The Forgotten Land of Myria

Angus

It was the night before we returned from our campsite and I had just left my tent to see Godfrey. I figured if I was to embark on a quest in a land completely unknown to me, I might as well be informed. Godfrey had kindly agreed to educate me and help me broaden my knowledge of Myria with things I needed to know for the quests. Therefore, I had been sneaking out of my tent every night to go visit him at the library, where he would teach me things like dangerous creatures, places to avoid, Myria’s fauna and flora, a little bit of Myria’s history-- ancient legends and such--and even a tad of their language.

However, that night, while crossing the path by the lake, I came across something--well, indescribable. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but when I crept up by a bush, to get a closer look, I saw that it was real, and nothing short of extraordinary. On a large rock, towering over the lake, stood a girl with red hair that glistened under the moonlight. She was performing sporadic movements, and floating in front of her, following her every move, was a fluid orb. She pushed her hand forward and it retreated in complete synchronization. She then spread her arms and the orb stretched out and enveloped her.

Then, stomping her front foot on the rock in a martial arts stance, she brought her arm up and a small wave of water rose from the lake. Chills spread through my arm as I watched her conduct the water with her hands. I could have stood there for hours watching that beautiful scene. It was like she was one with the water, leading it with her graceful movements. Her hands and feet were smooth and delicate, like those of a ballerina, but her gestures were fierce and intense, like a warrior. She was beautiful. At least from what I could see. I wanted to see her face. I wanted to see what this girl looked like. Silently, barely allowing the breath to escape my nostrils, I crept through the bushes to observe her from the front. However, a few steps forward, I stepped on a twig. I froze. She heard me. I crouched, immobile, as I heard footsteps on the rock.

“Who’s there?” her voice called out. From what I could hear she was still about twenty feet away.

I could make a run for it, I thought. Instead, I stood still and waited. Waited for what seemed like hours, hoping the water would roar in movement once again. But it didn’t. Instead, I heard the footsteps fading until they died out. She had disappeared into the woods. I waited there for a few more, endless minutes, before stepping out of the bush and making a run for Godfrey’s. I needed some answers.

“Godfrey!” I yelled, as soon as I creaked open the back door of the library. No answer.

The place was dimly lit, and as I wandered around the maze of scrolls and parchment on the second floor looking for Godfrey, I came across something quite odd. A flowery woven basket, formed by the tree branches that dangled from the ceiling, big enough to fit a human.

As I approached it--which wasn’t the smartest thing to do--I heard a screech and a monkey swung down from it. The first thing I did--besides jumping out of my skin--was to check for abnormalities, like everything in Myria. This one didn’t have any. It was a regular spider-monkey with its trademark hairless face and long, malleable tail that it used to hang from the basket.

“Calm down Sofia, I’m coming,” I heard Godfrey’s voice trailing up the steps.

“Godfrey! What took you so long?” I asked.

“Well I do have my own necessities,” he replied, matter-of-factly. “I see you’ve met Sofia. Quite a beauty, isn’t she?”

“Well, yes...but--” Godfrey frowned, disappointed with my reaction. “She’s...normal.”

“Why of course!” Godfrey exclaimed. “She’s from the Commonland! I brought her with me when I came to Myria. She’s already well into her thirties, this one. Lived through quite a lot.” Sofia took the opportunity to show off, twisting and twirling, upon realizing she was the subject of our conversation.

“How come I’ve never seen her before?” I asked.

“Why, because she didn’t want to see you before!” Godfrey replied. “She’s very suspicious, you see. Usually when there are newcomers, she hides up in the branches and examines them closely, until she’s sure that she’s ready to present herself.

I looked around the library suddenly realizing the, now obvious, purpose of the indoor trees.

“Anyway,” Godfrey snapped. “Why all the urgency?” Like always, I had no idea how to explain what I’d seen back at the lake, mainly because I didn’t know whether Godfrey was aware of such a thing.

“Err, you might want to sit down for this one,” I advised. We made our way down to the study with Sofia swinging her way through the branches after us. I tried to explain everything as clearly and directly as possible, and to my surprise, Godfrey nodded casually.

