“But it’s so sad...” The voice of the boy broke from the emotion, though he forced himself to continue, “This immense expanse, unknown, forgotten. As though it is protected by those age-old plains... It looks... dead. As though life itself cannot move it.”
“This sight is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and the most rare that Galadria can offer,” declared Ayrokkan. “Coming to admire it is, for those like me, and for me, myself, almost a pilgrimage.”
Just like when he had arrived in the territory of the dwarves, Glaide felt a wave of solitude and melancholy wash over him. He leaned against the dragon so that he could feel the beating of the creature’s heart, and through him, to somehow feel that he was still alive.
“Let us go, young human. This place, despite its beauty, gives off an aura of cold – of the end of the world.” With a powerful beat of his wings, the creature drew away.
Three hours passed, during which the young man felt his body seem to come back to life, little by little. The experience had fascinated him as much as it had frightened him, and though he wished to see this place again, he didn’t intend to return before a good amount of time had passed. As the strange land disappeared behind them, the two friends again began to converse.
The adolescent learned that to the north of the known lands, there was a frozen desert. Nothing lived there, and even as far as the dragons had dared to travel, years before, they had seen nothing but ice, as far as the eye could see. The land of the barbarians could be found within the Known Lands, to the northwest. Though they were often great travelers and wanderers, many clans had constructed villages. However, because of the rivalries that constantly ripped apart these people, it was not a good place to explore. One could as easily come across a friend as an enemy.
To the south was the Forest of the Worlds, impenetrable and immense. No one had ever seen its other side, even from the air. It was the most mysterious place in all of the known lands. The gigantic plain that the young man had traveled across with his friends in order to reach Rackk covered the entire southern edge of the kingdom.
The unknown lands to the east began after the mountains of Oclin-Fer, the land of the dwarves. The range of cliffs acted as the limit of the northeastern half of the known lands, while the lower half of the border was covered with a deep forest that was said to be the home of the last elves. Really, though, Ayrokkan explained that the elves had adopted nearly every forest of sufficient size to welcome them. However, this race, much like the humans, had a capital, and it was thought that this was hidden somewhere in the east. Glaide promised to go there one day, to convince the elves to rally to the sides of the humans, as soon as he found the time.
The two companions at last arrived at the end of their travels. The dragon landed a mile or two from the city. Evening was approaching, but he assured Glaide that he would reach the city before nightfall. Less than an hour of walking would be necessary. The man and the beast faced each other for a moment. As they looked at each other, eye to eye, the young man found that he didn’t feel hypnotized, as he had the first time they their gazes had met; this time, he remained his own master.
“Fare thee well, young human. Who knows how much time will pass before we meet again? Know simply that we are observing you. Become what you must become, and perhaps the power of the dragons will be yours.”
“Farewell, Ayrokkan, my friend. I hope to be worthy of the aid of your kind. I will do what I must do, and I hope to meet you again, in a less turbulent time.”
Then, with no further ceremony, the dragon lifted into the air. The powerful beating of his wings lifted the cape of the young man. He drew his sword and lifted it in the direction of his companion, and as though to respond to the homage, the creature released a great cry. Then, he rapidly disappeared into the horizon.
Once again, just as when he had left Shinozuka and Yzur, Glaide found himself alone.
Chapter 11
“RIGHT, here we are. Adrish is straight ahead.” And with that, Glaide began to walk.
In the distance, he could make out the bleak peaks of Fyth. He preferred not to think about them, though. Now that he knew what was there, that area of Galadria didn’t please him at all. At any rate, he knew he would have no reason to approach them. The village was far from the foreboding frontier.
