The sound grew close. Artea closed his eyes. "There's at least three of them coming this way... How do they find us just like that?!"
Kerryan looked at him. "This is that woman's child?"
Artea nodded. "Her daughter, yeah. Anyway, those birds are going to be here any second now. Hide in those bushes with the baby, all right? We've got no time, and I need my hands free..." He glanced back. "And one look at you is enough to tell you're in no condition to hold those things off. Go!"
Syani hesitated for a second, then nodded. "All right." She gently took the bundle in her hands, and moved to the nearest bushes. Kerryan followed her. They tried to get in as deep as possible, praying they wouldn't be spotted. Syani drew the little elf close to her, shielding her from sharp edges, but the bushes turned out to be quite soft. Kerryan drew a few leaves away, creating a small hole for them to see what was going on. They could make out Artea raising his bow. He fired an arrow. Judging by his scowl, he must have missed. He shot a second arrow, and a loud screech told them he had hit his target. However, the sound of wings swelled further than ever, and it appeared that Artea had little time left. "Shouldn't we..." Kerryan whispered, but Syani shook her head. He looked back to the scene. Artea was aiming his arrow, when one of the birds came into view, swooping down on him. It was even larger than the ones earlier, nearly as tall as Artea. He jumped aside, avoiding its talon just in time. He cursed, drawing his sword, and slashed at it a few times, fending the bird off for a while. Keeping his eyes focused on the beast's movement, he left his back unprotected, and two more of them were flying straight at him. Kerryan was about to shout out in warning, but Artea had obviously heard them as well, as he spun around on the spot and slashed across the front bird's head with his sword. He had swung too early for the one behind it, however, and its sharp beak hit against his sword arm. He groaned as blood splattered to the ground, and his sword was sent flying. Kerryan gasped as he slumped to the ground. Two more birds flew in. They surveyed their prey for a moment, hesitating. Kerryan couldn't stand it any longer. He jumped out of the bushes, ignoring Syani's protests, and ran at him. Before he had even reached within five feet of the elf, however, there was a flash. The monster closest to Artea dropped down, dark red blood seeping from a wound in its chest. The two which had been about to attack Artea, suddenly stopped in their tracks. In a split second, there were two sounds of metal piercing flesh. The next moment, the two fell down as a woman lowered her sword. Kerryan backed away. Even from the back, he could tell it was her. The red hair, the swift stroke of her sword... it could be none other than Eydilne Fass.
The two remaining birds screeched and dive bombed at her. She didn't move. Once one of them had come in her range, she grasped her sword. Kerryan barely saw the strike before it fell down, fatally hit in the exact same spot in the chest. The other had close to no time to think before it met its demise the same way.
She sheathed her sword and knelt down to Artea. Kerryan saw a kind and concerned look on her face. "Can you stand, Arty?"
He twitched, then stood up. "Sorry, I got a little distracted back there. I can fight, Eydilne. No problem."
She was about to respond, when a screech alerted them. "More of them," she said, frowning. "Get ready."
She turned to him. "You said you can fight. Go ahead then."
"Er..." He hesitated.
"Get your bow out!"
He nodded, and picked up his bow. He took one of the arrows which had fallen out of his quiver, then got ready to aim. Kerryan saw him wince, his wound still open.
"Watch, Arty," he heard her mutter. "Stay alert. In battle, there is no time for pain."
He nodded, determination in his eyes. Eydilne moved her hand, tracing an oval, and a green shimmering circular symbol appeared in front of Artea. "You know what to do..."
He nodded. As the sound of flapping emerged again, he pulled the string. He narrowed his eyes, concentrating, and let go. As the arrow passed through the symbol, it started to glow brightly, then split up into three fragments. Kerryan glanced around a tree and saw them crashing into three more birds. The fragments pierced their skulls and they fell down.
Artea clutched his arm, panting. Eydilne smiled at him. "Well done." She raised her hand, and a light emerged, once again closing his wound. He looked up, groaning slightly. "Eydilne... Karyn is..."
Her hand shook, and the light faded, the wound still partly open. "What?"
"Something happened. She's..."
