by Jasmine Walt
Was this how normal humans felt when confronted with a powerful, angry mage?
Finally, the Tua made another gesture and released me. I nearly stumbled over the hem of my dress as my body began moving again, and I caught myself against the edge of a table to keep from face-planting. As I righted myself, I tucked away the canteen I was still holding and turned to face my persecutor.
“I have had enough of your bullshit,” I growled up at her, my entire body trembling with anger. “You might be powerful, but you have absolutely no manners or sense of honor. You terrorize everyone with your power like some overgrown spoiled brat. It’s no wonder Iannis never talks about you—he must be ashamed that he has to call you a relative.”
Ta’sradala’s eyes blazed. “A miserable mortal like you has no right to insult your betters,” she hissed. “You’re nothing but a mongrel, and now a thief!”
“Thief!” I spat. “A thief because I helped myself to some food? Technically I’m a guest here, which means that your family owes me some form of nourishment. You must actually be afraid of me,” I taunted her, “if you’re resorting to starving me. Maybe you’re worried I might actually win this twisted game of yours.”
“Pah! We’ll see about that,” Ta’sradala scoffed. “I’ve clearly been too easy on you.”
She waved her hand, and the air around me began to stir. Before I could react, I was caught up in an icy whirlwind. My surroundings blurred, and I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut as dust began to sting them. Clenching my fists, I braced myself for the next challenge and hoped that Iannis knew how much I loved him. If not for that, I’d sincerely be reconsidering tying myself to him, knowing that such a hideous monster clung to his family tree.
11
By the time the whirlwind died down, I was excruciatingly nauseous. Doubling over, I braced my hands on my knees and took deep, slow breaths to keep myself from throwing up. The last thing I needed was to lose my lunch after going so long without real food. Since Ta’sradala had likely thrown me into an even worse predicament than the last, I needed to keep my strength up.
When the dizziness and nausea had finally subsided, I slowly rose so I could get an idea of my surroundings. I blinked as I looked around—I seemed to be in some kind of forest, but there was something very odd about it. The tree trunks were purple, the leaves cinnamon-colored, and the air smelled very different from any forest I’d ever seen in my life. Looking up, I gasped at the sight of the sky—it was jade green in color, and the sun hanging above was bluish with purple overtones.
This must be the Tua realm, I thought as a butterfly floated past my nose. Iannis had been here as a child—no wonder he had been frightened. It was too strange and different. The forest shimmered in a thousand different colors all at once, and I had to look away as my eyes started to ache. Panic filled me as what little information I had on this place began to pop into my head. Most of it was of dubious value, based on ancient legends and scary tales. Yet there were common themes, like time passing differently. If I ever managed to get out, would centuries have passed? Would all my friends be dead and gone, including Iannis? Tears stung my eyes at the thought, and I angrily blinked them away.
There’s no point in worrying about what ifs, I told myself firmly. For all I knew, I would only lose a week, not an entire century. It seemed increasingly unlikely that I would make it back from this ordeal in time for the wedding, but the important thing was to focus on actually making it out. I would deal with whatever came, when it came.
Fighting back the dread that seemed to have permanently settled in my guts, I cautiously made my way across the strange landscape. Spiders the size of my head wandered about the branches above, but to my relief, paid me no attention. Several times, I bumped into things that I couldn’t see, and from the snorts and shuffles that I heard, I gathered some of the invisible obstacles were animals. There was also an ominous buzzing sound, likely from some huge insect, that I retreated from quickly, though I never caught a glimpse of the source. I wondered if most of the local animals were making themselves invisible to hide from a predator. In that case, invisibility would be just as useful for the hunters among them. What if I accidentally ran head-long into something that could eat or trample me? Then again, perhaps these creatures might be perfectly visible to Tua eyes, and the deficiency was in my own senses. Neither alternative boded well for me.
