The Elyrian

by D P Rowell

  “Hello,” the female said, a warm smile on her face.

  Ace and Rio returned the greeting.

  “Been a long time since Hillrun’s had visitors,” the male said. “‘Specially a drake or Evelander. And now both come at once!” The male had a similar welcoming smile.

  “What names?” The female said.

  Rio went to answer, but Ace took the lead. “I’m Dusty!” He pointed at Rio, “This is my chauffeur, Pebbles!”

  Rio glared sharply at Ace, a crooked smile showing his teeth gritting with rage. Ace fought to contain his laughter. The drake turned to the jags and stuck his hand out. “Pebbles,” he said with a sigh. “Pleased to meet you.” The jags shook hands with the drake and Ace.

  “Very well. And what brings two ugs like you far as Hillrun?” The male said.

  “I’ve always wanted to see the smaller cities in Heorg,” Ace said, a beaming grin on his face. He found himself enjoying the pretending thing. “My amazing driver here is taking me through as much of the country as we can see and stopping at every town along the way.”

  The jags laughed together cheerfully. “Well, aren’t you just cutest thing?” the female said.

  Ace stopped enjoying the pretending thing.

  The male jag flung his arms open. “All well with me!” he said with a cheerful look. “My name Grudge, this wife, Lag. We were beginning our Wednesday-evening-walk when saw your hovercraft. Thought we’d say hello. If need anything while here, let us know!”

  “Well Actually,” Rio butted in, “we will need an inn to stay at.”

  “Ah yes!” The male said. He leaned close to Rio and pointed to the city, “follow main road, take first left at roundabout surrounding water fountain. Follow road for few blocks, and take left at Riven Street, then first right shortly after to Cloudy Square. Few more feet on left, you will see sign says New Nile Suites. The owner is lady named Elly. She great friend of ours.”

  The female placed her hand on Rio’s forearm. “Oh, she nicest fae you will ever meet.”

  Ace’s eyes shot up. “Fae? The innkeeper is a fae?”

  “Oh yes. The only fae I ever seen in Heorg. And she lovely,” Lag said.

  Maybe she knows about the tree goblins in Shywater, Ace thought.

  “Thank you for your help,” Rio said.

  “Oh, welcome,” the female said. “Welcome Hillrun. Hope you enjoy town.”

  They waved goodbye and trailed off along the path leading to the desert. Rio gave a proper bow as they left, and Ace stood waving at them with a smile.

  “Why are you bowing?” Ace said.

  Rio clicked his mouth. “It seemed like something a driver would do. I don’t know, more proper I guess.”

  Ace shrugged and chuckled. “Man, those were nice people. I think I’m gonna like this town.”

  “Yeah,” Rio said straightening himself. He turned to Ace, “don’t get too close to anyone here.” He leaned in and whispered, “We don’t know who we’re looking for yet, and everyone's a suspect.”

  Ace backed away and smiled. “Whatever you say, Pebbles.”

  “Hey, we’re not here to play games, kid. What was all that Pebbles nonsense?”

  “I’m just having some fun,” Ace said as he began walking along the path, “lighten up. I’m only twelve, you know. A little too young to stop enjoying the little things if you ask me.” Rio stood in his place for a moment, but it wasn’t much longer Ace heard the rustling of his feet catching up. But he said nothing.

  Just as Grudge had told them, the main road led them under the arched entry to a fountain carved from the same red clay as the wall. Carved from the stone stood a tall statue of a jag. The statue jag stood with a puffed chest and one leg on raised on a block. Swords strapped to his back and a fierce look in his eyes. Water sprung from the hooves of the statue into a pool of water with a path leading to the river. Words were carved into the outer walls of the pool reading Chug the Traverser.

  They followed Grudge’s directions and took their first left. Miniature forests of palm trees covered half the rode in shadows and swallowed the clay-carved buildings. Jags trotted along the roads. Some on giyas like Ace remembered from the valley town in his simulation. Some jags took their mounts into the river to fish, and others just to enjoy the cool water on a lovely desert evening.

