The Protector of Esparia (The Annals of Esparia Book 1) (6 page)

The brief trip abruptly ended with a crash-landing on damp, mossy, ground.  Over and over John rolled until a tree stopped his forward momentum.  The spiral continued to spew air for a few seconds, then it collapsed inward and evaporated.

John fought the dizziness that threatened to plunge him into unconsciousness.  He focused on breathing and keeping his stomach contents where they belonged.  He managed to gasp in adequate quantities of air, but lost the battle with his churning gut.  He was suddenly grateful that he had only sipped part of the tomato juice and taken just two bites of toast, but once they were up and out, he felt considerably better.

Unconscious, Gaylee lay on her side several feet away.  Giving her a quick exam, he was relieved that none of her bones were broken, and her vital signs appeared strong.  She would be coming around soon.

He pressed his hand down nearly an entire foot into the spongy, aqua-green moss.  It immediately sprang back when he withdrew the pressure, gently showering him with a watery mist.  It was this thick, soft cushion that saved them from being hurt on impact.  He surmised it had recently rained.  If Jessica had been here, all traces of her were long gone.

His head ached.  He combed his fingers through his hair.  The sun rested high in the sky, yet its warm rays did little to relax him.  Jessica…Jess…where could she be?  He tried to keep his frustration and fear in check.  Hopefully, when his headache faded, he would think more clearly.

A gentle breeze rustled through the high forest canopy at the edge of the meadow.  The trees were tall, thin yellow poles with thick foliage mushrooming out at the tops.  From their underside the leaves were deep green, with a thin, white cotton-like puff at each tip.  A few of the white puffs had ruptured, and blue bell-shaped blooms hung from them.  The leaves were translucent, like stained glass, allowing the sun to radiate through to the forest floor.  Each tree trunk was waxy smooth to the very top where the umbrella-like greenery intertwined with neighboring trees.

The circular meadow, just a few yards in diameter was the only place where unfiltered light touched the ground.  It was only here that the moss grew.  It stopped at the very edge of the woodland shade.  Scattered clumps of dwarf purple bushes ringed many of the trees.  They were loaded with plump, lavender berries that emitted a sweet, inviting fragrance.  When his empty stomach rumbled, John wondered if they were edible.  Squinting up at the sky, he thought the sun seemed normal enough, but seeing a second, enormous celestial orb at mid-day gave him quite a shock.  A huge, gaseous ball shimmered green and purple in the blue sky. 

Gaylee groaned.  Her eyes fluttered open.  She brought up a trembling hand to rub her head. 

“How are you feeling?”  John helped her to a sitting position. 

“I hate this form of travel,” she moaned and massaged her shoulder.  “Any sign of Jessica?”

“No sign of anyone.  This moss doesn’t hold a shape.  So where do we start?”  He wanted to go.

“Oh…I’m dizzy.”  She lay back down and closed her eyes.  “Let me rest, just a little longer.”  She made a slight smile.  “So I’m not as crazy as you thought, am I?”

John grunted and idly pulled at the moss.  “Did Shallenon know?”

“That she wasn’t from Earth?  Yes.  She eventually figured it out.  I tried to raise her as a normal earthling, but her link to this place, especially to her brother, was too great to be dismissed.  She dreamed about him a lot more regularly than Jessica does…did.  Their dreams began at about the same age, ten.”  Gaylee opened her eyes and turned her head toward John.  “You need to understand,” she said emphatically, “that it wasn’t my decision to keep this from you, it was Shallenon’s.  From the moment she met you, she wanted you to think her a normal woman, and she desperately wanted Jessica to have a normal life.  Think about it John, I’m an extra-terrestrial, so was Shallenon.  Do I need to say more?  She wanted it left alone.”

John shook his head.  “I knew there was more to your history than you ever divulged, but I’d always thought it had happened in Soviet-occupied Poland.”

“When we came to earth through the spiral—it’s called a spiral transhifter— we landed right in Jacob and Sophia’s living room.  I’d broken several bones on landing.  Luckily, Shallenon was unhurt.  Anyone else would have turned us into the authorities, but Sophia had lost her brothers, sisters, and everyone she had loved.  She needed someone to care for…someone to love, and she took us in.  Jacob went along with it.”

John stood up and stretched.  His headache was finally at a low throb and he was anxious to begin his search for Jessica. 

“John, I know you’re worried about Jess, so am I, but really, I need just a little more time to rest, or you’ll be carrying me the whole way.  Besides, I need to tell you about the two other dreams that Jessica had.”  Gaylee briefly related the first mist experience confirming Haesom’s death to Larone and the second one detailing the spiral plans.  “You’re not going to like this, but I don’t believe my uncle Larone induced either one of these visions.  I think Jessica brought them on by herself.”

