by Kimbro West
“It’s nice to see you too, Auren,” said Ethan smartly.
“Ok then, can we just get this over with?”
They made their way through the night to the east side of town. As they walked, a fog started to settle in and a chill had worked its way down Ethan’s spine.
“It feels strange over here,” whispered Auren.
“What do you mean — you’re not scared are you?” asked Ethan sarcastically.
“No, but something’s not right — feels odd, is all.”
The air seemed to get thick and Ethan’s chest grew heavy. He started to realize what Auren was feeling. He wondered what they would do if someone jumped out and attacked them. At length, they came to a small wooded area covered in heavy fog that encased a small hut. Ethan could not believe that in such a small village, he had not discovered this place until now.
Suddenly, a loud howl came from the distance. Ethan could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up. He quickly knelt down next to Auren, who had his finger over his lips.
“Shhh, did you hear that?” whispered Auren, looking from one side to the other, trying to determine the origin of the howl.
“What was it?” Ethan was slightly relieved that he was not hearing things but grew more alarmed at the thought of some creature getting closer to them.
“Shh!” prompted Auren. “It sounds like a wild boar.”
A snorting sound was coming from the brush by the dwelling. The boys crept closer to the hut. It sat on short stilts which made it appear to float in the dense fog. The roof was thatched with leaves and brush.
“Gnnuhhhh!” The noise appeared to be getting louder. “Gnnuuhhh … gnnwuaa …”
The boys reared up, and were given a start as the noise came from directly behind them. Auren fell forward on his face, and Ethan gave a slight gasp.
A chubby cat ambled its way through the brush; it leered at them and snorted. As it waddled toward them, Ethan could hear it gasping as if walking toward them was an exhausting effort.
“Gave you a bit of a scare?” snickered Auren.
“And I suppose you fell down looking for licorice root?” Ethan retorted.
The fat cat gave them a filthy look, and started to walk by. Suddenly it stopped with one front paw still in the air and looked just past them.
“WHO IS THERE?” came a shrieking voice. “I say, whoever is there, I warn you, I have a most ferocious animal here that will rip you to shreds!” The fat cat started rolling around in the dirt and continued snorting.
“Gnnuhhhh.”
Ethan realized the shrieking voice was referring to the chubby cat and he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. Just then a short old man approached the two boys who were on the ground. He was quite silly-looking in appearance; he was balding a bit with tufts of grey hair sticking out here and there. His clothes were tattered and worn. His face seemed aged like a prune. And at the moment, he appeared exceedingly irritated.
The old man’s wrinkles were bulging against his beady eyes as he approached the boys. “I say, are you laughing at my beast?” queried the odd-looking man.
“Well, he does look a bit silly,” said Auren with a grin on his face.
“She…” corrected the old man, “…is one of the most ferocious felines in the land, I will have you know, and you can take that as a fact, because I said it is so, and so it is what I said it is. There are evil creatures about, but they never bother me because brave Ivy is out here protecting my dwelling — doubt that would you? Such a small village and many strange faces coming through lately — here Ivy has caught you two, but you must not be strange folk since she has not torn you limb from limb!”
The two boys stared at each other blankly.
“You should feel very lucky just now I say,” continued the old man. “Now come, come inside boys, before other dangerous creatures appear from the night.”
He shooed them in the direction of the hut and they made their way inside. Ivy gave them a stare as the door closed, then the chubby feline continued to roll in the dirt and let out loud snorts.
The inside of the hut was cluttered with maps and strange glass containers — some of which appeared to be empty, and others that appeared to be full of partially congealing liquid. There were also some odd-looking mechanical devices sitting on a desk. They had a dull look to them and appeared to be half-way assembled, with parts and chunks of metal lying about.
“Cats … are one of the most powerful creatures around.” The old man continued his speech without intermission. “They watch all, are commanded by none, and guard those whom matter most, and most is where and when the time that guarding is needed.”