“Ahh, yes,” he said, in full understanding. “I feared you would come across something like this--I told them it was a bad idea to try to hide this from you two--”

“Hide what?” I snapped. A bit taken back by my reaction, Godfrey pushed his chair back and began ruffling through scrolls on a nearby shelf. He pulled out a large, hard cover book, and laid it on the table.

“Given what we’ve discussed, you are already familiar with the concept of the guilds, correct?” he asked as he flipped through the dusty pages of the book.

I nodded. “Alyven, Galacia, Nalini, Bigolle, Sevarea, Teva, and Taiowen,” I recited.

“Beautiful,” said Godfrey. He then stopped turning the pages and leaned forward, the way he does when he is about to give critical information. “What you don’t know is that these guilds are closely related and organized by the power of Myrrh.”

I frowned.

“You see, Myrrh has a specific characteristic that to most Commonlanders would be, well, magical. When in contact with Myrrh, one becomes an elemental, or, in other words, a person who can dominate and control a specific element of nature.”

There are seven basic elements that compose nature in Myria. Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and an additional three--Steel, Mist, and Aura.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Steel’s not an isolated element. It’s just a derivative of earth.”

“Not in Myria,” Godfrey responded.

Of course. Myria always has an exception.

“In Myria, steel has a--well, varied--definition. In fact, there are fifty different types of steel currently recorded here.”

I pursed my lips to avoid revealing my opinion on the absurdity of what Godfrey was saying.

“Anyway” he proceeded, “every person possesses a different elemental configuration--a certain personality--that is closely linked to any one of those seven elements of nature. When in contact with Myrrh, that person produces that specific element and can henceforth do so, whenever they handle the sacred oil.”

“Ok...and what exactly is Myrrh?”

“The substance that conducts all life in Myria--the anointment given by Yihwa himself.”

Yihwa. There’s that name again.

“Now what’s the tangible explanation? What’s Myrrh’s chemical composition, for instance?”

Godfrey smiled. “This goes far beyond what you call science. Your “chemistry” can’t explain it.”

“Yes, perhaps.”

“So, as I was saying,” Godfrey continued. “That is why every year Myria holds a ceremony called Rahiti, where every child who, in that year, will reach ten years of age, is bathed in the Fountain of Myrrh in order to discover each child’s elemental configuration and place them in their respective guild. There, they can choose one of three orders--like we’ve discussed earlier--where they will put their elements to use.”

“I see,” I said, nodding my head slowly. It sure was a lot to take in, things I would only imagine seeing in ancient legends--then again, nothing was normal in Myria. I sighed. “Hmm…every Myrian citizen can bend an element of nature?” Godfrey shook his head, scratching his hairy eyebrows.

“Not exactly,” he said. “What you saw by the lake isn’t particularly common. Though everyone possesses characteristics linked to their element, and the ability to dominate it, not everyone can bend an element. Those people are mostly members of the military order of their guild and use this asset for combat.”

“I’m sure that’ll work fine here, but, unless your elementals can unsplit an atom--I’m not sure you realize the standards of weapons technology in the Commonland.”

Godfrey chuckled to himself innocently. He spent the rest of the night carrying on about Myrrh, the elements, some history of Myrian medicine, and a story about a particularly frightening creature.”

“The Horned Serpent,” he said. “Capital H, capital S. One of the most dangerous creatures west of Juetsvale, the Horned Serpent dwells over the Caves of Solitude, a place inhabited by gnomes, who, in constant fear of the Serpent itself, spend their lives trekking the Blood Dunes, searching for people or animals they can sacrifice to it. Beware of the Caves of Solitude, Angus...”

That was the least of my worries, for once I got back to the tent I couldn’t do anything else other that ponder on what I had been told about the elements. The image of that girls bending water kept coming back to me and it was the last thing I remember thinking of before falling asleep...

The lake right in front of our campsite looked like a large red velvet curtain under the lighting of the sun. According to Livia, we were in Timbervale, just a tad south of Roonbottam, the dwelling of the grogans, and north of Squatterberg River. The Gwennwoods was where our training was being held. Before the others showed up for breakfast, I took out my journal and began writing...