John listened to his mother-in-law in bewildered silence, not knowing what to make of her stories, but this last statement brought his irritation to the surface.  “What do you mean?”  He stared down at her.

“When Haesom died, it triggered something in Jessica…turned something on.  Maybe a dormant gene, or a latent power.  I don’t know.  Like it or not John, Jessica’s heritage is half Esparian, and as she grows older, the Esparian part, and all that goes with it, grows stronger.”

Anger flooded through him.  He jumped to his feet.  “This is crazy Gaylee…all of this.”  He gestured to the foreign sky and the alien forest.  “I’m worried sick.  How
dare
your uncles steal her away!  She’s been dragged, completely unawares, into, from what little I know, an extremely deadly situation.  Her life’s in danger, and she’s all alone.”  John’s voice rose to a yelling pitch.

Gaylee’s face flushed red.  She sat up.  “Do you think I like this?  Do you think I wanted this?” she yelled back.  “I’m just as worried as you are, just as appalled.  You’re not the only one who loves her!  She’s all I have left too, besides you.”  She took some deep breaths.  “She’s not alone.  Larone sent someone named Varnack to protect her.  This Varnack must be a great warrior for him to be sent instead of Anton.  I don’t know what’s happened, but I do know my uncles and they would never have done this without thinking it through and weighing all of the dangers.”

Gaylee raised her hands toward John.  “Help me up.”  He grabbed her hands and pulled.  She drew herself erect and stared him in the eye.  “My name is Gayleena Liedia of the House of Saylon.  I am the High Protector of Esparia, the largest country on planet Edia.  When Shallenon died, the birthright of the Protectors went to Jessica.  I was born to the house of Liedia, and married Graesion Saylon.  My status as High Protector came by virtue of that marriage, however Jessica is a true Saylon, a Protector by blood.  I wanted to explain all of this to Jess this morning.  She knew I was coming; we talked yesterday.”  Gaylee shook her head.  “I thought I had more time, but when I woke up, I knew
she was gone.  I
felt
it and came straight over.”

“And now we’re here.”  He scooped up the duffle bag.

“Yes, we’re here.  She looked up at the gaseous planet above.  “I’m home.”

The Salupathic Gift

The sun shone through the vines at the mouth of the cave when Jessica finally awoke for the day.  She had just begun to tell Varnack about the mist-dream when a loud stomach rumble interrupted her explanation.  “I’m hungry.  You want something?” 

He nodded.  She reached for the knapsack and dumped the foodstuffs onto her lap.  After handing Varnack three strips of the dried meat, she sniffed a piece of dried green produce.  She nibbled a corner.  “Oooo, sweet.” 

Varnack never blinked while she finished relating her dream between bites of fruit leather, jerky and dark bread wafers.  She ended her narration by asking, “Varnack, are we in danger?”  A jab of apprehension made her shiver.

“Not yet.”

“Is that because they’re looking for my mom?”

“Yes.”

She picked up the still glowing lantern-jar, the extra food, and the now half-full water flask, then placed them back in the sack.  After shaking the dust from her jacket and tying it around her waist, she was ready to go.  To her surprise, they did not exit through the front, but followed a small tunnel at the back of the dugout, deeper into the hillside.  It was a man-made passageway and reminded Jessica of pictures she had seen of nineteenth century coal mine tunnels.  Reinforced on three sides with thick wooden beams, the dark conduit smelled musty and stale.  Jessica retrieved the lantern from the sack and holding it high, gratefully noted it still contained an inch or so of combustible powder. 

“Who built this place?”

“First Ones.”

“Why?”

“Don’t talk.  Move.”

She almost commented on his brusque manner, then thought better of it
. 
Maybe this is how his species is.  Maybe all of them hate talking.  She considered the possibility for a while.  How could she judge a whole species by one member?  This must be who Varnack is…Probably a loner, definitely not a socializer.  She must be driving him crazy.  The thought made her smile.

Much to her relief, the path was free from cobwebs and little crawling creatures.  There were no branching pathways.  They followed the straight, dank, chilly passage for half an hour to its end.  Here Varnack rose up on his back legs and using his powerful front paws, dug at a crack in the earth where several slender beams of light peeked through.  Jessica coughed when the dust swirled around her.  “Can I help?” she offered.

“No.”

