Thirty-One - Alden

When I had woken up the sun was already high in the sky. I had stayed up late trying to clean up Fastus' room, but hardly anything could be saved. Peering into the small closet Fastus had made, I found piles of dirty shirts. I grabbed one of the cleaner ones and pulled it on, sick of wearing my own torn up clothes, and left Fastus' room to see Tarka and my mother sipping tea in silence. For the first time I recognized a likeness between them. Before I would have rejected any kind of notion that said anyone was like my mother, but the truth was my mother did make me better in her own way, and so has Tarka. They're both the strongest people I've met.

My mother glanced up at me and did a double take. "Alden, you're awake."

"Late as usual." I said, sitting next to Tarka and across from my mother. "How are you feeling this morning?"

She gave a small sigh, but I could tell that the confusion and strangeness from yesterday was already starting to subside. "I'm doing much better now." She said, laying her calloused and worn hand on top of mine. "I quite like Tarka." She added, taking another sip of tea.

I nodded and looked at Tarka who seemed transfixed on the tea. "I'm going to go look for food today." I said, standing up from the table.

"I'm not sure you'll be able to find any." Mother said, eyebrows furrowed.

"I think I know a place." I muttered, thinking of what I had seen yesterday. On my way towards the door I grabbed a machete and a burlap sack. "I'll be back in a bit."

Taking a deep breathe I headed towards the cattle's tent. Peeling back the flaps to the entrance, my eyes began to sting and several hundred bugs seemed to swarm at me, as if even they didn't want to be trapped inside. I found my way to the last remaining cattle that I had seen yesterday. It looked up at me with bulging eyes, and a dry tongue hanging out of its mouth. Kneeling down, I put a hand again the short, tan hairs on its head. It gave a low moan, and leaned into my hand.

Gosh dang it, I thought to myself. How can I kill something so helpless? 

"Here for a mercy killing?"

I jumped up to see a young man standing before me, helmet held in one hand. "Roman!" I exclaimed, giving him a good punch in the arm. Roman had been my brother's dearest friend, and was just like Fastus, with the exception of his outstanding record with women, which Fastus never wasted time with. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He said, kneeling down to pet the dying creature. "I left the war." He shrugged, standing up straight.

"What do you mean?"

"I got sick of it, so I left. Callow has basically given us all a death sentence out there, and I'm tired of seeing people die."

"Well you came to the wrong place then..." I said. "There's hardly anyone around here, it's a ghost town."

"Ah yes... but there are women here." He smirked. "Surely Callow wouldn't mind my helping us create the next generation before we completely die out."

"You're disgusting." I said, giving him another good punch. "By any chance can you help me with this thing? I have no idea what I'm doing, all I did was shovel their manure... "

"When you showed up to work at all." Roman scoffed, but he knelt down anyway and took the machete from my hand. "Why don't you wait outside."

I gave a shrug and headed out of the tent, grateful to breathe the fresh air, when I spotted Tarka heading this way.

"What are you doing out here?" I called to her.

She came up to me and gave me a half-shrug. "Your mother decided to take a nap, so I thought I would wander around. I've never been outside of my terrain before."

"Well, you should be careful, I don't know who all is around here." I said, just as Roman burst through the tent holding my burlap sack.

"The animal has been put out of its misery!" He exclaimed. "Now--" he stopped having seen Tarka. "Well, well, well... who do we have here?"

"No one." I said, taking the bag from Roman, and pushing him away from Tarka. "Thanks for your help." I grabbed Tarka's hand with my free one, and pulled her quickly back towards home. "Good luck with your women!"

Thirty - Tristram

The moonlight shone on our swords, mine was a thin, but long, blade Rythmus  had given to me and his was the heavy sword standard to the guard. His name was Askimi and I knew him well. We circled around each other, swords held ready, yet hesitant. "Tristram, please turn back. I can pretend I didn't see you," he said. 

     "I can't Askimi," I replied. 

     "Elane isn't worth you dying for!"

I stopped and lowered my sword, stunned by the name I thought I might never hear again. Askimi stopped too, though his sword remained up. "Tristram, She misses you, probably more than you miss her, but trying to see her will do you two no good. We are in a tough spot with the war and there has been talk of asking you to return, but King Pontus would never allow it if you discovered you crossed the border. Please go back across and maybe we can try and get you reinstated as head of the guard..." 

War? Tough spot? King Pontus rather than king Nami? reinstated? She misses me? To many questions came up just in that short statement alone! Askimi started to speak again but I held up my hand and he stopped... he still respected me as his leader then, but did he still see me as his friend? After a minute I spoke "if I go back across the border, do you promise to stay and talk with me? tell me what has happened since I left and of this war we are in?" Askimi actually smiled. I walked back to the edge of the forest and sat down, so did he. He let out a heavy sigh and laughed! "I've missed you so much Tristram! I thought you were actually going to make me fight you there for a minute!" I smiled myself. Of all the guards I had to meet at the border, it had happened to be the only who could present a challenge to me in a dual, my best friend. 