The young man took advantage of his walk to think about what he was going to do next. He no longer hoped to find Tyv and Paeh; he was too far ahead of them. However, he decided to try to find some of their friends or family. Perhaps they would come in contact with the protector and the magician, in which case the boy could arrange a place and time to meet again. Then, since he had no intention of waiting in the city for weeks, he would go to see what remained of Rackk. Perhaps there he would find something out. At the very least, he would be able to come to peace with that place, and meditate in silence on everything that he had done since leaving there. He desperately needed that, and, though he knew that seeing that first refuge once again – that place where he had had his first contact with the people of Galadria – would bring back many memories, filled with pain and melancholy, he also knew that he needed those emotions to decide what to do next.
Then, once he had completed that pilgrimage, he could perhaps head in the direction of the Forest of the Worlds, where everything had begun. He planned to visit the grave of the guardian; there, he would be able to pay his respects, reflect, and perhaps come to terms with it all. “In any case, I’ll have time to think over all of this,” he thought. “But first to return to Adrish, and try to learn something about Tyv and Paeh.”
After a few minutes, he began to recognize his surroundings; this hill and that hill seemed familiar, the rock over there stirred a memory. He suddenly realized that he was lucky not to have been attacked during his journey. The only adversaries he’d had to confront had been hacked to pieces by the dwarves or by Tyv. With the exception of the ghosts, whose memory alone was enough to freeze the young man’s blood, he’d have to say the trip had gone well.
He was thinking about all of that when the already-familiar walls and guard towers sprang suddenly into view. He instantly felt his spirits rise, and his body relax; seeing the familiar city felt like returning home. He may have only been there once, months ago, but it was the first place he’d ever had the chance to return to on Galadria. Up until then, he had continually discovered new horizons, and returning to a place he already knew, and that didn’t seem to have changed at all, was like a balm for his heart, so much so that he travelled the last few yards half walking, and half running. As he arrived at the door, he found that the guards were already starting to close the gates. He slipped into the city under the laughter of the guards, who joked that they were going to lock him out until the next morning.
Glaide inhaled deeply, filling his nose with the smells – and at the same time, his ears with the sounds – of civilization. He smelled the wafting odor of food, and the smoke of wood fires, and heard the cries of the infants, the laughter of the women, and the exclamations of the men. The dark of night had fallen, and he could see the glow of candles, which soon were snuffed out. Standing there like a statue in the empty main street, with a smile floating across his lips, Glaide no longer felt alone. There was no one around him, in contrast to Morthiaz, where he had found himself in the middle of a market. However, at that time, he had had no one; he’d left his friends far behind. Today, though, he carried people with him, in his heart at least.
“I’ve reached a peaceful haven,” he murmured to himself. “As long as I remain here, I am not a wanderer, and if I leave, it won’t be to continue my travels, but rather to begin again. As of this moment, I’ve arrived, and soon I will begin a new journey, though the goal will be the same as before: to find the master of the school of Iretane.” The young man felt as though a new chapter in his life had begun the moment he’d arrived here. He headed towards the inn, where he planned to spend the night, happy to be walking about the town.
By the time Glaide awoke the next morning, sunlight was already illuminating the room. He felt his heart jump with joy, and he got up slowly, taking pleasure in the sound of the floorboards creaking beneath his feet. He hadn’t slept so well in days. “Sleep won after a great deal of effort is the best sleep of all,” he thought wisely. He stood in one of the patches of sunlight coming through the cracks between the wall boards. He had never before felt so invigorated by the sun’s warmth. He closed his eyes for a moment, blinded by the light. He could hear the hustle and bustle of the village – all the sounds of life.
He moved to the mirror, staring into the glass. His face looked dirty. A rapid glance at his clothes proved that, despite their durability, they seemed damaged and dirty. Especially his pants: after all, they were mere fabric! The young man decided to open his sack, and to change into those that he had brought with him from Earth. Though putting them on displeased him, he had no others on hand. Then, with his cape and his dirty clothing under his arm, he descended to the street. People greeted him, and he responded. Dressed as he was, he looked strange; a poor combination of the civilization of Galadria, and that of his own world.