  The boy and the drake got plenty of interesting looks from the jags. but none of them seemed frightened or threatened. Just surprised to see a human and drake walking along their tiny jag town. But still with great, welcoming smiles. Many of them waved hello. He enjoyed the evening air and the joyful jags merrily going about their leisurely activities.

  They found their way to Riven Street, then, Cloudy Square. The further into the town they traveled, the more the buildings seemed to vary. Some of white stone and others of brick and stone colored in shades of blue and gray. Cloudy Square was filled with such buildings. Either side of the road looked like a cloudy sky. And on the left side of the road hung a sign, jutting from a building of pale blue stone. New Nile Suites.

  Once Ace and Rio arrived, they opened a wooden door painted white to a warm, cozy lobby. Ace anticipated seeing the fae, but it was only a male jag behind a counter, playing on his hologram phone. Tiny pillars connected in arches from carved stone held up the lobby ceiling. Two couches formed half a square, facing a hologram TV turned to a local news channel and barely audible. Just behind the TV sat a large window closed in by an energy field of a light blue tint. Candles hung from the walls, lighting the room in a dim warmth. Once they walked in, the young jag from behind the counter jolted up and set his phone down.

  “Oh! Hello. Welcome to New Nile Suites,” he said.

  Rio checked them in. Ace kept peering at the door behind the counter, hoping a fae would walk out soon. But no luck. He had to find her. Maybe she knew how to get to Shywater. Maybe she could help him find Kareena. She would show up at some point. She had to. She owned the place.

  After checking in, Rio led him up the staircase to a very narrow hall with wooden doors lined on each wall. Theirs was Room 212.

  Rio rushed to his bed, threw down his bags, and pulled his blasters out. “Good thing is, it’s a small town. Bad thing is. . .” Rio turned to Ace and threw him an AMHB, “it’s a small town. Gives us less people to sort through, meaning we should find who we’re looking for much quicker, but it also doesn’t help us blend in much.”

  “No kidding,” Ace said, “especially since we’re a drake and a human marching through a tiny jag town.”

  Rio shrugged. “What else could we have done?”

  Ace shrugged back and plopped himself on the bed across from Rio’s. “So, how do we even begin to look for this guy?”

  Rio stepped around his bed and sat on the side to face Ace. “We start asking questions. We want to reveal who the parcel is. But we don’t want to be too obvious what we’re doing here. If he finds out two hunters are searching for him, he may run.”

  “He won’t attack us?”

  “It’s possible, but unlikely. Parcels usually attack when backed into a corner. Remember the simulations? I told you to start calling out things out of place they couldn’t defend. Once they’re put on the spot, with nowhere to turn, they eventually have no choice but to use magic to defend themselves.”

  “So, if a deployed hunter starts narrowing down who a parcel might be in the city their assigned to, the parcel will just flee?”

  Rio shook his head. “No. In most cases the parcel would send his witches after the hunter. Now, if a witch is sent after you, then you know you’re closing in on a parcel.”

  “And what if a hunter captures all the witches a parcel has at his disposal?”

  Rio shrugged. “Depends on the parcel’s amount of power in the city. If a parcel has people of power on their side, he won’t need to flee or attack. The hunter will be considered the outcast.”

  Ace crossed his arms. “Wow. Catching a parcel doesn’t sound easy at all. I bet if a hunter does it he
’s considered a hero.”

  Rio half grinned and chuckled uncomfortably. “It’s only happened a handful of times.”

  “And the other times?”

  Rio shook his head and lay on the bed. “Didn’t end well for the hunters.”

  Ace felt uneasy. He paced the floor scratching his head. If parcels were this hard to catch, these warlocks could never be found by hunters. He needed to find Kareena. It was the only chance he had. He needed the faes. The elyr. It was the only way to defeat the council. Then, a thought caught his attention. He remembered what Kareena told him after he touched the light of the elyr.

  The light of the elyr doesn’t burn the flesh of the innocent. If he could find her and get her to somehow bring the Light to Gathara, he could use it to find out who the parcel was! He had to find the innkeeper. She must know how to find Shywater.

