Outcasts of Velrune

by Isaac Crowe

  “Lysander, the Protectors trusted Peter, I know that. Well, Peter trusted me.”

  Blood trickled from the cut on Alexandra’s hand as she walked over to Max and placed her palm on the second latch of the box. It slid open.

  “Sit the box down and give me your hand.”

  Max followed Alexandra’s instruction. She took his hand and carefully poked one of his fingers with the dagger.

  “Open the other latch.”

  Max placed his finger on the other latch; it slid open.

  “Open it, Maxwell.”

  Max, filled with nervous excitement, lifted the lid. The excitement faded, replaced with confusion. Eve grabbed her tail in concern.

  “What is it, Max?”

  Alexandra turned to Eve. “Four pieces of bark.”

  “What?”

  Max pulled out a piece of bark an inch wide and three inches long. “Bark. Four pieces of bark.”

  “Maxwell, your father and I, together, put those pieces in the box and sealed it. That is the reason I give you and Lysander to trust me.”

  “But, what are they for?”

  “Follow me, and you will find out.”

  “Wait, you said you’re nine. How could you have locked the box? Your parents, maybe, but not you.”

  Lysander stomped over to Alexandra, grabbed her hand and turned it, palm up. The cut on her palm had healed, but the surrounding skin had lost all color.

  “As I thought, a Spirit Leech.”

  Alexandra pulled her hand back. “Yes, I will not blatantly deny it, though I had hoped that you would not find out until we reached our destination.”

  “That is because you are an outlaw, and it is my duty to bring you to headquarters.”

  Max put the piece of bark back into the box and tucked it back into his pack. “No, not yet.”

  Lysander growled. “Maxwell, don’t forget you are a Protector.”

  “My father helped her for a reason. I need to know why. Don’t you?”

  “You don’t know what happened. She might have tricked or forced him to help her.”

  Max remained steadfast. “Do you believe my father to have been so weak or gullible?”

  Lysander thought for a moment before speaking in a resigned tone. “No, I do not.”

  “I intend to find out what my father thought so important. We can arrest her afterwards.”

  “We don’t know what we are heading towards, Maxwell, or what she might do.”

  “Then I guess we’d better be prepared for anything. Alexandra, take us in.”

  Alexandra gave a simple nod. “You are becoming your father, Maxwell. I hope it is time for what is coming.”

  Alexandra walked past Lysander and entered the forest. The others followed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Max felt as though he had stepped into a dream. The numerous trees bulged five feet in width or more. The branches, no more than seven feet off the ground, grew as thick as Max. Together, they weaved a canopy so thick that the sunlight could not penetrate it, giving the illusion they were in a cave.

  Despite the lack of sunlight, they still had fifteen to twenty feet of vision. Everything in the forest gave off a slight glow that brightened and dimmed as Alexandra and Eve passed.

  At first, Max marveled at the strangeness of the forest, but, as they walked farther in, he became aware of a heavy sadness hanging about them. It seemed to come from the very plants and trees that surrounded them.

  Over time, the sadness and lack of sunlight slowly numbed them to the surrounding forest and each other. When Alexandra fell, everyone stared blankly at her as she lay on the ground, trying to put together what had happened. Eve shook off the stupor first, hurrying over to her.

  “Sorry, Alexandra. I don’t know what happened to me.”

  Eve extended a hand to Alexandra and pulled her to her feet.

  “That is alright. I know what this place can do.”

  Alexandra swayed a little, prompting Eve to steady her. “We have walked well into the night. I guess I need to rest.”

  Max scanned the branches above. “You mean we’ve spent a whole day in here? How can you tell?”

  Alexandra swayed again. This time, Eve forced her to sit on a large root protruding from the ground.

  “The tops of the trees are open to the sky, they know the time of day.”

  Melody checked Alexandra for any injuries. “You can talk to the spirits that easily?”

