Red Leaves and the Living Token

chapter ELEVEN





A military looking Botann stood in the empty space between The Holy Master Cleric and a crowd of men at the back of the room.

"All captains of the general guard reporting.” The Botan said.

Another man stepped forward next to the first. "As is the High Commander of your special guard."

"Thank you for coming so quickly. The matter is urgent, as I'm sure you've been informed. But there is much you do not know. That's why I've called you all here. I want you to hear this first hand... from me.” He paused.

"Captains please come forward, so we may speak more intimately." He said.

The crowd responded immediately, falling in behind the first two men who stood half way into the room.

"The Holy Token was sighted by a patrol in the mountain outside the city. We sent a company of the special guard to retrieve it.

"They've reported that an entire division of the Petra army has moved into the area of the sighting. The patrol is missing as well as the persons of interest and most importantly the Holy Token.

"We can only assume the Petra command is in possession of it. My friends we cannot allow this. It is a betrayal of the oath we've pledged to protect the sanctity of the holy article, the Token. It must be returned to its shelter here with us. We've made this promise." The Holy Master Cleric said. He paused to study the faces of his captains.

"Who here is willing to fight for this cause?" He asked.

The crowd responded with a unanimous "HO!" as they stomped their right leg and lifted their right arm in salute.

"You honor me with your devotion." He said.

A thin Botan in flowing white rob rushed up to the Master Cleric and whispered in his ear.

"The Petra division has broken camp. They're moving." The Master Cleric repeated.

He focused his glare on his high commander.

"Commander, if we cannot come to a compromise in this situation?"

"We have enough numbers to stop their single division, yes." The Commander said.

"Then we must send our response now." The Master Cleric said.

"This would be considered an act of war, your holiness. A war that we are not prepared to fight." The Commander said.

"Trust me my young friend, we have no choice. The Token is our trust. It cannot be betrayed even at the cost of war.” He paused to push himself to his feet.

“Move the soldiers into position now.” He said with his hand out stretched.



-



Moslin and Handers hurried through the thick leaves, ducking under the branches of the low ferns and bushes. The dense ground covering made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them.

Moslin stopped. "Do you know where we're going?"

Handers looked back towards the camp they had just left. All he saw was a quiet and peaceful forest, no sign of anyone following. How long had they been running? Ten minutes? That put them far enough away that the Petra wouldn't run into them by accident. He didn't think they'd come looking for them on purpose. At least not yet. They had more significant targets.

"Now what?" She asked.

He stared at her, not having an answer. He'd been obsessed with what just happened. He hadn't moved on to what they should do now. He kept going over it and over it again in his mind. His son there with in his reach. The door opened for them to go home. He questioned himself, his actions. What had gone wrong? What could he have done differently? Should he have grabbed him and taken him by force. Rifled through his clothes to find the token for the general?

Every time he followed an alternate thread of action in his mind it ended with the same thing, his son's last words. That he wasn't willing to fight for him.

Moslin put a hand on his arm. He glanced back at her a little startled. He didn't notice her coming up. Apparently he'd been staring off into the trees a little too long.

"We'll find him." She offered in comfort.

"I don't know." He turned to her. He felt the guilt rising. This time he didn't push it back. He was responsible for driving his son away. Emret was right. He wasn't willing to fight for what his son wanted. Yet he was ready to kill for what he wanted, to see things turn out the way he felt they should.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Even if we could find him. He'd just run away again." The horror of that thought sank in as soon as he said it. It wasn't that he couldn't protect Emret. It was that he didn't want his protection. He didn't want his help. "I..."

She took him by both hands and looked him straight in the eye. "Handers, It's not too late."

He didn't understand. "Not too late for what?"

"To fight for him." She said.

Handers stared at her. Apparently she'd been thinking about what Emret had said too. He was listening.

"I've seen things in the last few days with your son that..." She shook her head. "I tried taking him back home the day after we got to Shishkameen. But he absolutely refused. I don't know how but he knew he needed to come up here to find the token.

"Something is helping him. As hard as that is for an adult to accept, he knows more than you or I what he needs to do. He just keeps pushing forward despite what anyone else thinks. That's pretty amazing."

Handers watched her as she spoke about his son with such reverence. Emret had found the Token in much the same way he had. This thing that had changed his life in so many ways. They had shared it. And yet, if she had known about his own experience with the Token, would it have caused her to speak about him in such a way? No. She would've spoke of horror and shame, he was sure.

"What I'm trying to say is." She smiled. "The same power that's helping your son find what he needs can help you just the same. When we found the token… the forest rearranged itself to show him where he needed to go."

Handers shook his head and looked away.

She put a hand to his face and pulled him back to her. "Look at me. I don't care what you've done. You are his father. You have a right to protect him, to fight for him. What ever it is that's guiding Emret through the forest don't you think it would listen to the plea of a parent seeking his child. Wouldn't it help?

"No matter what you've done wrong, in that request, you're doing right! You're right to ask for help to help your son!"

The high pitched scream of a child sounded through the leaves. "Sinesh?" Moslin shouted back as she ran towards her.

"A frog!" Sinesh laughed. "Mommy come look. A frog!"

Moslin stopped and let out a frustrated sigh of relief. She turned back to Handers. "I'll be right back." She smiled then disappeared into the leaves.

Handers watched her go then sat down on a fallen log nearby. He felt his pocket. The tiny lump was still there. He pulled out his tiny fragment of the Token that had turned black.

The guilt overshadowing his heart hadn't subsided. Staring at the piece of Token only reinforced it. How could he ask for anything now? He'd already had this chance. He'd had the token. All he did with it was cause irreparable damage.

He held the tiny black fragment up. If only he could go back and start over. He thought about what Moslin had said, that no matter what he'd done, he had the responsibility to look after his son. He could always ask for help with that. Not for himself. For Emret.

He thought about that. For Emret. He could ask for that. For help. He held up the Token. "Forgive me." He whispered. The black token flickered. "Help me. Help me with my son. The Token flickered a shade lighter. "Help me fight for him."

The Token lightened again. His heart lifted. He continued to plead. "Please!" The Token sputtered a tiny flash of light before turning dark.

He stared at it in disbelief. Something was happening.

"Raj! Come look at this!" Moslin called. She and Sinesh were kneeling in the dirt staring at the ground. He came up behind them.

