show you things that take your breath away,” Altan said in the glow of the torch. “As of now we are thousands of leagues from Calabranda, standing in a hidden cave just outside the ruined city of Teravihn’dael. Welcome to the cursed ruins of Khragzul.

  “Before we go any further,” he continued, his voice taking on a tone of authority, “I must advise you all to do as I say without question at any given time while we are here. As long as you obey, no one will be in any danger. I can keep us all safe as long as it is within my power. I make no guarantees if you disobey me. Do you understand?”

  The others nodded.

  “Good. Now, we are about to leave the cave and trek to the actual ruins. At all times, do not cease to hold onto my coat. Two of you can walk on one side of me, and two on the other. It will be bitterly cold outside, dark, windy, and snowy. We will go slowly so no one loses their footing and therefore instinctively lets go of my coat to compensate for balance. Staying huddled together will also keep us warm. Do not, under any circumstances, talk out loud. I will speak to you as we tour the ruins, and if you have any questions you can ask me once we are safely back in this cave. Is there anything you would like to know before we leave?”

  “Why can’t we talk?” Lana asked.

  “Because to the best of my knowledge, there are still descendents of the fallen Aesid dwelling here. It would be best if they are unaware of our presence.”

  “Won’t they see us? And hear you speak?” Selenor asked.

  “No,” he said.

  “How do you explain that?” Tresten asked. “Do you have magical abilities?”

  “I most certainly do not have ‘magic,’ as you call it,” Altan said. “We are all created with certain gifts that should be used for the benefit of all forms of life. You must simply trust me that if you do as I say, we will all be safe.”

  “It’s not a matter of trust,” Rylek said. “It’s just curiosity. We’ve seen so many crazy things in the last handful of days, we just want to know what’s going on.”

  Altan shook his head. “As I have previously stated, I have brought you here with the distinct purpose of educating you about the Aesid. Perhaps some time in the future if we are able to spend a couple weeks with each other, I will tell you my tale. But for the time being rest assured that as long as you obey my instructions I will keep you safe. No true danger will fall upon you.

  “If you have any other questions, you must ask now; for once we leave this cave, you must all be silent until we return.”

  Rylek shrugged. “Then I guess there’s nothing else to ask.”

  “Wondrous!” Altan said. “Now two of you on one side of me and two on the other. Stay close and hold on tightly.”

  Rylek stood on his left in the back with his sister in front of him. Selenor was in the front on the right, leaving Tresten in the back. As they began to walk away from the dais, Rylek noticed the sounds of their footsteps seemed to be a little muddled. Then he realized that there was no discernable opening to the cave. Altan led them to a wall and continued on as though he would walk through it. Indeed, just as in the hidden caves in Perdeisolen, they passed through the wall into an immense dark area. A fierce cold wind howled in Rylek’s ears and tried to tear through his coat. However, the coat proved to be well insulated and kept the deathly fingers of the air away from his skin.

  He looked around and could not see much of anything. Far to his right was a dull throbbing red light. It trickled just enough light to give a very dark maroon shade to the ground and horizon. Apparently they were walking in a shallow dusting of snow, and the source of the light looked to come from a great mountain.

  “Behold the fires of Khrag’leMae,” Altan said softly that somehow Rylek was able to hear perfectly clearly, even with the wind drowning out every other sound. “This insatiable volcano housed the great city of the Aesid, Teravihn’dael!”

  They made their way towards the light. Rylek looked up into the sky and saw nothing but black. No clouds, no stars, and no moons. He then looked behind and saw something most peculiar. It was as though some invisible thing were walking about two feet behind them and erasing the
ir footprints. Alarmed, he thought again of the uneasy feeling he had been experiencing of being followed, and wondered if he ought to say something to Altan or not. He chose to tug on his coat, which prompted him to stop and turn towards him.

  “What is it, Rylek?” he asked. “Use no words; gesture if you can.”

  Rylek walked in place for a couple of seconds and then pointed behind them at their footprints, while mouthing the word “Where?”

  “Ah,” Altan said. “I should have told you so you would not have been alarmed. Our footprints are disappearing behind us so they won’t give us away. It is merely something I am able to do.”

  Merely something you can do? Rylek thought to himself. Who can do things like that?

  Altan started walking again and gestured upwards with his hands. “I am sure you have also noticed the sky is entirely black. It is unsettling, is it not? Part of the punishment the Aedaar imposed on the surviving Aesid was to place a dome-like barrier around Teravihn’dael. Its purpose is two-fold. First of all, it completely cuts off the Aesid from all of Mira, save for the hidden Twilight Gate that allows access for the knowledgeable few. No Aesid can fly, swim, or sail away from this ruined island. They are imprisoned here as in a cage. Secondly, the barrier prevents any natural light from falling upon the land. However, the reason they chose this punishment I will not go into at the moment. For that will come later in our lesson.”

  It seems an awfully cruel punishment for a group of people that were seemingly brainwashed by Fornrihgula, Rylek thought. Why didn’t the Aedaar merely kill them off instead of torturing them in such a harsh manner? Why should their descendents be punished for the crimes of their fathers? And how in all of Mira have they been able to survive without plant life? What do they eat?

  As they drew closer to the lights of Khrag’leMae, more details could be seen. There were a large number of small buildings clustered around its base on one side, and Rylek thought he could discern movement among them.