The Elyrian

by D P Rowell

  “What?” Ace chuckled nervously, “that’s ridiculous.”

  “Grandpa told you not to go into the Meeting Room, Ace. But you just had to, didn’t you? I knew you couldn’t go the whole trip without peeking,” Julie wagged her finger at him with the other hand on her waist. “That’s why Grandpa and Grandma love us more. We actually listen to him.”

  Ace grew hot. Already tempted to give away Grandpa’s secret. Actually, Grandpa put me in charge of all of you! He seems to think I’m a better leader. So, you and Tamara can spend the rest of the trip swabbing the decks! Get to work!

  Ace bit his tongue as the hope of earning Grandpa’s trust tugged on his heart.

  Cameron yawned and stretched as he mumbled some gibberish. He finished his stretch and spoke again, this time with more clarity. “What’s going on?”

  “Your stupid little brother is going to get us all in trouble,” Tamara said as she stood from her bed.

  “I’m not stupid!” Said Ace.

  The door flung open and Grandma Martha stepped inside, dressed in a night gown, her gray hair pulled into a ponytail.

  “What’s all the racket in here?” The old lady said.

  “Grandma! Ace went sneaking around last night. I’ll bet he went into the Meeting Room. The exact place Grandpa told him not to go,” Julie said.

  “Oh? Is that so?” Grandma stepped closer, leaning towards Julie.

  “No,” Cameron said, now stepping from his bed. “She doesn’t know that. Ace just came back inside. He said he was using the bathroom and Julie is just throwing out accusations.”

  Ace smiled at Cameron. Having always looked up to Cameron, he felt uneasy about being put in charge.

  “Well then, Ace. Were you using the bathroom?” Grandma asked. Before Ace could answer, Grandma gave him a subtle wink. Did she know about the stone too?

  “Yes, Grandma,” he said.

  “Well, Julie. Maybe you had better learn a little bit more about a situation before you start drawing conclusions,” Grandma said.

  Julie folded her arms and pouted. She stomped outside the door.

  Grandma sighed. “You three, get your stuff ready. We should be arriving shortly. I’ll deal with Julie.”

  The old lady turned to the deck and shut the door behind her. Ace smirked, trying to contain the joy of seeing Julie not get her way for once.

  “What were you doing, Ace, really?” Tamara said. She stood from her bed and walked to him. “Grandma never sides with the Halders. Something is up.”

  Ace glanced at her as she towered over him. She and Julie never had to try and look nice when they woke up. He still had bed hair, and could nearly feel the circles forming under his eyes from his sleepiness. As much as he hated to admit it, Tamara looked like the fifteen-year-old princess she thought she was the second she woke up. Her smooth brunette hair fell perfectly by her shoulders, not a single hair out of place, and her green eyes glimmered in the morning light creeping through the window, complimenting her light brown skin. She had plenty of beauty sleep apparently.

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything, I guess. Grandma obviously trusts Ace. So just deal with it.” Cameron said. “C’mon, Ace, let’s start getting our stuff ready.”

  Ace nodded at his older brother, then gave Tamara a smile loaded with sarcasm. She stomped down the hall. Probably on her way to try and defend her sister to Grandma.

  Once she left, Cameron stepped closer to him. The timid light revealed the details in Cameron’s unkempt morning hygiene. Crust gathered in the ducts of his brown eyes and broke into pieces around the gray circles. And his black hair, just longer than his ears, looked like a hurricane.

  Cameron put his arm over his little brother. “Okay, but for real. What’s going on?”

  “I can’t really tell you. It’s a secret,” Ace whispered.

  “What? C’mon little brother. We Halders have to stick together, right?” Cameron said.

  Ace bit his tongue, desperately wanting to share Grandma’s secret with him. Halders were supposed to stick together. But Grandpa, he was a Halder too, and Ace couldn’t let him down.

  “I know, Cameron. But . . . I just can’t. You’re just gonna have to trust me.”

  Guilt welled inside him as Cameron’s face grew long. “Fine. But you owe me,” he said, gently punching Ace’s arm.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The City of Waterfalls

  Morning came and went, the sun climbed to its midday peak, and Ace leaned over the port side of the ship, overlooking the sea. The sun reflected on the purple waves like flickering stars, and his shirt flapped from the warm, sticky wind as it gently brushed his skin. He loved the open sea. But, beautiful as it was, Yutara’s oceans couldn’t keep his mind still.