They were staring at a bunch of insects who were crawling in an odd line. He'd never seen insects of different kinds crawling like that together. He'd seen ants form columns but not with other insects. Unless they were eating them.

"What do you think it is?" She asked.

"I don't know." He answered.

"Either they're all trying to get away from something or... Something is attracting them." She pondered.

He wasn't sure what she was seeing. They were bugs! Who cared where they were crawling?

A large frog hoped into the patch of dirt filled with bugs. Sinesh laughed with delight. "The frog!"

It sat there for a moment next to the array of edible bugs but didn't seem interested in eating them. Instead, it turned in the direction the insects were crawling and hoped off, disappearing into a large fern.

Sinesh laughed again and chased after it. "Come back little frog!"

"Honey." Moslin called after her. Sinesh didn't respond. "Sinesh!" Moslin scampered after her.

Handers was alone again. He took the Token out once more and focused on it, on his son, on finding him. Again, it flashed a short moment of blinding white light.

More insects gathered in the creeping column. All pointing in what could be interpreted as a line. An arrow of direction. But then again they could all be attracted by a dead animal.

Should he at least find out? The idea felt immediately ridiculous. Was this what he'd been reduced too? Following a path of insects in the dirt? Was this the best way to help his son? Was this the best he could do?

Running through the Petra camp he'd felt like nothing could've stopped him from reaching his son. The power was intoxicating. For the first time since he lost his son, he'd felt - in control.

And now? He had no idea how to find his son. There was nothing to fight. He could work his way back to the road outside the camp and follow the horse tracks. By now who knows what would be left of the trail. So was this really a valid alternative? Bugs?

He stepped forward. The insects seemed to be moving into a dense part of the underbrush. He lifted the branches out of the way and crouched under them.

There under the ferns and bushes the distinct line of all sorts of creepy and crawlies continued. A small salamander had even joined. If they were all heading towards some sort of food wouldn't they be coming from all directions?

Still this was embarrassing. He was a grown adult. He was intelligent, strong and healthy. Why couldn't he figure out a way to help his son himself.

He pushed the thought out of his mind. He had tried it his way. With his strength and cunning. He pushed as hard as he could. And all he ended up doing was pushing his son away.

Humiliating? Fine. If it helped his son. He pushed further into the dense leaves.

The insects grew thicker, the further he pushed. A small frog hopped in line next to the salamander.

"Handers?" Moslin called from behind.

"Over here." He answered.

"What're you doing?" She came up behind him, pushing aside the heavy underbrush.

Great, it was distressing enough that he was staring at insects, now he had to explain it? He tried to think of an excuse. "Uh..."

She noticed the swarm below his feet. "Oh, wow. There's more of them."

He turned back to where he was going. "I just wanted to see... Maybe we should see where they're going." He glanced back to see her reaction.

She stared at him, trying to read his expression. "Sorry, I thought it was odd. But I didn't mean... Shouldn't we be looking..."

She was right, he thought. This looked crazy.

She furrowed her brow at his lack of response. Then her eyes flicked down to his hand.

The Token Fragment, he forgot to cover it. Warm light lit up the plants all around him.

She gasped. "The Token? You have it?"

"You're right. This is ridiculous!" He said.

He got up, took a deep breath and pushed past her, heading back the way they had come from.

"Handers?" She wheeled around and followed him.



-



Rinacht darted through the low lying branches and ferns with Emret still wrapped tightly in his arm. The forest opened up into a small clearing in front of them.

At the opposite end of that clearing, a group of Zo soldiers in black armor sat in a half moon facing them, waiting, as if they had known they were about to have guests.

Emret noticed an older Botann man dressed like a cleric sitting behind the others, almost hidden. He was clearly out of place.

The man in the middle of the half moon stood up.

"Rinacht! You made it!" He said as he moved towards them with a graceful slide. "We were beginning to worry."

Rinacht panted as he tried to catch his breath. "Yes."

"And who is this?" The man asked, giving Emret a friendly smile.

"This is Emret. Emret this is Lord Valance. He's the one who's offered to help us."

Emret eyed him curiously then leaned to the side to look at the group of men behind him. They looked rough and unpleasant, not the kind that'd go out of their way to help a strange child. He leaned back and forced a smile at Lord Valance. "Hi."

"Rinacht explained that you needed a little help getting through the forest." Lord Valance explained.

Emret twisted to look at Rinacht who nodded encouragingly.

"We understand you're looking for something. Something rather important." Valance continued.

Emret scowled. Who were these people? The fact that they knew about what he was doing made him nervous. "Why do you want to help me?" He asked through squinted, distrusting eyes.

Lord Valance smiled. "A fair question my inquisitive young friend. I'm not going to lie to you young man. We have an interest in what you’re looking for.” He snapped his fingers. One of the men sitting in the half mood stood up and brought a small object wrapped in cloth with him as he approached.

Lord Valance took the object and unwrapped it.

Emret leaned forward and stared at the dark stone carving. It had a remarkable resemblance to the Token that he had hidden in his clothes, a resemblance that he couldn't explain because it was a different shape and it wasn't glowing. Just the same, he knew what it was just by looking at it. Another Token.

"This belongs with the piece that you have."

Piece? Emret wondered. They weren't two Tokens, they were one? Two pieces of the same? He looked up at Lord Valance. Maybe he'd been a little too critical. Maybe they honestly did want to help him. He let a smile creep across his lips.

"Where did you find this?" He asked.

"Oh, we've been looking for a long, long time." Valance grabbed the glove on his right hand by the tips of the fingers and pulled. The heavy material slid off, revealing a black hairless hand. The polished surface of his skin shone like it was wet, contrasting sharply with the blackness.

"You're not the only one seeking help." Valance said.

Emret's face lit up. Then he felt bad. Had he really been that focused on himself? Of course, he couldn't possibly be the only one looking, the only one needing help. Of course, there were millions and millions of people in the world. So how could he have been so selfish? How many of those had health problems that couldn't be fixed? At least some of those people had to have thought the same thing he did, that there was some other way, that there was something out there that could help.

He felt sorry for misjudging this man. They'd come together in this need. He would help him find what he needed just as much as he'd find it himself.

"I think we have something we need to find!" Emret said quietly.

Lord Valance handed him the dark piece of Token. "I think we do." He smiled.

Emret took the token. A rush of white flowed through the stone, changing it from a dark purple to white. With the change came a flash of radiant light that receded into a constant glow.