She closed her eyes. "I thought so." She turned around, and looked directly at the bush where Syani was. She walked towards the bush. "You can come out now."
There was a ruffling of leaves, and Syani emerged, carefully holding the baby. Eydilne reached out her arms, and took her daughter back. She caressed the little girl for a moment, smiling, then turned her back on Syani. She took a few strides away from her. Artea made to speak, but Eydilne silenced him with a look in his direction.
Finally, she spoke. "Leave this village. That is all I can say."
She turned sideways. "Come, Artea."
A white light revolved around them, and the two of them vanished.
Chapter TwelveThe two walked on silently as the trees thickened, the village out of sight. Kerryan's legs felt like lead. He hardly had the strength to go on, not to mention the pain from the cut in his side. Neither of them spoke. He felt a bitter disappointment. He had hoped helping the elves would have changed their minds on going after them, but it seemed it had made no difference whatsoever; there was simply no place for the two of them. Dusk had fallen; gloomily, he looked at the moon rising into the sky. He felt close to tears; why wasn't there a home for them? What had they done wrong to deserve being treated like this?
He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a soft bump behind him; he turned and saw Syani sitting down, her eyes half closed. "That's enough for today," she announced. "I'm not moving another inch."
Kerryan could hardly disagree with her. It seemed they'd experienced too much in one day: it hardly seemed real that they'd awoken in the little girl's house that morning. He dropped down and lay down in the grass, staring up at the moon. He wasn't looking forward to the next day. So what if they got away? What would they do then? Would they spend the rest of their lives walking around alone aimlessly?
He sighed. He remembered what he'd said to Syani, about his life being complete just walking like this. Looking back, they might have been happier if they hadn't met the elves. And yet... playing with the elven children, he had felt so comfortable, so... at home... Somehow, leaving the village was like saying farewell to his only home.
He stayed awake for what felt like hours, pondering his feelings, but eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, they were roused by children's voices around eyes snapped open. He felt a little dizzy. He blinked, then realised there was a group of at least ten children surrounding them, all shouting at them. He thought he heard their names mentioned once or twice. He nudged Syani awake, and looked around. He recognised a few faces from the other day where he'd played with them. A little girl elbowed her way through and ran up to Syani, calling her name. Syani yawned, then looked at her, blinking. Finally, she showed a sign of recognition. "Marilyn?"
The girl smiled brightly. "Syani! Why were you lying here, silly?"
Kerryan felt uneasy. How do you explain that to an innocent young child like her?
Marilyn put her hand on Syani's shoulder. "Hey hey, why aren't you at home?"
"Well..." Syani averted her eyes. "We..." She sighed, then finished, "We aren't from here."
"Not from here?" The girl looked thoughtfully. Then, she turned around to the others and whispered something. There were sounds of awe and amazement. At that moment, taller boy approached and called the lot of them. They all ran at him and shouted at him, pointing to the two of them, who looked at each other a little dazed. The boy walked up to them, and Kerryan recognised him as Wayne. He smiled at the two. "So, I hear you two are from outside the village, huh? Which village are you two from, then?"
"Er..." Kerryan started, but he stopped when he saw an elf place a hand on Wayne's shoulder. It was Artea. "Hey."
Wayne spun around. "Hey, it's Arek! Who would have thought I'd see you here?"
Kerryan looked at the two elves. He had first thought Wayne was quite big, but Artea was clearly a lot taller than him.
Wayne was grinning up at him. "So, er... don't know if you know these two? They're from outside here, d'you know where the closest village is? I mean, they've got to be..."
"Right, right," Artea cut in on his babbling. "Now, shouldn't you go after your group? You're in charge, aren't you?"
"Ah, yes!" He fiddled with a strand of hair, then walked off. "I'll just... go then, yeah? Yeah... Yes sir... okay..."
Artea watched him leave with the children, shaking his head. "I wonder if they'll be all right with a leader like that..."
Syani stood up, and Kerryan, only just realizing he hadn't moved since he'd woken up, followed suit. She narrowed her eyes. "So, what is it?"
