by Brindi Quinn
Kantú crouched behind her tail, hands over her ears.
“No!” Thankfully, my scream caught the hunched man’s attention before he could fire. His eyes widened when they fell on my face.
“It . . . It’s her!” A low, silky voice slipped through his thin mouth, adding to the already amphibious appearance.
“I wasn’t sure,” said the gruff man, loosening his hold just a bit.
“I can’t believe it. But I thought-”
“Apparently, she survived the fire.”
“The fire?” shouted Nyte. “You burned Edaw?!” He looked ready to pounce, though stopped when the gruff man brought the knife closer to my neck.
The hunched man asked Nyte accusingly, “Why do you have the Heart of Salvation? What is your intent with her?”
What? I studied the newcomer with a half-open mouth of disbelief. More of these lunatics!? I’m telling you, I’m not that damned Heart of . . . But wait, did he say-
“Heart of . . . Salvation?” I asked.
Nyte’s face mirrored my own confusion. He appeared to be regaining composure. At the very least, he’d released his death-grip fist.
But my question went unresolved, for at that moment their attention was shifted to Rend, who was starting to stir. She rolled over and moaned and groggily tried to catch her bearings. It took her only a moment to recover. She straightened up and shot the two of them a look thick with disgust. “What is the meaning of this?!” She began to form her hands.
The hunched man anticipated and readied his bow. “I implore you to think twice before casting a spell, Elven sorceress.”
Rend’s plan was foiled. As she assessed the situation, rage quickly spread across her face. I tensed up, unsure if another battle was about to ensue; however, when she realized her disadvantage, Rend retreated. But though her hands fell, her scowl remained.
“What do you want with the Maiden of Destruction?” The look she gave the strangers made the earlier look of warning she’d shot me seem like a gentle glance. It was that hate-filled.
“Excuse me, but it is clear you are misinformed,” replied the hunched man, “for this is not a Maiden of Destruction. We thought she was lost to the flames of Edaw, but here she is. It’s a miracle. The Heart of Salvation has been delivered right into our hands!”
“Wha-” started Rend, but as the hunched man aimed his bow at her forehead, she fell silent.
“We’re friends. We’ve come to protect ya;” the gruff man said and released me. “Sorry ‘bout the knife.”
Friends?
I looked him over. He was a bulky, red-haired man with a massive upper body and enormous, calloused hands. Never had I seen a man so thick. At first his mighty stature was intimidating, but then I noticed something. His eyes sported laugh lines that made him look surprisingly good-natured. Maybe he wasn’t so fearsome after all.
“You came to protect . . . me?” I asked. What could they possibly want with a songstress’ apprentice?
Kantú peeked up at me through her tail as though wondering the same thing.
“We seek the one who holds the Song of Salvation,” said the hunched man. “We were informed that she’d be in Edaw, but when we saw the flames, we worried that she’d perished or that Druelca had seized her.”
Druelca? I’d never heard of it . . . and what was that about a ‘Song of Salvation’? I was getting increasingly frustrated. How could I have been mistaken for two different people in such a short amount of time?
I was normal. Sure, I had silver hair, but I was normal!
“Druelca?” Nyte straightened up and scanned the trees. “Surely they are not around here?”
“We’re certain they started the fire,” continued the hunched man. “We found this just outside Edaw.” He held up a torn piece of cloth with odd scribbles on it. Nyte’s eyes grew wide.
Rend’s face donned a mask of horror. “You saw the flames and just left Edaw to burn!?” The hunched man was put on edge by the accusation, for his answer held a stutter:
“P-pardon?” he said. “The barrier prevented us from entering Edaw upon arrival. It was something we were not prepared for. We were helpless against it.”
“You spit lies! The barrier keeps out only natural dangers!”
“It appears the magic was recently enhanced to keep out anyone not accompanied by Elf. We realized that the fire was fresh, and we’ve been searching the surrounding forest ever since.”
