by Ania Bo
Jatuk are frightening, their bodies bug-like and vile,
Their only adversary the Dvay, a formidable reptile.
Underground dug the Tholen where they made caves and tunnels.
And the Olym flew to the skies where they left the earth to its troubles.
The Ilih, though small, lacked not in wisdom,
Like Man and his instincts, a power both valuable and fearsome.
The Zaend are our saviors, each race they may save,
And the Readers guide us all and ensure we behave.
Each race is connected, lose one and the others fall.
Guard and defend them, and may the Balance protect us all.
Soon enough they arrived at the park. Amy was excited to play around the fountain, wearing her gloves. As she couldn’t control her ability yet, she could only go outside if she wore her gloves. Although last night was stormy and everywhere was still wet, they didn’t care. Neither cold nor wet ground would be able to stop them from enjoying their last day together.
While Albert and Jane were walking together behind Amy, Jane felt comfortable enough to talk about something she noticed that morning. “How can Amy know about my nightmares and visions, Professor? Did you tell her something?”
Albert shook his head. “Maybe she decoded you.”
Jane nodded, their eyes still on Amy. They secretly knew Amy was more than a smart little girl, but neither of them was ready to confess it yet. So they stayed silent and Jane remembered a famous Zaend saying: “’Everything would happen in its due time; before it came, words couldn’t tell anything more than the silence could.’”
***
After spending the whole day out and enjoying the sun after the storm, they came back home. Jane put Amy to bed and read her favorite fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast”. Eventually, Amy would be a part of the world ruled by mankind, yet she would hide who she really was from everybody just like the other races did.
As the little girl slept, Jane silently left her room. She barely made it three steps when she held her head with a gasp. A vision struck her, and she stumbled as if tripping over a large rock. She instinctively held the wall so as not to fall. In her vision, she was in a huge warehouse and saw the young man, the Protector, running toward her. But when he reached her, he didn’t stop. He passed right through her as if she was nothing more than a ghost. Jane turned back to see where he was running to see Amy sleeping in her bed in the middle of the warehouse. He didn’t stop until he reached Amy.
Panic rose in Jane and she hurried toward him. “Samuel, Samuel stop! Leave her alone!” Fear consumed her, but then the vision faded to black and a quiet voice came from somewhere to her left.
“It’s time sister, you have to go. But don’t worry I’m going to see you soon. I love you.”
Jane opened her eyes to find herself holding onto the wall. She pulled herself back together, then tried to hide her fear and puzzlement. Amy wasn’t in the hall with her, but she swore she heard her sister’s voice. She walked back to see if Amy was awake, but she slept like an angel. First Jane thought Amy’s talk was a part of her vision, but then suddenly Amy spoke in her sleep again.
“I love you, Jane.” The words were barely louder than a whisper.
Jane was confused, but with a heart full of love for Amy, she bent and kissed her pale, soft cheeks. “I love you too, little sister.”
Her visions had become confusing over the last month. In the beginning, they were fun then they started to change, turning darker, scarier. As time went by, they shifted again to more perplexing and disturbing. She was relieved as she thought soon all these visions would disappear. As soon as her duty was completed, she would be able to go back to her ordinary life. Jane quietly left Amy’s room and hurried to find Professor Brown.
***
As Jane was going down the stairs, Albert came from his study with a phone in his hand. His face was stark white. Fear took over Jane’s soul as he passed the phone to her. She took a deep breath and said, “Hello.”
A young but strong female voice replied, “Keep these coordinates in your mind, 38.9891° N, 77.2515° W, park your car outside and walk. There will be a sign to show the way, wait for it. Leave now,” and the caller disconnected.
This was it. Jane was speechless. She gave the phone back to Albert. “I must leave.”
And all he could do was nod.