  Why did Grandpa have the Emerson Stone? How was it connected to the seventh realm? What kind of map would Grandpa reveal to him? What did such a thing even mean? First chance he got, when they arrived home, he would grab the chest, and talk Grandpa’s ear off with questions. They should be arriving by—

  “Grandpa! Where are we? This isn’t Eveland,” Julie yelled from behind. Ace turned to see Grandpa and Grandma by the steering wheel, smiling with a youthful cheer. The Peppercorns sat beside them.

  “Aye! It’s not!” Grandpa said.

  Cameron, who had been standing next to Ace enjoying the view, nudged him with his elbow. “Why does he always say ‘aye’ when he’s steering the ship? I’m not even sure what that means.”

  Ace shrugged. “Beats me.”

  Damion, one of the crew members working for Grandpa, strolled by with rope hung over his shoulder. “It’s an old Earth term. Captain Marry says pirates used to say it.” He leaned close and drew circles in the air beside his ear. “If you ask me, it sounds a bit looney.”

  Ace and Cameron chuckled. “He just really likes getting into character, I guess,” Cameron said.

  Damion patted Cameron’s shoulder and his loose clothing wiggled underneath his arm. “That he does, m’boy. That he does.” Damion was Cameron and Ace’s favorite crew member. His skin had tanned to a crisp from his work on Grandpa’s ship, and he never had a full beard or a clean shave. His stubbly cheeks looked like sand on leather. The crewman smiled and walked away to continue his work.

  Julie and Tamara stood from their seats and looked over the starboard side. “Well, where are we?” asked Tamara.

  “New Eathelyn. The City of Waterfalls,” Grandpa said.

  Ace and Cameron looked at each other with big smiles, then ran to the bow of the ship. Mountains cast navy blue shadows over the distant horizon. Ace tried to contain his joy at the thought of visiting a new country. His entire life, he had not seen much outside Abes City, Eveland. Other than the beach towns along the coast they visited during vacation. Now they were visiting New Eathelyn, Oola.

  “Drake Country,” Cameron said, his eyes lit with fascination. “Why is Grandpa taking us here?”

  Ace kept his wide eyes on the land across the purple ocean, anxiously awaiting their arrival. “I don’t know.” Few drakes lived in Eveland, and those few only resided in the bigger cities. He had only met one before. G’raka, the janitor in Dad’s office building. Her light, yellow skin shone as if it were laden with wax. She stood about five feet tall, and her beady snake eyes and razor-sharp teeth always frightened the kids. Except Ace. Her cheerful nature contradicted her appearance, and he would always smile and wave to her. He often sympathized with the kind drake for having to constantly deal with judgmental kids. He enjoyed their conversations; how she hissed when she talked, how every time a word had an “s” in it, her forked tongue would whip in and out of her mouth.

  “What?” Julie yelled from behind. “But, Grandpa, we’ve been out on the sea for a week now, the trip is supposed to be over.”

  How could anyone be upset with an extended vacation? And one with Grandpa, in a brand-new country. What could be more exciting?

  “Surprise, princess!” Grandpa said. He patted her on the b
ack. “Turns out, we get to have a longer vacation this year.”

  “Uh, how longer?” Tamara said. “I’m supposed to be going to Late Spring’s Ball in a few days, and if I stand Ian up, we’ll never end up going out.”

  Wow, Ace thought. The guy’s lucky and he doesn’t even know it.

  “Some things,” Grandpa said, “are more important than boys and fancy balls, Tamara. C’mon, not very many Evelanders get to see Oola. It’ll be an adventure!”

  Tamara folded her arms. “This sucks!” She and Julie marched down to the sleeping quarters.

  Ace and Cameron spent the following hour talking of what they imagined Oola to be like, exchanging their excitement until the ship made way to the docks. The closer they got, the more beautiful the city became. Stone buildings towered over the forest just behind the beach of snow-white sand. Hills and mountains grew larger as the land rolled on behind the city, and waters rushed from atop the mountains, down to the ocean in mighty waterfalls. Rivers scattered amongst the foothills like spider webs.