He created a small opening, barely large enough for them to squeeze through.  A vast forest of tall, spindly trees and thigh-high lavender berried, red leafed bushes grew all around them.  Each pale yellow tree rose nearly twenty feet.  No outgrowth of branches interrupted the waxen, smooth trunks.  From every tree’s crown sprouted dozens of spoke-like arms, extending in all directions.  They intertwined with neighboring limbs, forming an intricate lattice.  Broad, translucent green leaves shot skyward from every point along the towering grid, while bell shaped blooms ranging from deep azure to delicate baby blue hung several inches below.  Sun light filtered through the glassy leaves, bathing the forest floor in a muted green glow.  Here and there, unfiltered beams of white light punched through the canopy above.  Where it kissed the ground, thick velvety moss grew.  After the musty tunnel, the forest smelled clean and sweet, with a hint of flowering perfume in the air.

“Come.”  Wagging his tail, Varnack led the way. 

They traveled at a brisk pace, skirting around the thicker bushes and squeezing between clumps of the pole-thin timbers.  It did not take long for Jessica to become accustomed to the rhythm of Varnack’s gait and she easily kept stride with him.  Still moist from the previous night’s rain, the moss squished down when they stepped on the infrequent patches, spraying their legs with fine mist. 

At length they reached a clearing.  After the muted light in the forest, the brightness of the sun caused Jessica to squint, and she turned her face upward to catch a bit of the warmth.  To her surprise, a large planet loomed high above, hovering in the cloudless, blue expanse.  It reminded her of the many times she saw earth’s moon after sunrise, just before it disappeared beyond the horizon, hanging like a softly focused picture with the sun’s rays illuminating it’s white beauty.  Only this was no small moon, but a massive planet, at least a thousand times larger in the sky, and streaked with soft green and purple pastel colors.

“Varnack, what’s that!” she exclaimed too loudly.

The immense hound dug his front paws into the ground and wheeled around, his fur on edge, his muscles tense.  Seeing his attack position, Jessica winced and felt very foolish.  “I…I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t mean to startle you.  I just wondered about that.”  She pointed skyward.

Without looking up, he grunted, “Ragus.”  He resumed their journey.  She was keenly aware of his irritation.

The dark, aqua-green moss was finally drying out so it no longer gurgled when stepped on.  Only the thudding of Jessica’s feet on the soft soil disturbed the serenity around them.  Varnack’s paws made no sound.  Several times they happened upon some pint-sized woodland rodents who chattered at them in alarm, and once Jessica glimpsed a single-horned, hairy beast behind a heavily laden berry bush. 

The grape sized lavender fruit that dotted the red shrubbery emitted a strong, sugary fragrance, distinctively different from the flowery scent of the trees.  Jessica yearned to try the botanical delicacy.  However, having disturbed Varnack once already, she kept her desire to her herself and trailed behind him in silence.  He seemed on edge, constantly turning his head to look from side to side and every fifty yards or so he would sniff the air.

When the sun drew straight overhead her guide came to a halt.  Before them lay a vast planting of the twisted, fruit laden bushes.  They grew so thick together, no tree could spring up in their midst, and no moss could grow under them.  The strong sun flooded in, its heat making the heady fruit scent even more powerful.   

“Food,” Varnack indicated the shiny lavender berries with a nod of his head.  “Dandle.”

“Dandle berries, huh?  I hope they’re good.”  Picking a handful of the darker ones, she popped several into her mouth.  When the sweet juice from the crushed dandle swirled around her taste buds, a moan of pleasure tumbled out.  “Mmmm, these are great!” 

She offered her companion the remainder in her palm.  He shook his mighty head, then sniffed at the air.  She ate them herself.  “They taste like over-ripened raspberries from home.”  She maneuvered her way through the thornless, triangular leafed plants, plucking the succulent berries as she walked.  Varnack contented himself with the fruit at the edge of the patch.  Snapping all of the berries within easy reach, they soon ate their fill. 

Happy for the brief rest, Jessica watched a tiny pink bug crawl across a broad red leaf.  On reaching the lavender fruit, a small needle-like tongue shot out.  Juice traveled through the translucent tongue, and as it filled the bug’s belly, the insect turned from pale pink to dark pink and finally the same vibrant lavender as the fruit. 

“So where are we going?”

“Ramadine.”

More questions burned on her lips, but before she could give voice to any of them, the hair on Varnack’s back bristled.  Jessica stared in awe at her massive bodyguard.  At once he transformed from a tranquil, yet grumpy escort to an alert warrior tensed for battle.  She bolted to his side and crouched down beside him, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Too exposed.”  The silent message came into her mind, making her instantly grateful for the rare communications gift she possessed.  On all fours she scurried after him back into the protection of the dense forest.  Belly down, she waited.

Peering through the low growing foliage, Jessica caught sight of dark figures moving through the forest opposite the Dandleberry patch.  She counted five altogether.  They avoided the open berry patch and were soon out of sight.  It took nearly half an hour before the hair on Varnack’s back relaxed.  She realized she could finally speak in safety, but held her voice to a whisper none-the-less.