“You know,” challenged Auren with a grin on his face, “she looks kinda fat and lazy to me.”
“Fat?” argued the old man. “She eats what she kills, she does. You may think Ivy is lazy but mark my words,” he got very quiet and serious, “cats are protectors of man and you will learn that before too long.”
“Now then, my name is Wegnel the Alchemist and you may call me Wegnel the Alchemist. What is it that I can do for you?”
Ethan looked at Auren, and Auren back at Ethan. “Do for us, sir?” asked Ethan.
“Sir? Do you see a sir? You may address me as Wegnel the Alchemist.” Wegnel paused and then continued, “yes yes, what do you need, you do not mean to tell me that you show up unscathed at my door with no need of healing, or age-implementing potion, turning ore into gold, or some kind of mathematical equation for solving the mysteries of the universe?” He looked surprised and somewhat riled up. “Ahh, maybe you came for something more then, yes maybe you came to see another plane of existence, to seek the challenge of the other side, to discover what it is and is not to dwell upon, for those questions that linger inside your head when you sit in the dark at your home, in your sleep, or in your dreams….”
Ethan was disturbed and Auren was beginning to look rather bored. “Uh, no thanks,” said Ethan. “Actually, it’s best if we get going now or Auren’s father will certainly give us a reason to require healing.”
Auren looked up. “Not to worry, Ethan, we’re fine. Father said I can stay out all night,” he added with a smirk on his face.
Ethan knew Auren was exacting his revenge for being dragged out at his protest. Ethan shot him a look, and Auren continued to smile.
“What’s the matter? Are you a non-believer in alchemy, that the twists and twines of the universe are solely derived to suit your needs, that the Norse and the Mitan and the Humans all live in one giant miscollaborated coincidence?” asked Wegnel mischievously.
“Ahh, we really must get going,” said Ethan awkwardly.
He grabbed Auren and headed toward the door.
“Thanks for havin’ us in then,” said Ethan over his shoulder as they scurried out, past the fat cat and into the night.
“Gnnnuuuuaaaa,” snorted the cat as they disappeared into the fog.
The boys set off at a brisk pace in hopes of returning before Auren’s father noticed he was gone.
“Well, Odin was right about one thing — Sir Wegnel the Alchemist is a loony,” panted Ethan, partially out of breath.
“I thought he was brilliant,” said Auren sarcastically.
Ethan sneered at him.
“Hey, you were the one who dragged me out tonight,” shrugged Auren. “Now I’d better get running before my father finds out where we’ve been — gotta sneak back in the house.”
Auren made his way straight home and Ethan started on his way as well. Unlike Auren, he had no father or mother to worry about him when he showed up late in the night. He missed having that, and thought about it often. Odin never got mad at him and sometimes encouraged his outings. Ethan made his way up the wooden staircase and inside the house. He found Odin waiting for him in the study.
“You met Wegnel I see,” said Odin sternly.
“Wegnel the Alchemist … you mean,” corrected Ethan.
“Indeed,” replied Odin.
“I am not a useless old man, and this town has ears — that is for certain,” said Odin. “Speaking of ears, I presume you heard me talking to Tothyll?”
“If you mean that strange man by the store, yes, I overheard you,” replied Ethan hesitantly. He got a look from Odin. “I … I didn’t mean to listen in on you, that is …”
“I have no doubt you meant well on your journey to Wegnel’s place, which is why you will not be entering the youth sword competition tomorrow … and instead, you will help Wegnel with a task tomorrow night,” said Odin calmly.
Although Ethan had no intention of entering the youth sword competition, he looked a bit surprised. He was not used to consequences occurring for his occasional wrongdoings. It reminded him of when his father and brother were around, and for once it made Ethan feel normal.
“Ah, yes sir…,” replied Ethan. “If I may ask, what kind of task?”
“Collecting herbs for some kind of alchemy experiment for his newfound way to convert ore to gold I think,” said Odin with a faint smile. “Ethan, I know you wanted to enter the competition …”
“I really don’t care about the competition,” replied Ethan quickly.