Rend slitted her eyes. Nyte responded in her place, “If Druelca is around, we must get out of here! We may talk elsewhere!”
But though her cousin understood the situation, Rend looked as confused as I felt. “Why should we trust a bunch of Sapes?” she scoffed.
“Because,” urged Nyte, “we are not safe as long as Druelca is around!”
To this, the gruff man gave a suspicious eye-narrow and asked, “What do you know about Druelca, Elf? You’re not with-”
“It doesn’t matter,” said the hunched man. “He’s right. Druelca is searching for her, so we have to hide her!”
It was too much to take. Heart of Havoc . . . Heart of Salvation . . . Druelca . . . My head swirled. “What’s going on?!” I shouted, determined to get a straight answer. “I’m not going anywhere until you explain this to me!”
The hunched man looked worried. Finally! Someone was finally going to take my threats seriously!
“Druelca is a corrupt empire in the south ruled by Sapes and Daems, men of darkness,” he said.
Fine. I could handle that much, but then he added,
“Your sister, Illuma, was kidnapped by them.”
And I forgot to breathe.
Wait, did he say . . . ? Without a doubt, this stranger had just uttered my lost sister’s name. But how was that possible?! Some stranger we’d encountered in the woods somehow knew about Illuma? I studied him, wounded. If this was some kind of trick, it was incredibly cruel. But he didn’t look cruel.
“Kidnapped?” I said softly, unsure how else to respond. “Do you know for sure?”
He nodded. “Without a doubt.”
“But how can you know that?! How do you know about her?”
“There are many things we know regarding you. In time you will come to understand, but for now just believe me when I say that Druelca is your enemy and the ones responsible for your sister’s disappearance.”
It took a bit for the bittersweet news to sink in, and when it did, my head spun with confusion and doubt and so many other things that it was hard to remain standing.
Kidnapped.
She had been taken? She hadn’t drowned. Had it been our bond of blood that’d always left a nagging feeling in the back of my mind? What did these newcomers know about her; what had this mysterious ‘Druelca’ done with her; and more importantly, was she still alive?
Are you out there somewhere, Illuma?
Was it worth believing that there was a chance? My heart ached for my missing sister, but there was also a little bit of hope for the first time in a long time.
“Impossible!” Rend’s voice cut through the swirling and messy fog of my internal process, stinging my newly found hope. “She killed her sister! Do you not know the legend? Look at her hair, her eyes!”
The hunched man shook his head. “The Elves have the legend wrong. The true prophecy foretells that two songstresses will rise: one pure, one evil. It doesn’t make clear which of these ‘Hearts’ will possess the qualities of midnight and starlight, but we have reason to believe that this songstress is our only hope against Druelca and the Heart of Havoc.”
My head was still spinning too quickly for me to keep up.
“We’re takin’ the Pure Heart back with us to our headquarters,” said the gruff man. “It’s the safest place for ‘er. Whether or not ya still think she possesses the Song of Destruction, ya must agree that she can’t fall into Druelcan hands.”
Nyte contemplated and then nodded. “That would be unfavorable.”
“Cousin!” Rend shif
ted her scowl to him.
Nyte ignored her. “We will accompany you to your headquarters, on the condition that we first check Yh’tak for survivors.”
“Are you suggesting we work together with these deceivers?” said Rend, fists balled. “Clearly they seek to unleash the Destruction!”
“They will try to take her by force if we do not comply, and we cannot leave her alone with them. No blood needs to be shed here. With Druelca on the prowl, we will be safer together anyway.”
Rend continued to scowl at least thirty seconds more before nodding reluctantly.
I thought briefly that she’d seen the merit in his argument until a wicked gleam in her eye hinted that she had no intention of keeping the agreement.
The hunched man didn’t notice, however, and finally lowered his bow.
“We shouldn’t chance a trip to Yh’tak;” he said. “It’s too dangerous. What if Druelca headed there?”
Nyte looked like he was about to protest, but the gruff man beat him to it.