  “I lived here for many years; we got to know one another rather well. You could learn to speak to them too, Melody.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  Max touched his palm to one of the trees. “They’re sad, aren’t they?”

  Lysander set his backpack on the ground. “What? Are you going crazy on me, Max?”

  Alexandra managed a weak smile. “Yes, they are, Maxwell. Soon you will know why.” She let out a big yawn. “For now, sleep.”

  Alexandra slid off the root to lie down next to it. She immediately fell asleep. Eve chose to climb one of the trees, disappearing from sight. In his mind, Max could see her stretching out on one of the limbs above.

  “You’ve been dying to do that since we came in here, haven’t you, Eve.”

  A few leaves rustled above. “Yep!”

  I can’t believe she can sleep like that without falling.

  Max stopped trying to spot her between the branches and sat down next to a tree. To his right, Lysander stared nervously up. Max stifled a laugh.

  “She likes high places; it has nothing to do with watching you, Lysander.”

  Lysander glanced at Max then sat down with his back against a tree to his left. Melody found her own tree to lean against not far from Alexandra. Max took a deep breath to relax and fell fast asleep.

  Some time later, Max awoke to the sight of Lysander standing over the still sleeping Alexandra with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Remaining still so as not to alert Lysander, he scanned the area for the others. Melody lay next to the tree she had sat by, still sleeping. As for Eve, her body was hidden, only the reflection of her eyes shown, standing out from the other fauna as she lay in the branches several feet directly above Alexandra. Max waited to see what would happen, prepared to dart into the middle of them all if necessary.

  Lysander stepped back a few feet before giving a loud, shrill whistle that startled everyone. Max even saw a few of the leaves shake where Eve lay hidden.

  “Wake up!”

  Melody sat bolt upright. “What’s going on?”

  “I want to get moving. If Alexandra refuses to tell us what exactly is going on, then I prefer to get to our destination and find out.”

  Alexandra sat up slowly, trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes with little luck. She struggled to stand, using the tree trunk for support.

  “We are almost there. Perhaps I could begin to fill you in on the details along the way.”

  “Then let’s move.” Lysander turned his head upwards. “Come on down cat, I know you’re up there.”

  A slight rustle came from above before Eve dropped down directly behind Lysander. He paid her no attention, instead turning back to Alexandra.

  “Lead on.”

  Alexandra took a few cautious steps to check her balance, then headed farther into the forest. Everyone stayed close to her as she finally spoke of why she had brought them there.

  “What do you know of this place?”

  Melody was quick to answer. “It is said that the lacarna first came into existence in Urania and, within it, once laid their largest village.” Melody became very excited. “Also, in the mountains at the back of the village, lies a cave with the history of Velrune etched on its walls. However, no one from our order has been able to confirm any of this.”

  “So you doubt these stories, Melody?”

  “Well, there is another tale, known only by a few, about the lacarna having come from a place beyond the mountains.”

  “It is amazing the variety of
tales one may hear over time. It becomes hard to tell which is true and which is not, or if the truth is a combination of them all.”

  Max groaned, Alexandra sounded a lot like Mr. Penna. “So, which is it?”

  “You will soon find out. The village is our destination.”

  Eve brightened. “Are there still lacarnians there, maybe someone who knew my parents?”

  Alexandra shook her head. “No, it is empty now.”

  “Oh. What happened?”

  “Bandits drove them and the few humans living there out into the plains.

  Lysander nodded slowly. “I remember that happening, I had joined the Protectors not long before. The surge of wild, uncivilized lacarnians entering all at once caused a lot of strain in our security.”

  Eve shook her head in frustration. “That doesn’t make sense. Mrs. Tassi has always told me that the lacarna are the strongest creatures on Velrune. I mean, isn’t that why the Protectors are so afraid of us? How could bandits ever run them out of their home?”

  “Because, the lacarnians did not want to incite another war, Evangeline. Instead, they held to their original agreement to the Creators to obey the Protectors at all cost.”

