Arboria

by Anthony Stefano

  “The Generata?”

  “They are a faction of mages and healers who live in High-View. The Sorceress gained strange and destructive powers there. She was elected the high priestess of the Generata and began forming an army. She taught the men how to cut down trees and fashion weapons of war. The men stopped farming the land and protecting nature and began making war instead. She soon conquered all of the human towns and had herself crowned Empress, even though we prefer to call her the Sorceress. She rebuilt the ruined fortress of Avengard and took control of Arboria with her cronies Zgard, Zago and Meyffrey. We will have to do everything we can to avoid being seen by the humans as we travel. Now, it is time to sleep, a long day awaits us tomorrow.”

  “Can you tell us more about the Sorceress’ three henchmen?”

  “They are terrifying and cruel. Meyffrey is a former erudite; that’s what we call the first inhabitants of Arboria. He was a good man until the day the Sorceress transformed him into a kind of immortal gargoyle. He once had a different name, but I do not remember it any more. Zago was born in Aronia and entered the Queen’s service of his own volition. Of the three, he is the one to be feared the most. He knows no pity and no compassion. His heart is as cold as the ice of Sylum. Finally, Zgard. He is their leader. We know very little about him. The only thing we know is that he was rescued as a child and was raised by the Queen; he is her most faithful servant.”

  “Why do you say they are immortal?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is that when they are injured in battle then they reappear the next day without any wounds. The Queen most certainly has a hand in that. We don’t know how old she is, but time seems to have little influence on her.”

  “Have you had any dealings with her before?”

  “Not directly. I remember one day when the sun disappeared and they arrived in our village. They killed our chief when he didn’t answer their questions. They executed him in front of the whole village. There is no doubt that we are all scared now. That is why the other dwarfs were little inclined to help you.”

  The children sat down on the ground while Golmuth handed out blankets.

  “I’m scared,” said Amy.

  “Don’t worry, everything will be alright,” said Alexander.

  The children fell asleep to the sound of the fire crackling in the fireplace. Golmuth sat down in a chair and began drawing a little map of what he knew of Arboria.

  CHAPTER 4: THE FORTRESS OF KHERR

  Golmuth woke the children the following morning. Alexander stretched and yawned.

  “Is it time already?” he asked.

  “Everything hurts,” said Meredith.

  “Yes, it is time to go. Hope, Amy, wake up.”

  “Five more minutes, dad,” said Amy, turning over on the ground.

  “I’ll wake her up,” said Hope quickly, seeing Golmuth’s surprised reaction.

  They ate most of the fruits that Golmuth had prepared while they were still sleeping. There were apples, pears and currents.

  “What I wouldn’t give for a little bit of Nutella,” said Hope.

  “What is Nutella?” asked the dwarf with astonishment.

  “It’s a spread that lets you get fat without too much effort,” said Alexander with a grin.

  “Dwarfs would love that,” said Golmuth, “nothing is more important than weight. Have you ever seen a thin dwarf?”

  “No, that’s true, we haven’t,” the children answered cheerfully.

  “We have to watch our figures, it is not always easy to stay big. We eat and drink a lot; nothing makes a dwarf more proud than the roundness of his belly.” The topic put the children in a good mood before their long journey.

  Eolmuth and a group of dwarfs arrived to bid the companions goodbye and good luck. They left the village along the path they had arrived on, the other dwarfs whispering to one another as they passed.

  “They’re wondering if we’re going to get out of here alive,” said Alexander to his friends.

  “Not at all,” said Golmuth, “they are asking what we are going to eat on our journey.”

  One of the dwarfs approached Golmuth.

  “Don’t forget to bring back some undiscovered delicacies!”

  “Have no fear, Sigmuth.”

  “You dwarfs really don’t think about anything except food,” said Meredith.

  The children marched through the forest for many long hours. They were tired, the ground was littered with dead leaves and blackberries. Now and then, the forest thinned out and allowed the daylight to filter through.

  “Why are we not following the path?” said Hope. “We would have gone much further.”

  “The paths are watched by the humans and the humans are on the side of the Sorceress.”

  “My legs hurt,” said Amy.

  “Quiet,” said Alexander. “I hear something.”

  The children stopped and stood motionless, peering into the surrounding woods. Golmuth unsheathed the axe at his back and slowly advanced, step by step. He leapt from behind a bush where the noise was coming from. He sheathed his weapon and turned to face the children.

  “It’s just a deer,” he said. “No danger.”

  The deer looked at them with something like astonishment and then continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

  “It’s not afraid,” said Alexander. “It’s not running away.”

  “Why would it run away?” said Golmuth with surprise.

  “Out of fear.”

  “Why would it be afraid?”

  “Animals of afraid of people because of the harm we do to them.”

  “The animals in Arboria fear no-one. They live here in harmony with the forest and its inhabitants.”

  “It’s wonderful,” said Meredith, stroking the deer.

  A few moments later, two hinds came to join the group and they too let themselves be stroked.

  “It’s magical,” said Amy.