“Yes you do,” answered Odin softly. “I want you to know that I am not doing this to be unfair to you.”
There was a long silence before Ethan replied. “I know … goodnight Odin, and … thanks.”
Odin smiled and said goodnight. Ethan picked up Loki, who was already sleeping in front of the fire. He draped the cat over his shoulder and went to his room. He placed the cat at the foot of his bed. Loki got to his feet where he stretched, walked in a circle and plopped right back down.
“What do you think of all this, Loki?” whispered Ethan to his cat, who was now cleaning his face. “I don’t think father would care if I missed the sword competition — I know Isaac would though.” Ethan blew out the lantern and went to sleep knowing he had an interesting day ahead of him.
Chapter 3
The Youth Sword Competition
Ethan awoke the next morning and joined Odin in the study with a cup of tea. Odin seemed distracted. He was concentrating his efforts on drawing a map while sipping from his almost empty mug. Ethan noticed another older-looking map lying next to the one Odin was working on. He wondered why the old map was important enough for Odin to need a copy. Was it for tonight’s task? The caretaker seemed so preoccupied with the details of the map that Ethan started to wonder if the old man had forgotten about last night, or the odd punishment that had been assigned. Ethan started to get up to leave when Odin spoke.
“I want you to take Loki with you tonight. I think it would be good to get him some exercise for a change.”
“Ok,” shrugged Ethan.
“And another thing,” pestered Odin. “I found a package buried under some clutter. I am afraid my curiosity got the best of me, so I opened it and found this map, along with a note from your father.”
Ethan took the old map and the note from Odin’s grasp and read it aloud. ‘“Isaac, I finally found it, Thomas.’”
“What do you suppose he means … found what?” asked Ethan intently as he started to examine the map that Odin had been copying.
“I am not sure, Ethan. I figured he would want you to have it. I made a copy of it so I can do some research,” said the caretaker as he put his head down and added the final touches to his copy.
Ethan grew frustrated as he studied the map. “Tirguard? What a stupid map, this place doesn’t even exist!”
He started to pace back and forth while anger brewed in his eyes. “I bet he did go nuts, drawing up silly maps, and leaving his only family for dead. I hope he did go mad! He’s much more trouble than he was ever worth anyway!” yelled Ethan as he cast the map into the smoldering fireplace.
Odin quickly retrieved the map from the fire. “Ethan, your father …” But Ethan had already stomped out the front door with his wide-eyed grey and white cat trotting behind him.
Ethan tried to focus on the task he was to do that evening, but the events of the morning spun around in his head. He thought of the competition and how he would not be given a chance to face Marcus. He thought of his first encounter with Wegnel and pondered if he really was loony. But most of all, he thought of the old map, and imagined his father drawing it up for his missing brother. He wondered why his father would draw Isaac a map anyway. Maybe there would be a dotted line on the map that would lead him straight to his twin. He felt bad for yelling at his caretaker, and then decided it was good of Odin to have drawn a copy of it.
Ethan picked up Loki and held him up to his face. “What do you think? Do you think I screwed up?” He looked at the cat as if he was about to receive advice. “Oh, what am I thinking, I deserve to be punished,” he said aloud.
It had been a long time since Ethan had received a punishment. He decided that he would do his best to help Wegnel so that Odin would hopefully look past his outburst from earlier that morning. But first, he decided to go on a small hike to Whitehaven and watch part of the youth sword competition.
“C’mon, Loki. Odin said we couldn’t enter, but he didn’t say anything about watching the first few matches.”
The cat jumped down with a plop and followed Ethan toward Vincent’s general store. There was a large wooden sign on the sturdy door that read Closed for Sword Competition.
Ethan chuckled. He continued walking, but then noticed the strange man that had been speaking to Odin now approaching.
“Greetings, Ethan. It is nice to see a young lad enjoying the day — shouldn’t you be entered in the youth sword competition today?” asked the stranger abruptly.