Five days have gone by in the camp, and, as far as training goes, I feel drained...but proud. Drained, due to the fact that we have yet to be allowed a day of rest since the Chairmen dismissed us to Timbervale, and proud because there has been visible progress on my part. I have found I am quite skilled with a bow-and-arrow, and exceptionally good at battle tactics, strategy, and survival. Not to mention the flabbergasting landscapes, animals, and nature in general--so many things to catalog.

Last night I was introduced to one of Myria’s greatest virtues: the power of Myrrh. Apparently, all citizens of Myria are elementals--meaning they have the power to control one of the seven elements in Myria: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Steel (questionable), Mist, and Aura (even more so). I wish to seek information on the subject, which I cannot doubt is true from what I saw at the lake.

Tomorrow, I will embark on the quest for a stone that just might save the fate of Myria. Paewyn said it involved my medallion, which I’d love to be thrilled about. However, I will be facing dangers and conditions I have never so much as imagined--I have quite a lot of good information to gather. All in all, I feel determined, although I can’t dismiss feelings of nostalgia and fear, which haven’t been negligible. Many of my training day have been obscured by dismay and terror visits me at night. It would be a lie to say I haven’t thought of home, for it has been one of my greatest concerns.

I closed my journal and thought of how poor Margaret and Harold had not a clue of what had happened to me.

Relax. All of this will pay off.

That still, small voice again. I looked around for a nixie, to no avail. I could hear the morning fire crackling and the smell of breakfast filled my nostrils. Roy peered out of his tent and we sat down around the fire to eat. The ground was still damp from a heavy storm that had fallen a couple of nights ago. We ate in silence.

I seldom talked to Roy. In fact, ever since training commenced we gave up on trying to get along, acknowledging the fact that we were just too different. Nevertheless, I didn’t ignore his skills. Despite being a little too emotive and reasonably slow in certain things, Roy stood out during training. Having surpassed me in everything except arrow-shooting and battle tactics, he was by far a superior fighter. At least that compensated for his flaws--he certainly would never even think of sneaking in to the London Cancer Research Institute and put the UK’s finest scientists ahead on their discoveries, like I did.

Livia emerged from the woods, placed her spear and satchel by her tent, and joined us. After we had finished our meals, she spoke up.

“Listen,” she said. “This is our last day of training. Tomorrow we will report back to the Matahi Chairmen and set out on the quest. This means today will be the last day to improve your skills before you put them to use.”

“Wait, are you guys staying in Musgrave during the quest?” Roy asked.

“I doubt it” she replied smiling. “They need us. Putting that aside,” she leaned closer as if to make a prominent statement. “I think we’ve made it clear that these days of training have been solely focused on basic preparation for fighting, hunting and the main things that you’ll need to know during your quest--except the Supreme Skills. Unfortunately, we won’t be teaching you anything involving the use of Myrrh for now.”

I kept my head down to avoid showing any hint of the knowledge I had already acquired.

“Are we going to use it at any point? Are we going to learn? I mean, what is it, exactly?” Roy asked. Livia looked around, avoiding the question but finally sighed.

“Mastering the power of Myrrh is far more arduous than it looks.”

You have no idea, I thought, looking at Roy. He always seemed to think it was all so simple.

“It isn’t a power that you gain” Livia continued. “It’s a power that you unleash. It is already in you; hence it is to be discovered only by you. Therefore, I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about it. It’ll come to you in time.”

I was put off by Livia’s answer, that differed a bit from what Godfrey had told me. Trying to sound naive, this time I was the one to ask.

“But how can it be in me? Aren’t you supposed to have had contact with Myrrh for it to be used?”

“Absolutely not,” Livia responded. “Like I said, the endowment involved in the Myrrh is a power within. The substance of Myrrh is merely used to stimulate the power.”

Well this is new. Godfrey didn’t mention that.

Suddenly, my curiosity involving Myrrh had grown. Was this what differed me from others? Did I bear that “power within”?

“Bear in mind, however, that acquisitiveness won’t make matters any better. It’s no use trying to anticipate it, for it comes when it is least requested, but most needed--especially when you two have never undergone the Rahiti ritual” Livia said, almost in the sense that she was reading my thoughts.