  “Why do you scare them?”

  “We eat animals in my world,” said Alexander.

  A look of terror swept over Golmuth’s face.

  “You eat other animals?”

  “It’s difficult to explain; we have slaughterhouses, we have hamburgers...”

  “Be quiet,” said Hope. She had seen the dwarf’s reaction and she clapped her hand over Alexander’s mouth.

  “Here in Arboria, all the inhabitants eat only what the land gives them. It is strictly forbidden to kill another living creature, but the world is indeed changing under the humans. Much has changed since the Sorceress came to power.”

  They let the animals eat in peace and continued their journey.

  “We will have to pass through the swamp in order not to follow too direct a route and risk being seen.”

  “The swamp,” said Meredith with a brief gasp.

  “Do not worry, it is not very big.”

  Several hours later, the forest changed drastically. Dead trees became more and more numerous. The grass on the ground was grey as if some kind of acidic substance had been spread through the soil beneath it. A thick fog obscured the children’s vision. It was difficult to make out anything that was more than a few metres away.

  “What a stench!” said Amy, pinching her nose.

  “That is the stench of death,” said Golmuth. “It is probably the carcass of some animal that died in the swamp or maybe some wood rotting in the water.”

  Giant puddles of water were all around them. Some of them were deep, others were horrible quagmires of mud. Yet, despite the sinister atmosphere there, nothing dampened the children’s spirits.

  “We will rest here,” said Golmuth.

  They all sat down on a large red rock and the dwarf handed out pieces of bread to the children.

  “This way,” said a melodic voice that only Alexander heard.

  He looked around at the others but they were all eating peacefully.

  “This way, follow me,” the voice said again. Alexander stood up and listened.

&nbs
p; “What’s wrong?” asked Hope.

  “You don’t hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  “That voice.”

  Alexander began heading deeper into the swamp. His friends followed. The nauseating stench of the place seemed to be getting stronger.

  “Keep going, closer,” said the voice.

  “I hear it too,” said Amy.

  “Come and join me, this way... this way... join me...”

  Alexander pushed aside a pile of dead branches and before him lay piles of animal bones.

  “It’s a dead-end,” said Golmuth.

  A large lake of black water prevented the children from going any further, and behind that, a huge cliff towered in the air.

  “Look, a human skeleton!” said Meredith.

  “I don’t like this place, it’s like a graveyard. There are bones everywhere,” said Hope. “We should leave.”

  “This way, closer... closer,” the voice crooned.

  Alexander crouched down to examine the swamp and saw his reflection in the black water. All at once, a giant tentacle burst from the water and wrapped itself around his leg. He turned to his friends, but they were also being held upside-down in the air by other tentacles. The creature tossed them around in the air.

  “Golmuth, your axe!” cried Alexander.

  The dwarf tried to reach his axe, but it was no good. The creature was too strong. Something filthy began to rise slowly from the water. It was oval-shaped and had only a single, giant eye. Its mouth was round and filled with three rows of yellowing teeth.

  “It’s going to swallow us!” cried Hope desperately.

  The creature opened its mouth wide and pulled Meredith closer.

  The children fought, but they were powerless. They were being crushed so tightly by the tentacles that they could hardly breathe.

  “Golmuth, do something!” shouted Alexander.

  “I will devour you,” said the voice.

  Golmuth waited for the tentacle wrapped around him to swing him close enough to the ground and he snatched up a small rock in his hands.

  “Devour this, stupid beast,” he said as he threw the rock.

  The stone landed in the creature’s throat and the mouth closed immediately. It released its victims from their crushing embrace and the tentacles fell limp to the ground. The creature moaned and writhed in pain. Even as it fought, it disappeared little by little into the frothing water of the swamp.

  “Chew it well!” cried Golmuth.

  “Come on,” said Meredith, “let’s go!”

  They wasted no more time in fleeing the creature’s lair.

  “What was that?” asked Alexander, struggling to regain his breath.

  “A water demon,” said Golmuth, “but I’ve never seen one so big. That one must be hundreds of years old. They live in isolated and humid places. They consume the life around them; that creature was most certainly the reason why this swamp is here.”

  “No more swamp for me,” said Hope, “let’s head towards the forest.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement. They walked for more long hours and finally reached the forest. Its tall trees and deep green bushes were beautiful, and the children even picked fruit. But something was not right. Alexander did not feel very good, the air was heavy. The sky was the colour of blue azure and the heat had increased by several degrees.

  “Where are we?”

  “We are nearing the fortress of Kherr.”

  “I don’t feel good,” said Alexander, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  “It is this place,” said Golmuth, “it is cursed with a touch of sorrow.”

  “Cursed?” repeated Amy with fear. “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve seen since we arrived.”

  “It was here that the final battle between the human rebels and the Sorceress took place.”

  “What happened?” asked Meredith.

  “The Sorceress attacked the fortress of Kherr. There was a terrible battle and the roots of the trees and bushes all around here were fed with the blood of those who fell. Nobody comes this way anymore. It is a safe place to spend the night, nobody will come looking for us here.”

