Alphande'

The snow had melted into rain. I was quite ambivalent about this; I liked the weather because it wasn’t too cold but hated it because it was too wet and my clothes were becoming weighted and uncomfortable.

The humungous peak crowned by Llyn Morir was now clear before my eyes. A craggy, black monstrosity it was, whose peak was cuffed by clouds mixed in smoke and ash. Bright rivers of orange lava poured down its slope which gave the entire sky an auburn glow. I now began to doubt whether or not I would be able to climb such a thing and live to tell the tale.

There was the sounding of a low horn coming from the forest left of where I stood. Followed by another horn coming from just behind the hill. I climbed the nearest tree to have a better view of what was happening. A small party of Verdans emerged from the trees. Amongst them I saw a short black-haired man—a changeling—which from this distance, I thought to be Vykros.

A larger party came from the North they too had prisoners, one who seemed to be dead or unconscious as he was slung over the shoulder of the Ulgana and the other walked quietly among them. I couldn’t see their faces but if Vykros was caught it meant that those two might be Ballahad and Ashbeth. I became overwhelmingly alarmed as I realised that it might Ballahad that was not walking on his own.

Both parties merged at the front of the gate and stood even though the gates of the town lay open for them to enter. They seemed to be waiting for something as their eyes looked in the direction in which I was hidden. “They must be waiting for the others.” The ones I had met, it suddenly occurred to me. I now knew that they waited in vain. Another horn sounded, that one coming from within the city and all the Ulgana warriors and their captives entered through the gates which were then firmly shut.

I climbed down the tree and then looked at the volcano and then back at the city. The race was now mine to win. The other catches were more than enough to occupy the city dwellers for now. I could easily sneak in and out of the city.

But then there were the others. What would become of them if I did nothing to help? If I were in their place I knew they would have declined to help me. I was just a chuman after all. Yet it was my chuman-ness that made me different. I’d despised Tet for her cold and conniving ways where the means, no matter how cruel, always seemed to justify the outcome. I was different from her and I would prove it. Avandor help me I was going to rescue the others.

I dragged my eyes away from the looming volcano and on to the city. I had learnt from Dominic that it was Verdan tradition that all things of significance took place close to a water source so that would be where I would find them. After clambering down the tree, I made my way down the hill and towards the city.

The wall was higher than I’d expected and there were no footholds which I could use to climb. The gate was not an option as it was guarded by two Ulganas perched on wooden parapets at opposite sides of the entrance. Skimming the wall I finally saw my way in. There was a silk cotton tree nearby with branches overhanging the fence. The bark was slippery and it took me several tries before I made it up on the lowest branch. Carefully I climbed until I was just above the level of the wall. Slowly, I shimmied over the boundary wall, the tree limb becoming thinner at the distal portions. It was at a point where it had begun to bend precariously from my weight.

I was about twenty-five feet above the ground and the nearest roof was at least twelve feet below. I heard a slight crack and I looked behind me. I had grossly overestimated the strength of the limb. Before the stem snapped I jumped down on the roof. I landed on my feet but the roof was slick from the rainfall and I skidded to the very edge of the building. I grasped the end of the roof with one hand. My fingers trembled under my weight and I couldn’t hold on for much longer and dropped heavily on my backside. It was not the landing I had hoped for but I was safely in the city. Lucky for me, no one had witnessed my fall.

Stealthily I moved among the houses made of the black earth and sticks. I was getting closer to a gathering of some sort as the sound of drums grew louder. In the centre of the village everyone was assembled around a fissure cutting a circular path in the earth from which steam issued. Through the mist I saw four figures suspended over a pool of boiling water. Three of them were fighting against their restraints but the other was limp over the pool.

The feverish beat of the Ulgana’s drumming became slower and more reserved as the tune groaned with deeper meaning. The most important part of the ceremony was about to begin which meant that the others didn’t have much time left. The ropes started to lengthen slowly and I still had no clue about what my next step would be.

The music stopped abruptly and suddenly I saw a changeling slashing his way through the thin crowd of surprised Ulgana. He flung his sword towards one of the ropes cutting the person down. I got a glimpse of the silver eyes under the cropped hair—Ashbeth. If he was there, then who were the others? He caught his rescue in one hand and the falling sword in the other. Untying the other changeling they both ran off into the crowd of confused Ulgana. The other rescue was just as quick as Vykros suddenly appeared taking his damsel and disappeared.