  Ace turned to Rio. “So, what do we do now?”

  “Rest,” Rio said. “We’ve been traveling all day, and the sun has nearly set. Tomorrow we can begin introducing ourselves to the townspeople.”

  Ace nodded.

  * * *

  Ace waited patiently for the drake to fall asleep, but Rio slept quietly, and it was hard to tell. So, he waited until the late evening. Even after he was sure Rio had fallen asleep, he waited even longer. After battling his heavy eyelids for so long, he finally had a chance. He carefully removed his sheets. Rio’s breathing couldn’t be heard, but the timid movement of his chest assured him of the drake’s peaceful slumber. He tiptoed to the side of his bed and grabbed his backpack. Best to take the Emerson Stone with him everywhere. He stepped backwards to the exit door, keeping a sharp eye on the drake. Rio never reacted. He was in the clear. He turned and opened the door quietly. Lucky for him the hinges never creaked as he expected them to. He shut the door behind him quietly and made his way down the steps. Someone new was at the counter this time. An older male jag with a much broader jaw and horns thicker than the boy’s arms. His round stomach sat like a squeezed plumb under his slouch as he read a magazine. He looked like a bored, gentle monster.

  “Excuse me,” Ace said. The jag sat up.

  “How can I help you, sir?” The jag’s voice was surprisingly gentle.

  “I’m looking for the owner, Elly.”

  The jag raised one brow, as if Ace’s request was impossible to meet. He looked at a clock ticking from the wall beside him.

  “Uh, she not here. She never comes in middle of night unless there an emergency.”

  Ace huffed with disappointment. “Do you know when she will be here?”

  The jag shrugged. “She owner. She shows up when she wants. Is there something I can help with?”

  Ace shook his head. “I just—I really need to see her. It’s kind of an emergency.”

  “You know her?”

  Ace scratched his head and chuckled, “No—uh—not really. Let’s just say we have a mutual acquaintance.”

  “Family?”

  Ace groaned. “Forget it. I’ll just come back and check tomorrow.”

  “Sorry, ug,” the jag said, “I help you, but I can’t call owner in middle of night. Know?”

  Ace nodded. “It’s cool.” He turned and looked around the empty lobby. There had to be a way to find her, but he couldn’t just ask in the middle of the day. Rio would want to know why he was looking for a fae and he was sure the drake would be displeased to say the least. He sighed and turned to head back up the stairs. But just before he took the first step, he paused. He recalled something different outside the window behind the TV. Something he hadn’t seen when they had arrived earlier. He bolted back to the front desk and looked out the window. He had to squint, barely able to see the in the dark night from the lights inside. But it was there. He was sure of it. A small cluster of pine and fir outside the window. It hadn’t been there before. Ace smiled.

  Shywater.

  “Something wrong?” the jag behind the counter said.

  “Nope! All good, thanks!” said Ace. He darted out of the inn’s front door, then turned right. Surely enough, in the alley between New Nile Suites and a building of dark brick was the familiar grove, leading to Shywater. This place seemed to show up every time he needed it. Like a miracle. Like it could read his mind, almost. But there could have been a better reason this time. Maybe the tree goblin got his message and found Kareena!

  The thought of seeing her again quickened his pace. He ignored the branches and needles scratching his arms as he forced his way along the path. The stillness of Shywater set in again. He knew where he was heading.

  “Kareena! I’m coming!” he shouted. His backpack snagged on a tree branch for a moment. He stopped and yanked it free with all his might. The backpack pulled free and the force pushed him, so he tripped and fell on his back.

  “Oof!” He gathered himself and stood to his feet. He scoped the area about him. The same unlit torches and pond before him. Still no Kareena. Why did he keep finding Shywater but not Kareena? He needed her! He huffed with anger and threw his backpack to the ground.

  “Kareena! Please, I need your help!” He yelled.

  Only the still oasis responded.

  Ace jerked his head at the sound of snapping twigs but saw nothing. Was it the tree goblin again?