Sky emerged from the woods, temporarily breaking the conversation.

“Hey!” he called out. “All set!” Livia nodded, turning back to us as she handed Roy her spear. Sky tossed his bow and quiver of arrows at me.

“Okay,” Livia hopped up. “We have prepared these trials for you to complete. You will need all the skills you have been taught. It’ll be your last preparation before the preparation, so make it count!”

We were handed the “two-ton” boots that we had been using every day and set out through the swamps, quicksand trail, and rock wall for our warmup drill. After having completed that, we were assigned our first trial, which consisted of combat. We started off in the fighting arena, where we each had to face both Sky and Livia in combat, and then each other.

Next, we were taken to the shooting arena where we had been going every day and they summoned beasts for us to fight. When the training first began, we used a couple of small, lifeless beasts as targets. However, as the days progressed so did the beasts, becoming increasingly harder to hit, more resistant and alive, meaning they charged to attack.

This time, they summoned our toughest targets yet. I was assigned a Qilin, or so they called it. It was a dragon-like dear with four fangs that curled over its chin, two on each side of its misshapen mouth. Along with the Qilin came a couple of giant Guivres, large monsters with scales running over their entire bodies, making them highly resistant to arrows. I noticed that Roy had been assigned ghastly creatures, including Phookas and Jinns and other shape-shifting beasts that were impossibly tough targets.

I’ll stick to my Guivers and Qilin, thank you.

Nevertheless, the trial was laborious. I focused on taking out the two Guivres first, while constantly dodging the swooping Qilin’s gnashing fangs. Given the Guivres’ natural armor, and the concerning lack of a “return to base” button, I picked up a club and got in close. After having buffeted several blows, I was able to knock down one of the Guivres. The second one was even more vigorous. Fortunately, at one point, I hit the steel handle of my club on its lower jaw which sent him staggering back a few feet, giving me enough time to locate a “soft-spot” on his scaly carapace--just above its eyes, around the temple area--and pierce it with an arrow.

Lastly, I had to face the Qilin head on. It was swift and intimidating, and its fierce charges forced me to retreat to defensive responses. After an exhaustive hour of dodging, jumping and rolling, I seized an opportunity when its fangs clamped onto one of the trees, where I had been a split-second before. Leaping aside, I shot an arrow that just barely hit its hind leg. I missed by a few inches, but it had been weakened. Taking one more shot I slashed one of its horns just as it broke free from the trees.

It rushed at me, but it had been harshly debilitated and I sent yet one more arrow, this time right at its open mouth, coming out the back of its skull. It dropped dead, blood dripping from its fangs. Foul.

Roy had been done half an hour earlier, but I stood proud and proceeded to the final task, not acknowledging his out-of-context smirks.

It was time to test the maneuvering and survival skills that we had learned. They were various small and clean tasks such as camouflaging, building shelter, building traps and simple weapons, aerobic conditioning--similar to our warmup drills--and lastly, hunting our meals. It couldn’t be anything too exhausting anyways, otherwise there wouldn’t be any strength left for the actual quest. After a short break to eat, Livia went back to the camp to get everything set for departure. Meanwhile, Sky took Roy and me through the woods up a steep slope covered by a canopy of tree leaves. Once we reached the top the trees brushed back, revealing land on one side and the ocean on the other.

“This is Sodamhill,” Sky said, waving his hand over the vast land that overlooked the cliff, “where we have a view of almost all of Musgrave. To our right, those are the Gwennwoods, where we’ve been training. Right over it--those mountains--that’s Roonbottam. Now, that valley over there to our left, south of the Squatterberg River, that’s Whitebere. That’s where I live. See that thick line of trees next to the mountains? That’s part of the Potterswoods. Moving down...that little speck right there--Musgrave Pen. Moving north of Musgrave Pen, we’ll see Juetsvale. Right there, see? Those two pointy mountains--that’s the entrance. Now see that line of mountains further back--far off in the horizon? That’s Witvale. South of Witvale, though we can’t see it from here, is Mount Torak--the largest mountain in Myria. That was where the Messenger received Yihwa’s anointment and saved all of Myria.”

