by S. Y. Lee
Edan was a quiet boy and Caitlin estimated his age to be around five or six. His hair was brown like his mother’s, though there was never any talk about his father. Caitlin wanted to inquire about it, but she couldn’t find a good way to do so without drawing suspicion to herself. Clearly, they thought she knew why Edan’s father was absent.
There were no signs of modern technology and Keela had looked befuddled one night when asked about a phone or computer. Caitlin dropped the subject immediately and went to sleep. Her bed was tiny and uncomfortable, and she made it a point to face the door when she slept. While her two roommates seemed genuinely nice to her, she was still wary of them.
Yesterday, Keela had asked Caitlin to go hunting for food. She was an experienced outdoors person and grabbed an axe, a bow and a quiver of arrows, before venturing deeper into the woods. There was an abundance of wild boars which were about twice as big as Caitlin thought they could get, and while she had never hunted before, it came easily to her as she took down a boar on her first attempt. The arrow had struck the boar in its neck from the side, and the other boars scattered while her prize squealed and struggled with its last breaths. After it stopped moving, Caitlin dragged the boar back to the cabin by its hind legs where she found a skinning knife. She wasn’t sure how she knew to do it, but once she picked up the sharp blade, her hands moved quickly to remove the boar’s skin like she had done it hundreds of times before.
Today, it had still been bright outside when Caitlin was done with the firewood, so she decided to trek out to the road and make another attempt to find a way home. The hike through the woods was peaceful and Caitlin would have enjoyed it if she wasn’t stranded in the middle of nowhere. As the open road came into view, it was quiet, which was not unusual, but she sensed something was wrong. She had intended to bypass the fruit stand, but she knew it was nearby, and she decided to go check on Keela and Edan from a distance.
She approached under the cover of some trees, but when Caitlin saw the fruit stand from afar, she knew something was horribly wrong. It was barely standing and it looked like a car had smashed right through it. Caitlin ran to the fruit stand and looked around the messy scene. Fruits were splayed everywhere on the ground. Many had been squashed. Several of them bore the imprints of a horse’s hoof. Keela and Edan were gone.
Chapter 32
Both of her blades were drawn as Karine stepped to the front of the group. She was within striking distance of Alister and Leo wondered if the nimble man would be able to evade the elf’s attacks as effectively as he moved around.
“Hold it!” Elin shouted. She glanced at Sarah, then Eva and Leo. “Alister, I’m not trying to steal your daughter. She’s not coming with me.”
Alister continued to curl his mustache with his fingers like a maniacal villain while he considered Elin’s words. Everyone else in the tree was looking at them. Some men at the far end of the room were standing on tables so that they could see and hear what was going on.
“She’s coming with us.”
Audible gasps could be heard as all eyes turned to Leo. While he hadn’t drawn his sword, his hand gripped the hilt of Sparrow tightly as he thought back to the tournament in the Silver Square.
“She’s coming with us,” he said again, this time with more determination. Sarah stood behind him while avoiding eye contact with Alister. Eva and Themba retreated to the inner lining of the giant tree. A confrontation appeared unavoidable.
With a flourish of his hand, a small blade appeared out of nowhere between Alister’s thumb and index finger. He flicked his wrist and the blade was sent flying towards Leo’s head, who barely had time to blink when he heard a sharp clink. One of Karine’s swords had been swung back to deflect the blade to the side, redirecting its trajectory into the thick bark that surrounded them. In those mere seconds, Alister had produced another small blade between his fingers, although the slender man held onto it this time.
“We’re leaving. With the girl, if he says so,” Karine said, using her sword to point at Leo behind her. “I’ll take a hand from anyone who tries to stop us.”
Elin backed away towards the wall as the patrons of the tree tavern started to gather behind Alister, making their allegiances abundantly clear. While Karine was in the mood for a fight, Leo wasn’t so sure himself. The scenario wasn’t as black and white as it had been in the city where the attackers were out to kill everyone they saw and he had fought back in self-defense. Now, he was risking his life because of some English girl whom he had just met in this foreign land. And they were outnumbered by approximately four to one. The odds weren’t in their favor.
Leo pulled on his sword when he saw Alister step towards Karine, but he paused when he heard a shout from behind him at the same time.
“Mistress, duck!” Elin cried, and a massive ball of flame flew over Leo’s shoulder at Karine, who barely managed to dodge the fireball. The burst of flame hurdled towards Alister and he avoided it with a backflip onto a table, while the people around him stumbled backwards in surprise. One man’s clothes had caught on fire and he danced around frantically as he tried to douse the flames. But the fireball didn’t act like normal fire. It hit the ground and spread horizontally and vertically until it formed a wall between the two factions that were about to do battle.
Leo had come incredibly close to being burnt himself and he looked back in anger. However, he quickly forgot about the close call when he saw a giant hole in the trunk of the tree. It was a perfect circle that Elin must had created with more of her magical fire, and the edge of the hole was still burning as the wizard stood outside and beckoned for them to follow.