  “Hello?” Ace said. He picked his backpack up and put it on as he stepped closer to the sound. He squinted, and nothing was there. And time wasn’t on his side, for he wasn’t quick enough. Tree branches by the dozens flew from the forest and wrapped his legs. The branches jerked him, so he fell straight to his back. He wheezed and moaned for air, but his lungs remained empty. The branches drug him further into the forest and he finally breathed in.

  “Ow! Hey! What’s going on?” He tried to grab something, but he only gathered leaves, and the tree branches wrapping his legs pulled him further still in the forest. “Help! Help!” Finally, he caught the trunk of a tree and fought against the tugging of the branches. The bark from the tree stabbed and scratched his arms as he held himself from being pulled further. He grinded his teeth, groaning as he gathered all the strength he could muster. But the force of the branches proved too great, and eventually his strength left him.

  “Ahh!” they yanked him away and dragged him through the forest in a flash, so the trees about him became a blur. He lifted his head to see what was pulling him. Just ahead, three tree goblins stood before one of the pine trees, manipulating the branches with their hands. The pine tree split from the middle and opened from top to bottom. Something of a red glow came from inside.

  “Stop!” Ace yelled. It was too late. The branches drug him straight to the red glow in the split open tree and threw him inside.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Tree People

  Ace’s stomach rose to his throat as he fell through the abyss of red inside the tree.

  Was he going to die?

  He came to a halt when his back hit something soft. He lay there, flat on his back under a ceiling of dirt and mud; a red glow traced its bumpy surface. His back didn’t ache. Shouldn’t such a fall have hurt him more? Instead, it felt like laying on a cloud.

  Hearing the hum of whispers all around him, he jumped to his feet. His heart fell as he looked at the tree goblins by the hundreds circling him. They swarmed him like tiny insects protecting their nest, the tallest one reaching the height of Ace’s shoulder, all their skin like different kinds of tree bark, and their eyes massive and light brown. Some goblins had narrow figure, others wide. Some had more leaves on their heads, others with none. They were dressed in tattered cloth of gray, green, and blue. But it wasn’t just the goblins rendering him speechless. Where exactly what he? Trees, the largest trees the boy had ever seen, grew from the dirt ceiling downward, their branches covered in thick puffy leaves. Like clouds of green and yellow. But once the trees reached to where Ace and the goblins stood, the branches spread and wove together like a perfectly knit blanket. Its puffy, cloud-like leaves wrapped around the branches. The top of the trees
was the ground of this place, and the trees grew all the way to the red ceiling, hundreds of feet above him. Like he was in an upside-down world.

  The red glow covered the vast expanse of the tree world, extending for miles. It wasn’t a fierce red, but more a pinkish hue, giving the underground a sense of warmth, much like Shywater. From the ground of branches, to as high as Ace could see, some of the tree branches had wrapped themselves in such a way it made up buildings. Small homes for the tree goblins. A tiny tree village.

  The sound of crackling bark followed two branches coming quickly from above and landing just before Ace. The three goblins which had brought him to this world shimmied down the branches and stood before him. One of them was the very same goblin he’d first seen in Shywater.

  “Hey, look. I don’t want any trouble!” Ace said. His voice shaking with his nerves. The crowds of tree people gasped, and they stood back. One of the tree goblins walked close, looking up to him, anger and worry behind his eyes. Ace stepped back. “I just wanna go back. I’m sorry if I disturbed you before. I won’t return to Shywater anymore if that’s what you want.”

  The tree goblins stared back at him wordlessly.

  An idea struck him. Maybe, Like Kareena, they spoke fae. He looked at the tree goblin and spoke once more. “Thoom lonli charlock!”

  The crowd of goblins gasped so loud it shook the air. The eyes of the one before him grew heavy and he violently reached for Ace’s backpack.

  Ace jerked away. “Wait! I can’t—"

  But they didn’t listen, instead the three of them jumped on the boy and brought him to the ground. The crowd of goblins began to chant something incomprehensible. Ace tried to fight back, but they were surprisingly strong for tiny goblins. They manipulated the tree branches once again, wrapping his wrists and legs until he couldn’t move, and pinned him to the ground and removed his backpack.