“Does that mean you’ll come with me?” asked the young man, timidly.
“I don’t know if we’ll see anything so wonderful, and to tell you the truth, I have no idea what we will do to face this.... thing,” he said, pointing to the creature, “but yes, I think it is worth a try.” He exhibited a big smile. Glaide felt completely overwhelmed with joy, to the point that he temporarily forgot the creature of nightmares that could be found mere yards before him. Realizing his dream was fantastic in itself; discovering that he was not alone, and he had his friend by his side was a miracle.
A second cry reached their ears, drawing them back to the present. The whole scene had taken only a few moments, but now the monster had begun his attack. He seemed to have set his sights on Emily. Glaide’s blood boiled; he bounded forward, Jeremy on his heels, towards the young women, without even considering what they would do when they reached them. Gwenn turned towards them, unutterable fear evident in her eyes. She seemed unable to move, and powerlessly watched the nightmarish scene unfold before her.
As the boys arrived, however, something surprising happened: Emily instantly stopped moving, voluntarily leaving herself at the mercy of her adversary. Furthermore, as Glaide yelled at her to run, he noticed that the monster also seemed to be petrified, just like Emily, and even Gwenn, the surrounding trees, and truthfully, everything; only Glaide and Jeremy seemed still able to move.
Only? No, not really: an old man who floated before them also seemed to be able to move. He had long white hair and a sleek and impressive beard of the same color. He wore a robe of the same immaculate white, and his body seemed to radiate a dazzling light. His expression as he faced the two boys seemed benevolent, and he immediately inspired in them confidence and respect.
Before the two friends could attempt to do anything, he addressed them, saying, “Greetings. It appears I’ve finally found you.”
His voice, calm and serene, didn’t prevent Glaide from exclaiming, “Who are you?”, with his eyes open wide.
“And you, who are you?” The boy was just about to give his name as the stranger interrupted him to add, “No, no. I know your name. I want to know who you are.” The young man gazed at him, his mouth open wide. “Do you think that your name defines your personality? Asking someone who they are serves no purpose; we do not know ourselves, and a part of us always remains unknown. Moreover, today I am going to shed light on a shadowy region of who you are – one that even you are not conscious of. You will see, Glaide,” he added. “Your identity has nothing to do with your name.”
The boys said nothing. Who was this man proclaiming such a philosophy? But more urgent problems were waiting. Before they could ask what was going on, the stranger spoke again, saying, “Yes, I was the one who froze time.”
“What a thought, he can read our minds!” mused Glaide.
“I have many things to tell you, but alas, we don’t have much time,” declared the old man. “Let me start by explaining the situation: I am from another world: Galadria – or more precisely, the Known Lands of Galadria – which represent a territory peopled by men, like you, along with other creatures that I won’t list now.
“My world is made of magic, as you can see, and it has two gods, which each represent a branch of magic. I won’t go into detail, but you should know that these two gods are brothers, and that they have fought several times.
“One, Baras, is worshipped by creatures that want to destroy men and their allies. Many people call him the “God of Evil”. In contrast, his brother, Aras, the one we sometimes call the “God of Good”, is – or was – worshipped by humans.
“However, know this: the terms of Good and Evil are used only because it seems like Baras never ceases to persecute the people, while Aras protected them long ago. But the terms don’t signify anything in particular; Good and Evil don’t really exist in Galadria. There are only battles, sometimes for obscure reasons.”
The young men tried to grasp what he was telling them, all while holding back the questions that seemed more important, such as how the speaker could float like that.
“Do you mean, no one knows why Baras is so aggressive?” asked Jeremy.
“Exactly.”
“And what is our role in all of this?” asked Glaide. “You are implying that we should side with Aras, but we have nothing against his brother. And then, why couldn’t humans follow Baras?”
The adolescent had lost no time; already, he was trying to reason differently, as if he was already in the other world. Still, the man facing him wore a strange smile, as though the question demonstrated Glaide’s naivety.
“Men fight Baras for the same reason that you will be in the camp of Aras: I’m speaking of the young women accompanying you.”
The two teens stared at him uncomprehendingly.
“If I am here today,” explained the stranger, “it is because via a book with more or less mystical properties, I discovered that Gwenn and Emily were white magicians, or maggs. Although they are common on Galadria, it is extremely rare to find them in other worlds.
“The white magicians are the representatives of Aras. They are the only ones capable of using ‘white’ magic, which permits them to accomplish all kinds of miracles. They can heal almost all injuries, create protections, and they even say the most powerful of them are capable of sharing the pain of others. One cannot become a magg; if you aren’t one at birth, you can never be one.”
“And you are telling us that Emily and Gwenn can do all that?” exclaimed Glaide.
“Without a doubt, even if their powers are latent at the moment. It is because the representatives of Aras are humans, and because these two young ladies are maggs, that men and you yourselves are on the side of this god. As for the roles of these young ladies, it is very simple: they will traverse the Known Lands, bringing aid where it is necessary, and fighting the hordes of Baras.”