He sighed. "You're lucky that kid has zero knowledge about geography. Now he's skipping off happily being excited at meeting two elves from a different village."
"There are more, then?" Kerryan blurted out.
Artea nodded.
"So, what have you come here for?" Syani folded her arms.
"Well..."
Kerryan's heart sank. "Don't tell me you've come to-"
Artea raised his hand, silencing him. "Don't worry," he said softly, pushing his sheathe towards them, showing them it was empty.
Kerryan stared at him. "Arty..."
Artea clenched his teeth. "One thing to start with, okay? Don't. Call me. Arty."
"Eh?"
"It's a stupid nickname my dad gave me. Just call me Artea, got that?"
"Okay."
Seeing they were still a little tense, he smiled. "Don't worry. Between me and you two, our fight's over." Beckoning them, he added, "C'mon. Let's go for a little walk."
Chapter ThirteenThey walked through the forest together in silence for a while. They occasionally passed a few children chasing each other. Artea smiled at them, finally speaking.
"They're cute little kids, aren't they?"
Syani and Kerryan looked at him.
"I've lived in Eserikto all my life. I've been to other places at times, but..." He stared in the distance. "This village really means a lot to me. These kids... they're full of innocence, don't know about danger, and just spend their time playing. And they have a right to that, don't you think?"
Kerryan considered this for a moment. "I guess..."
Another boy ran by, nearly tripped over a tree root, and ran away after regaining his balance. Artea looked after him as he disappeared in the bushes. "It's hard to believe I was just like them not too long ago, just yelling and playing all day." He sighed. "To think I won't be part of their group anymore in one or two years..."
"Why's that?" Syani looked up. "Are you leaving the village?"
"No, no." Artea chuckled. "In a few years, I'll be an adult. Well, it could take longer, but I'm approaching the age where most elves become an adult."
"What does that mean, then?"
"See, unlike humans," Artea explained, "elves can live on forever. While we're still a child, we're quite similar to humans, but once we reach adulthood, our growth stops."
"You're immortal then?" Kerryan said in amazement.
Artea shook his head. "There's a difference. We don't die of age like humans do, but we can be killed or die of a disease, though we're immune to many diseases. We are closer to nature than humans, and so death at the hands of nature is very uncommon to us."
"Hm." Syani looked thoughtful. Kerryan had a hard time thinking of how to react to this as well. He couldn't say he knew how long Syani and he himself would live.
"So anyway," Artea continued, "I'm still a child actually, but in a few years it'll be over, and you could say I'll be the same age as my father and Lady Eydilne."
Kerryan frowned. "That's..."
He was interrupted by a girl's shout in the distance: "Catch her!"
Artea chuckled. "They're really going at it, aren't they?"
Syani smiled. "We played with them once too."
"Really now? Enjoyed it?"
Kerryan nodded. "Yeah... they're all really friendly."
"I'm sure they are, the little tykes."
Syani looked at Artea indignantly. "So why-"
Artea raised his hand. "I know what you're going to ask. I'm afraid I can't tell you everything, but I'll tell you as much as I can. Come on, let's sit down."
He pointed towards to large trees close to each other. Kerryan and Syani sat down in front of one, while Artea leaned against the one opposite to them.
He closed his eyes for a moment. He asked, "Ever heard of energy waves?"
Syani and Kerryan looked at each other, then shook their heads. "Not really."
"Thought not. Energy waves are everywhere. They come from all living beings, and when people are especially active, they release stronger energy waves. They're invisible to the naked eye. But elves have the natural ability to sense them. If we focus, we can see those waves clearly, and learn to recognize certain energy patterns."
Syani raised an eyebrow. "So what does that all mean?"
"It means," Kerryan said slowly, "That they can see who we are and what we are... without seeing us."
Artea thought for a moment. "That's one way of putting it, I guess. We can see without looking. Anyway, the point is that humans and elves, as well as other living beings, have different kinds of energy patterns." He looked grim. "For an elf, it's clear as day that you two aren't elves."
Kerryan gasped. "Then..."
"However," Artea cut in. "I should mention that Eydilne and my father told me something interesting. Apparently, your energy's slightly different from that of humans. You're closer to human than to anything else, but... still different."