  Max scratched his head in thought, nearly tripping over a root. “How would they possibly disobey the Protectors by fighting against bandits?”

  “Because the Protectors sent the bandits into the forest.”

  Max stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”

  Lysander stopped next to Max, placing his hand on Max’s shoulder. “I told you not to trust her Maxwell. The Spirit Leeches are mad. The Protectors have never had anything to do with the bandits. Besides, chasing the lacarna out of the woods and into the cities only made it more difficult for us to protect the humans.”

  Melody stopped with the rest of them. “No, it didn’t. Moving the lacarna into the city guaranteed they would get fitted with a controller stone, thus enslaving them.”

  Lysander stepped toe to toe with Melody, his bulky frame dwarfing hers. “It is not our mission to enslave anyone, only to protect the humans.”

  Max moved to Melody’s side. “I thought it was the Protectors’ mission to protect both the humans and lacarnians!”

  Melody snickered, not taking her eyes from Lysander. “So the story goes.”

  Lysander shoved between the two, stomping over to where Alexandra had stopped to watch the argument.

  “Why are you telling these lies, Spirit Leech?”

  “Lies? I speak of what I saw with my own eyes!”

  Lysander took a step back in shock. Alexandra moved with him, craning her neck to stare directly in his face.

  “Why do you look so stunned? If am a Spirit Leech, would it not make sense that I lived here with the lacarna? After all, I betrayed the other Immortals for them, did I not? There certainly wasn’t any other place safe for me. So, I was here the day a human told us the Protectors had paid bandits to chase the lacarna out. I was here when they came too, crouched in the shadows where the chief had hidden me. If it is lies you are worried about, look to your precious Lord Avram. As for me, I will give you the truth. It is my only hope of setting things right.”

  Alexandra whipped around, striking off farther into the forest, her pace quickened by her anger. Eve stuck her tongue out at Lysander and followed after her. Max and Melody gave him a wide birth and followed Eve. After several seconds, Max tapped Melody on her arm. He kept his voice to a whisper so Alexandra wouldn’t hear him.

  “Exactly how long ago did the Spirit Leeches betray the other Immortals?”

  “Four hundred years.”

  “Wow, I can’t imagine living that long.”

  “She’s older than that, Max. The Immortals age slower than we do. She’s nine by their definition of time, not ours.” Melody stopped. “I have really met an Immortal. Do you know how many in my order would give everything they have for a chance like this? She’s a living piece of history.”

  Lysander caught back up, brushing by Melody. “She’s a criminal who is unlikely to tell you the truth. Keep moving.”

  Max matched Lysander’s stride. “That’s something I don’t understand. You said that the Spirit Leeches were cursed because they turned against the other Immortals in the war, right?”

  “Yes, and it’s why, when we are done here, we must arrest her.”

  “But, Alexandra is a little girl. How could she have willing betrayed anyone?”

  “Who knows what part she played, but she admits she’s a Spirit Leech. She must have been involved somehow.”

  “I don’t know. Something’s not right. Maybe the Immortals made a mistake.”

  “At the moment it doesn’t matter, Max. We need to pay attention to our current situation. If she has lived for as long as she says, she’s bound to have learned a few tricks.”

  “You mean like disappearing?”

  Max and Lysander came to an abrupt stop, with Melody running into the back of Lysander.

  “Why did you two stop so suddenly?”

  Max suppressed a laugh. “Alexandra disappeared.”

  “What!”

  Melody shoved herself between the two. Ahead of them stood Eve in front of a wall of tangled vines. Moving close, they saw that it stretched upward into the branches and to the left and right beyond sight.

  Max looked around. “Eve, where did Alexandra go?”

  Eve blushed. “I don’t know. I was trying to listen to you guys, then next thing I know, she’s gone, and I’m in front of this.”

  Eve spread her arms at the wall. Max pushed his hand against the vines forming the wall, they barely budged.

  “She didn’t go that way.”

  Eve sniffed at the air then examined the ground. “But her tracks lead right to it.”