“If we can find survivors, we can find out what happened in Edaw. We might be able ta learn what sect of Druelca attacked and also their numbers.” He turned to me. “I’m Grotts, by the by. Pleasure to meet ya, Pure Heart!” Then he flashed me an enormous smile, showing off a chipped front tooth.
I’d been right. He was a jolly person. I could tell that much through my mesh of confusion.
“Call me Aura, please.” The title ‘Pure Heart’ embarrassed me even more than ‘Heart of Havoc’.
The hunched man was next to introduce himself. “I’m Scardo Romenda, a member of The Yes’lech Society. I have devoted myself to your complete safety.” He bowed low. The tails of his tuxedo lifted off the ground for just a moment.
Scardo and Grotts, huh? Here to protect . . . me?
I tried to let it sink in, but the thought was too buoyant. It wouldn’t sink, even though I forced it in with all my might. It all seemed too farfetched. Only time would be able to anchor it in place.
~
Kantú and I freshened up while the rest of the party kept watch. The scuffle had interrupted our would-be rest, but we were grateful for even a few minutes in the stream’s cold, refreshing water. Rend remained bitter even after the introductions, but Nyte appeared widely on board with our new comrades.
Everything had finally settled down, allowing me to consider all that had happened. I summed it up as best I could.
The Elves thought I was going to destroy the world while another group called ‘The Yes’lech Society’ thought I was going to save it. An evil empire known as Druelca had kidnapped my long-lost sister, and now they were after me. I’d somehow gone from a would-be songstress to a fugitive in a few days. Was I forgetting anything?
It was crazy. It couldn’t be happening . . . but it definitely was.
“I don’t think we’re going back to Farellah anytime soon,” said Kantú, picking a burr from her tail.
“I’m sorry you were dragged into all of this.” Though I was grateful she was along, I felt bad for all the trouble I’d caused her, certain she’d rather be home enjoying spring nuts.
“Aww, I’d never let you go on a journey without me.” She grinned and swatted me with her now-free-of-burrs tail. “Never knew you were in such high demand.”
“High demand?” Me? I shook my head. “I’m just waiting for everyone to realize I’m nothing special. I only hope I can find out more about Illuma’s disappearance before then. They only mentioned that Druelca took her – does that mean there’s a chance she’s still alive? What do you think?”
I still couldn’t fully grasp the concept myself, and I intended to drill the new strangers on the subject once we were safe.
I waited to hear her reply, but Kantú said nothing.
“Kantú?” Annoyed, I turned to her, but that annoyance quickly turned to worry when I saw the look on her face.
She was completely still, staring right through me, and her eyes looked strange. Unfocused.
“What’s wrong with you?” I shook her, but she remained silent. It was like she was in some sort of trance or something.
What are you playing at? This isn’t funny; I’m trying to have a serious conversation here!
But she was too still. It was unnerving.
When she finally spoke, the voice that came out didn’t belong to her. It was deep and raspy.
“A white wind is spreading,” she whispered. “Prepare yourself, Aura Telmacha Rosh!”
I stared at her unblinkingly.
“What the heck!? A white wind?!” Again I shook her. “Kantú, what’s gotten into you? What’s with your voice? You sound creepy!”
She said nothing more, but straightaway started to teeter. I reached for her shoulders just in time as she closed her eyes and collapsed into the lazily flowing stream.
“Kantú! Wake up!” I struggled to hold her up.
A moment of panic passed before she blinked her eyes, smiled faintly, and said,
“Oh, you met the feather lady.”
“Wha-” But I stopped when a dozen white feathers floated down from the heavens and landed gently on the surface of the stream.
~
I was uneasy in the aftermath of the feather lady incident. I tried to collect my thoughts, uncertain if I had really just witnessed a full-fledged possession. In that moment Kantú had been stoic. It wasn’t a look I’d ever expected to see from the usually carefree and scatterbrained squirrel.
I watched the feathers drift down the gentle stream, not sure where to start.
