Wings of Fate: The Lost Ones

Bael stood beside Austin, watching Raven ride away with the Moirai sisters, whom he had grown to respect. And fear. When she glanced over her shoulder at him and Austin, Raven’s blue-green eyes met his in a fleeting glance. Her hair floated on the air as she moved atop the white horse spiriting her away. He considered he ought to feel terrible for behaving as though his goal to protect the boy was to help her.

His taking Austin was preordained.

He gazed down at the boy. “I am surprised you are so willing to trust me when I have given you no real cause to do so.”

Austin returned his gaze with serious brown eyes. “I didn’t want to die.” He grew silent, staring into the shaded woods where Raven and the Moirai disappeared, and then continued, “That is the second time I’ve said that in the last few days. Isn’t that weird?” he asked.

Bael chuckled. “No, Austin, I do not believe it is strange at all.”

“Besides,” Austin continued, “you did come for us back when those men kidnapped us. You probably didn’t have to.”

Yes, I did, Bael thought, or risk losing everything dear to my people.

Austin went on. “So, I guess, in a way, you have given me reason to trust you.”

Bael gazed towards Ruth’s cottage and then at the boy. “I appreciate the sentiment Austin. Wait here while I retrieve Bellvie, my horse, and then we will head to Allegora, yes?”

Austin nodded, waiting while Bael walked towards the back of Ruth’s cabin. The kid’s eyes bore into the back of his head until he disappeared around the corner.

As the journey began, Austin was eager to notice everything around them -- having never spent much time doing outdoorsy stuff; his experiences were limited to visiting Central Park with his mom and dad. New York was all tall brick buildings and cement roads, which left little to no room for trees -- much less the hundreds of trees he spied so far on DeSolar.

After the kidnapping yesterday there was the red and brown cliff city and, if swimming for your life can be considered playtime, he was able to play in the ocean. As the horse carried them away from Ruth’s village, the echo of rushing water drifted through the trees, reminding Austin of the river he played in with the village children. Playing still felt wrong and there was no telling how long it would be before the feeling went away, if ever. Perhaps when his mom came back and told him everything was some big huge joke.

Concern about his dad riddled him with guilt anytime he felt like laughing or joking around, because he had to be worried. And sad. But Raven insisted he play with the kids and, honestly, he was glad she had. The game was distracting for an hour.

Bellvie clopped between the trees as though familiar with the land. Bael clenched the reins with both hands and by doing so, blocked in Austin. It was the first time he felt even a semblance of safety and so he allowed himself to relax. Watching the sunlight filtering through the tree branches dozens of feet above their heads, he leaned his head back as far as he could with Bael’s chest right behind him, becoming lost in the wave and dance of a thousand green leaves.

Allowing his eyes to follow the light as it shifted through the leaves to drape itself across the forest floor, Austin spotted a family of squirrels pausing to watch the horse pass. One of the squirrels caught his gaze as though making contact and Austin imagined he could read the animal’s thoughts -- imagined he understood how enormous he, Bael and the horse must seem.

While he was willing to communicate in silence with the gray squirrel, Austin said nothing to Bael. His mind churned up the memories of their crash and everything that happened since waking in the bathroom. His future had never been more uncertain and he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to him in Bael’s homeland, Allegora.

The Moirai ladies hadn’t been as scary as he expected them to be, though he wasn’t sure why he thought they would have been terrifying. There was no time to ask why he couldn’t go with them but it was obvious the person who was supposed to be on DeSolar was Raven, not him. If he was necessary to the war cause, the three ladies would have taken him with them. Instead, he was on his way to Allegora with Bael, a man he barely knew, to -- do what?

At least Raven had a purpose. She was supposed to be here, had a specific place to go, and a specific job to do. What about him? What was he supposed to do on this planet? Go with Bael, it would seem, for the time being anyway. If Allegora was as small as Nicaru Village it was going to be a boring adventure. He was hoping Bael’s hometown would be big -- at least big enough to find a lot of new friends in since, apparently, he would be staying there.