The older Botann man in the back stood up with a gasp. The soldier next to him yanked him back down.

Emret stared at him for a moment. The man's face still lit up with an expression of awe. He looked a bit more messy than the others. Were those bruises on his face?

Perhaps he's been looking too. He thought. He opened his shirt and took the plant shaped piece had. Holding one in each hand, he could see how they fit together, where the small bird was meant to wrap around the base of the plant.

He slid them together, curving the bird to fit under the leaves of the other. As they clicked together, another blinding white light flashed.

Lord Valance covered his eyes and stepped back until the burst of light burned down.

A loud crack reverberated through the still forest, immediately followed by a wave of movement. Leaves shuttered, branches twisted, and the thick, immovable trunks of trees leaned and twisted. In a mater of minutes, the forest had parted, leaving them a clear and straight path.

A flock of birds sitting in the tops of the trees fluttered up into the air then swarmed down onto them.

The men in the back of clearing were on their feet now, gazing at the forest around them. They ducked as the birds buzzed by their heads.

The birds shot down through the new pathway that had opened up as the trees parted. Even the underbrush conformed to the new path, splitting and laying to the side.

Lord Valance smiled.



-



"Can I see it?" Moslin asked.

Handers covered it protectively. "It's just a small piece that broke off."

"Well why didn't you say anything? Of course, that explains what we saw. That was what was happening." She said.

He sat down on a fallen stump. "You say that now. But you should have seen your face before when you thought I was following a trail of insects. You thought I was crazy."

She frowned. "I..."

"This isn't how it worked before." He tried to explain.

"What do you mean, worked before? How long have you had this?" She asked, then stepped closer. "How do you have this?"

He took a deep breath. "Its complicated."

"OK?" She said.

He knew she'd have a lot of questions. How couldn't she? She'd seen him storm through the Petra camp like some kind of monster. She'd seen him toss the two ton stone soldiers as easily as he'd toss a child. She's seen his hideous black arm completely exposed.

Frankly he couldn't believe she came out into the middle of the battle to help him. He couldn't begin to imagine what must be going on in her mind. What lies she made up to convince herself to trust him. To risk herself for him.

He knew the longer he spent with her the more he'd have to explain. It was only a matter of time before she pressed for answers.

If now was that time, he wasn't ready for it. He couldn't go through everything that had happened since he left right now. It was too much. The things that she saw him do brought up bad enough feelings of guilt. The last thing he wanted was to go through the things she hadn't seen. To confess to her what he'd done that she didn’t already know about. He wasn't ready.

Really, what he was telling himself, was that he didn't want her to judge him any more harshly than she did now. He needed her. She was the only support he had left. If she knew. He might lose that too.

"Please." His eyes pleaded with her before he turned away.

She sat down beside him. "You don't have to explain."

"I had the entire token at one time. And it didn't work like this."

She listened.

"It opened up a pathway. Paved with stone."

Her eyes grew wide as she shook her head in disbelieve.

Had he told her too much already? Handers thought.

"Maybe..." she started. "Maybe with all that's happened..." She wrinkled her brow, thinking. "You have to start small. You know, prove yourself a little bit again."

He looked away. Having to work at it a bit actually made him feel better, as though it wasn't so much an act of pity if he had to earn it. He nodded his head in agreement.

She pat him on the leg and stood up. "I'm gonna go check on Sinesh."



-



Emret held the Token up high in front of him, trying to keep it steady from the jarring motion of the horse. He could see the glow stretching out in front of him molding the forest ahead into a clear cut path.

He was surprised that no matter how fast they seem to go the forest was able to keep up with them. They hadn't yet outrun the effect. It was like having a custom road laid out in front of you going exactly where you want to go without any unnecessary bends or detours.

He had no idea how long it would take to get where they were going as he still had no idea where that was. What he did know was this had to be the fastest way possible to get there.

He glanced back at the horse behind him. He could see the old man still watching him intently. The old man smiled as they made eye contact.



-



Handers stared at the patch of dirt filled with insects, pondering what Moslin had said. He held up the small and seemingly insignificant piece of the Token. What could he expect from such a small thing? It made sense that if anything were to happen it'd be small.

He got up and wandered over to the thin trail of insects. They were still there, moving towards some unseen destination.

After all he'd done, he had no problem with the idea of having to prove himself. He deserved no better. He pushed into the underbrush again. This time he didn't stop until he came to the end of the bushes and ferns. Suddenly the leaves fell away, leaving only the darkening evening sky behind them.

A beautiful mountain meadow stretched out below him, dipping down into a wide bowl. The forest continued on the other side, creating a wall around the slope of grass and flowers.

Handers’ mouth hung open as he took in the sight before him. He was not alone.

A rail of emerald light had appeared in the air near his feet that stretched across the grass and disappeared into the trees beyond the meadow. The light was made up of tiny glow bugs that had pulled together in a tight cluster, gently bobbing up and down.

He lifted up the Token fragment. It glowed brightly now. This was clearly his answer, no longer any room for misinterpretation.

The leaves rustled behind him. Moslin stepped into the clearing with Sinesh in her hand. Her mouth fell open, then pulled back into a smile.





T he forest around Emret and his new entourage grew thicker and darker as they progressed. Those even a little behind Emret’s horse had to weave in and out of the trees as the range of the effect the Token had seemed to have narrowed considerably.

As they pushed further, the forest on either side continued to thicken. Eventually the trees were so closely spaced, and the gaps between were filled with so much tangled underbrush, that it took the appearance of a solid wall. It made Emret feel a bit claustrophobic.

A short time passed with a lot less forward progress than they had hoped. The Token’s effect constricted even further now, forcing the horses to crowd together in a tight pack, as anyone that fell back more than 10 feet from Emret would get stuck.

One of the horses reared up on its legs and whinnied in pain. A tangled branch had left a nasty cut as it snagged on the horse belly. The other horses neighed and pushed from side to side as they struggled to get through tangled vines protruding into the path.

“I think we’ll need to go on foot from here.” Valance said.

The group dismounted. One of the men handed Emret to Rinacht to carry. Emret held the token out in front of him as Rinacht pushed him to the front of the group.

As he held the Token up, the thick tangle of branches unwound slowly, allowing them to continue, step by step.

We must be getting close, he thought. There’d be no way to pass through this without help.

After what seemed like hours of slow progress the tangle of vines gave way to more thinly spaced trunks. Then the forest ended entirely, and they found themselves on a ridge overlooking a small but beautiful valley.