  Lysander examined the wall himself. “I thought lacarnians were excellent trackers?”

  “We are, but there’s no scent left. Everything stops at this wall.” Eve pushed against the vines with one hand. “And like Max said, it’s solid.” Eve looked back the way they had come. “Maybe I missed something.”

  To Max’s horror a hand slipped through the wall, latching on to Eve’s wrist. “Eve!”

  Eve jumped at the touch and tried to pull away. The hand tightened its’ grip. A small voice came from the other side of the wall as the hand tugged at Eve.

  “Come on already.”

  Everyone froze. “Alexandra?”

  Eve stopped resisting, letting the hand pull her towards the vines. Melody shook off the shock and grabbed Eve’s tail just as the vine wall closed around the rest of her body.

  “Quick, grab hold!”

  Max took hold of Melody’s free arm and stretched his other hand out for Lysander. He quickly took hold of it, and in one long chain, Alexandra pulled them through. Once on the other side, they let go of one another.

  “Sorry about grabbing your tail, Eve.”

  Eve held her tail in her hands, rubbing the spot Melody had taken hold of. “It’s okay.”

  Max doubled over laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you jump like that, Eve.”

  Eve shot a look at Max; a look he’d only see a few times. Remembering what happened afterwards, he immediately stopped laughing. Lysander shoved past him and stood before Alexandra.

  “Where are we?”

  A beautiful smiled formed on her pale face. “My and Eve’s home.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  In the recesses of his mind, Max registered Alexandra’s statement, but he would ask about that later. For now, he stood speechless as he took in his surroundings, starting with the vine wall Alexandra had pulled them through. On this side, he could see that it actually formed a large dome, the top reaching the height of the trees where it allowed in a moderate amount of light.

  Here, the trees grew nearly twenty feet apart. Between them grew a myriad of plants and flowers whose colors had turned a sickly brown. Above, in the sagging branches of the trees, the vines and leaves formed numerous alcov
es, many large enough to hold five or six people. A heavy sadness draped over all of it, marring what should have been a beautiful scene.

  Max’s gaze eventually fell on Alexandra who had waited patiently for them to absorb their surroundings. She managed a tired curtsy.

  “Welcome to Urania.” She smiled at Eve. “Welcome home, Evangeline.”

  Eve took a tentative step forward. A joy-filled smile appeared on her face. She spun, laughing in pure merriment.

  “I can feel them! They’re like old friends.”

  Max watched in amazement as the plants around Eve straightened and blossomed, their colors shining bright. When she walked to one of the nearby trees, the branches that had sagged a moment before lifted themselves, sprouting new leaves. A tiny giggle escaped from Alexandra.

  “The forest is glad to see you, Evangeline.”

  Melody pointed in awe at Alexandra’s feet. “And you.”

  Like Eve, the flowers had sprung back to life around Alexandra. Max looked at the ground by his own feet, but nothing had changed. The same held true for Lysander, however a few had revived for Melody who slowly spun to see them.

  “What is this?”

  Alexandra spread her hands. “This is the power your order believed the Immortals to have.”

  Lysander had the same expression of wonder on his face as the rest of them. “But, you haven’t done anything, have you?”

  “Not a thing. The spirits are acting on their own. They are happy to have company once again.”

  Melody bent down to examine the flowers at her feet. “I don’t understand. I have always been taught that we need to impose our will over the spirits in order for them to act.”

  “That is why the spirits no longer respond to you and the other Children like they did for us. You do not control them; instead you speak with them as equals and take care of one another. What your order has achieved has come about only because a few spirits felt compassionate enough to help you.”

  “Is that why that old man, the collector, said we are misguided?”

  Alexandra took Melody’s hand and indicated for her to stand. “Do not feel ashamed. We did not grasp this at first either, but the lacarna taught us. The spirits and the lacarna have always had a special bond. That is why they flourish around Evangeline. She may not remember them, but they know her quite well.”