  The fortress could be seen in the distance. It was in the middle of a plain where the grass was tall and green. It consisted of a central tower that was partially collapsed. A wall surrounded it, but that too was in disarray. The walls were an orange colour, like the buildings of the Middle East.

  “Oh my God!” cried Hope.

  The children were terrified by what they saw: statues of humans, men and women, with terror etched on their faces. Alexander touched the fingertip of one of the statues and it immediately crumbled to the ground.

  “They are not made of stone, but ash,” said Golmuth.

  “I saw something similar when I visited Pompeii with my parents, at the foot of Vesuvius in Italy,” said Meredith.

  “What could have done something like this?” asked Alexander.

  “These are humans transformed into ash by the Black Sorceress. Seeing that her soldiers were unable to take the fortress, she decided to use her powers. You can see the result. The rebellion was crushed on that day. No other human ever dared to oppose her reign.”

  “That’s horrible,” said Amy in a trembling voice.

  “The fortress has been abandoned ever since. Nobody comes this way. It is a cursed place; all the humans are still afraid of being turned into statues if they pass through here.”

  “All these people were turned to ash, what a horrible end,” said Alexander.

  The children and the dwarf crossed through the internal courtyard. The sight was a sorry one: all around them were statues of ash and the whole courtyard was covered in a light dusting of it as if the whole place had burned. They went into the tower and sat down by the north wall. Night fell a few moments later, Golmuth lit a fire and the children fell asleep around it. Alexander could not convince sleep to take him. He was too busy imagining all of the events which must have happened in that place.

  “You are not sleeping?” Golmuth asked him.

  “I can’t.”

  The roof of the tower had collapsed and Alexander looked up at the stars in the sky.

  “It’s very rare to see something like that at home. We can’t look at the stars because our towns give off some much light. They’re barely visible.

  “Your world seems a very sad one.”

  “No, it’s not so bad. There are some incredible things where I come from.”

  “Like what?”

  “Holidays after school,” said Alexander with a smile.

  “What is school?”

  “It’s a place where children of all ages go to learn lots of interesting things. But sometimes it’s good to go on holiday as well.”

  “What is a holiday?”

  “It’s when you don’t have to go to school and you can stay home all day and play video games. And for people who can, it’s a chance to leave and see a different country. I play video games. I have a Super Nintendo and my favourite game is Donkey Kong.”

  “Donkey Kong?”

  “It doesn’t matter, it’s too difficult to explain. Tell me how you spend your days at Between-Two-Rocks.”

  “I cut trees, I sculpt in wood, I make useful items and I give away what is left so the other dwarfs can warm themselves.”

  “That’s cool,” said Alexander, yawning.

  “Tomorrow at dawn, we will set off in the direction of Rocaille. The way will be easier, no swamps and no cursed ruins. I promise.”

  Alexander smiled. “This Sorceress, why did she do all this?”

  “I do not know.”

  “Is she human?”

  “Yes, but I have never seen her with my own eyes. They say she is tall, with pale skin and is always dressed in black.”

  “I imagine that’s where she gets the name the Black Sorceress from.”

  “There is no danger as long as she does not know of your existence. Her main quest is for the por
tal to your world.”

  “She wants to get to our world?”

  “Yes.”

  “God, I hope she never finds that door. I don’t dare imagine what might happen to our world.”

  Alexander yawned once more and fell asleep on the ground.

  CHAPTER 5: THE TALKING PLANT

  The following day, the companions left the fortress of Kherr and set out in the direction of Rocaille. Only Alexander turned around the look at the fortress from afar. The children traversed a rocky plain where not a single tree was in sight; there were only rocks and pebbles, large and small, all of them grey. Next, they came to the edge of a forest. Alexander brought up the rear, looking at Hope discussing something with Meredith. Golmuth was carrying Amy on his back.

  “I really don’t like brambles,” she said.

  Alexander thought it was just to cover up the fact that she was exhausted. His eyes met Hope’s. She smiled at him and he felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach. After all, he did think that this tomboyish-looking girl had a certain charm. He came out of his daydream when Amy said that she had a “pressing need”.

  “Alright,” he said, “do you see that big tree over there?”

  The boys went to one side and the girls went to the other. Amy, Meredith and Hope went to their side and Amy hid behind a bush.

  “What do you think about Alexander?” Hope asked Meredith.

  “He’s nothing special. He’s stubborn and he’s a bit too small.”

  “I think he’s kind. He cares about us.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re falling in love with him.”

  “No,” said Hope, blushing, “what are you thinking?”

  Their conversation was overcome with silence and Hope no longer dared to look Meredith in the eyes. Suddenly, an unknown voice called out through the trees.

  “Shame! Scandal! Never, never ever!”

  “I’m sorry!” said Alexander, “I didn’t see you there.”

  “You should keep your eyes open, young man!”

  The girls came running. “What happened?” they asked.

  “This horrible individual was about to relieve himself on me!”

  “But I didn’t see you,” said Alexander desperately.