The confusion in the crowd was beginning to wear off and the ropes were advancing more quickly. No one else had come forward to create anymore rescues so the other would be up to me I thought. I shrugged off the heavy coat I’d stolen from the Ulgana. Taking his axe I fended off two of the silver scaled men that charged towards me.

“Van! Hurry!” the cloak fell back from one of the suspended changelings and I saw that it was Tet. The rope she was on swung back and forth as she struggled against it. I dropped the axe and quickly notched an arrow into the bow. Timing when she would be over solid ground I let the arrow fly and I watched satisfied as she landed on solid earth. I grabbed the axe and ran over to her helping her out of the ropes.

“Behind you!” she said. An Ulgana lumbered towards us, a mask of anger on his face as he waved his weapon over his head. Fingers to bowstring once more I let an arrow fly. It flew through his eye and out the back of his head.

I noticed that one changeling still hung over the cauldron of bubbling water. I looked around me quickly. It seemed that no one was coming to save her. I handed the axe to Tet. “Here, use it and get out of here.” I said as I dashed towards the unconscious changeling. It concerned me greatly that Ballahad was yet to appear. If something had happened to him I couldn’t change it but I could at least save whoever this person was as I sure she or he was close to him in some way.

The rope was low enough now so I didn’t have to stretch far to pull the changeling over to the safety of the ground. The knots binding him were tight and I cursed myself for not having a knife. I eventually got her loose and then rolled the body to face me. She—for it was indeed a female—opened her eyes revealing penetrating black irises. Her copper skin had blotchy red blisters from dangling so closely over the steam.

“Harnth frishka,” she seemed to utter. I didn’t understand what they meant but when I looked behind me and saw that two Ulgana who had seemingly been heading towards me were suddenly diverted elsewhere, it became a bit clearer. Magic.

Tet then bustled beside me. “We need to go, more of them are coming back with weapons.” she said. I agreed taking up the injured changeling. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“What?” I asked puzzled as I hadn’t seen what I was doing incorrectly.

“She is not your save. You have to leave her behind as she will slow you down. The others are ahead already and you cannot put yourself at an even greater disadvantage.”

“You can’t expect me to just leave her here.” I asked surprised

“She isn’t your responsibility.” she said coldly.

“You weren’t mine either, but that didn’t stop me from rescuing you. I am bringing her with me and that is final.” I said as I put the woman over my shoulder.

“Fine!” she said after we had engaged in a brief staring contest, my will winning out against hers. She turned running towards the road heading west and I followed behind her.

The exit from the city was definitely easier than the entrance. All the guards had gone to the city centre towards the disturbance and it was only a matter of making my way through the gate. What lay beyond the gate was another issue all by itself.

The land was devoid of all forms of life as everything here was covered in ash and black. I thought a place could never be as depraved as Timon, but this was a hundred times worse. Lakes of lava were scattered over the valley and it was hard to tell which way to go as masses of land seemed to melt and fall into the ever expanding pools of molten rock. The air was heavy with the scent of sulphur and the floating dust made it difficult to see as my eyes stung and watered.

Tet had stopped as she watched the landscape in front of us. I came up beside her panting and coughing at the same time. “Do you mind telling me how it is that you were in EnkÐáfheetra?” I coughed out.

“It was part of the Race. The EnkÐáfheetra trials they will call it I suppose. They needed to make sure that each of you would enter the city so we were given to the Ulgana as incentives for you to do so.” she said still looking ahead.

“But what about her?”

“What about her?” she asked as she looked at me.

“No one came for her.”

“I guess she wasn’t incentive enough.” she said piteously. “Some of us will do anything to get ahead Evander. I have been trying to explain this to you but you didn’t seem to understand. Maybe now you will.”

I took the woman from my shoulders and lay her on the ground. “She is hurt badly, is there something that you can do to heal her?”

“Did you not understand…” her eyes fired up.