Jane took the jacket Albert brought her, along with a flashlight, and the keys to the car. They couldn’t find the right words to say. Albert hugged her tightly. Her flesh was cold as death. He wanted to say how much he loved her as a daughter, but he could only say, “You’re gonna be okay. We love you and will be here for you anytime you need. Never forget you are not alone, we believe in you.”
Jane replied with the same sincerity, “I love you too, Dad. I’ll be back. Tell Amy I love her. Don’t let her forget me, okay?” A tear fell from Jane’s eye.
Albert was confused if he should feel proud or sad. Jane was the one who could save all of existence, but this might be the last time they saw each other. After she got into the car, he shouted to her, “May the Balance protect you, my girl.”
Jane smiled, swallowed back her fear, and drove away to her new, unknown journey.
CHAPTER TWO
Jane drove far outside the city. She wouldn’t be the only one, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the Protector, Samuel, the man in her visions. The name she knew but was forbidden to say out loud. She had endless questions in her mind. Was he on the way too? Would she be alone in her training? What kind of a journey would it be? What would Chancellor Liz teach her? Would she ever have to fight? How would she find the creators on this giant earth? What did the other races really look like? Would they help her? For a moment she felt like she was about to go mad. She opened the car window and took deep breaths.
After a half an hour of driving, Jane arrived at the coordinates, but since it was the middle of the night, she couldn’t see anything. She left the headlights of the car turned on and stepped out. There was no sign or anyone there to guide her. A low rumbling sounded from the trees all around her and she gulped. When it sounded again, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She climbed back into the car, locking the doors.
“Why does everything have to be this terrifying and confusing?” she asked herself. She couldn’t stay in the car all night, but she could at least wait until her heart didn’t feel ready to pound its way out of her chest in fear.
***
Samuel drove toward the coordinates he’d been given, coming from the other side of the city. He was twenty-nine years old, strong, and brave. His hands were calloused from years of being trained to fight and survive. He was assigned as the Protector when he was just fourteen years old. A group of men and women came to his home and somehow managed to convince his mother that he was special. He was sure there was more he hadn’t been told, but after spending so many long years in the Far East, he learned not to ask questions of which answers wouldn’t change the situation. That was the best way of keeping the mind in a peaceful and stable state. See, accept, and move forward. He had been trained to focus on one aim: to protect the Balance. And changing or interfering with other situations was not his problem. He had to ignore everything else.
Long, painful, and lonely training finally gave its fruits; he became antisocial and mission-oriented. However, he was a human at the end of the day and emotions eventually reared their ugly heads.
For the last fifteen years, he was away from his mother and friends, waiting for a call from an unknown person. When the call finally came, he was with his mother, yet he didn’t hesitate to leave her. It was his duty. He took her car and drove to the coordinates. Though he’d been sheltered away from the world for so long, he’d been trained in how to handle vehicles. The smartphone, however, was brand new. Different. He enjoyed the sound of it, what it could do, and how many uses it seemed to have. He’d never had one before. In the temples where he was educa
ted, they barely spoke, and he could only see a phone when his mother called. That old rotary was certainly nothing like what he held in his hand now.
Alone in the car with only the motor and a smartphone to fill the quiet void, anxiety began to set in. The moment had finally come. His mission was about to start. Excitement, apprehension, even a bit of fear flooded his veins. His emotions were swept into turmoil as if a hurricane blew up inside him. All his feelings were turned around in his mind and soul. He reached over to turn on the radio, but the unfamiliar songs couldn’t chase away the thoughts racing around his head. His heart pounded as he thought of Chancellor Liz. This invisible woman who haunted his steps since he was a child would finally be revealed, and hopefully, his mission would begin—no more mentors, no more training.
He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that the voice of the computerized lady startled him when it announced the end of his trip. “You have reached your destination.”
Samuel looked around as the car came to a stop. He parked on a gravel path that seemed to lead to a dead end. He opened his car door to look around. There was nothing out there but trees and empty fields. As he began to walk, gravel crunching under his boots, he saw another car parked a bit further along. Maybe this was the sign Chancellor Liz had left, and he headed for it. When he was closer, he noticed a woman inside. He stood and watched her for a moment, curious as to who she was.