The sight of it confirmed Emret’s suspicions. This place was like nothing he’d ever seen. They had to be close. The center of the valley looked like a manicured garden. But not like a normal garden that was cut back to shape. It was as though these plants themselves had grown in a specific ordered way, all of their own accord. Nothing was cut or trimmed. Yet everything was symmetrical with beautiful repeating patterns.

The high rim of the valley extended all the way around, making the garden below appear to be in the bottom of a bowl. On top of the rim a row of incredibly large and old trees bowed in towards the center, forming a natural semi dome.

Under the domed canopy, smaller Manae trees grew in a sideways pattern as though blown by a strong wind that had caused all their branches and leaves to point in one direction. Only, they were all pointing inward, making it look like they were kneeling or bowing down to whatever was in the center.

Ferns and wild flowers danced in and out of the Manea trees, twisting together to form a ring around the garden, all swaying in towards the middle. Even the tall stalks of wild grass grew at a bent angle that slanted towards the middle.

At the center of the garden, rose a small hill. Atop the hill was a dense thicket of gnarled thorny vines. From the rim, it looked like a small domed shroud. From with in the shroud, a red glow beamed through the cracks between the vines and branches, casting intricate curving shadows on the hill side.

A pond circled the base of the hill then trickled down into a stream that traced the outward edge of the garden.

“Its beautiful,” Emret whispered.

Rinacht carried Emret down the steep ridge, dropping them down into the garden. The others held back for a moment, giving the boy room.

Emret felt invigorate. At the end, finally, of what felt like an impossible journey. It was hard to fathom that his life, the promise of a future, of survival, all of it, everything he'd hoped for, was here, in the center of this garden. The excitement of it, the hope, gave him a new energy. Something he hadn't felt since he stepped into the forbidden courtyard in Shishkameen to touch what he had thought was the Red tree.

He felt the urge to make the final few steps on his own. Under his own power. He asked Rinacht to set him down.

Sure enough his legs took his weight. He stepped forward, and his confidence grew. Some thing was giving him renewed strength. He could feel it, as if it were a promise of what lay in store for him just ahead.

He stopped in front of the stream that flowed down from the pond below the glowing hill. The beams of soft red light that radiated out from the holes and splits in the thicket fell across his body. The red glow felt warm like he was bathing in sunlight.



-



Handers carried Sinesh as he jogged through the forest, weaving in and out of trees and hoping over fallen logs. The beautiful trail of light formed ahead of him, not only showing them the direction but indicating the easiest way through the thick under brush. Moslin ran up ahead of him, not having near the trouble or making near the noise as Handers. She could slide her slender frame through the tight spots where Handers had to force his way through, breaking hundreds of tiny branches in the process.

As they progressed, the forest around them become more congested and harder to pass through. The green glowing trail started weaving back and forth to get around obstacles rather than staying in a more direct line as it had previously.

Eventually the walls of the forest had become so thick with vines and brush that the only way they could get through was by following the trail of light through small gaps that forced them to either crawl on their knees or climb up to reach.

Handers wondered how long he’d be able to continue, being the largest of the three. Would he have to send Moslin up ahead? He thought. But each time they came to what seemed like an impasse, with a little work he was able to squeeze through.

Handers pushed his head out of a twisted corridor, formed by the thick vines, and saw Moslin and Sinesh standing still. They had stopped and were looking down at something.

“I think we’re here.” Moslin said.

Handers pulled himself the rest of the way out and climbed to his feet. They were standing on a ridge overlooking a bowl shaped valley.

He could see near the center of the small valley, his son standing near a pond of water, bathed in a soft red light coming from a hidden source. His heart jumped in excitement. It worked! He had found his son!

His moment of jubilance was cut short. His son wasn't alone. He knew he wouldn't be. But... Lord Valance! He wasn't expecting him! How was this possible? And Rinacht? He was there next to Valance. How could he have partnered with that man?

There was Bedic too! With Valance's soldiers on both sides. At least his son had a friend close.

He watched the group of adults hold back as his son broke his frozen stance and took a slow, burdened, step towards the glowing hill. He crossed through the shallow pond and stopped before tackling the incline.

Suddenly, Lord Valance and his two friends whipped around and drew their swords. They seemed to be staring straight at Handers. Did they hear them come in?

In answer, he heard something whiz through the air, come down, and hit the boy with a loud crack. The impact caused Emret to shutter. As he stumbled backwards, Handers caught a glimpse of what hit him. The head of a thick black arrow stuck out from his chest, having pierced through his back. Emret collapsed to the ground and slid down the hill.

Handers screamed, "Nooooo!” and charged forward towards his son. Half a minute away, at least, he scanned the forest for the source of the arrow. The border of the garden was almost solid. Nothing. He couldn't see anywhere that the arrow would've come from.

Something moved, then he saw it, behind him. There was motion on top of the barrier of vines and branches. Several figures moved forward and stopped at the edge. They were walking on top of the trees! Botann. They didn't have to go through it. They went over it!

One after another, Botann soldiers flowed in over the rim of the western barrier. As soon as they were visible he saw what he was afraid of. Bows lifted to the air. Then a volley of arrows raining down on the garden.

He turned back towards the center of the valley. Lord Valance, Barnus, and Whiting held their strange swords up in the air. The darkness from the blades spread out to cast a dark purple shroud over them.

Bedic, Rinacht, and the two remaining soldiers ran for cover, while Lord Valance and his two friends held their ground.

The darkness spread from their three blades down onto their clothes, turning them black, and continued on to their skin and fur, having the same black effect. The arrows came down in a thick barrage, falling heavy and fast. As each arrow hit the purple shroud, it slowed then puffed into a tiny cloud of vapor.

Hander's attention was drawn away by a strange sound. The outer barrier shook with a low rumble along the northern rim. With a loud crack of splitting wood, vast blocks of plant life fell under the weight of stone. A host of Petra soldiers rolled like boulders over the impenetrable thicket. They filled in and stopped in a line along the northern rim.

The Botans responded by dropping down into the garden and forming a line in between the Petra and the heart of the valley.

Handers paused. Distracted by the armies now surrounding the garden. What were they doing here? He thought.

He noticed Valance hadn’t moved since the arrival of the Petra army. What ever they were doing it was clear they weren't backing off. Even in the face of the now two armies.

