To Another World
Chapter One: Child's Play
Jahan steadied himself as he crouched behind the tumbled and decaying tree. Bugs crawled up his tattered pant leg, but he brushed them off without disturbing his concentration as he focused on his uncle's thatched cottage. He glanced over to Cormac, the wiry and spry young man hidden behind a tree, who gave him a signal as they continued the watch on the house. They waited another minute as Jahan controlled his breathing, until Cormac gave the signal that the uncle had gone outside. Jahan dashed around the woods in the proximity of the cottage as he watched Cormac break into the house. He created diversions and noises as he ran to catch his uncle's attention while the prodigy thief broke into the house.
"What's goin' on out there? Who is that?" the uncle asked as he strained his neck to see what was going on in the woods. Jahan stomped on sticks and made animal noises to keep him distracted. He watched his uncle poking around the woods, throwing small stones to disrupt the strange cacophony that had erupted around his home. He was confused, bewildered by what was normally a quiet and serene forest. He was completely unaware of the act of burglary that was occurring right beneath his nose.
Jahan continued to jump around, making noise with growls and snarls until he heard the bird-call signal of his partner in crime. Looking for a way out without being caught, he ran further into the gnarled woods, the twigs and branches of trees cutting his skin as he ran. Small cuts dashed across his arms and face as the excitement and adrenaline rushed through his blood. He felt strands of his shaggy black hair get caught in small branches as he ran. He had antagonized his uncle before he ran away, but he had never attempted to burgle his uncle. This was his one act of revenge for the beatings the alcoholic had delivered him when he lived with him.
He made his way through the brush and saw Cormac walking briskly down the road. Jahan jogged up to him than matched the pace of his associate, who was carrying the prize under his arm. The two teens said nothing about what they had done, they only laughed. The make-shift clothes they wore dragged against the dirt road as they made their way back to the main hub of Townes City.
"I can't believe we just did that. Were you able to find the cut of the heist I promised you?" Jahan asked, folding his arms behind his head and resting his head upon them.
"Yeah, it was no problem. He left the bag of money on top of his dresser. This was actually one of the easier acts that I've performed. The door was no problem and finding everything wasn't too hard either."
"Yeah, Uncle Xanti tends to just leave his liquor money on the dresser."
Cormac smiled, and looked at the large slab of wood that he carried under his arm. "So what's the big deal with this piece of wood? Why'd you want to get it back from him so badly?"
The outskirts of the town came into view as carts and horses passed them by on the road, heading towards the market square of the town. "My dad used to do a lot of carpentry when he wasn't a soldier for the king. That piece of wood was the last thing of his that I have. Uncle Xanti pawned and sold a lot of my parents' belongings for money. I couldn't let him do anything with my dad's last piece of wood, that's why I got you to get it. Thanks for helping me out Cormac."
"Whatever man, just as long as I get paid."
The two teens were silent as they walked through Townes City. Merchants were hocking their wares on the streets and in booths as they walked through the market areas while beggars and street performers vied for the munny of passers-by. Sweet and foul smells mingled in the air and messengers on errands dashed through the streets. The life of Townes City was here and it was here that orphans, guttersnipes, and all sorts of street urchins like Jahan and Cormac mingled, loitered, and conducted shady business deals.
The two boys dashed into an alleyway with their loot in tow to one of the many hooligan hideouts in the alley. A large alcove in the alley provided the hideout for Jahan and his friends, a minor youth gang in Townes City's merchant district. Cormac tossed Jahan the slab of wood and sat down on one of the chairs that had been lifted from various places around the city. Cormac pulled out a cigarette and lit a match, lighting his cigarette as the money sat on his lap. Jahan walked to his corner of the hideout, and what the kids also called home, and leaned the last piece of wood his father had against the wall. He pulled up a seat and sat down. He looked at the scratches on his arm and touched them. They were minuscule wounds; they didn't hurt. He looked back over to Cormac, who ran a hand through his very short hair and scratched the top of his head.
"Have you reconsidered joining us, Cormac?" Jahan asked, looking hopefully over at the tall and lanky boy.
"I work alone Jahan, you know that. Joining groups just isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong, I think you guys are great, but I don't join anything. It's just my thing." Cormac looked over at the wood in the corner and turned back to his short friend. "Did your dad ever teach you any carpentry?"
"Yeah, he did. Taught me to whittle, taught me to cut, taught me some wood work. I have some tools, sometimes I make stuff to sell if I can get wood."
"You going to make anything with that wood?"
"When I figure out what to do with it. That's good wood, my dad only picked out the best wood when he had to make stuff for around the house. I have to make something good with that."
"You miss your parents, huh?"
"Yeah," Cormac said, looking at the sky, "I really do. Dad could have been an amazing carpenter if he hadn't taken on being a soldier as his regular job. He was always in and out of the house, but he was good to mom and me. When dad was killed, mom never really got over it. That's why she killed herself and I ended up with living with her brother for a while. He was never happy with having me for a responsibility. Living there was hell."
"How did your dad die?"
Jahan looked at the grime covered ground. His worn-out shoes matched their color. "I don't really know. A messenger just told us that there was an accident when he was training some recruits or something. I don't really know what happened, that's all I heard."
"At least you had parents who did love you. Never knew my dad, and mom just yelled and threw stuff at me. She wouldn't give me anything, that's why I got so good at taking things for myself. It's how it is though, isn't it? You have to take things for yourself if you want anything."
