I reached down and snatched my pack from the bank of the stream, hefting it back onto my shoulder. It seemed to gain weight as my feet dragged along the dusty red gravel. I hoped I wouldn’t have to set out again, I hoped this would be my resting place for the night. I just had to wait and see now.
The group of animals had calmed down somewhat, not quite as excited. Now they watched us approach with skepticism, quiet looks and shifting hooves, paws, and claws. I was very aware of their eyes on me as I kept my head down, following Ethera. There was no way to escape the feeling of mistrust and skepticism in the air.
As she stopped so did I, hanging very close to her side, while the crowd gradually shifted until they had formed a large circle around us. We had their full attention, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. Being so close to so many different and scary animals was intimidating to say the least. I could feel my heart in my ears, pulsing with each beat.
“This . . . is Hailey,” Ethera spoke out to them in a loud and clear voice. “She has come through the gates by accident, and will be staying with us for a while.” At this the animals voices their opinions, loudly and seemingly not very happy with Ethera’s declaration.
It was obvious I was an unwelcomed visitor for whatever reason. I wished I could explain. Tell them I wanted nothing more than to go back were I came from. It was Ethera’s fault, not mine. Although I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for her, so . . . . I could only wait to see what she would say next.
“I know . . . I know how you all feel, and especially given the circumstances we find ourselves facing. But I have seen her essence, and she is no threat to us. I do not believe that she would betray us.” Ethera glanced at me, as if gauging my reaction to her words.
“I have spoken with Seraphina, and she also agrees that the girl will stay within the city until other arrangements can be made.” A large brown bear stepped from behind the line of emus on the front row, standing to tower above both Ethera and myself. I could have fainted at the sheer sight of him, the blood rushing from my face.
He pulled his lips back, flaring his nostrils and making the strangest sounds low in his throat like a growl or a roar held back. I could see Ethera nod out of the corner of my eye, and surmised that they were having a conversation, which of course I couldn’t hear.
“Tindo, I understand your point of view, and I understand why.” Ethera walked toward him, grabbing his giant paw. Looking up at the towering beast, she whispered to him, the words almost too quiet to hear. “She would not want to know the anger you have in your heart will survive longer than your memory of her.”
The great bear lowered himself back to four paws huffing out his lips, the look of sadness was unmistakable as some unknown memory flashed through his mind. My fear turned to compassion for him, whatever he had endured must have been terrible.
Ethera spoke up again to the crowd. “I would like for you all to not only make her feel welcome, but allow her peace, as this is all very overwhelming for her. She will need her own home, which we will all need to help with. Those with enough kindness to help should begin as soon as possible.”
And with that the majority of animals meandered away from us, talking softly to each other, most likely about me. Tindo and several others stayed in the clearing. Some drifted up to their homes, conspicuously glancing back down to where Ethera and I stood. Others moved back into the forest from which they came, the sounds of crashing trees and heavy footsteps filling my ears.
Ethera turned, and headed toward the tree at the center of the clearing. Not wanting to be left alone with the bear, I kept pace behind her step for step. I was very curious about it, being one of the main things I noticed when I arrived. I’d never seen anything like it before.
“I have something to ask you.” She began as we neared its impressively large trunk.
“Okay . . ..”
“It is entirely your choice and you can say no if you want. It is a test. A simple one, that will not hurt you. But please take a moment to think before you agree to it.”
I continued matching her step for step, still taking in the beauty and overwhelming size of this place. I was also still amazed by the scene earlier, still processing everything I had seen until now, and wondering what else I could possibly be in store for.
We reached the tree, Ethera motioning to the ring of logs which circled the trunk. Rows upon rows of them, then motioned for me to sit. She joined me, still gazing up to the top branches, gently moving with the wind.
“I know you have many questions, and I may not be able to answer them all. But I do want to help you understand this place and it’s purpose.”
“Hailey, when animals in your world come to the end of their life, their spirits leave and find their way here, to Enrovia. They wait at the gate until I can open it and let them come through. That is what happened when you and I crossed paths today.”
“This tree was planted when Enrovia was first conceived,” she began, turning her attention back to me. “It is a very special tree. For the animals here it serves its purpose as a sort of restart. Choosing to drink the serum that flows inside it will send them back into the cycle of life, to be reborn again in your world. A new life with an old soul.”
I listened to my unanswered questions being explained with disbelief. It all sounded so believable and yet so fantastic at the same time. I waited to hear more, hoping she would fill in more of the blanks.
“To begin that journey they must first become true essence, pure light. They must lose their current form to start over in your world . . . ”
I took her pause for an opportunity to ask the first of my many questions. “How can you possibly hold all the animals of the world on one island?” As she lifted her eyes back up to the sky, I followed her gaze.
“Look . . .“ She pointed to the sunlight filtering through the great branches of the tree. In the lower rays, I could see them, thousands of floating orbs, bouncing off one another like bubbles, clear with only a hint of shimmer. The giant particles of dust I had seen all day were not dust at all. And they were everywhere now, as far as I could see.