The fact that Valance and his two friends hadn’t moved seemed to have given pause to both the Petra and Botann. They both held their position.

He had to get to his son, he thought. This might be his opportunity. At least the first time he'd seen the weapons with the dark blade, it hadn't had any effect on him.

He charged forward leaving Moslin and Sinesh on the ridge.

Lord Valance, Barnus, and Whiting turned as Handers came down the hill towards the center of the garden. They didn't advance on him, but they didn't back away either.

Handers hit the edge of the darkness coming from their weapons and passed through it without trouble.

"Go help you son!" Lord Valance yelled at him as he passed. "We'll defend you."

His son was laying still at the edge of the shallow pool circling the small hill. Handers dropped to the ground next to him and lifted him up, cradling him in his arms.

“Emret? Emret!” He pulled him close listening for a heart beat, for breathing. Nothing.

Blood poured out from the wounds of the arrow. It looked as though it might have pierced his heart. He shook him again. “Emret? Don't do this!”

He stood up with his son in his arms. Rage began to swell up inside him. He closed his eyes and saw the arrow that had fallen through the air towards his son. He saw the Botann soldiers standing on top of the barrier. Why? Why would they shoot a helpless boy? What threat could he possibly have been? The Rage boiled over.

He put his son's lifeless body down on the soft grass and turned to the Botann army.

His arm began to swell like liquid boiling up under the skin, pushing, stretching out. He stomped forward. “You killed him!” He screamed. “You killed him!” All he could see was revenge, blood.

“Wait, Handers, stop!” a voice yelled from behind a nearby tree. Handers looked back to see Bedic running towards him.

“If you attack you’ll bring the storm! You can’t do that. You can’t bring the storm here! It’ll destroy the RED!” Bedic yelled.

Handers blew past him, not listening, not caring.

“What about your son? Are you just going to leave him there, lying in the mud?” Bedic argued.

Handers stopped. Bedic was right. His son’s body. But what could he do in the middle of a battle? He'd go back, he thought, as soon as they were all dead. Every last green body.

“Look!” Bedic yelled, pointing up into the sky. Fingers of the black storm stretch out from the mountain top in the west and were angling across the sky towards them.

“Your son still has a chance if he finishes the journey that he started.” Bedic yelled as he chased after him. “Look at him, he’s only ten feet away! But he won’t be going any further on his own. He needs help. He needs his father!”

Handers slowed down.

“What was it that your son wanted more than anything else in this world? What did he come half way across the world to do?” Bedic asked, catching up to him.

Handers stopped and turned to the old man. “What does it matter,” he asked. “He's dead.”

Bedic responded quickly. “The boy came here to be healed of death didn’t he? Death was coming to him. If the boy was going to be healed of death before, why couldn’t he still be healed of it now?”

Handers strained against the pull of the old mans words. He tried to ignore him, to push his thought back to the army in front of him. He wanted to punish them. He wanted to feel them hurting under the crushing pressure of his clenching fingers.

“Finish it.” The old man continued. “Finish what you came to do. What you came to help him do. You are the only one who can grant him his last wish. Take him to the Red.”

Handers resisted. “These men, they murdered my son.” He wanted to make them feel more pain than he felt. He wanted them to know the full reality of what they did. He wanted them to see the brutality of their actions on a helpless child.

“Even if you don’t believe that your son would be healed, your son believed it. Grant him that last wish. If you attack them, I promise you will not have the opportunity.”

He looked back at his son’s lifeless body. So close to end of his difficult journey. So close to finding what Handers had refused to help him find. Perhaps he could make things right in that way. He could give his son the help he'd asked for.

Arrows slipped through the air and landed in the grass a short distance away.

But these soldiers, he thought, they were unrelenting. His fingers clenched. He wanted to feel their skin ripping under his fingers.

“There is no time! In a moment your chance will be gone!” Bedic yelled.

Handers closed his eyes and remembered the voice of his son pleading with him for help. To be taken here to this place to be healed. Then he heard his own voice in response, telling him no, telling him he couldn't. He wouldn't.

He shook his head, trying to shake away the mistake. The shame of his choice.

This time he would not refuse his son. He would fight for what Emret wanted rather than what he wanted.

He turned back towards the lifeless body of his boy laying a just beyond his reach. "I'm sorry I didn't help you, Emret." He whispered.

He ran to his son and picked up the limp body. As soon as he was on his feet he heard the low blare of a war horn.

Behind him a sea of Botann soldiers swarmed down towards the center of the garden. A row of archers raised their bows into the air and released another volley of arrows that came slicing down through the air around him, cutting into the grass with a violent cacophony of noise.

He spun around to face his attackers. Again the anger surfaced. They would all die before the end of this, he swore.

He noticed that Valance was watching him, his weapon still held in the air to form the protective shield with the others. “Listen to this man, you fool! Go take your son!” He yelled.

Several new fingers of darkness shot across the sky from the storm hovering over the peaks of a mountain in the distance.

Bedic yelled again. “The storm. It’s still coming.” You must control your anger. You can’t bring it here. It’ll destroy the Red! That’s what it wants. That’s what it’s been looking for since you let it out!”

“I’m trying,” Handers yelled back. He turned again to the glowing hill just beyond the shallow pond. He splashed through the water carrying his son quickly towards the thicket at the top.

Bedic turned to look up at the sky as he followed behind Handers. The thin fingers were now a swollen mass of dark that was swirling directly over them. Lighting flashed casting a blinding pulse of light across the valley.

Bedic stopped as two black funnels dropped down out of the cloud. "Hurry Handers!

Handers turned and looked up at the sky in time to see the two black funnels slam into the ground by the outer barrier of the garden. Botann soldiers scattered. Others were sucked into the cloud.

Handers smiled.

“RUN!” Bedic yelled.

Handers glanced back at Bedic. He didn't understand the urgency, the panic in Bedic's voice. He'd been with the storm before. He wasn't the one in danger, they were.

But there was something different this time. More of the storm had come with the funnels. The sky was quickly filling with a strange, moving blackness. Hundreds of tiny arms stretched out of the sky, clawing toward the ground, towards the middle of the garden, towards the red glow.

“Handers. GO now!” Bedic yelled.

Despite the storm, the Botann soldiers still charge forward towards Handers. Determined despite the threat.

The Petra soldiers too had decided to attack, flooding into the garden behind the Bota.