That thought made me slow down even further. Using a walking stick, I tested the ground in front of me and sniffed constantly. Between my nose and my hearing, I was able to discern when a creature was in front of me, and I started bumping into them less and less. Thankfully not everything was invisible—I caught glimpses of strange rodents scampering through the brush and birds of strange shapes and colors flitting from tree to tree. Part of me wondered if it was worth hunting any of the animals, but I hesitated to try. For all I knew they would be poisonous to my system, and besides, I still had some provisions.
As the hours dragged on, I began to wonder if there was any end to this forest. The sun was hanging low in the sky, well on its way to dipping below the horizon, and painting the sky in brilliant shades of indigo and red. Coming upon a small clearing, I sat down beneath a tree and pulled out a bit of dried beef from my magical sleeve. Perhaps I’d camp here tonight and continue on in the morning.
But continue on to what? I wondered gloomily as the forest gradually began to darken around me. Soon, the only light would come from the pinkish moon and stars that were starting to appear in the sky. It wasn’t as if Ta’sradala had actually told me what I was supposed to do. I assumed the challenge was to get back to the human realm in one piece, but how the hell was I supposed to do that? Even if I had a working gulaya on me, I had no idea if it could actually transport me between worlds. And I had no way to charge it, so I couldn’t test the theory even if I wanted to. Neither Iannis’s lessons nor Fenris’s vast magical repertoire gave me the slightest clue how to move between different worlds. Unless I was merely expected to survive for a certain period before being yanked back again, I was screwed. And after my recent confrontation with Ta’sradala, she wasn’t likely to take pity on me.
I was just beginning to doze off when I heard something massive trampling through the trees. A low growl had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, and I slowly got to my feet, pulling a chakram from my sleeve. For a moment, I was afraid this was another one of those invisible creatures, but as it came closer, I caught a glimpse of a large animal with shaggy, neon-green fur and glowing orange eyes. It was about the size of a horse, but lower-slung and far more muscular.
“Whoa there,” I said, holding up my hands as it came closer. I caught a glimpse of sharp tusks, and drool dripped from a maw of razor-sharp teeth. “You can back off. I’m not here to hurt you.”
The animal let out a roar loud enough to wake the dead and charged. The ground shook beneath the pounding of its hooves, and I threw myself to the side an instant before it could slam into me. Cursing, I threw a chakram at it, but the beast was fast despite its size, and it ducked. I threw another chakram as the first one slammed into a tree, and this one sheared off a bit of its shaggy coat as it charged toward me again.
“For fuck’s sake,” I snarled, magic sizzling at my hands. I was tempted to light the great beast on fire, but I didn’t want to accidentally set the whole forest ablaze. Instead, I leapt high into the air as the beast charged again, and landed on its back. I held on for dear life as the animal bellowed, attempting to buck me off, and it took a supreme effort for me to draw one of my crescent knives. But I finally managed it, and I drove the long end straight through the base of its skull.
The creature let out a death scream that curdled my blood, then collapsed to the ground. As its lifeblood seeped out beneath me, I remained perfectly still, straining my ears to see if the ruckus had drawn the attention of any other predators. But the forest was deathly quiet, and I could feel a hum of fear in the air.
Not my fear, but their fea
r. Satisfied, I dismounted the carcass. Good. If the other animals saw me as a predator, they would stay out of my way.
With nothing better to do, I sliced through the beast’s shaggy hide, then cut away a steak-sized piece of meat. Using my magic, I made a fire, then roasted the meat. It gave off a strange smell, and had an even stranger taste, but one of Fenris’s useful magical tests established that it wasn’t poisonous, and soon I was settling back against the tree with a full stomach and heavy-lidded eyes.
With my magic replenished, I was able to set a ward around the clearing that would alert me if anyone tried to cross it. Under better circumstances I would have kept trekking on, but I hadn’t properly slept in days, and my mind was fogged with exhaustion. Shifting into panther form, I climbed up into a tree and laid my head down on one of the thick branches. I fell asleep instantly, my worries disappearing as I reveled in the simple pleasure of a moment’s peace.