If there were schools in Allegora it would make finding friends easier but, for the time being, Austin was enjoying not going to school. Who would take care of him? Would Bael keep him or pass him off to strangers? It seemed no one wanted to be saddled with him. His dad’s voice seeped into his thoughts as Austin caught the sunlight spiking through the branches above like long fingers reaching toward them. Remembering a day the summer before his mom died, he recalled that he and his dad lay on their backs in Central Park, watching the branches wave their leaves down on the people.

“Look Austin.” His dad said with a smile that set off the lines around the edge of his eyes, which always crinkled up when he smiled or laughed. It was hot that day. The tall trees surrounding them offered up shade but it was uncomfortable. As his dad pointed up and over to the right, Austin’s eyes followed the direction his fingers indicated. “See that sunlight coming down through the trees?”

Austin nodded, “yeah.”

“That’s the love of God shining down on this spot.” His dad said. Austin, full of skepticism, reminded his dad the sun didn’t shine only on them, but everywhere.

His dad crossed his arms beneath his head and watched leaves fall from their place on the trees above them. As the leaves slowly fell, twirling towards the ground, he replied. “Nuh uh, when it is broken up into rows of sunlight, those are his fingers reaching down to touch us.”

Austin began to believe his father that day -- believed God personally stretched his fingers down from Heaven and touched them. He could still hear his dad’s voice in his head saying those words, ‘that’s the love of God...’

#

Bael smoked his cigarette, and ignored Austin’s sniffling, understanding the boy would have a difficult time adjusting to all that happened. The leather reins tugged against the palms of his hands as Bellvie turned her head to move in between two trees when the path became blocked. After a few moments he felt the boy nod off to sleep and he let him have the moment.

They were coming up to the Suell River and Austin would have to awaken again.

Bellvie thus far maintained a steady trot but her animal senses tuned into the strange pull of the Lost Triangle. Ever since they left Nicaru Village the birds sat high in the trees calling to each other, giving evidence to their presence, but as Bellvie neared the triangle all natural sounds dissipated into nothing. Animals could sense the strangeness in the area and avoided it. When Bellvie’s movements slowed almost to a crawl, Bael relaxed in the saddle, breathing deeply of the tangy, green fragrance carried on the wind.

As the horse moved beneath them, Austin’s head slid sideways against his chest, landing on his forearm. Looking down at the top of the kids’ head, Bael whispered a small prayer for Austin’s safe deliverance. His mission took more years than any other mission he was assigned, and he almost failed. Losing four of his men on the journey should have been indicative of the mission’s perilous nature but Bael felt only chagrin. Though he carried Austin to safety, other lives were lost and he hated the cost of life. He hated that one of those lives was Jeswein.

Part of him was ready to return home, to find his uncle, and learn what became of Mailia. Another part of him was grateful this journey was a long one.

He did not tell Raven or Austin how far away Allegora was. They would have to go through many villages and part of the journey would require a boat. There would be danger in every moment of the trip. Austin would need to learn defensive maneuvers and perhaps have some weapon training. Peering down at the thin arms sticking out of the boy’s t-shirt, Bael smiled to himself. Maybe he would have him lift some small pebbles first to build muscle.

For Bael, home meant a long meeting with the Elfin Council to discuss his travels and any useful information he might have obtained about the recent movements of the Sorenge Soldiers, who grew in numbers while he was away from home. Choosing to travel the lands, in search of his purpose, Bael was away from Allegora for many years.

“Your purpose is to be the guardian, Bael.” His uncle told him before his departure.

“To guard what, uncle?” Bael shouted. He was angry and listless that night. His marriage to Mailia just ended, tearing his life apart. His beautiful wife was his past and present. She was supposed to have been his future. After learning what Mailia was involved in, Bael went to the Veloma pond in misery, trying to focus on the Elfin Prayer.

He went to see the god of light for answers. He did not expect the vision he received. Afterwards, Bael returned to the Castle of Velo, to seek out his uncle and relay what he witnessed.

“You will have to find the answer Bael,” his uncle instructed him, “for you have, at all times, been the guardian. It was your path upon the moment of your birth, as we are each given a path.”

Bael knew his name meant Guardian of Woman and he wondered, now, if that woman was Raven. He always assumed Mailia would be the one whom he needed to guard, but he didn’t protect outlaws. She would be in Allegora when he returned and he feared running into her, though there was the possibility she was traveling for she was a Blue Mystic Elf, and a healer. At least she was on the surface, Bael thought, his lips pressed together grimly as he flicked his cigarette to the ground.