“Quickly!” she yelled, as she went off to the right, and Eva and Themba jumped through the hole consecutively. Sarah was hesitant, so Leo grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. Karine followed behind them and then they were all out of the tree.
The wizard hadn’t gone far and she soon returned with two horses in tow.
“Can you ride a horse?” Leo asked Eva. He had a decent inkling what her answer would be given her privileged upbringing.
Eva grinned. “Of course! I’ve been riding since I was a little girl.” She hugged Leo, who was still holding on to Sarah’s hand. “Be safe. I think both of our chaperones will get us where we need to go. I’ll see you soon, okay? And if you manage to find a way back, don’t you dare go back to Chicago without me.”
Before Leo could respond, Eva went to join the already-mounted Elin and pulled herself up onto the other horse with ease. It was clear she knew how to handle the creature. The wizard nodded approvingly at her before turning to the four on foot. “Hurry to Thermine. Warn them, but don’t linger. Get horses there and join us in Thelmont. Hopefully it won’t be too late.”
“Wait,” Karine held up a hand. Her swords had been returned to their sheaths. “The ring. Where did you get it? Did it belong to my brother or father?”
“Your father,” Elin said. She took the ring off her finger and tossed it to Karine. “He gave it to me before he went mad, as proof of my story.” She didn’t wait for Karine to respond, as she steered her horse to the left, looking over her shoulder to make sure Eva was behind her. The latter waved to Leo and Themba as she trotted after the wizard on horseback. As they passed the large blue door, Elin motioned at it with her left hand and vines started to sprout up from the ground onto the tree and wrapped around the entrance, buying Leo and the others time to get away on foot.
Chapter 33
They sprinted. Then, they ran. Finally, they jogged. It had been a few hours since they had fled the big tree, and Leo, Sarah, and Themba were exhausted and sweating profusely. Karine had told them to rest here while she scouted ahead. Night was soon approaching and so far, they hadn’t heard or seen any signs of a pursuit mounted by Alister and his associates.
Leo and Sarah sipped from waterskins as they tried to recover their breath. Themba was sprawled out on the ground with his eyes closed. The blistering pace that Karine had set was taking a
toll and even Leo was having a difficult time keeping up.
After traveling with her for multiple days, he was still surprised when Karine stepped out from nowhere and rejoined them. She had the ability to blend in among the trees and she hardly disturbed the ecosystem around her. He assumed it had something to do with her being an elf.
“Come,” she beckoned. “There’s a place ahead we can rest for the night. It’s not far.”
Leo nodded and tapped Themba on the shoulder. He helped the skinny man up and they followed Karine. She kept the pace slow this time and they soon reached a small clearing where there were some burnt sticks and leaves in a shallow hole dug in the earth. Someone had been here recently.
“Is it safe?” Leo asked.
“Yes. The fire pit is at least three days old, and I haven’t spotted anyone nearby. We must be prepared to leave at any time, but I think we’re good for now.”
Themba had sat down cross-legged and was unfurling a clean shirt that he had used to wrap the meat buns in. He took one for himself before offering the rest to the group. Taking a bite out of a bun, Karine told them she was going to survey the area again and she disappeared into the trees.
After Karine had gone, they ate in silence until Sarah spoke. “So, what’s your name?” She was talking to Themba.
“Themba. You sound like, your accent, it’s…” he responded, unsure if he should finish his thought.
“It’s British. Do you know what that is?” the blonde asked. Leo wasn’t paying attention to the conversation as his mind drifted off. He was homesick. He didn’t like camping and being out in the wilderness. He missed the trappings of home and the conveniences of modern technology. He hadn’t checked his email or social media accounts in days, and usually that would have put him on edge with anxiety. Instead, he was too tired to worry about such trivial matters as he spent the past days fleeing for his life and trying to survive in the woods.
“…I’m from Johannesburg and…”
Leo snapped himself back to reality when he heard Themba’s words.
“Wait, what?” Leo exclaimed, almost too loudly. Both of his companions were taken aback by his sudden outburst. “You’re from South Africa? You mean you’re not from this world too? I’m from the USA. The United States. Eva too. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Oh… I didn’t know. Everything here is so… scary,” Themba said. He shifted back just a little on the ground and away from Leo.
“You’ve been traveling together for days and you didn’t know?” Sarah was incredulous. She was mostly annoyed that she had spent the past few days in this strange land by herself, while Leo and Eva had each other and they didn’t even realize that Themba was in the same boat as well.
Leo was ashamed and he buried his face in his hands in embarrassment. Truthfully, after reuniting with Eva, he hadn’t made much of an effort to speak to Themba and learn more about him. He falsely assumed Themba was a native of Silverbrick, but this latest revelation was significant. Apologizing profusely, Leo begged Themba to tell them his story.
After Themba was done, Leo asked Sarah to describe her journey here again, this time in much more detail than she had in the big tree. He went last, recounting his two weeks in Chicago and how Eva had purchased the wooden box at the mall.
“The boxes. Were there Greek symbols and drawings on it?” Themba asked.
“Yes,” Leo said.