The man looked over his shoulder as if he saw or heard something, then he turned back to his listeners and continued, “The maggs aren’t alone in their quest; they are accompanied by protectors. These are warriors whose only goal is to protect the maggs. Although they possess many powers, a protector is aid that they cannot do without. A white magician can, over the course of their life, find themselves surrounded by many protectors, although this is a charge that should not be accepted thoughtlessly. A protector must fulfill his role to its conclusion, even giving up his life if it is necessary.
“When a magg becomes conscious of their powers, a protector is designated by Destiny. They are often men, though they can at times be women instead.”
“What do you mean by ‘Destiny’,” asked Jeremy?
“I’m referring to an event that brings together the magician and the warrior. You have an example right next to you,” the man said, pointing to the gigantic creature, still frozen in space.
“It is almost impossible for a monster to travel between the worlds,” he explained. “The fact that this beast is here can only mean one thing: you are the protectors of these young women.”
The two boys looked at each other, then Glaide exclaimed, “This could be fun! What do you say, Jeremy? From being simple students, we find ourselves transformed into warriors, entrusted with the protection of magicians!”
“Well, that does sound pretty exciting, actually!”
“Well, who would have thought?” Glaide said to himself, “I owe the girls both so much; without them, no Galadria!”
The man added, “The role of you four is relatively simple: if I am here, it is simply to bring the girls to my world, because we cannot afford to forgo the assistance of two more maggs. So then, you shall live in the same manner as other magicians and protectors.”
“So actually, it’s distressingly commonplace, then,” commented Jeremy, ironically.
“Are you still sure you want to come?” asked Glaide.
“In any case, I don’t believe I really have a choice; nor do your other two friends...”
Sudd
enly, the man glanced again behind him, visibly surprised. When he began to speak again, he seemed more nervous, and spoke much faster, as if he was rushed to finish: “They’re arriving; I don’t have much time. To defend their maggs, protectors need weapons. On Galadria, what you call ‘firearms’ simply don’t exist, and in any case, would be useless; can you stop magic with technology?” Glaide was tempted to answer in the affirmative, but looking at the face of the stranger, he decided that “no” was the more accurate answer.
“You will defend yourselves, then, with these!” the man exclaimed, holding out his arm. A flash of light blinded the two boys for a moment, before being replaced by two magnificent swords that slowly descended from the air, down towards the young men. The sheaths were leather, black for Glaide, and brown for Jeremy. The tip and base of the sheaths were reinforced with steel. The metal reinforcements gleamed, and the boys could see the small studs that held them in place. It was obvious that these were weapons of great quality.
Glaide’s was rather impressive; the blade alone, he judged by the size of the sheath, must be about four inches wide, and roughly thirty inches long. The guard was simple, large, and undecorated. Near to the blade, the guard was wide and flat, to protect the hand of the swordsman who carried it but without blocking his movement, and nearer the handle, the guard narrowed. The grip was, quite appropriately, made of leather cording, twisted and braided together, ending with a pommel, also made of steel. The young man estimated the total size of the weapon as three or four feet.
He watched as it descended in front of him, and he asked himself how he would ever be able to carry such a thing. However, when he caught it in his hand, he found that it was much lighter than he had expected. “The same weight as a katana,” he thought, “though it is almost double the size.”
Jeremy’s weapon was, by contrast, considerably shorter: it was just under three feet in all. The blade measured little more than two inches wide, and twenty-five long. The guard on his sword was also simple, straight, and finished on both ends with sharp tips. The grip was relatively long – just under a foot – and had a pommel in the shape of a crescent moon that extended to the sides, allowing him to block blows. Jeremy caught his sword easily, showing that his also must weigh next to nothing.
They both drew their swords at the same time, making the clang of the steel resonate sharply. They discovered the most remarkable difference between the two swords proved to be in the form of their blades, or more precisely, in their points. Jeremy's sword began to form a point by halfway down its blade, effectively creating a long stake. Glaide’s weapon, however, had a much shorter point, only about an inch long, though very wide. The two weapons had little decoration; they were truly made for combat.
The man cried out, “Now that you are armed, defend your maggs. I would love to tell you that all will turn out for the best, but it doesn’t look like you know how to handle those tools. Let’s hope you can improvise! And as for your passage from one world to another: I'll take care of that!” Just before he disappeared, Glaide and Jeremy had a moment to thank him for his revelations, for the swords, and for the adventure they were about to live, even as they turned their eyes to the combat to come. Then, the stranger disappeared in a flash of light. Who knew if he would return one day?
Chapter 2
TIME returned to normal, and the cries of terror began again. Without taking even a moment to be shocked by this wonder, the two young men went into action: Jeremy ran towards Gwenn, pulling her to safety some 50 feet away from the monster. She easily let him lead her away, despite it being the first time she’d run across the young man.
At the same time, Glaide raced towards Emily. When he arrived, she looked surprised; then she noticed the shining blade. The young man observed, with a certain amount of amusement, that the teen appeared completely lost; she didn’t know if she should scream or simply appear surprised at the sword that he carried, which hadn’t existed just a few seconds before. The young girl forced herself to move. She turned towards the boy and, ignoring the roar of the monster at her back, attempted to take one step, and then two... and then she began to run. Her legs shook, but they didn’t give out.