Jane had been tapping her fingers on the steering wheel when a whisper brushed across her ear. No words, just something telling her she needed to look out the window. She turned her head and jumped to see a man staring at her. At first, she was frightened, then he came a bit closer and she smiled. Samuel, the Protector from her visions, was here in flesh and bone. She opened the car door and ran toward him.
“Thank the Balance you’re here,” she exclaimed. She stopped short when he took a step back and held out his hands as if to ward her off. He tilted his head, looking suspiciously at her. She might know him, but he clearly didn’t know her. “Right, sorry. I’m Jane, the Visionary Reader. Your partner.” She felt like she had known him for ages. After having visions of him for more than a decade, he was very familiar to her.
Samuel had never seen this woman before in his life; he cleared his throat nervously, worried she was going to try and throw herself at him again. He wasn’t sure what to do but finally managed a small smile. “I see. Nice to meet you,” he said and bowed.
She kindly responded, “Nice to meet you too.” He seemed a bit stern and tense to Jane, but that was fine with her, they were in the middle of nowhere at midnight. He appeared to be a bit more focused on what was around them than this meeting with her. He seemed as if he had enough muscles to protect her in case there was something nasty waiting for them out there in the woods. She just hoped not to encounter the enemy until after they arrived at their meeting with Chancellor Liz.
Samuel relaxed a bit more as Jane continued to grin. In truth, he was happy to see her because meeting her was a milestone in his line of duty. He was more than ready for it but wasn’t sure if she was. It was obvious from her face she was scared. She bounced on the balls of her feet and continually glanced over her shoulder into the darkness of the night.
A wolf howled which only seemed to scare Jane more. Samuel stiffened, focusing on the noise, straining to figure out which way it came from. Straight ahead was all dark forest. He was going to tell her they were probably fine when Jane gasped beside him. “Jane?”
But she couldn’t respond. Another vision slammed into her and she lost her perception of reality. Everything became blurry and foggy. She fell from the sky, a silent scream on her lips, then landed in the forest, coming to a sudden stop in front of a giant white wolf. The wolf was as big as Jane and as white as the moon. Its blue eyes shone in the darkness of the forest. Its intimidating presence scared her even in her vision. She wanted to run away, but she couldn’t move. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. The wolf moved its head from right to left as if it was trying to see her better. Then it bowed. She wasn’t sure what it wanted her to do. It took a step closer and did it again. Did it want her to touch it? She hesitated, but a weight lifted from her as if she was released from invisible chains. As she was about to touch its head, a cold, strong wind came from the depths of the forest. The trees bent and broke, frozen by the strength of the icy air. As the wind was about to hit Jane, she sensed Samuel’s presence. Right before the wind hit her, the vision ended, leaving her breathless.
Everything was darkness again. Jane knew the vision ended, but she couldn’t find the strength to open her eyes. The howling of a wolf in the distance sounded again and a cool, soothing touch brushed across her forehead. This wasn’t usual, and for the first time, she was confused. What if the vision isn’t over?
After a few seconds, she built up her courage and opened her eyes. She found herself lying in the arms of Samuel. His hand rested on her forehead, and his eyes were closed too. While she waited for the uneasiness to pass from the vision, her blue eyes met Samuel’s and he offered her a comforting smile that made her feel safe.
Slowly, he helped her sit up, but didn’t let go of her shoulders just yet. “The sign is here,” she told him quietly.
He nodded and looked toward the forest. “Yes, I think so. Can you stand?” he gently asked.
Jane nodded and found her footing with his help. “I think we must walk into the forest.” She searched for a sign among the trees in the dark, wondering which direction they should go.
Samuel knew he had to follow the way the Visionary Reader led. He held out his arm for her to help her walk. “Then let’s go.”