Handers ran towards the hill, now so close he could almost touch it. He felt his feet push against the ground with the rhythm of his heart beat, sending his body, his son closer with each step. He focused on the movement, allowing it to drown out his desire to turn back, to make sure the storm did what he had hoped it would. It took all his concentration not to stop, turn around and watch it destroy them.

Another volley of arrows landed in front and to the side of him. They were still attacking! They were still trying to stop him!

Impossible! The storm, it should’ve taken care of them, it should’ve wiped them out. He couldn’t help it, he turned to see what was going on.

Valance’s protective shield was gone. He and his men were dodging out of the way of a massive black funnel spiraling towards them.

Some of the Botan soldier had gotten close. One of them was aiming a bow at him.

Then a sharp but quick pain pierced his chest followed by an unimaginable burn. He panicked, turned, and tried to run. But the ground, instead of passing under his feet, rushed up towards his face, striking him as it hit.

He fingers searched across his chest for the pain and found the tip of an arrow protruding from his skin. There was pain; there was immobility in his shoulder. But still he could move his arm. His legs? He got to his knees. Then to his feet. It hurt, but he could still move. He could still carry his son.

The thicket was in front of him, within his grasp. He took a step forward. He was too close to be stopped now!

Another stabbing pain shot through his back. Then another. He lost his balance and fell to his knees. Two more metal tips protruded from his chest.

The ground below his feet wobbled. Still, he willed himself forward far enough to grab the thin trunks at the edge of the thicket. He pulled himself close then pushed his son through the knotted branches. Fortunately, it wasn’t as tightly spaced as the barrier. He found another opening a little wider than the first and twisted himself through. A few feet in, the ground was smooth and free of the outer vines. He set his son down under the hot red glow and collapsed onto his side.

There beyond his son was a tiny red plant in the very center the thicket. Dwarfed by the size of the vines protecting it, it looked like it couldn't have been more than a few days old. It was so small, so fragile.

This is what they came to find? This seedling? He thought.

And yet the red glow bathing them, the warmth that he felt, it was clearly coming from this tiny thing, and it was anything but small.

With his last reserve of strength, he pulled his son’s lifeless body next to the seedling and lifted Emret’s limp hand up to touch one of the red leaves.

“I’m sorry.” Handers said, holding his blackened arm, still bubbling and churning, towards the young red seedling. “Please forgive me. Please…” He looked down at his lifeless son. “…heal him.”

The moment of silence was interrupted with a horrible crack. His son's body moved. The arrow in Emret’s chest broke and fell to the ground.

Emret sat up wearily. “Dad?”

Raj watched his son and smiled. “Emret!” He turned back to the seedling. “Thank you.” Then collapsed to the ground.



-



Bedic scrambled out of the way of a black tendril that shot down out of the sky. It was more than a whirling funnel of air. It had form.

Up in the sky above him, he saw the exact thing he feared. An ominous black face pushed out of the clouds, twisting and gnashing its teeth.

Valance and his men had regained their footing enough to put their dark shroud back above them. Swarms of Petra and Botan soldiers had advanced into the center of the garden and were pushing up against the shroud.

The three struggled to hold them back. The numbers gathering around them were growing quickly. There were already to many for them to control. In a moment they’d be unable to defend themselves.

“Put on the Crown, Valance!” Barnus yelled.

“No!” Valance screamed back. “If he sees it, he’ll hunt us!”

“What choice do we have! If we stay here, he’ll kill us just as well.” Barnus yelled.

Valance turned to Bedic. “Were is he? Where’s Handers?”

“We can’t wait any longer,” Barnus yelled. “We must go in and get it ourselves.”

“We can’t! The boy and his father are the only way in. Wait for them to bring it out to us!” Valance yelled.

Barnus dropped his sword out of the air, removing it’s energy from the protective shroud. He turned without a moment’s hesitation and plunged his blade deep into Valance’s side. “You coward!” He screamed. “You’ll kill us!”

Valance dropped to his knees, his silent mouth stretched with pain.

Barnus stooped down and yanked the velvet sack attached to Valance’s waist, opened it and pulled out the dark glowing Crown.

“I will not die here waiting for you or that boy’s father!” Barnus shouted.

“No Barnus, he’ll kill you. He’ll kill all of us.” Valance whimpered.

“You have to fight for what you want, Valance! What happened to you?” Barnus kicked him over then turned to Whiting. “Lets go!” He turned towards the glowing thicket in the center of the garden and sprinted.

Whiting held back with Valance for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he said, then jogged after Barnus.

The two arrived quickly in front of the small tangle of trees and vines protecting the small Red plant. Barnus turned to face his adversaries, the armies advancing on him and the storm gathering strength above.

He held the glowing purple crown out in front of him, took a deep breath, then dropped it down over his head.

An immediate surge of energy exploded out of the crown. Barnus’s body convulsed wildly, as though he was being exposed to an electric shock. His body bulged; his leather armor split. When the shaking ended, Barnus doubled over in a fetal position.

The giant black face in the sky went wild, twisting and pulling. Its features stretched and strained in a silent expression of its fury. Then, without warning, it shot down towards Barnus like the head of a snake. But half way between the sky and the ground it caught and snapped back up into the sky. Apparently not yet able to reach. The dark purple storm was still split between the mountain in the distance and the sky over the garden.

After a moment Barnus regained his strength and stood up. He was noticeably taller. His body was swollen, showing thick defined muscles. His skin had turn black and had lost its fur. His entire body looked like Hander’s arm.

Without another moment lost, he stretched out a hand towards the on coming mix of Petra and Botan soldiers. A stream of dark purple siphoned off the storm above and channeled towards him. It collected into a thick swirling cloud around his body..

The creature in the sky reeled backwards in pain as though a part of him had been stripped away.

Barnus extended his hand again and the cloud that had swirled around him shot forward toward the on coming soldiers. It caught them on contact and swept them back in a swirling torrent. Barnus smiled. Then stretched his hand up above his head. Two massive surges of storm pulled away. Lighting flashed, thunder roared. The face in the storm screamed in agony.

Barnus shot his hands forward before the new material had reached him, sending it down towards the remaining soldiers spread across the garden. The two fountains of storm hit near the center and pushed out in all directions. The Botan and Petra caught in its path were picked up and thrown back head over heel until they hit the rising slope of the outer rim.