He was very well dressed and carried himself with a strut that showed he was of higher society. He had a sneaky look on his face that made Ethan feel a bit uncomfortable. His hair was stiff and coarse with a dark silvery hue and even his shoes were of a high gloss that shone in the sunlight.
“I’m on my way there now,” answered Ethan.
“A little late for signing up — don’t you think?” asked the snooty gentleman.
Ethan nodded. “I’m just watching.”
“Surely not, a young man with your skill would be in the fight, not on the sidelines. Besides, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of your skills with a sword, be it made of bamboo or whatever….” He pulled at the fingertips of his gloves, slid them into one of his pockets and then offered a hand to Ethan. Ethan paused, and then shook the man’s hand. He tried to take his hand back, but was pulled in close.
“Do you know who I am, Ethan?” the silver-haired man asked quietly. As Ethan was pulled close he noticed the man had bright green eyes that seemed to peer right through his soul. Several necklaces and pendants clinked as he pulled Ethan forward. Ethan pulled his hand away and stood up tall.
“I saw you speaking with Odin. Your name is Tothyll.”
“Yes, but more importantly is what I do — I am a recruiter for the Royal Guard. I was sent here for you … a Mr. Ethan Wright. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of you in this year’s sword competition.”
“Well it’s too late to enter, so I’m going to go watch for a while. Please excuse me.” Ethan started to walk around Tothyll, but was cut short.
“Being a man in my position, I have a certain pull with authority around here. Needless to say, I can easily get you into the next round of the competition. We will simply enter a bye for the first round, no problem. In return, I would ask that you simply consider the Guard …” insisted Tothyll.
“Not interested,” said Ethan flatly as he walked around.
“One last thing — I heard news of you visiting Wegnel last night,” challenged Tothyll.
Ethan stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t told anyone, yet everyone seemed to know. Ethan smirked to himself as he thought of the babbling rambles that blurted unnecessarily from Wegnel’s pruny face.
“Yeah, I met with him b
riefly,” answered Ethan.
“Beware Wegnel the Alchemist — not to be trusted at all, young lad,” said Tothyll smoothly. “I suppose a bright young boy like you saw right through his deceit, and I have full confidence you are not one to mingle with such foolish characters. I suspect a boy of your intelligence would have much better sense than that.”
“Why do you care about Wegnel?”
Tothyll smiled and patted Ethan on the back.
“I don’t … and neither should you. His reputation may get you into trouble — as a recruiter, protecting your reputation is extremely important to me,” said Tothyll sincerely. He turned and started walking away. “Have a good time watching the tournament,” he added.
Just then, Loki came trotting out from behind some empty barrels with a small rodent in his mouth. He set it down and licked his paws.
“We had better get started, Loki,” said Ethan. They headed up the path toward Whitehaven. He thought about stopping at Auren’s house, but decided to stay clear in case he was getting punished for last night. He continued on until he arrived at the busy city of Whitehaven. He had reached the giant wooden gate in just under an hour. The stone walls were decorated with dark blue and yellow banners, and several tents were set up outside the wide-open gate. People were bustling about. Some were selling food or youth competition swords and armor, and others were spectating or simply in the contest themselves.
Loki made a large leap onto Ethan’s shoulders to escape the bustling crowd. Ethan began to make his way through the massive wooden gate of Whitehaven. The annual competition was the only time Ethan could remember the gate being wide open. As he walked further past the gate, he saw what appeared to be hundreds of young competitors dressed in leather armor and carrying two-handed bamboo swords. He could hear the loud CRACK of the bamboo echoing off the stone city walls. This competition was much larger than he remembered.
Suddenly, a couple broke through the crowd as their son was called up to fight. Ethan took a step backward to move out of their way, barging into the registration table. He quickly turned, causing Loki to dig his claws into Ethan’s shoulders. Feeling the sting of the claws, Ethan put his hand on the cat to help him keep his balance.