  Schools of water drakes swam by their ship, leaping to be level with the ship’s deck and splashing back into the water. These drakes had silver skin, cloaked in fish scales; webbed feet and hands, and human-like faces. Their eyes, like every drake’s eyes, surrounded a diamond pupil in a glossy gold. Fins on the backs of their necks and elbows identified every water drake.

  They entertained Ace and Cameron until Grandpa Marty pulled the ship to the marina and the grandchildren helped the crew tie off to the dock.

  “Grab your things, youngins,” Grandma Martha said. Everybody went to gather their bags and they stepped onto the dock. Ace bumped into a few drakes while walking, his eyes being fixed on the city. Some looked like fish men, others like lizards and dragons. Some even looked like little dinosaurs.

  “Orders, Captain?” Ace turned around to find Damion and Grandpa talking to one another. The old man leaned into Damion’s ear. The crew member looked uncomfortable with whatever he was being told. Grandpa clapped Damion’s shoulders and nodded. “As you wish,” Damion said, returning to the ship.

  “Damion, you’re not coming with us?” Ace said.

  He shook his head. “Looks like I’m not, m’boy. Don’t worry, shouldn’t be too long before we see each other again.” He leaned close and held out his fist. Ace bumped it with his own. “Enjoy Oola. Looks like a cool place.” He high-fived Cameron and rubbed Ace’s head, then returned to the ship with a wide smile.

  Lines clanked against the masts of the boats lining the marina. Hundreds of ships were tied to the docks. Most of them modern and expensive. The kind Ace had wished his Grandpa had. But, oddly enough, the boy spotted a few ships like Grandpa’s: old and rickety. Drakes and Evelanders raced back and forth with destination in mind. The wind carried the sound of bartering voices, and the commands of captains both bringing their ships ashore and setting sail. Seeing as some drakes spoke the same language as Evelanders, but hardly any Evelanders spoke drake language, the voices were an odd mix. Drakes spoke with the snapping and rattling of their tongues. The noises their language made proved too difficult for Evelanders, and when drakes spoke in the common tongue, they would click their t’s and rattle their s’s

  “Oh my, my,” a drake’s voice said from the bustling busy bodies. The drake’s voice even deeper and rustier than Grandpa’s. He stood roughly six feet tall, lanky, but toned. Splotches of dark green covered his slimy, light-green skin. His beady yellow eyes protruded from their sockets which bulged from his wide mouth. He wore a ripped dark black vest and tattered shorts. “Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Or is that Marty Halder himself?”

  Grandpa spread his arms out wide. “In the flesh!” He and the drake embraced each other with cheerful laughter. The grandchildren glanced at one another with confusion. “It’s so great to see you!” Grandpa said.

  “It has been far too long, my friend,” the drake said. He turned his head to see past Grandpa. “So, are you going to introduce me?”

  “Ah, yes!” Grandpa stepped to the side and extended his arm. “Family, this is Rio Atarion. He’s been one of my best friends since we were lads. Go on, introduce yourselves”

  “Well, since I was a lad,” Rio smirked as he stepped forth. He held out his shiny green hand. Ace shook it first, more than happy to meet another drake in person.

  “Ace Halder. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Rio,” Ace took notice of the drake’s smooth skin. Not as slimy as he imagined, but more like stroking a surface of glass.

  “Pleased to meet you too, kid. And you are?” said Rio. Cameron shook the drake’s hand.

  “Cameron Halder!”

  Then came Julie; who gave her snotty look of disgust at the drake’s hand.

  “Julie!” Grandma pinched Julie’s arm, and the little girl flinched. “Mind your manners.”

  Ace and Cameron chuckled, but Grandpa corrected them, and they straightened up.

  “Oh, it’s just fine ma’am. Probably just their first time meeting a drake is all,” Rio said.

  Julie and Tamara shook Rio’s hand, wincing the entire time. Afterward, the drake stepped back to Grandpa, and they led the family from the docs, and further into the city.