Sarah shrugged. “There could have been. I didn’t get a good look at it, but we were in Greece, so it’s a reasonable assumption. What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it since I woke up in the inn. I wish I had studied it more when I had the chance,” Themba said. Leo was the only one among them who had spent any time with the boxes that had brought them here. “If only Professor Baker were around. He would surely know.”
“Professor Baker?” Leo asked.
“Yes. He’s an American archaeologist. I met him a few years back. I hope to be like him one day.”
“Do you mean Richard Baker? Brown hair, tall, and chiseled looks?”
Themba nodded.
“His wife Caroline is my college professor! What are the chances?” Leo and Themba looked at each other in amazement. Here they were, complete strangers in a different world, yet still connected by a thin thread.
“An archaeologist? Does he have blue eyes?” Sarah asked and both men turned their attention to her. They hadn’t expected her to be hanging on that same strand as well.
“Yes. How did you know?” Leo asked.
“He was, I think I saw him, at the excavation site. He looked like one of the guys in charge. Oh my, this is all connected. It’s no coincidence we’re here, don’t you see? But why us? How do we get home?”
“Maybe we have to find the boxes. Leo, do you remember the symbols on the box?” Themba was never good at speaking with strangers, but he was starting to warm up to his two new friends, even if they had been cobbled together by forces unknown.
“Yes.” Leo grabbed a twig off the ground and used it to draw on the patch of dirt next to the hollowed pit. He wasn’t much of an artist, but as best as he could, Leo drew several of the symbols he had traced repeatedly with his fingers on the box. There was a man holding a sword, a two-headed monster, and a large bird of some sort. The final symbol he drew was a dagger that dripped with drops of fire, instead of blood.
“That’s the sign of Jaxon.”
Leo froze. Neither Themba nor Sarah had uttered those words. It had come from above them. Almost in unison, the three of them looked up.
*
It was Karine. She was perched on the long branch of a tree about thirty feet above them while eating what was left of her bun. Nobody said anything as she finished eating, then jumped off the branch. She landed gently on her feet behind Leo with catlike reflexes. If she hadn’t spoken up earlier, they wouldn’t even have noticed her.
Karine sat down between Leo and Sarah and looked around at their faces.
“How much did you hear?” Leo asked. He wasn’t sure how the elf would react or if he should reach for his sword. He decided against the latter, knowing that if he showed any sign of aggression, Karine would take his hand off, just as she had threatened those people back at the tree. He might be able to go toe to toe with her on even terms, but there was no doubt who was the quicker draw.
“Everything. You humans speak too loudly.” She was looking at the symbol of the dagger that dripped with fire. “This symbol was on the box that brought you here?”
“Yes,” Leo said.
“You’re not of this world? I don’t understand.” Fortunately, Karine appeared to be more confused than angry.
“Neither do we. That’s why Eva went with the wizard. Where we’re from, there’s story about a wizard who helps someone go home from a strange land.”
“That’s fiction. And the wizard in that story was a fraud by the way,” Sarah chimed in. It was one of her favorite stories and she was annoyed that Leo was mistelling it. Themba nodded in agreeance with her. He worked in a library. Of course, he was familiar with the story.
“Well, Elin is no fraud, as you saw back there. I’ve heard many stories about her. She is far more powerful than she lets on. But wizards always have their own motives. I’d be careful about trusting her,” Karine said. “So, all you want is to go home? Where is that?”
“We don’t know. We’re each from a different country where we’re from. I’m from the United States.” Leo paused for a reaction and Karine shook her head.
“And you were a swordsman where you come from?” she asked.
“No. I can’t explain how I’m able to use the sword. It’s like I have memories of both places. Of both growing up here and back in Houston, where I’m from.”
“Me too! I didn’t even know that language I was singing in back there at the tree, but I could do it,” Sarah said. Themba didn’t have anything to add. He was no expert swordsman or multilingual songstress in
this world, nor was he deemed worthy enough to learn magic. Even in this world, he was at a disadvantage.
“Very strange.” That was all Karine said and she stood up to surveil their surroundings one last time. It was tough to gauge from her reaction whether she believed them. Their story must have sounded farfetched, even for a world with wizard and elves.
It was starting to get dark and Karine wasn’t interested in continuing the conversation. Instead, she accompanied Sarah to go behind some bushes to help her change into Eva’s clothes, then made them all sleep around the pit on the ground for the night, instead of leaning against some hard tree. Leo wasn’t sure which he preferred, but either way, he was too tired and soon fell asleep.
*
There was no luck of Karine allowing them to sleep in the next morning. When she woke them, there was just enough light to make out the outlines of the trees. They didn’t have time for breakfast as the elf had them up and going at a fast pace through the woods, not that they had much food left. The meat buns were gone and all that they had was a loaf of stale bread, which Leo tore off pieces and divided among himself, Themba, and Sarah as they walked.
Karine had hardly spoken since last night, and Leo was concerned. He wondered what she thought of their situation or if she even believed them. What if she thought they had been driven mad by the same evil that afflicted her father?