“Behind us, we can see Blanche Rock--right there, in the middle of the ocean. That little speck of land next to it is Robinchester--the jujoo habitat. We can’t see it too clearly, but north of Robinchester is another, much smaller speck--Robindour. And that large piece of land filling the horizon across from us is Minocast. The Boniquippas call it I’retirii--the “Forsaken Island”. It hasn’t been thoroughly explored by us Myrians, since the few people that have set out to do so never returned. As far as we know, it’s an uninhabited island, though some believe it to be one of Theon’s territories.”

He then turned to us with a stern expression on his face.

“This--all of this, and a bit more--is our home. Us Myrians. The land we love and train hard to protect. It is our sacred land. They will depend on us to save them. If you’re asking yourselves why I’m showing you all this--it’s so you know what you and I will be fighting for.”

As he walked past us down the trail, Roy and I exchanged looks for the first time in the last few days. I felt a burden weigh on me, one that I wasn’t sure I could carry, and clearly he felt it too. We walked back to the camp in silence, like always and I began to wonder. Why did Sky say they depended on us? If Myrian citizens can control elements of nature, why did they need us anyway? Who were we? Two Commonlanders--the name says it all--who, up until last week, were completely useless to them.

Would they really be so fatalistic as to bet their future on us?

Dusk had come early and I was already packed up. Anxiety was setting in at a level that required either miniature boat modeling or Noh drama composition. With the absence of essential tools, I ventured into the forest to scrounge for inspiration--or to put my on-running worries on standby (by this point I didn’t know the difference between either option). A couple of hours later, with an armful of what seemed to be little more than firewood, I heard movement around my tent and decided to go back. I found the wooden chariot that had transported us to the campsite parked behind the ashes of the morning fire. Eleazar waited in the cot and waved me a casual two-finger salute. Instinctively, I snapped into a full military salute, only truly feeling the weight of the past week as the logs I held crashed around my feet. Soon Sky, Livia, and Roy were packed and we were off.

During the ride, I wasn’t sure if the woods were a bit chilly, or if it was just my stomach performing an acrobatic routine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight when the Main Gate opened and I saw the entire plaza swarming with villagers. I caught Roy’s eye and hoped his diffidence wasn’t contagious. I still questioned the fact that these seven-element-bending Myrians wanted us to embark on their fate-deciding journey.

Maybe it’s their way to kill us off, I thought...

The Elders were positioned at the High Monument, as if they had never left. We stepped off the carriage and I had the dreadful sensation that all eyes were on me. I hated that feeling. Though I had learned to avoid it, this time there was no hiding. I followed Eleazar onto the monument, expressionless, trying not to make any eye contact with the eager citizens. Sky and Livia were right behind me, Roy at my side, as we stopped at the foot of the monument. The Elders quickly rose from their chairs and we were ordered to climb the staircase. We greeted each of them, once again with bows, and were escorted down the front corridor of the monument among the “knights” (the term that referenced a high-ranking military guild member) that were lined up straight, like a troop. I recognized a few people from the Holutu celebration on my first night in Myria. Though some of them were Boniquippan, Myrians from every part of the islands gathered. Eleazar exited to the left of the monument, joining the crowd that had gone silent, as the middle Chairman--Paewyn--spoke up.

“Greetings, peoples of Myria!” he began. “Some of you may already know, as others might not, that we are entering a time of darkness and grief. We are all aware that in two decades we have yet to see peace in Myria. Our history has been plagued with natural conflicts, invasions, conspiracy, and, of course, the wipe out that started it all. These are all bitter memories. Since before the creation of Myria, our world has been haunted by the evil wrath of Theon.”

The crowd reacted to the name “Theon” with shudders and gasps, as Paewyn went on.

“However, we will not allow forty years of a well-built society to crumble into dust. Ever since the first invasion, we have trained vigorously and prepared ourselves for this. Well, the time is now. Not just us, but the entire world is at stake. Around a week ago, the boundaries were torn and now the supernatural world, both holy and wicked, has been released.” He then stared straight at me. “That is the reason for these revelations currently occurring over the world.”