“Where am I, Varnack, and who are you?”  She felt sick to her stomach.  “This is no game; even I could sense the danger coming from those guys.”  She stared across the top of the berry patch, trying to bring her pulse down to normal.  “Who are they?  Who’s after us?”

He turned his golden eyes to meet hers.  Her answers lay hidden there, but he responded with only one word.  “Daenon.” 

Leading the way again, Varnack proceeded at a right angle from their original direction.  The large planet, Ragus, lay at their back and the afternoon sun to their right. 

Jessica broke a short stick from a dandleberry bush.  She twisted her long, red hair on top of her head and used the wood to anchor it in place.  To her dismay, her hands still trembled. 

“Sorry Varnack, but I need to talk.  You don’t have to listen.  I just need to calm my nerves, and talking helps.”  She began with her life back home.  She reminisced about her parents, her friends, and a lot of her feelings.  At several intervals in her monologue, Varnack grunted his assurance that he was actually paying attention.  When she began telling him about her recent dreams, his ears twitched.

“Repeat,” he requested.  Surprised, she told him again, adding all of the details she could remember about Haesom’s death and the several conversations she overheard in the mists.

“Varnack, I’ve heard Graesion mentioned several times now.  I’ve got my suspicions, but can you tell me who he was?”

“Grandfather”.

“
My
grandfather?”

Varnack nodded and picked up the pace.  Further questions remained locked away, for now she jogged to keep up with him. 

The forest floor turned from cushioning moss to a muddy, marshy consistency.  The trees grew wider and their branches hung lower.  Hardened insect mounds seemed to grow up from the mud.  This new terrain did not slow Varnack.  He bounded over buggy habitats with graceful ease, but Jessica found the going more difficult.  She was a runner, not a hurdler, and she clumsily sidestepped the hardened mud hives.  With her greater height, she needed to push aside some low hanging branches to avoid being slapped in the face.  Eventually Jessica mastered the new challenges of the run.  Just when she felt confident at spotting and avoiding the woodland hazards, Varnack stopped.

Just ahead lay a small hamlet, built on several acres of cleared forestland.  A couple of dozen brick and wood buildings made up this out-of-the-way village.  “Is this Ramadine?”

“No.  Vorgen Hoffle.”

Varnack led the way around the clearing to a small dirt road that transected the forest and led into the town.  The cobblestone main street was deserted; pools of blood punctuated the roadway.

“Something’s very wrong, Varnack.”  Jessica placed her hand on his back and felt his muscles tighten.  “Hello,” she called into the eerie silence.

Varnack’s ears twitched.  “There.”  He motioned to the largest of the brick buildings.  Cautiously, they walked toward it.  When they were within several yards of the structure, a male voice yelled from within, “Come no further.”

“We’re travelers and need shelter for the night.”  Jessica called back. 

“You are not welcome, leave,” a woman answered.

Jessica turned to Varnack.  “This is your country, are the people always like this?”

He sniffed the air. “Death.  Fear.”

She stared back at the two-story building.  This time an old man’s face appeared in an upper level window.   “We’ve been walking all day.” she called.  “Please, don’t turn us away.”

After many minutes the upper story window opened and the old man poked his head out.  His cheek sported a nasty cut and a bloody patch covered one eye.  “Who are you?”

Varnack’s thoughts flooded Jessica’s mind.  “My companion is Varnack.”  She translated the thoughts. “He’s a Trigal hound and comes to you from Ramadine.”  The old man’s head jerked up and he turned to speak to someone behind him.  Jessica continued, “Esparia is at war, the High Protector is dead.”

The double-wide front door opened and three men stepped out onto a green brick porch.  Each bore fresh wounds, the blood on their bandages still bright red.  One held a bloodstained rag over a stump at the end of his right arm where his hand should have been.  “What do you desire?” he asked, his voice tired, but wary.

“Oh, Varnack, what happened here?”  Jessica swallowed hard.  She shoved her horror back into the recesses of her mind.  She was the daughter of a Colonel, she could handle this.  “First of all,” she strode toward the men, “I desire to help.”

She shouldered past the three and marched into the spacious gathering hall.  At least two hundred women and children filled the space.  There were no tables or chairs, only wall to wall humanity.  The silence was eerie, for a room filled with so many children should have been buzzing with their tiny voices, but here, not even a baby cried.  Most sat dejectedly on the wood flooring.  A few women were distributing drinks of water.  Children huddled close to their mothers; the silent fear in their eyes spoke volumes.  The three men on the porch trudged inside.  The one with the missing hand sat heavily on a wooden chair while the other two kept an eye on Jessica, hands on their swords.  Varnack padded to her side and sat on his hind quarters.