The garden was clear now, except for Bedic, Valance, and Whiting. Bedic wasn’t sure how they’d managed to avoid being swept away with the rest of the soldiers. Perhaps they were close enough to Barnus not to be effected.

Barnus turned back to the thicket behind him and withdrew his sword. With a few swipes he opened up a large enough hole in the dense twisted wood to pass through. Bedic watched in terror. Not knowing what to do. All he could see was Barnus’s back through the opening.

Barnus sheathed his sword and removed a small dagger from his waist. He reached down into the vines with his dagger then stopped as though he’d reached his target. He dropped his other hand down to take hold of it. Then he froze.

“Aaaaargh!” He cried in pain and tried to pull his hand back. But it stayed, pinned.

Then Bedic saw what was holding him. A tight weave of roots and vines crawled up his arm, reaching his shoulder in a matter of seconds. Once it had spread across his back, it was clear to Bedic, the roots and vines weren’t just crawling over him, he was being eaten away.

Another second passed and it was over. Where Barnus stood a moment before was now a twisted mass of vines and branches. The Crown tumbled down the back of the gnarled heap and rolled into the grass.

Bedic had never seen anything like it. He could see through the spaces between the strands of vines. There was no flesh, no bone. There was nothing. The man was gone.

A violent eruption of thunder shook the ground. Bedic looked up at the sky. The two strands of purple cloud that Barnus had claimed swirled upward to rejoin the rest of the storm.

Bedic stared in disbelief as another flash of lighting brightened the sky and revealed what had been forming beneath the surface of the clouds. A second smaller burst of light confirmed it, back-lighting a massive spinal cord that was hanging down from the ugly head. Great arms extended from the top of the spine and the thick bones of the legs curled up against what would be its chest.

He was here, Bedic thought. And this time he was awake. His fear immobilized him. His eyes were locked on the creature as it slowly unfolded its legs. The face had stopped thrashing about now that it was attached to its body. Now the head moved with focus, intent. It shifted its attention from its newly formed body to thicket below.

One of its enormous legs dropped down and made contact with the ground. The impact rippled the earth, sending a shock wave across the garden that knocked Bedic off his feet. Another impact spun him over on to his stomach.

The way he’d landed positioned him so he was facing the small hill and thicket in the center. The Red! Suddenly, the full impact of the situation hit him. In a complete panic, he pushed himself to his feet and ran to the center as fast as he could.

One of the sides had been completely opened up by Barnus. He pushed through the opening, careful not to touch any of the gnarled remains and he passed. There laying at the heart of the thick patch of bushes and trees was a small clearing. At the center of that clearing was a tiny plant with brilliant red leaves that filled the entire thicket with a warm glow. Amazing, he thought.

The ground shook again, heightening his panic further. Raj was laying on the soft leaf covered floor unconscious with his arms stretched out towards the small plant.

“Who are you?” Emret said looking up. He was laying next to his father, holding him. His face was wet with tears.

“You’re alive!” Bedic cried. He knelt down, grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him emphatically.

The boy smiled back. “Yes.”

“I’m Bedic, a friend of your fathers.”

“You were with us, with Valance.” Emret said.

“Yes I was a taken captive by Valance. But we can talk about that later. There’s something we must do now. And we must be quick.” Bedic glanced up at the sky.

The boy sat up, staring at his father’s motionless body.

“This little plant.” Bedic pointed. “It’s in danger. We must move it quickly or it’ll be destroyed.” He looked up at the sky again.

Emret followed his gaze to the storm above them. “What is that?” He asked.

“Something bad. And if it kills this little plant we’ll have no power to stop it.” Bedic said.

“Stop it from what?” Emret asked.

“From destroying everything. Every city, every person, every living thing.” Bedic answered.

“What can I do?” Emret asked.

“You’re the only one that can move it. It trusts you.” Bedic said.

“OK.” Emret got up on his knees and looked over at the tiny plant.

Bedic moved over to it. “We’ve got to hurry. Take your hands and dig up the roots carefully.”

Emret followed him over and followed the instructions, digging his hands into the soft black soil.

“Make sure to get as much of the roots as you can, then wrap them up into a ball.” Bedic said.

Emret finished digging a large hole around the plant then lifted it up.

“Take some of these leaves from the ground and wrap them around the root ball.” Bedic continued.

Emret did so.

“Now, that thing in the sky is going to try to stop us. We must make it to the other side of the garden. To the trees. Can you do that?” Bedic asked.

“Yes.” He answered, then turned his attention to his father. “But what about my dad?”

“Once we move the Red the storm won’t be interested in this place. Your father will be safe until I can come back and get him.”

Emret stared at his father, uncomfortably. “OK.”

Bedic pointed to the tree line in the distance. “Run as fast as you can! I’ll be right behind you.”



-



Emret burst out of the hole in the thicket and raced across the soft grass. He didn’t stop to survey the situation in the garden, he just ran.

To his surprise and delight, a bright glow swelled over the ground in front of him. It extended across the garden, up the ridge and into the trees beyond, striking a clear path for him to follow. His heart leapt with excitement. At least he wasn’t doing this alone.

His feet moved fast, carrying him past the outer ring of Manea trees and ferns. It felt fantastic. His heart was pumping hard. It was a feeling he hadn’t had in a long time. It was freedom!

The ground shook with a blast. A moment later, Emret regained consciousness with a horrible ringing in his ear. His body was sliding over the lip of a deep pit. He grabbed at the grass and clawed at the dirt, trying to get his hands on anything to keep him from slipping and any further into the hole below him.

A firm pair of hands grabbed his arm. It was Bedic! He helped pull him up out of the pit and then helped him to his feet. “Come on. Keep moving!” He shouted.

Again they ran, around the pit to get back onto the glowing path and then hard towards the trees. Now much closer, hope started to surface. They weren’t too far away!

Another blast took him off his feet. The ground lifted up at a steep angle, and he rolled. Below him was another deep and wide open hole in the ground, and he was falling helplessly towards it. He noticed a flat part of ground to his side. He jumped towards it and caught the edge. His feet dangled over into the pit. He pulled with his arms and scraped his toes against the freshly cut wall until he found a foot hold. Then he quickly pulled himself out and rolled over on the grass to catch his breath. He opened his eyes and looked up into the sky for the first time since he left the thicket.

Above him stood a figure of a man, two arms, two legs and a torso. Yet it was so large it defied logic. Currents of storm cloud wrapped around his black skeletal frame like a loose robe. Other streams flowed inside, giving it weight and mass.