The young man moved about aimlessly for a time, then decided to start by dressing more appropriately. He soon found a boutique where he asked for the same type of pants as those that he carried. The shopkeeper examined them for a moment before assuring him that that would be no problem. By evening, they would be ready. The young man took the time to also buy a long-sleeved shirt to replace the one he was wearing while it was being washed. Then, it seemed imperative that he wash himself. He felt a tug at his heart as he entered the same public baths he and his friends had used the first time he’d been to this town. Afraid that melancholy would seize him, he washed hurriedly, then put on his new clothing. After that, he headed to a laundry, where he left his shirt, his leather jacket, and the cape. Here, too, he was assured that everything would be ready by that evening. “Makes me think that they don’t want me to stick around,” he thought to himself with a smile.
His errands and wandering took him all morning. Then, after a rapid meal, he set out in search of those he had come to find: those close to Tyv and Paeh. Logically, the tavern seemed a good place to start. As soon as he entered, he spotted a group of people to his left who were laughing loudly, mouths open wide. He approached and a big man with a jovial face and bright red cheeks noticed him immediately. The man greeted him with a wave.
“Hello there, young man. Can I help you?”
“Yes, hello. Do you know of Tyv and Paeh? They are a protector and a white magician.”
“Tyv and Paeh,” exclaimed the stranger. “Of course I know those two! Everyone in Adrish knows them. They were born here.” He turned towards one of his companions. “Hey, do you remember that time he grabbed his father’s axe, and paraded about the whole village, boasting about how he’d killed an army of orks?”
“Of course I remember that! As he was miming the battle, he frightened some horses, which took off at a gallop down the street, completely panicked! That was quite the drama.” With that, the two men burst into laughter. Apparently, Glaide’s two friends had caused quite a bit of uproar in their youth. The two individuals continued to reminisce about the adventures of the protector and magg for a while. Glaide, seeing that the memoirs were likely to last forever, didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to appear impolite by interrupting them, but he needed information.
Finally, one of the women presented broke in to ask with a sweet voice, “And you then... Tell me, how do you know them?”
“Oh, well, I crossed paths with them near Shinozuka.”
“Ah, I see. What are you here for, exactly?”
“I’m looking for their family, or friends, or any people who might have contact with them. I have a message for them.”
“In that case, you can find their parents in the northern part of the city. They live in two neighboring homes. Look for two places that each have two floors. The walls of the one are red, and the other, brown.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” exclaimed Glaide.
“Don’t worry about it.”
As he drew away from the group, he could hear the two men again break into loud guffaws.
The young man found the two homes easily. They were set a little ways apart from the other buildings. Apparently, this was to honor them, as the two homes appeared fancier than the others in the city. The pair, as rambunctious as they may have been in their younger days, appeared to be practically worshipped here. “I suppose it’s true that living in the same village as a protector and a magg would be something to be proud of,” thought the young man. He knocked on the door of the red house. Almost immediately, a woman of about fifty opened the door to him. Her face, though it gave away her age, radiated health and kindness.
“Hello,” she greeted him, her voice jovial.
“Hello,” responded the young man. “My name is Glaide. Are you the mother of Tyv, or of Paeh? I’m looking for their parents, and was told I could find them here.”
“Come in, young man, please. I’m Tyv’s mother. My name is Mera, and you’re in luck, because my husband and I have the neighbors over right now!”
Glaide entered with a smile on his face. He certainly was lucky. Everyone he was looking for was together in one place. The interior of the home was entirely paneled in wood. To the left of the entrance, a narrow staircase led upstairs. Before the young man was the entrance to the dining hall, which held a great wooden table, walls decorated with weapons, and other decorative objects, like vases and pottery. A rug covered the floor of the room. The adolescent moved to take off his boots, but his hostess assured him that was unnecessary. At the table in front of him sat two men and a woman, who were soon joined by Tyv’s mother. As he saw these strangers looking towards him, Glaide immediately felt welcomed. They quickly introduced themselves. Tyv’s father was a tall man, with an angular face and dark eyes. His hairline was receding, and his otherwise-black hair was starting to turn white. He exuded a certain hardness, but his face split into a smile when his wife introduced the newcomer. Paeh’s father contrasted strongly with Tyv’s. He wore a great mustache that gave him a pleasant air. His head was almost entirely devoid of hair, and his love of food was evident from the shape of his stomach. His wife, more modest in appearance, had long blond hair, pulled into a tight bun. Her face looked gentle and friendly.