The next morning, I breakfasted on a bit of cheese and bread as I watched a purplish-blue sunrise that took my breath away. Whatever the outcome of this adventure, at least I had seen sights few if any people from Recca had ever witnessed—I only needed to survive so I could tell the tale.
The local creatures were beginning to stir, birds twittering their alien songs, animals both visible and invisible scampering through the brush. To my relief, I found no signs that anyone had attempted to breach my wards last night. This place might be strange, but I was beginning to acclimate to the odd smells and colors, and after a night of sound sleep I felt better than I had in a long time.
Carefully, I continued my trek through the forest, slowly but steadily making my way along the paths. I noticed that while some of them were animal trails, others seemed to have been blazed by larger beings—some trails were as wide as highways. A flash of memory had me stopping cold in the middle of one of those paths. That dream where I was surrounded by giants…had it been merely a fantasy conjured by my mind? Or a premonition? Some of the details, like the different-colored sky, had been quite similar to this place. Were there giants in the Tua realm?
And why not? I thought as I forced myself to continue along the path. I’d already seen plenty of odd things—giants were hardly out of the realm of possibility. Still, the idea of encountering one sent shivers through me. I avoided the largest trails and urged myself to move a little faster.
The local sun seemed to take a little longer to rise to its zenith than it did on Recca, but without a watch, I could not be sure that my sense of time was on target. As noon approached, I spied a huge, tower-like structure in the distance, jutting high above the trees. My heart began to beat a little faster—was this tower someone’s residence, or some kind of military outpost? Did I dare approach? If the inhabitants were hostile, it might be a mistake to draw their attention. The last thing I needed was to find myself in the clutches of another Ta’sradala. Given that she was the only full-blooded Tua I had ever met, it seemed likely that the other Tua were just like her: cold and aloof, viewing mortals as nothing more than playthings. I imagined they’d feel no more guilt about killing us than a human did about stepping on an ant.
And yet, as the tower drew closer, I rejected the temptation to pass it by. After all, how the hell was I going to get out of here if I just blundered about the forest? I had no idea where I was going, no inkling as to how to get out of here. Yes, maybe I would get lucky and stumble across some portal, but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that easy.
If I wanted to get out of here, I needed some help. I had to take the risk. Maybe I’d lose my life, but that might very well happen anyway, if I didn’t figure out how to leave this world and find my home. The beast that had nearly killed me the previous night was probably small potatoes compared to other monsters lurking here that I hadn’t run across yet.
Slowing my steps, I approached the tower structure as silently as I could, one of my chakrams in hand. I might not have a choice, but that didn’t mean I had to be an idiot. I’d scout out the area first, see what sort of creatures lived here.
A couple of miles out from the tower, the landscape began to change. The trees thinned out, and I spied purple rivulets of water winding their way across the land. Several times, I had to avoid patches of quicksand that attempted to swallow my walking stick. More than once, I found myself so surrounded by them that I was forced to levitate across to keep myself from getting sucked in.
My skin prickled with anxiety as I did my best to stick close to the trees—I felt far more exposed in the open than I had in the shelter of the forest. Thankfully, a grove of golden trees with bright pink fruit surrounded the tower, and I was able to take cover there. I expected there to be guards outside the buildings, but to my surprise, no one was around. Crouching behind a bush, I studied the unguarded entrance, wondering if there were any traps waiting to annihilate me the moment I came close enough. Did I dare risk testing it out?
“Nachdan,” a booming voice said from behind me, and I froze. Turning slowly, I gulped at the sight of two Tua and a blue lizard-like creature standing between them. How had they sneaked up on me so silently? The Tua towered over me, both at least twenty feet tall, dwarfing the lizard-creature, which was merely the size of a dachshund. The way its tongue lolled from the side of its mouth as it regarded me curiously made me wonder if it was a pet.