Jane kindly rejected his help by raising her hand to signify she was fine on her own. She was still dizzy but was doing her best to hide any weakness from him. He gave her space as she made sure she could walk without falling over. Samuel took flashlights from his car and hers and gave one to Jane. Together, they walked into the trees once she decided where they should start their journey together. It was so dark, and the flashlights only had enough strength to lighten a few steps ahead of them.
Samuel stayed close to Jane. Although he didn’t mention anything, he saw she wasn’t fully recovered, and her legs shook. After ten minutes of walking, the howling became closer. Samuel shifted closer to Jane, making ready to protect her just in case.
Jane was impatient and tried to move as fast as possible, wanting to find the sign. After a few steps, her panic made her fall. She gasped in pain as her knees hit the ground. Samuel knelt to help her back up. As she moved, the deep growling of a giant wolf sounded right behind them. Slowly, they lifted their heads and stared right into the face of a giant wolf. It was as big as them and frightening as hell. Its blue eyes stared into theirs, and it seemed ready to hunt them down if they tried to move. Jane immediately recognized the wolf as the one in her vision and from Professor Brown’s drawings.
It didn’t take long before Samuel recognized it too. He whispered, “Is it Hati?”
Jane nodded. Hati was one of the two wolves of the Hikar King. The Hikar race was one of the most fascinating races — it wouldn’t be wrong to call them Lightning People.
Jane stood, Samuel with her. The wolf growled again, and Samuel stepped back. Jane raised her hand and moved forward to touch the wolf one slow step at a time, but the wolf was still growling. Samuel stayed right behind her just in case the wolf attacked. He had a hard time understanding Jane’s strange self-confidence. The wolf walked toward them as well and alarm bells rang in Samuel’s mind.
This wolf can’t be the sign, Samuel thought as the wolf continued its growling.
Once Jane and the wolf were close enough to touch each other, the beast sniffed Jane’s hand then let her rest it atop its head. The wolf let her scratch him for a minute then threw its head back and howled. Another wolf’s howl sounded from far away. Jane looked at Samuel and smiled. He was relieved to see the wolf was a friend. The animal turned around and looked back to be sure Jane and
Samuel were following it. They started to run after the wolf, hurrying to keep up so they wouldn’t get lost in the forest. Their flashlights were no of use, giving them only enough light to catch the white fur of the wolf as it darted between the trees.
After half an hour of running, Samuel realized the trees were beginning to thin, and suddenly, an elaborate garden appeared in front of them, a strange thing to see in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t an abandoned garden, overrun with weeds and vines. It was obviously well-taken care of with blooming flowers and manicured hedges despite the storm last night. The stunning beauty of it could be seen even in the middle of the night. As if the moon had been there to lighten the magnificent beauty. In the middle of it all, standing in stark contrast, was a rundown mansion. One wing had collapsed completely, the windows broken and cracked as if a group of kids had decided to use them as target practice, and the white paint was chipping off on every side.
While they were looking at the garden, the wolf disappeared. Jane and Samuel were left alone. Not sure what else to do, they approached the tattered door silently and Samuel knocked. The force of his knock pushed the door open. It was dark inside. They looked at each other then entered the mansion. There had to be someone here who can take us to Chancellor Liz, Jane thought.
The little bit of moonlight leaking in through the windows revealed that the inside of the mansion was just as dirty as the outside.
“Is there anybody home?” Jane shouted. Samuel looked at her as if she did something stupid and she just shrugged her shoulders. “What? I’m sure we’re fine. She must be here somewhere. The wolf brought us here, didn’t it?”
Samuel shook his head, casting his eyes through the front rooms of the house.
As if on cue, a man—if he could be called that—appeared from around a corner. He looked oddly like Lurch from The Addams Family, minus an ear that was half missing. He wore formal butler attire with a little black bowtie, disproportionately small compared to his massive height.