The creature bent down towards the earth, bringing its face closer to Emret. Its mouth opened, and a voice boomed, so loud it caused the ringing in his ears to return. “Give… me… the… RED.” it roared, painfully slow.

Emret stared at the little plant bundled in his arms. So small and seemingly insignificant. Yet it had saved his life.

“No.” Emret whispered in response. “I can’t do that!”

Bedic crawled up next him. “Where’s the Token?”

“I don’t know.” Emret answered. He didn’t remember anything after he was hit with the arrow. He must have dropped it in the grass somewhere.

“Then… You… Die…” The crackling voice from the sky shouted with a boom that shook the earth under them.

Emret remembered what he’d seen in the courtyard in Shishkameen, the red tree, so large, so powerful. Was this tiny thing supposed to become that? There were so many things he didn’t understand.

“How do I protect you?” he whispered to the plant.

The giant swirling arm pulled back up into the sky slowly then began to descend towards them.

Bedic got to his feet and pulled the boy up. “Come on! We’re not too far away.”

They ran straight for the trees as fast as they could go. Bedic glanced back and forth between the forest ahead of them and the hand coming down from above. When it got close, he steered them off to the right, hoping it’d be too slow to react. The great fist of black bone and storm continued on its path and hit with such force it tore another deep hole in the earth.

Bedic and Emret were knocked down by the impact. But they weren’t hit. They’d managed to get far enough away to avoid falling directly under the blow.

Emret rolled over. The beast’s other dark purple hand was coming down at them. He got up and pulled at Bedic. “We’re there!”

The lighted path continued into the forest ten feet in front of them. Bedic scrambled to his feet and hobbled towards the edge of the trees as Emret continued to pull him. As they reached the threshold, the thick tangle of trees parted to allow them through and then closed back into tangled behind them.

The vast skeletal frame of the monster moved slowly towards the tree line where they disappeared. Once there it dropped its massive claws down and swatted at the clump of trees.

Emret ran through the tangled underbrush. It continued to open in front of him as fast as he was running. Something crashed into the forest behind him. He turned towards the noise and saw pockets of sky where the thick trees had been.

The lighted path extending out in front of them suddenly turned and veered off to the left. They followed, with as much speed as their bodies would give them.

He heard another crash behind him. This time a little further away. He turned to see the thick trunks of trees breaking and a large swath of the forest being scooped up and lifted into the air. The attack repeated over and over. But with each hit it was further and further away.

Emret looked up above him. The trees were so thick, he couldn’t see the sky at all. That must mean the creature couldn’t see them either. If he couldn’t see them, he had no way of following them.

Emret allowed himself to feel a little glimmer of hope. Maybe they would make it out of this after all. He smiled.





Emret sat in the center of a large meadow holding the tightly bundled plant on his lap. The forested hills rolled down below him, eventually flattening out into a wide valley. A city began where the hills ended, filling most of the valley. Emret studied with amazement the complex pattern of Shishkameen’s tiny streets and buildings that sprawled out from a central hub in a criss-crossing maze. It looked more like a spider web than a city, he thought.

Bedic rested a hand on Emret’s shoulder. “I’ll go back and look for your father as soon as it’s safe,” he said.

Emret turned and looked up at him. He noticed the sky above him was blue with a few strands of clouds, a welcome and reassuring site.

“As soon as the storm has moved on.” Bedic said, then glanced back over his shoulder.

Emret twisted around further to follow his gaze. The sky far in the distance behind them was that same sickening shade of dark purple he’d become familiar with.

“Is it following us?” Emret asked.

“No. He doesn’t know where we are... For now.” Bedic answered.

Emret turned back to the city, took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Feelings of guilt weighed heavily on him, pushing out almost every other thought. If he hadn’t have left, his father wouldn't have come looking for him, wouldn’t have gotten hurt.

To make matters worse, after all his dad had done for him, after he got what he needed, how did he show his gratitude? He ran away, leaving his dad there to die.

Bedic sat down beside him interrupting his thoughts.

“Everything will work out, son.” Bedic said.

How could he say that, Emret thought.

“It may not seem possible now. But trust me, it will.” He continued.

“How?” Emret pleaded.

"You have a new responsibility now. And with that responsibility comes the promise that you will be looked after. As long as you do everything you can to fulfill that responsibility, you will be prepared for whatever comes against you.”

“What responsibility?” Emret asked.

Bedic pointed to the small red bundle sitting in Emret’s lap. “It’s like an infant, helpless until it grows large enough to take care of itself. Until it does, you’re responsible to keep it safe.”

“I don’t understand. Why me?”

“Because you picked it up. Because it let you pick it up.” Bedic answered. “It chose you, and you chose it.”



-



Raj moaned in pain as he regained consciousness. He tried his legs and arms but was still unable to move. He could hear the storm still raging above so not too much time had passed.

A foot clanked down beside him, followed by a knee that was covered in clean polished armor. A hand gently lifted Raj’s head. He found himself looking up into a bright light. A figure was silhouetted. He squinted. Slowly, his eyes adjusted allowing him to see more detail.

The face above him was smooth, no fur. Shaped like a Botan but not green. Nor was it stone. It looked like the creatures he saw carved into the pillars in the temple. Not Zo. Not Petra. Not Botan. Who was this person? He remembered the temple guards. The faces hidden under masks.

“Be at ease my friend.” The figure spoke with a deep but quiet voice.

Raj felt a warm, calm wash over his body. The intense pain from his injuries subsided. The swelling in his black arm receded. Its constant throbbing stopped. Was he dying, he thought. Was this his escort to a new place?

“Great is the responsibility the boy carries. He will need his father to succeed.” The deep, melodic voice continued.

Questions raced through his mind. Great responsibility? What responsibility? Where was Emret? He had to get up, he had to get out of here. He had to find him.

He strained to move, but nothing responded.

Then something moved behind the man in armor. It was a woman in a red rob standing just beyond them, watching. She saw that Raj took notice of her and smiled back at him. Then the man holding him returned his head to rest on the ground, and he lost consciousness.


-

AUTHORS BIO

About the Author

After film school I wrote and directed two award winning short films and wrote a several feature length screenplays. That lead to a contract to write the script, THE GIRL AND THE GRASSHOPPER for shoreline entertainment as well as a position in the story department on the upcoming animated feature, FRANK AND SALLY.