Syani made to speak, but it seemed she couldn't find anything to say to that. Kerryan merely frowned. Then what are we?! What does this all mean...?
Artea folded his arms. "I don't know anything else, I'm afraid. But if you were wondering why those kids just accepted you like that, it's because children can't sense energy patterns. The fact that I can is already an exception. It usually comes with adulthood. I guess you could call me a prodigy," he added smugly.
Kerryan felt a burning anger inside him. So if they knew, they'd all... "Then why?!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "What have we done wrong? Are you all attacking us just because we're different? What did we ever do to you?!"
Artea looked at him, his face expressionless. There was a silence for a while. Finally, he spoke. "Please sit down, Kerryan."
"Answer me!" Kerryan roared.
Artea looked from him to Syani. She had not reacted to Kerryan's rage, but she was merely glaring at Artea. He sighed. "Listen. I'm sure you got a bad impression of us, but there's a reason. I want you to know for starters, we don't kill just because you're different. We don't kill. There is nothing we hate more than conflict, battle, or the spilling of blood. And yet... And yet there is a reason we had to dispose of you. I'm sorry, I can't tell you why..."
"So what now?" Syani asked softly.
Artea sighed. "Let me be honest. I can't stop anyone from coming after you. But I lost to you, and I accept defeat. I won't fight you again. We elves have our honour, you know? Anyway, I'd say you'd better do as Eydilne said and keep away from the village for now. I'll try to reach you and talk to you some time, all right?"
"But..." Syani said slowly. "If you can just find us to talk to us, won't they be able to find us as well?"
"Don't worry, I'll think of something."
"That's hardly a convincing promise..."
Artea ignored her, noticing Kerryan's wound. "Hey... want me to clean that up for you?"
Kerryan hesitated. His anger hadn't really vanished. On the other hand, he still felt a throbbing pain in his side, so he nodded.
As Artea held out his hand to the wound, a soft light emerged from it. It felt warm, and it was a pleasant sensation. Artea frowned. "So this came from my father?"
"His arrow," Kerryan answered, and told Artea about their interrupted battle.
Artea rested his chin in the palm of his hand, thinking. "The pain wore off as soon as he was gone, huh..." he narrowed his eyes. "He went quite far in that battle then..."
"What do you mean?" Kerryan looked down, and saw the wound had completely disappeared. "Thanks..."
"It's a special arrow of his. Infused with magic, you might say. It's created to-"
At that moment, a bell rang out, and multiple shouts of children could be heard.
"Ack!" Artea hit his forehead. "I should be getting back. I'm supposed to hand out food to picnicking hungry little children today."
"Huh?"
"Sorry, I'd better go. If they come looking for me, you two might get in trouble."
Kerryan and Syani stood up uncertainly. "Er..."
Artea shook their hands, then turned. "I'll be back. I should tell you a few more things next time."
"But how..." Syani started, but he vanished in a burst of white light.
Artea sighed, moving towards the elven kids who had no idea what was going on. What now? I can't keep going on like this... He wondered what would happen to the two. I'm glad I held back in that fight. He looked at the elven children, who sat on the floor waiting for their lunch. It wasn't hard to picture the two of them between them. In the end, surely they were no different? There could be any pair of elven children just like them here.
He sighed once more. They should be allowed to live as much as anybody else. I guess it can't be avoided. I'll have to have little chat with dad...
Chapter Fourteen
A silence fell over the two. They sat facing each other, not knowing what to say, because there was so much to be said. Finally, Kerryan spoke. "They don't seem to be bad people..."
"When they're not attacking us," Syani finished, staring into the distance.
Kerryan hung his head. "I just wish we knew why..."
"That's the big question, isn't it?" She scowled. "Just what is it with these elves?"
"Do you think... they would just rather be left alone?"
She didn't respond. Kerryan continued, "Even just now, Artea gave me that impression. Maybe the only thing they want is to be left to themselves."
Syani looked thoughtful. "If it was as simple as that, they could have just told us to leave. But still, where does that leave us? There's nowhere to go, is there? Everywhere we go, we meet elves."