“Tet she could die. It would not be the right thing to …”

“Yes you and your honour. I am tired of telling you that honour and emotion will get you nowhere, not in this land, but you cease to listen to me.” she said cutting me off but crouched beside me and the woman. Her hands raked over the woman’s form and for a while she was silent. I noticed that some of the blisters had gone and she was more active. Soon she could sit on her own albeit a weak effort. “I can do no more without harming myself, her injuries are many but I healed the most damaged parts so she will live.”

“Thank you.” I said taking in her tired yet beautiful face. I still hadn’t gotten used to her new appearance. “Will you be coming with me on the rest of the journey?”

“No,” I have to go back. “The both of us do.” she said as she looked at the other changeling.

“Through the city?”

“No we were given a key to get back. I must leave now as I am holding you up as it is.” she said getting up, swaying slightly. Without thinking, I dropped the other changeling and held her instead.

Silently we stared at each other not saying anything yet so much, some of it I don’t think I quite understood. She looked down and then twisted out of my hold.

“How old are you Tet?” I asked suddenly.

“Old enough to see much, young enough to know little. But why does my age matter?” she asked with an eyebrow shooting up.

“I was curious.” I said.

“Of all the times to be curious about that, you choose now.”

“I might never have an opportunity to do so again. I am after all in last place.”

“And that is all you choose to do—ask my age?” she said putting on an impish smile which made me a bit embarrassed as I knew what she implied.

“You should be going,” I said.

“I should,” she replied softly almost with regret. But as if catching herself she added the air of nonchalance I had become accustomed to soon enough. “Well you just have a little over one day to get to the top, don’t do anything stupid as you need to gain ground.” she took out off a necklace she had hitched around her throat and put it over my head. I picked up the small pendant of the wolf and looked at it.

“What is this for?”

“It is my key and you are the door.” Beside me a portal suddenly opened and she stepped away from me. “My father gave that to me and I want it back, so do not come last or die.” she smiled slightly.

“I will see what I can do about that.” I replied. She looked at me once and then stepped through. As soon as her back was in the portal closed off. I was left with no one else but the other changeling.

The other changeling! I had temporarily forgotten about her. I should have let her go with Tet. Plus I had dropped her to the ground so roughly she must have gotten hurt again.

I turned around but saw no one on the ground instead I saw her smiling weakly yet somewhat amused.

“A display like that is rarely seen in these unfeeling lands.”

“I do not understand what you mean.”

“You hate Tetjana?” her eyebrow shot up as if she were taunting me with the question.

“Yes, no…my thoughts of her at this moment are quite undecided.” I said becoming slightly miffed.

She laughed. “It will be interesting to see what you decide chuman. If you treat those whom you hate in such a manner, I wonder how you will treat those whom you truly love.” she paused. “My own son refused to save me, but you did it twice—for someone you do not know. You are a rather odd being chuman Evander.” she said looking at me with some kind of new found respect or admiration, probably even amusement or in jest. It was hard to tell what these changelings felt based on their affect.

“It was not odd, but it was the honourable thing to do.”

“Well yes. Honour, I have heard of it. I suppose I should repay you for your honour.” she came over to me and placed her hand on my head. “Friea.” she whispered in my ear and then kissed me lightly on my cheek and then stepped away. “You were bewitched by my son to come to his aid no matter the cost to your own life. I have freed you from that enchantment. Your decisions on who to save will be completely your own now.”

A moment that was lost to me suddenly appeared as I recalled the encounter I had with Ballahad the day before the Race started. It was a rather disconcerting feeling to have a lost memory returned. It was as if everything else in my mind was pushed forward to find space to fit the new memory in. She took off a ring and placed it on my little finger. “This was my key but you are not my door so it will not open a portal for me. However, I still want you to wear it. I too would like it back when you enter Talithá.”

“That would mean I would have to beat Ballahad in the race.” I said as I looked at the gold ring whose gem was in the shape of a book whose covers seemed to open and close depending on the angle.

“Then beat him.” she smiled slightly. “You should be off on your journey as I should be on mine.” she turned and started back to the city. “Oh and chuman,” she said turning around “sometimes the safest ways are found by cool springs underground.”

“I don’t understand?”

“You will soon enough—I hope.” she laughed and continued on her way towards EnkÐáfheetra.