I tilted my head down. The Brisbane tragedy, the blood-red clouds...As clarity washed over me I allowed my mouth to slide into a grin. The chain of lightbulbs flicking on in my head was definitively shattered by a sharp rude elbow to my ribs. I frowned at Roy, recovering the gravity of the present, as Paewyn continued.

“We do not know how long this will last. It might last another decade. But it is what we have restlessly prepared for, it is what Yihwa has promised us. The rest of the world does not know what is upon them. That is why we must take a stand. When the time is right they will be alerted, but for the meantime, the battle is raging, Theon is raging, henceforth the entire Land of Myria must not desist!”

The crowd roared. Paewyn’s passionate manner of speaking was incredibly convincing--and with an expressive wave of his hand, silence took over again.

“We have summoned you all, for today we will take our first step into this era. We are decreeing a quest, in search of the legendary Vermillion.” He then pointed towards us.

“Upon us are the newest among us who have fought and trained to take on this quest of ours. It is time we reveal the party that we have assembled, that will partake in this journey.”

Sky, whispered to Roy and me from behind. “You’ll be called up first.”

Just as he said it, we heard Paewyn call out. “Roy Kendon and Angus Harper!”

We stepped forward and the crowd cheered briefly.

“In addition, we have chosen one from each guild, to craft a balanced troop. Each of us will present our guild’s fellow Hopes.

First, Hiro, Chairman of Galacia, took the stand. “I present Sky, of Galacia, Archer and Warden apprentice.” Some more applause from the crowd as Sky joined us. I was relieved to have him, being that he and Livia were the only Myrians I knew well. That’s when I heard her name called by Nalini’s Chairman, Amana.

“Livia of Nalini, Alchemist and Guild Warden.” She joined us on the monument. Glandias stepped in.

“I bring forth Jardious of Bigolle, Forger and Chieftain of Weaponry,” he said, as a bulky Grogan stepped out from within the crowd. Due to his size, we were only able to get a good look at him when he got to the foot of the staircase. Reaching the monument, he squeezed next to me, grunting and grumbling. He was puffy, fit and had meaty, hairy hands almost the size of his head. A familiar face, as I remembered spotting him in the Holutu Night, drowning himself in pints of wine. He wore a silver hood and had a slinky mustache that hung to the sides of his chin. Although I would never say such a thing, it was a pretty bizarre piece of facial hair. The mustache on anyone else would have been the most comical thing I’d ever seen, but his commanding appearance made up for it.

After he had settled, Tapunui cleared his throat. “The Alyven guild presents Ada, Caretaker and Second Administrative Empter!”

At that moment, my mouth dropped. Hypothetically, of course--I would never allow such a thing. A girl around Roy’s age emerged from the crowd. The reason for my theoretical mouth-drop was the fact that the girl was most breathtakingly beautiful. Silky blonde hair that almost sparkled under the setting sun fell past her shoulders down to her hips, that were covered by a silk robe. She had blue eyes under smooth eyelashes that curled up gently and her tender lips formed a light smile. Reaching the monument, she stopped in front of Roy and me, and greeted us with a smile.

“Pleased to meet you two. I’ve heard great things.” Even her voice was angelic. She giggled and settled next to Roy, who surprisingly didn’t lose his composure, what little of it he had. Through my hypnosis, I barely noticed Tahi Toa take his stand, full of pride. Out of the Chairmen, he and Tapunui were the only Boniquippas and he seemed quite self-possessed about it.

“I proudly present,” he said in a deep rough voice, “Leof, the Taiowen Warrior and First Commander!”

There was a burst of applause from the crowd, as people made way for him.

This guy must be the “big man” of the quest, I thought. That’s when my jaw actually dropped and my eyes widened. He wasn’t a stranger. This man, Leof, was the same man I had run into at the market on the day of the Brisbane tragedy. It was unmistakable. The same blue cloak, glove that tied up to his fingers and the bird feather hanging over his shoulders. He stared straight, towering over me, and nodded, as if to assure me of my thoughts, before taking position in front of us. So I was right. He was the leader.

Alazaar was next. He wore a broad smile, that, though sympathetic, came off a bit creepy, if I should say.