His hosts offered the young man a chair, and asked him if he’d like something to drink. He gladly accepted a glass of water.
“So, then, Glaide,” began Mera, “To what do we owe the honor of your visit?”
“I encountered Tyv and Paeh about a week ago. We went our separate ways in Yzur, a village in the northeast of the kingdom. They told me they intended to head south to visit their families in Adrish, and I hoped to rejoin them here. However, in my hurry, I wound up arriving before they did!”
“Indeed,” responded Paeh’s father. “I don’t know what kind of mount you used, but this is the first time I’ve ever met anyone who was capable of getting to Adrish from Yzur in just a week.” At that, Glaide looked away, ill at ease. He preferred not to mention that he’d been aided by a dragon. He spoke again, hoping to change the subject.
“I would love to see them again, but I’m afraid I can’t wait here too long. Could you give them a message for me, please?” After receiving a nod in confirmation, he continued, “Okay, then, please tell them that I intend to return here in a month exactly. If they wish, we can meet then. If I don’t make it at that time, however, ask them to please wait another week, after which they can feel free to continue on their way. I will do the same if I return and they have not yet arrived.”
“Of course. I’ll be sure that your message reaches them,” Mera assured him.
The four individuals before him asked the young man to return in the evening to share a meal with them, but he politely refused, explaining that he needed to prepare for his travels for the next d
ay. With a final thank you, the young man left. His message had been delivered, and Tyv and Paeh would receive it. The young man no longer had anything to do here. He spent the afternoon wandering about the many little lanes and alleyways of the town, stopping here and there to look at something or speak to someone.
When evening came, he went to collect his clothing. He found his cape looking as good as new, and his shirt and jacket showed no trace of the dust of the road. The new pants that he collected from the merchant looked exactly like the other pair. Glaide quickly returned to the inn so that he could change, and returned his jeans to his sack. He put on his leather vest and gloves, but then decided to put them back. While these items were great for traveling, there were not well-suited for city life. They were heavy, and the young man didn’t need them here. The pants and shirt of cloth, along with his sword and belt, were enough.
He bought a few little delicacies to sample for his dinner, then climbed to the top of the ramparts on the western side of the city. There he watched as the day ended, staying until the darkness of night had swallowed everything around the city. The soldiers who came across him there on the walkway greeted him politely. They seemed intrigued by this adolescent gazing out on the surroundings.
Once night had fallen, Glaide returned to the inn. It was time to go to bed. Tomorrow, he would begin the next stage of his journey: he would return to Rackk, and then... After that, he didn’t know, and didn’t care to know. It would take at least a day to reach the village, or at least whatever remained. As he thought about that place, he felt a knot in his stomach. What would he discover there?
The night’s rest proved to be therapeutic. Returning to the road didn’t frighten him, and the day spent in the city had restored his energy. Just as when he had begun his journey to Shinozuka with Emily, Jeremy, and Gwenn, he felt ready to confront any obstacle. He once again felt filled with that strength that had been so lacking when he’d arrived here on the back of the dragon. More than that, when he awoke that morning, he no longer felt morose. No, adventure awaited him. He jumped from his bed, yawned for a moment, then hurried below to devour his breakfast. He wanted to reach Rackk before nightfall. Not knowing what he would find, he preferred to arrive in the light of day. A few minutes later, he left the inn.
Chronicles of Galadria II - Encounters Page 8