Bellvie’s muscles tensed beneath his thighs a second before Bael felt eyes upon him. The Lost Warriors, he thought, keeping his eyes focused on the path ahead. The Lost Warriors lived in a small village and disguised themselves as a religious sect. Their “religious sect” was as heavily entrenched in the same secret pact he and Ruth were a part of: the protection of the Crash Site so no one else would know of its existence. These warriors carried a responsibility that far surpassed the cloaking of a Crash Site -- they hid something far more dangerous.

The Lost Warriors lived at the northern tip of the Lost Triangle, a triangular stretch of land spanning a hundred miles between each point. To enter into the land was dangerous, for it bore a strong similarity to the strange phenomena of the Crash Site disappearances. People who walked into the Lost Triangle rarely walked out of it. The warriors were saddled with the enormous responsibility of keeping travelers out of the area and to do so without anyone knowing the reason why. When anyone came near the triangle, scouts followed at a discreet distance to ensure they did not stumble over an invisible border.

In all his time in the area, Bael spied the warriors only once as they did their best to remain hidden, wearing leather clothing dyed with colors that blended in with their surroundings. Living in the wilds of the land, the men were forced to endure a life without frequent access to bathing, razors, or other grooming implements and therefore almost all wore their hair long and unruly, and in many cases they appeared covered in grease.

Long beards with interwoven mustaches consumed most of their faces, and what skin left over was neatly covered with the black ink of permanent tattoos etched in swirls and blotches. Many of the warriors pierced their eyebrows and earlobes with small metal loops.

The scouts he ran into carried a bow and arrow quiver, as well as knives and, with seeming randomness, some traveled on horseback and others on foot only. Bael attempted, once, to gain access to their commander, to learn what he could from the warrior who would have the most answers regarding the Lost Triangle.

But in a series of grunts and hand gestures, though he knew at one point the warriors were regular men who spoke his language, his request was declined. As though concerned he may not understand their response, it was followed with stiff, poisoned bows pointed at his chest.

The Lost Triangle was large enough to fall across various types of land with the majority of it being covered and encircled by the redwood trees famous for blanketing this part of the country. The tip of the triangle, however, was red desert -- barren of even the smallest bush or weed.

In between the heavily forested area and the desert area, was a wide stretch of flatlands, which encircled a peculiar swamp. The swamp mystery included a rumor that it was the center of the phenomena, though it was not necessary to be near it in order to vanish.

Bael rode forward, resolute on his path and ignored the feeling of being watched as he moved parallel to the triangle. Minutes passed as they crossed the imaginary border separating Camelion land from Nahmu land. It would not matter how far into Nahmu they rode, however, for the Queen treated borders as a murky and frivolous subject. Her soldiers went where they willed.

Trickling water echoed back to him as it ran east to west in the Suell River. He and Austin would have to cross the river and move south for another hour before they would reach the castle belonging to Lord Belkin of Nahmu. He and Austin would need to stop for the night, let the horse rest, and allow time to eat.

There would be only one more opportunity to sleep indoors before they reached Allegora. Bael looked forward to reaching the castle and speaking with Lord Belkin, for they were well acquainted. The earl was a brilliant strategist and an amazing storyteller. More than these attributes, though, Bael appreciated the man’s tolerance for elves.

Not all the people on DeSolar were as accepting.

When they reached the rushing river, Bael woke Austin and helped him down before throwing his leg over and jumping to the ground. His boots began to slide in the riverside muck and he had to take a couple steps back to keep his boots from getting sucked into the mass of tall grass pushing through the mud.

The river itself was mild, but he would not risk Bellvie crossing the water with them on her back. If she lost her footing, their weight would take her down. Austin joined him at the rivers’ edge and squinted against the fading sunlight over Bael’s shoulder.

“Why do you always wear that hat? It doesn’t seem like it really goes with the rest of your outfit.” Austin touched the material on Bael’s sleeve and squinted at his hat. Bael, his left eyebrow lifted into his hairline and a small smile lifting the side of his mouth, met Austin’s curious gaze.

“To hide my ears.” He answered.