“I call Eulisses of Sevarea!” The crowd was dead silent. There were a few whispers and gasps here and there, but no applause. Alazaar kept his twitchy leer of a smile under the dead crowd that scuffled away and stared suspiciously at the tall, slim guy that brushed through them. I must emphasize. Really tall. A whole head over me and I wasn’t so average. That was just a first of his off-putting characteristics. His limbs looked like they could snap at any moment--and people call me scrawny. Due to his height and rather feeble build, he had a hunch when he walked. A dark hood covered his face, but his eyes were visible. Large bulgy eyes, with heave bags under them as if he hadn’t seen sleep in a year. He didn’t bother to greet any of us. Instead, he slinked his way to my far left, next to Sky.

At last, Paewyn took the stand once again, this time to announce the hero of his guild to close the party.

“A prestigious bit we have here so far,” he said. “And at last I am proud to present Myria’s newest and youngest guild Warden, the exquisite ranger, Safira, of Teva!” A copper-haired girl stepped out of the lineup. The crowd applauded and the name rang in my head once I saw her. Safira. Pictures flashed in my mind, like it did every so often when something rings a bell. I was awestruck. My hands shook and my jaw gave way once again. It was the girl from the lake. The girl I had seen bending water. This time I was staring straight into her green eyes and something deep inside me felt like I had known this girl well before. I couldn’t make out any memory of it. I just knew.

Her eyes met mine almost immediately as she was climbing the steps, and, for a split-second, I knew she thought the same thing as her’s widened in synchrony with mine. But only for a split-second and then her focus was elsewhere. She took a glance at Roy and had the same reaction. Quickly shook her head and looked sideways with a straight face. Quite odd.

Had she seen me that night? Did she know it was me?

I didn’t understand what it was supposed to mean, but I wanted to know more. Still, she got to the top and took position farthest to my right, next to Livia.

“And so it is written,” Paewyn bellowed. “Before you, the Legion of Heroes that will give themselves to this fearsome journey!” Full out applause filled Musgrave Pen as a small gate behind creaked open revealing a passageway that led to the inside of the Monument. We were escorted through. I guessed it must’ve been the chambers to which the Chairmen retired, though I hadn’t picked up on that before.

The inside was even more stunning than the outside--crystal walls, clear as mirrors, with golden borders. The architecture was amazing. It seemed like a maze, completely incoherent to the actual size of the monument, that tunneled all the way underground with the endless glassy walls and pillars. We finally got to a large dining room with a round table spread at its center. Platinum chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the chairs shone in silver. The Chairmen took their seats and the rest of us sat across from them as silver platters of food and wooden goblets of red wine were served. I remembered how much I hate wine, so I had to mask it by taking small sips and filling my mouth with food immediately.

“Well,” Paewyn began. “We have come to discuss the plans and routes of your journey. You will all embark before the break of dawn tomorrow, and let me make one thing clear. It’ll be a very treacherous journey that will require total physical and emotional balance, power of will, and most importantly, passion. Many dangers await you, and do keep in mind the possibility that not all of you will come back alive.”

I could feel Roy shudder and I must admit I bit my lips not to do so as well.

“Let us get to it. Alazaar...” A young man came by and handed Alazaar, the Chairman of Sevarea, a leather case with a large parchment which he set out on the table with a salacious look on his face.

“First things first,” Alazaar began. “The nine of you are to gather tomorrow at the harbor. A small ship will be waiting for you to board. It will be the main means of travelling for your journey, so it is fitted with small cots. He spread out the parchment.

“Quite a dusty map, but it’ll do,” he said, stroking it with his bony fingers. “You all know the objective of the quest, so it’s needless to explain--but you are yet to know where you’re headed. The seven of us have consulted the Ancient Runes and Visionaries, left by the Higher Elders, our ancestors, and have found hints that lead to this.” He snapped his fingers, a bolt of fire spat onto the parchment and the map came alive. The pieces of land on the map now had small tracings of people, animals, and creatures. The trees detailed on the map moved, allowing one to basically keep track of anything. Alazaar then pointed to a large moving shadow that covered an entire island.