Kerryan nodded.
She shrugged. "Unless you count the old man..."
Kerryan nodded again. Then he stopped. "Old man?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you hear him? When that man... Arty's dad... shot those arrows at us. Didn't he tell us how to stop them?"
Kerryan gaped. "So that's how you..."
He hadn't heard anything at that time. Her story, however, did match something that had happened earlier... when Eydilne Fass was about to strike them... he was sure he'd heard a voice; an old man's voice, come to think of it.
He was startled out of his thoughts by a voice. He was alerted by the sound; it was the same voice of the old man. He closed his eyes, to be sure to hear everything.
"So my voice has finally reached the two of you..."
Who are you?
"True, I have not yet introduced myself. But who are you? Do you know?"
...No, I don't. I couldn't say. Can you tell me?
"..."
Can you tell me?! I...
"...Yes, I can."
Then please....
"Please come, and we will talk. All right?"
...All right.
His eyes opened, and he was in a dark corridor. The only source of light came from a few lightly burning torches, aligned in pairs along the corridor. In front of him, in the distance, a brighter light shone. He saw Syani next to him, looking as dazed as he felt. He turned around, and saw nothing, only darkness. He turned back to Syani, who nodded, and they walked along the corridor, towards the light. The only sound they could hear was their own footsteps, and the soft crackling of the fire from the torches. The walls were coloured in dark brown, giving the corridor the impression of a cavern. As they walked, they saw doors on either side, branching off perhaps to other corridors, or to other lands as of now unknown to them. But they walked on, for their destination lay ahead, towards the light. He knew where they were going, without knowing.
They passed many more doors, and they were getting closer to the light in the distance; it seemed to shine more brightly with every step. But suddenly, they came to a halt next to a door to their right. It seemed identical to all the other doors they had passed, yet both of them knew somehow that this was the door they had to take. Kerryan reached for the door and opened it. They couldn't see anything behind it, but Syani walked past him over the threshold. Kerryan took one last glance at the light at the end of the corridor, wondering what it might be, slightly disappointed they wouldn't be able to take a close look at it, then followed Syani.
They walked a few steps in total darkness, then the scenery changed. They were standing in what appeared to be a chapel: it was a circular room, with stained glass above them. In the centre of the room, there was a circular wooden altar, or at least that was what it seemed like to Kerryan in this room, although it might as well have been a stage in a different situation. Standing on the wood was a young man in fine clothes, his back to them. "Welcome, Kerryan, Syani." He spoke with a slightly high voice for a man. He turned to them, and smiled. He had short, blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and he gave an impression of royalty. Kerryan noticed that his ears were not pointed like the elves, but more round, much like theirs.
"I apologize for being so late in introducing myself." He walked off the altar, towards them. Kerryan was wondering whether to shake hands or to bow. He decided to wait.
The man was about to extend his hand, when Syani asked, "Are you the old man?"
Kerryan tried to make shushing movements, but the man laughed. "I have been looking forward to meeting you. You are really most amusing." He bowed his head. "You could call me an old man, yes. I have been here for a very long time. But that is not what you asked... Yes, I am the one who invited you here. But now that we have met, let us make ourselves comfortable."
He closed his eyes, and the room dissolved. Kerryan blinked, and saw they were now standing in a living room. There were windows, out of which they could see the sun, and a fire crackled in a fire place. The room certainly seemed more comfortable and warm than the previous one. The man motioned for them to sit, and said, "I imagine you have many questions... I suppose I should start with who I am."
He stretched out his hand and held it open, his palm facing the ceiling. Above his hand, a small image appeared, and they could see the village of Eserikto, surrounded by trees. The image changed, and oceans were visible. It then changed again, and they could see towering mountains, tall and mighty, their tops covered with snow. It then vanished.
Syani and Kerryan stared at where the image had been, fascinated. The man smiled, and said, "I am one who watches over the land of Estpolis, the world which you know. I am... the Keeper of the Spiritual Force."
Chapter Fifteen
The man paused for a moment, apparently waiting for this to sink in.
It didn't. Syani voiced what Kerryan was wondering: "What does that mean?"