Cormac finished his cigarette and put the butt out on the ground. The sun was starting to set overhead and Cormac stood up and rubbed his hands together. "It was good working with you Jahan, if you ever need me to steal something again, you know where to find me."
"Thanks again Cormac."
"It's no problem."
Cormac skulked off and Jahan poked the ground with a stick. He thought about going out and finding the rest of his friends, but after the excitement of the day, he decided to just wait and until they got back. He looked up and saw Riley, Zo, and Dalibor bounding around the corner. Jahan saw Dalibor first, who was hard to miss because of how large and bulky he was. He was their muscle and leader, and had a frightening demeanor to those who didn't know what a big softy he was. He was holding hands with Zo, his girlfriend. Zo was a girl who had only begun to blossom with her beautiful long red-hair being the strongest sign of her femininity. She was the only one among them who knew any magic since her father taught her a couple of spells before he abandoned her. Trailing behind them was Riley, the pale and frail friend of theirs, but also the smartest one among them.
"Hey Jahan, we missed you today," Zo said as they all gravitated towards their favorite seats. "Did you get that thing you were telling us about?" Jahan picked up the wood and showed her. She smiled and nodded, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "Good, that's good to see."
Dalibor stood up and began to speak authoritatively. "We have a problem everyone. Some of the guys from Havnik's gang have been trying to pick a fight with us."
"Why?" Jahan asked. "We don't have any territory besides our little place? What could they want."
"It's a way to flex their muscles," Riley interceded, "some of the more aggressive guys want to take us out of the picture so they can step up. Havnik's small-time like we are, with little territory and little control over here compared to the big gangs. They think we're just pushovers."
"What should we do then?" Zo asked.
"I say we do the same. Beat Havnik's gang and take their territory if they're going to come after us," Riley replied.
"They outnumber us, there's only four of us," spoke Dalibor.
"If we gave Cormac something, I think he would help us," replied Jahan.
Zo cocked her head in a questioning nature. "Could five of us really take them on? There's probably, what, seven or eight of them?"
"Divide and conquer," began Riley, "we have to back out of any conflict if they all come after us, but if we can divide them, then we can take them out. It would help if we could get Cormac and anyone else who would be willing to help."
"This is assuming they come after us though," retorted Dalibor, "I don't want to start a small gang war. Riley, will stick with your plan if anything happens, but I don't want any of us provoking anything. Make sure you're all prepared. We'll talk to Cormac about maybe helping us. I know that Zo, Riley, and me have ways or things to defend ourselves with. Do you have any kind of weapon, Jahan?"
"No, but I can get something."
"Do it, for now, everyone, be on your guard. We don't know how serious those guys are."
The impromptu meeting concluded and Dalibor and Riley sauntered off to the corner to discuss some other dealings. Jahan looked over at Zo, who was humming a tune softly.
"Oh, Jahan, before I forget," Zo started, perking up her voice in startled remembrance, "I got this for you." She tossed him a pastry and smiled her wide smile. "I saw it and thought you might like it."
Jahan tried to hide his blushing by stuffing his face into the pastry. Zo giggled as she watched him devour it. "You really like that, huh?"
"Yeah," Jahan meekly smiled.
Jahan stared up at the stars from underneath his thin blanket. He could hear the sounds of his three compatriots sleeping in their own corners of the hideout.
"I wonder if mom and dad are up there." Are there other worlds? Is there another place to go? I don't believe this is the only place. What do the stars have to show?
Jahan felt himself begin to levitate from off the ground. He floated above his friends who were sleeping and murmuring only dream noises. He floated above the city that had gone dark and seemed like only a silhouette. The buildings that once seemed like giants and titans to Jahan became like toys, a child's plaything. He continued to fly up into the sky, and in the horizons he could see the lights of the capital and castle, the only city powered by magic. He felt calm as he ascended into the stars. Light seemed to bend around him as the lights of the stars began to look like portals. He began to hear voices surrounding him, but could not discern them.
The light portals began to turn into doors as he continued to float, his destination seeming pre-determined. His body stopped before suspended doors, enormous in girth. Jahan was dwarfed by their mighty size, its pearly white sheen glittered and glowed. Jahan pressed his ear against the door and listened. He heard whispers and murmurs.
This must be the place.
"Mom? Dad?"
The door creaked open. Jahan did nothing and the door didn't open any further. His hand trembled as he reached out to open it. As soon as he began to pull, the doors flew open and a light sucked him in. First he was surrounded by light, and then by darkness. He hurtled through time and space and saw glimpses of himself, but who also did not seem to be himself. He heard voices he thought he recognized in his head. He closed his eyes and chanted "make it stop, make it stop".
When Jahan opened his eyes again, all he saw was the vision of a shape. He was awake, sitting on the ground. He wiped the sweat off his face and stopped his panting. The sun was starting to rise and the light hit the wood that his father had left for him. He picked it up and his tools, and walked away from the hideout, towards the woodshop that he liked to work on his projects at.
Several hours later, after lots of hardwork, of cutting and sanding and shaping his vision, it was finally complete. Jahan had his weapon. He lifted the most strangely shaped club in the air. The club was in the shape of a key, the last thing he had seen in his dream.
"A key to another world, this must be it."