Askimi and I talked for several hours. I asked him about the war first. A month ago a Palkin caravan was lost in the desert yet they blamed it on us, the Brackins. They retaliated by razing a border village. King Nami attempted diplomatic negotiations but he was poisoned apparently by a Palkin scientist staying in the palace. His son, Pontus, took the throne, brought in a new Viridi advisory, and declared war on the Palkins. While we have the strength and materials, the Palkins were currently winning due to their inventions. Askimi had yet to see any fighting having been posted on the neutral zone border in case the Palkins invaded it. I then told Askimi about my time in the jungle, meeting Alden and Tarka, and about Legion's plot to take over both the Palkins and the Brackins. 

Light, warmer and brighter than moonlight, shined on our both our swords. Dawn had come. Troubled by the fact that the Viridi could be the masterminds, Askimi invited me to his camp to discuss this with the rest of the men. This was news to share and discuss, not to keep secret. I crossed the border this time without being confronted and followed Askimi with a new fire in my heart. I was a Brackin again and I had my best friend back. But the warmest fire was the one Askimi had so recently kindled, that I might see Elane soon. 

Rythmus watched the events unfold from the trees. He did not particularly like the company of men and preferred to dell with his own thoughts. And dwell he must do for he heard troubling news in Askimi's story. To think that Legion had actually planted a counselor in the Brackin counsel and murdered the king was grave news for it wasn't what he had seen in the future. Legion's wish to change the future might actually be coming true...

Twenty-Nine - Tarka

It was so dark in Alden's room. Really cold too. And quiet.

Even though I was used to the quiet, and even though I was a cold-blooded creature, it still didn't feel natural to me. Maybe it did, but I was too busy thinking to even feel comfortable and fall asleep.

Alden was lucky. He at least had his mother. I would give anything to have my mother back. To feel her embrace and to hear her say, "Tarka, I'm proud of you, and I love you!" I will never be able to hear those words in that sweet voice again.

I wondered where his father was. Was he killed? Will he ever come back? Why do I even care?

Poor Alden. His brother was dead, his father missing, and his mother probably heartbroken. At least she still has him.

I still have him, too. I wonder, does she think we're "together"? What does she think of a Viridian in her house? She hasn't expressed any hard feelings towards me yet. Just her grief. Maybe she doesn't know what we know. Wait, of course she doesn't! . . . What would I talk about with her? Would I even have a chance to talk to her? Would Alden introduce me? He didn't when we walked in and saw her. We had all gone straight to bed.

I couldn't handle it anymore; I couldn't sleep, so I got up from the bed, and opened the door. Only one light was on in the kitchen. The door creaked so loudly when I tried to open it slowly, so I just swung it open and stopped it before it slammed into the wall. I tiptoed as quietly as I could to Alden's brother's room where Alden was sleeping. I cracked open the door and peeked in. He was passed out on his brother's messy bed, with his clothes still on. Laying on his back made him snore. I stared at him for a few seconds to take in the precious sight before I closed the door again.

"I can't believe he came back," a voice whispered behind me that made me jump. I turned around and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Could you not sleep either?" I asked his mother.

"No, I almost never sleep at night anymore. I've always been afraid of the dark, but my husband has always been here, and he made me feel safe. He was my rock and safe haven. Now, he's gone," she shook her head slowly as if she didn't believe it herself.

My heart went out to her. "I've lost someone I loved, too. Two people in fact."

"From the war?"

"You could say that one of them was. The other was my mother; she fell very ill and passed away less than a year ago."

"Oh, dear, I am so sorry . . ."

There was a slight awkward silence for a few minutes. Then, I stated, "I guess you know that I'm a Viridian. You must hate me."

"No, I don't, dear. You seemed to have protected my boy while he's been banished, and I am truly grateful."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do. He's my son. However, I know he has hard feelings towards his father and I because when his brother was alive, Alden was the lesser of the two in both of our eyes. And for that, I am sincerely sorry. I hope he will forgive us, especially me," she said quietly, looking straight ahead with tears brimming in her eyes.

"He seems grateful to be here; at least he has a home to go to."

More silence.

Then, she turned to face me again. "So, my question never got answered. Why did he come back? And why are you here with him?"

I let out a deep breath. "It's a very long story, but I'll try to sum up. We met in the Viridian jungle when he was just wandering around, and we met up with a Brackin man --"

"A Brackin man!" she gasped, then hushed her voice again. "Was he dangerous? Did he try to hurt both of you?"

"Oh, no, no! He never tried to hurt either of us. He had been banished from his own people, too. He had murdered someone, on accident."

Alden's mother's eyes got wide, then relaxed again. "I wonder . . . No, it couldn't be."

I didn't know what she meant by that, so I continued. "Anyway, we ran into a man, a really old man named Rhythmus. He is not part of any of the three tribes, so I don't know what kind of a creature he is exactly. But he told us that we had to go back to our own lands and try to stop the war, because Lesion, the Viridi elder, is trying to convince both lands to go to war with each other. Once that's done, and they've turned on each other, he plans to take over both tribes and rule everyone!"