Austin stared at him for a moment and then cocked his head to get a better view of Bael’s ear. “Well it works because I can’t see your ears at all. You shouldn’t be ashamed of your ears, look at mine,” Austin stuck a finger behind each of his ears and pushed them forward, “mine stick out to here and kids used to always call me Dumbo in school. I would get angry, but they’re my ears, what am I gonna do? You can’t always wear a hat, you know?” he finished, watching Bael expectantly.

“What?”

“I just told you that you could take off your hat, so take it off.” Austin put his hands on his hips, waiting. Bael, chuckling, removed the hat. The kid twisted and turned, searching for a glimpse of his ears. “I still can’t see them.” He complained, frowning after inspecting Bael’s head. “Your hair is too long.”

“I wear the hat,” Bael snorted with a laugh, slapping his hat against his thigh, “so people can’t see my ears and you are making fun of my hair?” Bael muttered something rude under his breath and pulled the cloth back over his head.

#

Raven and the Moirai sisters rode almost all day, weaving between the mammoth-sized trees. It was impressive that the women continued without hesitation as though, at all times, they knew precisely where they were. It was impossible for her to discern a marked difference between the forested area they were now moving through and the areas through which they already traveled.

They never once set foot on a road or clear-cut path, which would have provided some sense of direction. The proximity of the trees made it impossible for the horses to travel any faster than she could have moved on foot, and Raven was grateful for it. The idea of flying off her horse was unappealing.

When she and Atropos joined the other two sisters, Atropos tucked her dress beneath her thighs and took the lead. The woman held her back straight as she guided her horse around her sisters, whether out of habit of sitting properly or out of disdain for Raven’s behavior -- Raven didn’t know. Klotho fell behind Atropos, followed by Lachesis, leaving Raven to glare at them as she followed.

In Ruth’s cottage she thought the three women were triplets, or just about identical, but it was easier out in the open to watch the three of them at the same time and pinpoint the differences in their appearances. All three women wore stark white dresses of the same length, which cut off at mid-thigh, and all three wore the same red calf-high boots. All three appeared to spend hours out doors, and Raven was inclined to believe it was the truth given their mode of transportation, as each sported the golden tan of late summer.

Externally, their hair, an intense white, seemed to be where the similarities ended. Both Atropos and Klotho wore their curly hair short, trimmed to just below their ears and Lachesis’ poured over her shoulders in vigorous curls. But there was no doubt they were sisters.

She struggled all morning to recall the elusive memory of the Moirai. The sisters were named after some kind of tale, she was certain, and the books her mother read were about princesses and dragons -- mythological creatures.

How could the women follow a prophecy created on DeSolar when it included a woman from Earth? How could the two planets be linked? There had to be something linking them, something other than the Bermuda Triangle. Lachesis said the portal had existed a long time -- and according to Ruth and Bael, people from Earth arrived on DeSolar for over a hundred years. Is that how long the portal existed?

Or did something happen a hundred years ago to activate it?

Ruth said she waited a hundred years for their arrival -- did that mean the Moirai sisters activated the portal in preparation for Raven’s arrival? Or was it coincidence?

The Moirai sisters and Ruth hadn’t been the only people expecting Raven. King Nash.

Bael told her King Nash was a decent guy who was on the up and up, as far as he was aware. Could that be true? Why would a nice guy kidnap her? If she met the King it would have been easier to learn what he hoped to gain with her. And maybe he would have provided more answers than she was getting from anyone else -- Bael, Ruth and the Moirai all seemed cagey, as though any straight answer would be undesirable. King Nash would have side-stepped just as much, she thought in frustration. Did these people think she couldn’t handle the truth?

The early afternoon sun bore down on the leafy canopy above them, creating a sauna in the shadows of the forest, making it unbearable to breathe. Her stiff clothes alternated between clinging to the sweat forming on her back and brushing crudely against her chafing thighs. Twisting, Raven strove for relief from the sweat, the heat, and the chafing, but only merited more frustration.