“Come again?” I asked faintly as I rose. These Tua looked quite different from Ta’sradala—they had silvery hair and skin like starlight, and were dressed in tunics woven from some multi-hued fabric that was constantly shifting in color. I had to squint just to look at them, and I felt a headache beginning to come on. Would I go blind if I stared at them too long?
One of the Tua laughed, and suddenly their brilliance dimmed to something more manageable. Now that I was looking at them properly, I saw that one was male, the other female. Their features were similar enough that I judged them to be relatives—twins, perhaps? Like the lizard, they were looking at me curiously, with no malice in their gazes. Maybe they thought I was some kind of exotic creature?
The female Tua spoke again, but the rush of words was too fast for me to make out, even if they hadn’t been in a foreign language. No human had ever mastered Tua, as far as I knew. Frustrated, I made a helpless gesture with my hands, trying to tell them that I didn’t understand.
“My name is Sunaya Baine,” I said slowly, hoping that maybe they knew Northian. If not, I could try Manucan next. I gestured to myself as I spoke my name. “Who are you?” I asked, pointing to them.
The male said something to the female, then reached for me. I hastily backed away and found myself pressed up against a tree, heart pounding. I clutched the chakram in my hand, wondering if I dared risk hurting one of them, but the Tua only pressed his finger against my forehead and said something else in that strange language. Something in my brain shifted, and my eyes crossed as I swayed, feeling suddenly woozy.
“There,” the male said, speaking perfect Northian. I blinked up at him, trying to get my bearings. “Your language is harsh on the tongue, but it is easier for us to learn it than to teach you to speak ours. This is my sister Arala, by the way.”
“Now, Nalan,” Arala said, nudging him gently. “There is no need to be rude; it is not her fault if her language is crude. What a fascinating guest we have! She is a very long way from home.”
“Indeed she is!” the male said as the lizard scampered toward me. The animal sniffed at me with his broad snout, wagging his long tail, and I couldn’t help but smile and reach down to pet him. His scales were smooth and warm to the touch, almost like silk beneath my hand.
“You are the first non-Tua we have ever seen in our realm,” Nalan said. “How did you come to be here?”
“I was sent here against my will by another Tua,” I explained as I continued to pet the lizard. He curled up near my feet, and I crouched down, deciding that there was no advantage to standing since the Tua dwarfed me anyway. “She wanted to see if I would survive the experience.”
The Tua shook their heads at this, and the lizard made a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat. Was he able to understand me too? Perhaps the local pets were as superior to ours as the Tua were to mages.
“That sounds cruel and barbaric,” Arala said. “We have not brought humans here in an age, precisely because they never survive very long. It is forbidden.”
If it was forbidden, I thought morosely, then why had Ta’sradala sent me here? Did she have enough clout to flaunt her own realm’s rules, as she did on Recca?
“I imagine the only reason you are not already dead,” Arala continued, “is because you are not entirely human yourself. Our forests harbor many dangers.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I can’t imagine a normal human surviving very long.” Annia was a good fighter, and very fast, but she would almost certainly have been gored by that beast last night. And the quicksand would have made short work of anyone who couldn’t levitate. “Is there any way you might be able to help me get back home? I really would prefer not to die here, if possible.”
The Tua exchanged glances. “We would like to help you, but the knowledge you seek is a closely guarded secret,” Nalan said. “My sister and I would need to learn more about you first before we can consider sharing this with you.”
“All right,” I said warily. “What do you want to know?”
“May we…may we touch you again?” the female asked. “It is the best way for us to learn who you are.”
My skin prickled at the thought—the sensation I’d felt when the Tua had plucked my language from my brain had not been pleasant. They might learn more about me than I was comfortable with. But did I really have a choice? And besides, once I got out of here, I’d never see them again. In a way, that was better than sharing my memories with another human.