“Essence?” I asked in a whisper.
“Yes, these lights are waiting to be taken to Empira. There is a cave with a well at the center of that island. From there they will start their lives again.”
“And Empira is another island?” I asked.
“Yes.” She answered simply.
“So the animals that I saw today, they look like regular animals though,” I fished for more answers, more information.
“They are. They have decided to stay here for a while. Some will pass back into your world, and some will stay for a while, waiting on others that have not joined them here yet. And there are some like Tindo who will probably stay here forever.”
“What happened to him?” I asked quietly, remembering his unmistakable sadness.
“That is his story to tell.” She said simply shutting me down. “But he was the one who asked for you to be given this serum.”
“What about the others here? Are the only two options stay forever or go back to start over?” I was curious.
“No. There is the island of Eaforasa. A truly special place. The animals there have ben touched by a human heart, they wear the essence of that mark. Their time here is spent waiting for their human’s time in your world to end so they can pass to a different world entirely and be reunited.”
“How many islands are there? When I first arrived, on the beach I saw another shore in the distance with black sand and mountains. Is that Eaforasa?
“No. That is the island of Ealdume.” She answered sagely. “There are nine islands in total and one undersea realm, this is the island Evisara, the island of transition and this is the city center of Enrovia. Each island is separate, with it’s own rules and it’s own ruler.”
“And this one, Evisara, is yours?” I continues to pry.
“Evisara is my responsibility, yes.”
I nodded,
still confused, but taking in all the information she would offer, as wild as it was, I actually believed her.
I focused again on the tree. “So, this serum, what does it do? . . . Have you ever done it before? With a human like me, I mean. I’m not going to turn into, what did you call them again?” I gazed back up toward the floating motes dancing in the breeze.
She smiled. “The Eluvia, pure essence. And no, it will not affect you in the same way it does them. Although it will have some effect.”
“And that effect would be, what, exactly?”
“We would be able to see you, or your essence, to be precise. I possess a gift that is unique. Even without the aid of the serum I can see all essence. But once you accept it, you essence will be visible to us all.”
“Like seeing my soul?” I asked, not hiding my sarcasm.
“In a way, yes.” She said very matter of fact. “You will be only the second human to drink from the tree. The first was Drugan, a young man many years ago, who like you came here by mistake.” She stood and paced slowly telling the story.
“At that time in your world, not many traveled the waters, so we left the gates open frequently. After Drugan strayed here, we closed them forever, only I can pass through, and because we were so close at the time, you passed through too.”
“So you were the dolphin I followed . . . “ The pieces were starting to fall into place a little more as we talked.
She nodded in confirmation.
“Who is Drugan?” I asked cautiously, my intuition telling me this was a sensitive subject.
“As I mentioned before, many years ago, a stranger found his way into the kingdom of Enrovia. That was Drugan.”
“What happened?” I asked quietly.
“To understand the whole story we need to start at the beginning.” She sat once again, this time across from me.
“Long ago, when this world was formed, your world was very young. There were in fact no others like you, only animals. Seraphina, the great hawk, stuck a bargain to create this place as a world for them after their life in your world had ended. Until Enrovia was given to us, their essence had no place to go, no place to rest.”
“That sounds awful,” I interjected, then waited for her to continue.
“When Seraphina was granted rule over the whole of Enrovia, it was declared there would be a distribution of power. No one animal or island would reign above the others. Seraphina agreed and received eight stones of life, one for each ruler of Enrovia. Empira is the only island without one.” Ethera paused as if deciding what to say next.
“When Drugan first arrived, I told him the same story, the story of our world. I commanded him to stay away from the tree, to refrain from drinking its serum. I didn’t know what it would do exactly.” Ethera turned away at the memory.
“But he didn’t listen.” I said, following her to the other side of the tree.
“No, he didn’t.” She said. “He waited until night and took a dram for himself.” She stared into the clearing where the animals had been steadily working. My bungalow was almost complete. The combined efforts of the animals working in unison, made short work of the task Ethera requested of them.
Turning her attention back to the me, she continued. “His essence blazed inside of him. Instead of him becoming only essence, his living form was surrounded in it. Bathed in it. I could see it when he first arrived, very faint, only whispers of colored smoke no one else could. But after taking the serum it was visible to anyone. As yours will be as well.”
“After his essence was revealed, it was decided by the council that he should leave the next day, we would open the gates and escort him home. That night he left the city, pleading with Darsythus to give him sanctuary, to allow him to stay here. Darsythus was the leader of the island Ealdume, the island you asked of earlier. He himself was a dark light, but he abided by the laws of Enrovia and the counsel. Yet Drugan intrigued him, the darkness of his essence, his human form.” She paused again. I nodded.
“The council met with Darsythus and demanded he return Drugan to the outside world. But he refused, removing himself from the council. Darsythus was pleased with Drugan’s anger for me and the other bright lights of Enrovia. He cultivated that bitterness and hatred. He shared with him to story of our beginnings, even brandishing his stone. That night Drugan took it from Darsythus and his essence along with it.” She explained
“What do the stones do?” I asked.