“This is Theon’s army. They are located in East Axbriar, currently on the move. Notice there are some other small, but similar, shadows spread out around here,” he said, tapping his finger on a town that looked to be in ruins, sitting on the edge of a large, outstretched island, far west of Musgrave Island.

“Winmore,” Alazaar exclaimed and Jardious, the Grogan from Bigolle, harrumphed.

“Heilsaucey, it can’t be what I think it is?! Theon’s going for the--”

“Forest of the Undead,” Alazaar finished Jardious’ sentence. “Precisely. That means Theon’s army isn’t only situated in Axbriar. The curse of the Forest of the Undead was placed by Theon himself, decades ago. He is now going to lift that curse and release his imprisoned Undead. So, if his army is headed west towards the Forest, to lift the curse, he will be pushing further into the Ruins. That can only mean one thing.”

“The Vermillion,” Leof answered. “It’s in Squire Elm Fortress.” Others gasped and began whispering to each other.

“May I ask what the Squire Elm Fortress is?” Roy ventured, in a croaky voice. I could tell he was shook up, but I wasn’t sure he was in the right mind to speak.

“Squire Elm Fortress is a forest under strong enchantment, placed around fifteen years ago by Theon’s frontman, Iyassu. He is currently the body that Theon possesses and is the army leader. Anyway, Squire Elm is deeply enchanted--cursed, you may say--by illusions and hallucinogenic spells. It is a psychological labyrinth that casts itself on each person in a different way, giving them extremely vivid, tangible visions of the things they fear most.”

“So basically, the Fortress looks different to each person?” I asked. “I mean, if they are each cursed with a different illusion, they are individually trapped in their own labyrinth.”

“Correct,” Glandias responded from the far left.

“And that is why it is almost impenetrable,” Alazaar said. “Almost.”

“Why would the Vermillion be there anyway?” Sky jumped in. “Is he setting a trap?”

“Yes. And we are going straight into it,” Alazaar responded, licking his lips. There was that unsettling grin again.

“Either way, we can’t afford to go straight into the Forest of the Undead, which we’d have to go through in order to reach Squire Elm,” Livia said. “We all know Squire Elm has a field of enchantment protecting it. Other than the Shard Curl Ruins, it can only be entered going through the Forrest.”

“Not necessarily. We have found there is one other way, which I’ve been trying to get to,” Alazaar announced impatiently, trying to regain the table. “It is an underground path, starting in Hawksham Peak, known as the Trenches of Winmore. Very few people know of it other than me, and, well, the townspeople of Winmore. The path weaves its way around the Forest of the Undead--and you must do it cautiously, as you will have the Forest to your right and Cryptid Valley to your left--a deadly path, which we call Prisoner’s Alley. Once you are through the Trenches you will trek up and over the Blood Dunes and find yourself right at the start of the Ruins where you can make your way to Squire Elm.”

We sat for a while longer discussing some other minor details, battle strategies and emergency encounters, as we finished our meals. The Chairmen then dismissed us by giving us each a green flask.

“May Yihwa’s blessing be upon you all. Handle the anointment in wisdom and with discernment,” Paewyn said, as we took our bows.

“And one last thing,” Alazaar jumped in. “Take the map with you. It’s a great one, nicely detailed and, as you’ve seen, the unique enchantment it contains will assist you by keeping track of yourselves as well as your enemies on the move--and any other creature for that matter. There will be no need for emergency assets as long as you refer to it regularly.” He handed it to Leof, who rolled it up into its brown leather case. We were escorted back up the stairs, through the passageway, and back to the Monument’s entrance. Leaving the monument, I took one more look at the Elders sitting peacefully on their crystal-adorned chairs.

“I suggest we all sleep nearby to avoid coming late tomorrow morning. ’Till the crack of dawn,” Leof said.

Sky offered Roy and me a place in the Barrack of Symphonies Inn--owned by his father--at the village plaza. Our belongings had already been packed and laid out next to our beds. I checked to make sure my composition book was tucked inside my knapsack. It would be useful to record things throughout the journey.

Who knows? It might make a good story, I thought. If I survive. Fear was striking mercilessly.

That night I just couldn’t help but toss and turn, thinking about the possibility of my imminent death as soon as tomorrow.