He nodded. "I suppose I ought to explain myself further." He sat down opposite them. "You have recently heard of energy waves, I believe?" They nodded. "Those waves exist around us, like air, and change slightly when they touch someone. The energy waves around a person is sometimes called his aura. It is unclear where they come from. All living beings emit energy waves themselves as well as shaping those around them, but even all those waves combined are only a part of all the energy waves in the world. It is said the other energy that does not come from living beings, is emitted by the earth itself. In any case, there are a few particular kinds of energy waves. One of them is magic power, which only the elves can use to cast spells and change it into a different shape. There is another kind, which few living beings know of. It is known as the Spiritual Force. It is a very unusual form of energy... Unlike most waves, they never disappear, nor do new waves appear. The Spiritual Force simply exists. Yet at the same time, it is a power greater than any in this world. The power to create... but also, the power to destroy. Naturally, a dangerous power like that must be kept on a leash, in a manner of speaking. Therefore, since the world was young, we of the Keepers have been watching over the world and the Spiritual Force, keeping it in tome. We can use a fragment of its power for the good of the world if we deem it necessary. One Keeper watches over the world for many generations, but eventually, his ability to control the energy waves reaches its limit. Then, it is vital that a new Keeper rises, for he must contain the power of the Spiritual Force. Thus, the cycle continues."
He sighed. "I have been protecting this world for many hundreds of years, and now, my time is nearly up. I have twenty years remaining at most... Which is why it is time for me to step down..." He looked at the two children in front of him, and finished, "...And find a successor."
Kerryan and Syani remained silent. Kerryan knew what was coming, but it was still difficult to believe. Was this the reason for everything that had happened to them?
After a while, Syani said, "But what do we have to do with all that? We're not some kind of god who can fix the world by snapping their fingers."
The man inclined his head. "If only it were that simple... If there is a god somewhere, he is not here. I myself was born as a half-elf, one with the blood of both elf and human, many years ago. I lived an ordinary life... until this task was thrust upon me. I was hesitant at first, naturally. To bear the burden of the world, to live for so many ages... the prospect was frightening. Yet I was forced into it. And shortly after that, I realised that this meant being able to make a difference. It meant I could help the helpless, try to ease the sorrow that lived in the hearts of many. And I was not alone. Those I had known as friends were still with me. It did not mean living a life in solitude for ages, as I had feared. But I could go on for a while. I want you to know this: I will not force you to do anything. You must make a choice. You two, however, are most suited to watch over the world: your heart is pure, you are very bright and the resolve to protect burns within you."
Kerryan took a deep breath. It was still too much to contain all at once. There was something he wanted confirmed, however. "Can I ask you something... sir?"
The man smiled. "Of course. Ask anything you like."
"What or who are we? The elves saw something unusual in us... As if..." He stopped, not knowing how to put it. The man, however, nodded understandingly. "Perhaps I should have started with that... I hope it hasn't been weighing on your mind for so long." He surveyed the two of them for a moment, then said,
"The two of you were born as human children. That day in the forest, you two met for the first time. It was then that you first touched a fraction of the Spiritual Force. You found it yourselves... as soon as you met, the ability to control it arose slightly in the both of you. I noticed, naturally. I was overjoyed: you each have many qualities necessary for this. It seems, however, you don't remember those events, am I correct?"
Kerryan thought. Now that he mentioned it, he couldn't recall anything before the day they'd met in the rain. Had they met shortly before? Was that the reason for everything...?
He stammered, "You mean, when it happened... we lost our memory?"
A sigh came in response. "Perhaps. I do not know about anything of the sort happening before, but the Spiritual Force is an unpredictable power. It could be... yet, disturbing though it is, it is clear you can use this power. You have felt it, haven't you? You must have noticed some unusual abilities that only you have..."
"Materializing objects out of thin air?" Syani suggested suddenly.
The man inclined his head. "Perhaps you felt a familiar scent when you came here."
Kerryan thought for a moment. "That light at the end of the tunnel..."
He smiled, and nodded. "Shall I show you?"
He stood up, motioning for them to follow him.