“Is that . . . Have you . . . Does that happen to all Squirreleans?”
“I don’t think so – at least I’ve never heard of it.” Kantú scratched behind her ear. “I must be super special!” She didn’t seem the least bit concerned.
“That was . . .” My words trailed off with the floating feathers.
“I told you it was weird. But the spirit helped me find you, didn’t it? So it must be a friend!”
I wasn’t so convinced. The voice had been eerie, to say the least. Could there really be a spirit from beyond the Mistlands helping Kantú along? And what exactly was its interest with me?
Aura Telmacha Rosh . . . I shivered as the words resounded in my head.
I was glad when Scardo came scurrying through the trees, thin lips pulled tightly back into a rather large smile, to interrupt the budding conversation. I half expected a long, slithery tongue to come shooting out when he opened his mouth to speak, but none appeared.
“It’s time to depart, Pure Heart and friend of Pure Heart,” he said.
“It’s Aura.”
“As you wish.” He bowed and signaled us through the brush.
Something soft tickled my neck when we left the stream. I pulled off the tag-along feather and unconsciously stuffed it into my pocket.
Rend, Nyte, and Grotts were waiting for us at the site of the scuffle.
Grotts was now holding a large, wooden hammer that was over half my height in length. It was hand-carved – its fine craftsmanship made apparent by the presence of intricately carved crescent moons running the handle. I wondered if Grotts had made it himself, but when I tried to picture the enormous man crouched over, whittling tediously with a miniature knife . . .
It didn’t seem likely.
The hammer’s head was worn from many poundings – of what, I couldn’t imagine – though I was beginning to understand how Rend had been rendered unconscious during the fight. The large man looked more than intimidating with it grasped it in his oversized hands.
“We have decided to travel through the night,” said Scardo.
The sun was already starting to set, filling the forest with amber light.
Kantú pouted.
“We cannot chance an attack by Druelca,” said Nyte. “It is imperative that we reach Yh’tak swiftly.”
I nodded.
The forest had an uncanny feeling to it now that I knew there were unknown forces wandering about in the trees. I w
ouldn’t lament the loss of a night spent there, certain that apprehension would keep me from falling asleep anyway.
Thus, we headed onward to Yh’tak.
Nyte took the lead while Rend hung back looking sour. I wasn’t sure what she planned to do about the situation, but I knew she wouldn’t just hand me over so easily. Still, there was little she could do at the moment with the threat of Druelca looming heavily over us and the new guardians holding their weapons tightly.
I eyed them keenly. With the new course set and underway, I wouldn’t waste any time to find out what they knew.
“So this Druelca, you mentioned they took Illuma. Do you know . . . is she still alive?” I anticipated the worst, so my words were strained.
“On that we are not certain,” said Scardo, “but it is a matter of great importance to the Society. We will tell you once we know more.”
“Oh.”
Even they didn’t know for sure. I was disappointed, but at least the possibility still remained that my sister had yet to walk through the Mistlands. I’d allow a pinch of hope to remain.
“Well then, how exactly do you intend to find out?” I pried.
“We’ve got a man on the inside – well, not a man exactly.” Grotts smiled like he was telling an inside joke.
Scardo stiffened. “Sorry, but we can’t disclose anything more at this time,” he said, eyeing the Elves nervously. “We fully intend to tell the Heart of Salvation everything once we are certain there are no enemy forces listening.”
Enemy?
Kantú chittered at Rend’s scowl.
Though desperate to find out more, I was grateful that at least one of my guardians saw through her ruse. Still, I sighed in silent frustration because I’d be kept in the dark once again.
Druelca . . . Yes’lech . . . Illuma . . .
Deciding to try my luck elsewhere, I hiked ahead to catch up with Nyte, who was walking several paces ahead of the rest of the party, careful to overstep fallen branches and stubborn rocks as I did.
“Quite the turn of events,” he said. His voice was low, but there was a hint of something there. At first I thought I’d read it wrong, but then . . .