As the day progressed it brought with it a fierce wind howling through the trees, twisting and whistling around them, bringing a flash of relief. Gasping in great gulps of the rushing wind, Raven spread her arms to her sides to allow the breeze to cool the pooling sweat. When the breeze caught the sweat beneath her arms she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

The constancy of being outdoors and the unrelenting heat was making her stink. With one hand on the reins, she lifted the back of her shirt so the wind could rush inside her clothes, and then alternated to her shirts’ front.

That brief cooling moment was the happiest moment of the day.

Before long the wind dissipated and the silence between the four of them grew so palpable Raven became uncomfortable. If there was more time to get to know the women better maybe she would have felt more sociable but as it was, she was traveling to some unknown place with unknown women, and since they weren’t giving her any answers there was nothing to discuss.

Knowing everything was insane did absolutely nothing to make her feel better because she was still in the middle of the forest with people she didn’t know, going somewhere she didn’t know and having absolutely no idea how to get back home, which, according to Ruth, could not be done.

Growing frustrated with her line of thinking she asked Lachesis, who rode directly in front of her, for the name of the horse she rode.

“Your horse’s name is Rohan, he is a male horse.” Lachesis answered, glancing back at Raven with smiling lavender eyes.

“Oh.” She responded and, not knowing what else to say, grew silent again. Rohan, like the other horses, was solid white. Releasing one hand from the leather reins around his neck, Raven ran her palm against the long hair hanging down his neck, delighting in its silky texture. A deep breath rumbled through his ribcage beneath her legs, making her smile.

Throughout the day the sun continued its climb across the sky and was quickly making its descent by the time Atropos called for a halt, veering into a small clearing -- a very small clearing, Raven noticed with a frown. “We are stopping here?” she asked, recalling her experience at the last small clearing.

“It is about the best we are going to get right now.” Atropos replied over her shoulder as she dismounted. Lachesis and Klotho slid from their horses, tying their reins to a couple of tree trunks encircling their make-shift camp. Raven sighed, slid to the ground and tied Rohan to the nearest tree.

“When was the last time you were on a horse?” Atropos asked, glancing at Raven’s pained expression before bending over to gather sticks and branches that had fallen to the ground.

“I have never been on a horse before today.” Raven answered, circling the group in an effort to bring feeling back into her legs.

“How is that possible?” Lachesis questioned her in wide-eyed surprise.

Raven met her gaze. “What do you mean?”

“We ride horses every day -- it is the fastest approach to travel.” Lachesis said, with a tilt to her head.

“Well, I haven’t seen any cars around here Lachesis; do you have cars here on DeSolar?” Boats, horses, swords, and a decided lack of electricity was what they had on DeSolar -- of course they wouldn’t have cars.

It was strange to consider DeSolar existed long enough to have invented the car, especially if they watched Earth in wait for her, over the last hundred years. The first automobile on Earth was invented in the 19th century -- over a hundred years ago -- providing the peeping tom Moirai sisters plenty of time to get the idea. But instead they continued on with their medieval devices.

“No, we do not, but I’ve seen horses on Earth so I know you have them.” She replied.

“Well,” Raven responded, finding a comfortable seat in the grass and crossing her legs Indian style, “we do have horses but that doesn’t mean everyone rides them. I live in a big city where everyone travels by car or foot. Horses are used only for special occasions or romantic carriage rides around Central Park.”

“Central Park?” Klotho asked.

“Yes, back home. In the center of Manhattan there is a huge park for the people to use for relaxing. A long time ago the people running the city built the park so people would have somewhere to go and unwind. There are ice skating rinks, tracks to run or walk on, an amphitheater…” She shrugged, ripping a blade of grass from the ground by her feet and twirling it between her fingers. “It is one of the most popular places to go in New York.”

“You sound like a promoter.” Lachesis accused, laughing.

Raven smiled, shrugging again. “Habit of my job -- half the time I don’t notice I’m doing it.”

“So, what did you think of your first ride?” Lachesis asked, returning to the subject of horse riding.

Raven frowned comically, eliciting a laugh from both Lachesis and Klotho. “So,” she said, “I’ve seen a bit of Benk City but what else is there on DeSolar besides trees?”

“It depends on where you are, I suppose.” Lachesis answered. “Right now you are in the Kingdom of Camelion, which is a wild land comprised of forests, rivers, and mountains. Camelion stretches in each direction from where we sit,” she said, peering over each shoulder in turn, indicating the directions she meant, “for a thousand miles, and is under the control of...” Lachesis glanced at Atropos before returning her gaze to Raven. “...the Queen.