Glaide was impressed by the courage his ward proved to have. He quickly called out to her as she passed him, telling her to join Gwenn, but her face was tense with concentration and he doubted she’d even heard him speak.
It was then that their enemy, seeing his prey escaping him, began to move. Glaide decided to distract him to give the young women time to flee. He yelled insults, moving his arms in all directions, then, seeing that the monster paid no attention, decided to take more drastic measures. The creature advanced slowly, due to his colossal size. Its steps were heavy, and it didn’t seem to be very lively. Gathering his courage, the young man drew closer to the creature and, with a force that he had never suspected he had, dealt a powerful blow of the sword to the monster’s leg.
Nothing could have prepared him for the resistance he encountered! He’d never have thought that skin and muscles could offer such protection; his sword vibrated so much at the impact that he was barely able to keep it in his hand. But he did. The wound didn’t seem very deep; however, when he hastily withdrew his sword, blood began to run from the wound. He turned his head away. His adversary wasn’t a model of cleanliness, and the skin around the gash, full of dirt and... other things, made him a bit nauseous. The monster, however, barely made a sound. “It’s almost as if it feels nothing! It’s impossible: the blade is as sharp as a razor! Argh! What am I going to do?”
By that time, Jeremy had placed Gwenn in safety. She had let him move her, and now had a haggard expression on her face. Glaide observed out of the corner of his eye that Emily lay on the grass, unconscious. “She must have passed out on the way. Too much emotion all at once,” he rightly guessed. Jeremy noticed it as well, even as he ran to aid his friend.
Once the two were reunited, Glaide told Jeremy to cover him while he moved Emily further away. Jeremy placed himself in front of the monster while the other Protector planted his sword in the ground. They had tossed their sheaths only feet away, but searching for them would take time, and it would be impossible to carry the young woman all the while retaining his weapon.
Glaide approached Emily and hoisted her up on his back. She seemed to barely weigh anything at all. He carried her close to Gwenn and asked that she watch over her. “From the look on her face, I don’t know if she’ll be able to watch over anything,” he thought to himself, as he looked at her eyes, open wide in terror. However, she had at least the strength to nod yes.
Once he’d returned, Glaide regained his sword. Looking from one to the other and making a great number of hand signals that they hoped were discreet (while counting greatly on the stupidity of the creature!), the two friends came up with a plan, though admittedly a very basic one: to attack the monster from behind.
Jeremy began accordingly to skirt around their adversary. Glaide, on his part, dodged the too-slow blows of his enemy, without really trying to attack. Deep within him, fear and excitement had him divided. He barely took notice that his life was in danger, because all of his thoughts converged towards what would happen when the battle was finished: they’d discover a new world. However, the battle was a difficult one, and the adolescent didn’t see the blow from the talons until the last moment; he realized then that being distracted by his thoughts could be fatal. Furthermore, he couldn’t move away for fear that the enemy would attack his companion.
Unfortunately for them, the monster had anticipated their plan from the beginning, and once Jeremy was behind him, and thus out of reach of any aid, the monster turned abruptly, and landed an impressive punch that sent the teen flying. For Glaide, the scene unrolled in slow motion: his friend raised his sword but before it fell, he bent over double under the effects of the attack. He flew back, letting his sword fall with a dull thud against the ground. Miraculously, the monster hadn’t used his claws. However, perhaps they had
n’t been necessary.
Glaide pulled himself together, struggling to ignore the thoughts that tried to press into his mind: “No, there must at least be a chance that he isn’t dead. That couldn’t be possible! Our story has barely even started!” The monster turned towards Glaide, who had the excellent idea of avoiding its tail – which savagely whipped the air, but encountered nothing but emptiness. “Fine then, I’ll take care of him, and then I’ll see to Jeremy.”
The creature now turned to the warrior, whose eyes gleamed with hatred. With trembling hands, but his sword held steadily aloft, he fixed his eyes unblinkingly on his adversary. The fight took a new turn, because Glaide now fought with rage, even if all that passed before him seemed like nothing more than a dream. What a thought, that just minutes before, he’d been returning home, prepared to enjoy a long and agreeable vacation. The battle had gone on too long already; it was time to finish it. The young man drew closer to the gaping jaws of the monster, determined this time to give the beast a more fitting gash.
His enemy attempted to seize him with his jaws, crouching near the ground in the attempt. The adolescent propelled himself up off the ground as high as he could go, ignoring the fetid odor that nauseated him. He reached the height of his enemy’s skull and planted his sword into it with all of his force. It vibrated so much that he thought he would lose his grip. The weapon, however, passed through the skin and bones, reaching even to that vital place, the brain. The monster emitted a throaty death-rattle and began to fall. Glaide released his hold on the sword, then pulled back from the sagging body. The monster again uttered the sound, this time more violent and piercing.
Chronicles of Galadria I_The Other World Page 2