“Let’s take a walk,” she suggested and stood.
“Ok . . .” I said and followed her as we took in the sights of the city around us. I waited for her to continue.
“The stones are passed from ruler to ruler. As a new ruler takes their place, their essence is stored in the stone. It is a very powerful object.” She explained quickly and little detail.
“What happened then?” I jumped in as we made the full circle around the city, coming back to the tree and taking my place again on one of the logs.
Several small animals had quietly shuffled in to join us, curious to hear the story again, or maybe even for the first time. Rabbits and chipmunks sat on their haunches, several lizards and frogs crawled up to sit beside me. I felt, rather than saw many more gathering behind us.
“The island was plunged into anarchy, the dark lights reveling in their freedom from the rules of Enrovia. Though there were still some who remained loyal to the old Enrovia, they were the ones who visited me in secret the night Drugan tore the essence from Darsythus.” Her face was sad, and something told me that this part of her story was over. I could understand her decision to even tell it was probably heartbreaking.
She had trusted someone just like me before and things went horribly. It was no wonder I was met with such suspicion. And what I had seen earlier as anger, was actually fear.
“I know you still have many questions, but I hope this will help you understand a little better for now.” Ethera said as Tindo appeared beside her, a low growl of insistence building in his throat.
It made more sense to me now, the test, the serum. “You want to prove to the others that I’m not like him, like Drugan.” I stood and walked to the tree. I directed the next comment to Tindo, staring him directly in his yellow eyes. “I accept your test.”
“Are you certain? Is this your choice?” Ethera asked quietly. I nodded then turned and addressed the large crowd of curious spectators.
“I would rather you all trusted me and allowed me to give you my word instead. But if this is the way it must be done, then okay.” I turned to glare at Tindo, “Let’s just get it over with.”
Ethera reached down and pulled from the base of the tree, a small shell, like one I had seen on the beach. It had a wide mouth at the opening, then coiling into itself again and again.
Holding the shell to the trunk, she pulled from the tree’s base, a slender pin of hollow ivory and inserted it ever so gently into the smooth bark of the tree. I watched as the shimmering serum trickled into the vessel, illuminating it from within, glowing a brilliant crystal white and pink.
As she held out her offering, I took a deep breath and accepted the shell, steadying my hand so I wouldn’t spill anything. In one quick motion, before I could allow fear to change my mind, I lifted it to my lips and parted them, drinking the perhaps two tablespoons of serum and closed my eyes.
The taste was something almost familiar that I couldn’t quite place. Honeysuckle perhaps, mixed with the smell of night blooming jasmine, fresh cut grass, or lemon blossom oil. My body began to warm, as I felt each vein bloom alive, my heart calmed to a steady thrum, and all fatigue lifted from me. I felt renewed.
All sounds had ceased around me, the birds silenced their songs, the shuffling of paws stopped. The only sound I could hear was the movement of the leaves along the outer circle of the town, and the reverent breaths of the crowd as they waited.
Finally, a low mumble sounded as the animals spoke among themselves. I opened my eyes, and saw Ethera smiling in front of them, ho
lding out her hands to receive the shell. I placed it into her hand, and whispered, “Did I pass?” She nodded.
Relieved, I exhaled and returned her smile, as she spoke to the others. “Her essence is pure, as I told you. I will journey to the Islands Council tonight and it will be our decision what happens next. Although, I do expect your support in either outcome, I’m sure you would all agree there is no harm in allowing her to stay here, with us for a time.”
My eyes met with Tindo’s as he huffed, a light blue and gold coloring his breath. I stared in confusion as he turned away from the tree, and walked to the woods along the outer meadow, disappearing. Ethera touched me on the shoulder and we traveled towards the small bungalow that I would call home.
“This is for you. It’s not much on short notice, but there are always room for improvements. Let us know if you need anything.”
We walked through the low opening at the front of the hut, both Ethera and myself ducking down to enter. Inside was bare, a dirt floor with a circular wall made from sticks and branches, some small leaves still clinging to them. Nothing fancy, but still more than I expected. “Thank you.” I said with genuine gratitude.
Ethera nodded then walked out the door. Pausing, she turned and said, “I will be leaving for a while. The sun is almost set. The council members from the other islands, and myself will meet and I will return by morning. I wish this were a better time for you to visit, but one cannot change what is.”
I had the sense that my being here was exceptionally bad timing. There was something else going on that worried her as much, if not more, than my presence.
I watched her leave the front of my temporary home as I set about getting settled. Relief flowed through my back as I dropped the heavy pack to the dusty floor.
Grabbing my phone again, I noted the time. 5:00 am. Almost 24 hours since I arrived on the island. Time certainly moved differently here, although in comparison to everything else, this was very little more than amusing. Thank goodness for the nap earlier, but I was still exhausted.
Ethera and the Island of Evisara: Book One of The Enrovia Series Page 7