  “Stay close, youngins,” Said Grandma. “It’s very easy to get lost in this city.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The Armory

  Rubbery drake-skin rubbed against Ace’s arm as they squeezed through the crowds in the marina. Rio led the family to the palm trees towering over the city ahead. At nearly two hundred feet tall, their leaves slumped over in a glossy yellow-green, covering the city in a blanket of shade and shadow. Speckles of light found a path through the leaves to the ground and glimmered along the narrow winding roads; where drakes traveled on varying giant beasts. Some feline, some canine, and some like bears. Giant buildings of smooth stone went on for miles through the foothills on either side of the streets. Hundreds of drakes poured into the streets, and the sound of their speech clicked and clacked through the air.

  Rivers of varying sizes rushed through the city by the thousands, so bridges of either wood or stone hid behind every corner. The sound of the crashing waterfalls in the distance was so powerful, it hummed audibly over the hustle of the city. Every now and then, a glimpse of rich purple and cloudy mists from the falls surrounding the city could be caught behind the stone buildings and trees. Every time Ace got a peek, he’d stretch his neck, hoping to see more. The waterfalls met the pools in clouds of white foam, suggesting a sense of serenity amongst the power the waters spoke of.

  They turned a corner and passed by a large statue of Nahanmi Lock’Lara, the Drake Elder. The statue was carved from the same stone the buildings were, and it stood in the center of a cul de sac of buildings, bridges, and rivers, at roughly 50 feet tall. The sculptor had taken the time to carve the deep, lizard-like bags under his frightening eyes. Ace had only seen him on TV before, but the statue proved creepy as the TV hologram projection he was used to.

  “This city is amazing,” Cameron said to Ace. They had fallen behind everyone else in the group, both inspecting every inch of New Eathelyn their eyes could feast on.

  “I know,” Ace said. “I don’t think I ever want to go back to Eveland.”

  The Peppercorns turned around. “Will you two stop dorking out over this place? It smells here, and I want Grandpa to take us home as soon as possible,” Tamara said.

  “Aren’t you enjoying this at all?” Cameron said. “I mean, it’s not every day we get to visit an entirely new country.”

  “Oh, I have an idea,” Julie’s eyes lit up, “let’s just have Grandpa take us two back, Tamara. We can leave the Halders here where they belong. With the smelly lizards.”

  Ace, who had grown tired of Julie’s attitude, lashed out without thinking. “Shut up, you witch,” The boy said.

  “Hey!” Grandpa called out from ahead of the group, and the family stopped abruptly. Fewer things set off Grandpa more than mentioning a witch outside a story, and
Ace had been foolish enough to call one of his granddaughters one. Not the wisest choice of words. Grandpa turned around and walked toward the boys, his eyes red with fury. “I don’t know which one of you said that,” He pointed his old bony finger at Ace and Cameron, “but don’t you ever use that word again. Are we clear?”

  The two boys nodded. “Yes, sir,” they said. Dozens of drakes walked by, staring and pointing at the Evelanders getting yelled at by the old man. Ace should have known better. He felt like crawling in a hole to avoid more embarrassment.

  The Peppercorns laughed, and Julie stuck her tongue out at him. Grandpa turned around and led the group again.

  “Hey,” Cameron whispered, “You should know better than to use the ‘w’ word, ‘lil bro.”

  “I know, I’m sorry, it just slipped out.”

  “Oh well, what’s done is done.”

  * * *

  Rio led the family to a large cabin further up the mountains in the outskirts of the city. Massive brown logs stacked on top each other, making the walls of the cabin. The open windows had no panes of glass and showed only darkness inside. Palm tree leaves fell in an arch covering the roof of the cabin. Ace turned around once they reached the front porch. He stared, eyes wide at the radiant city from their distance. It sat in a valley embraced by mountains of spirited yellow-green. Rivers tangled and scattered throughout the hills until they collided and spilled in a vigorous rush over the top of the valley. The white sun shone on the surface of the purple falls as it drifted below the horizon behind them.

  “Ahh, I’m so glad to not be walking anymore,” Julie said. Ace turned his attention back to the family.

  “Tell me about it,” Tamara said. She and Julie walked into the cabin and threw their bags on the ground. They went to the biggest room they could find, yelled “dibs,” and plopped on the bed.

  “Why don’t you two go to the beach? It’s a vacation after all,” Grandma said. Tamara and Julie scoffed and whined on their beds.