Beyond Camelion, rests the Kentron Desert -- a red, inhospitable land -- followed by the Nefarian Ocean. You witnessed Benk City, which is on the shores of the Benklandu Ocean, and stretches for many miles in each direction alongside the ocean, butting up against the Philo Mountains, and is under the control of King Nash.

Far North of Benk City lays Avondale, run by Lord Kasril since the ruler of DeSolar was -- well, since he is no longer there.” Lachesis glanced at Atropos again, tapping her leg in distraction. Atropos didn’t meet her gaze but continued working on the fire as her sister explained the planet’s topography.

“There is more, Raven, but difficult to explain without a map of some kind. In between each of the kingdoms I have told you about, there are outcroppings of villages like Nicaru and small homesteads, as well as a few bigger ones. North of here, we will run into the Suell River, which stretches across a third of the planet, providing water to most of the homesteads I just mentioned. Our home, Treis-Soarta, lies on the opposite side of the northwest section of the Suell River just beyond the Espejo Peeks, which we will reach after crossing through the Woodlands tomorrow evening.”

Klotho picked up the line of conversation when Lachesis fell silent. “Further east you’ll run into large cities, more like what you are used to, on the other side of the Nefarian Ocean, which separates this countryside from the metropolitan cities such as Allegora and Menahime, both of which house an unbelievable number of civilians.”

“That doesn’t sound like much, how big is the ocean?”

“DeSolar is not as big as Earth.” Atropos said, now seated beside the prepared circle of firewood while she worked some rocks together to create flame.

“How big is it in comparison?” Raven asked as she shifted her leg away from the flame sparks.

“Not even half the size. DeSolar is not small but it is definitely not as big. Earth is one of the largest solid planets capable of housing life.”

“How far away from Earth are we?” Raven asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer. No one liked to be so far from home.

Atropos glanced at her and then back to the rocks in her hands. “That is a bit of a complicated telling. It is not as simple as saying you are a billion miles away, because that is not the truth. The truth is if you were in the same plane as Earth, you would only be as far away as a five-year journey in one of your shuttles. But you are not in the same plane. So, you see it is not a simple answer. The portal on Earth, referred to as The Bermuda Triangle, brought you straight here, but there is more involved than that. The universe is folded in upon itself, which causes various layers of evolved life. Under normal circumstances those layers could never come into direct contact with each other. The exception is, of course, the portals.”

When Raven only frowned at the top of Atropos’ head, Klotho continued the explanation. “Raven, imagine a piece of paper folded into a very small square, there would be many squares stacked on top of each other if you folded the paper that way, right?”

Understanding, Raven nodded for her to continue.

“Now imagine holding this folded up paper in one hand and using a needle to poke a hole through the top layer, all the way through the bottom layer.”

It made sense, Raven thought, picturing the action in her mind. If she punctured each layer with the needle, then all layers would be connected through the same hole. An ant could crawl from one layer to the next just by going through that one hole.

Meeting Klotho’s look directly, Raven said, “So the hole you make with the needle is the portal connecting each layer?”

“Exactly.” Klotho smiled as though a teacher to a pupil who got an answer right.

“So, the Bermuda Triangle is the ‘hole’. Did you puncture the folded layers just so you could bring me here?” Raven asked.

“No, that we did not do.” Atropos said in a voice laced with insult. “The Bermuda Triangle, as well as similar spots on other planets, was caused by someone else -- someone who is using them as a means to move back and forth. We try not to use them ourselves because we never know when we will run into him or his kind, but we made an exception this once.”

Raven glanced around the clearing, staring hard into the dark shadows stretching between the trees around them. Darkness fell quickly. The sun faded into nothingness before she noticed its passage. Remembering the pirates of before, she imagined each shadow to hide felons just waiting to steal her away again. “Who is using the portals?” she asked, shivering.

Small sparks leapt from Atropos’ rocks onto the brush beneath the pile of branches she built and, in barely a second, orange flames leapt into the growing darkness. The fire cast shadows across Atropos’ face as she sat staring into the glow. “The Destroyer.”