Alden's mother stared blankly at me. After the story had seemed to sink in, she asked, "Really? Can it be true?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed in a whisper. "I know Lesion personally. He's responsible for my . . . friend's execution. He is very evil and must be contained or destroyed before it gets worse."

She sighed. "I know I've only just met you, but I trust you. I like you."

I smiled bleakly. "Thanks."

She started to stand up from the cushion she had been sitting on and yawned. "For once in a good while, I'm feeling sleepy. I guess I should head to bed. You should do the same, and both you and Alden should explain more in the morning."

"That sounds like a plan," I nodded.

"Goodnight dear girl," she said. "Oh, I never asked your name, what is it dear?"

"Tarka."

"That is one of the most beautiful names I have ever heard. Goodnight dear Tarka."

"Goodnight," I echoed. I slept more peacefully that night than I had in months, now that I had found a friend in Alden's mother. For a moment, I had two friends in the same house as me. Two more were out adventuring who knows where.

For a moment, all was right with the world.

Twenty-Eight - Alden

We stood at the rock I had run to so many times growing up. With the war ensuing I figured they hadn't  moved around, so we had maybe an hour or two until we got to civilization. It was all becoming real to me: the searing pain of my brand, the guilt of leaving my family, the anger in Callow's naive trust in Lesion.... I mourned for my people. When I left I mourned for myself and my brother, but now I realized this was about them; the people I had once resented really were my family, whether I had realized it or not, and I knew I had to mourn for them as well.

Tarka reached her hand out and gently gripped my arm just above the elbow, giving a small twitch of a smile. She knew this would be hard, I think more than I had. I glanced up at the sky, and noticed the sun beginning to pass the top of the sky. It wouldn't be long until it started to get dark.

I tapped my hand against Tarka's and gave her a smile. "Well, we should be on our way now, it'll be getting dark soon." She gave a quick nod and dropped her hand from my arm. "It'll only take an hour or two to get there... if they haven't migrated to a different spot in the desert." I explained, moving around my once-treasured rock.

We walked for a long time, no words being spoken. I respected that about Tarka; we didn't have to have conversations to be comfortable with one another. I wonder what my brother would have thought about all of this. The thought of me telling him about Tarka made me smile. No doubt he would have me sent to the medic for testing. I was picturing the confused look Fastus would have when Tarka and I stumbled upon a giant wooden pole lying abandoned in the dessert. I bent down to look closer and realized, underneath burn-marks, were markings of Callow's old hut.

"We're almost there." I said, glancing at the place his giant hut use to be; it was nothing but sand. "Lets keep going."

It took us about ten minutes to find ourselves in the middle of what appeared to be a ghost land. We walked into town between the cattle's hut and the recruiting tent, but even the usual sounds of the animals was lost. Out of curiosity, I slipped into the cattle's hut, but no one was inside except for a helpless, half starved creature and the smell of what I imagine death to reek of. I backed out as fast as I could, tripping over Tarka who was standing behind me.

Pushing me back to a standing position, she commented, "This looks bad." She looked at me quickly before adding on, "Unless it's supposed to be this way..."

I shook my head, trying to gather myself. "No, this isn't good." A panic started to rise inside of me, and my heart start racing. "My parents." I ran as fast as I could to my parent's hut, and didn't bother to slow down as I rushed inside. "Mom! Dad!"

My mother walked out from behind the flaps that lead to her and my dad's bedroom, her cheeks significantly sunken in, and her eyes heavy with dark circles. She dropped the wooden bowl she was holding and stared at me looking dazed. "Alden?"

My breathing slowed down, but a new fear began to rise inside of me. What if, after all this time, she never knew I wasn't a traitor? What if my own mother hated me? "It's me mom... it's Alden." I choked out.

She exhaled a large sigh, as if she had just remembered to breathe, and her thin fingers of one hand covered her mouth as the other reached out to me.

I grabbed her hand and held it to my face as I stepped closer, letting out a sigh of relief. "Where's dad? What's happened here?" I asked softly.

Her head bobbed a little bit and then she peered into my eyes. "I thought they had you too, they take everyone. Everyone leaves...."

"What do you mean? Where's dad?"

"We are just so small, so frail. The Brackins make us tooth picks, and he laughs at us." She looked at me with an anger I had never seen in my mother in all my years, even though she always seemed so upset with me. "Lesion laughs at us all."

"They sent dad to war, didn't they."

"Everyone leaves." She said, staring off into the distance before her eyes settled on Tarka. "Everyone leaves." She told Tarka.

I moved my mother gently back into her room. "You need some sleep, I'll find you food tomorrow." I gently set her down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Rest up, I'll be here when you wake up."

When I was sure she had fallen asleep I returned to see Tarka standing awkwardly next to our dinner table. "It looks like Rhythmus' table."

"Yeah..." I said, peering into Fastus' room. Everything looked torn up, and splintered wood scattered the ground. I sighed and moved to look in my room and found everything in order. It made no sense to me that my room would be tidy when I was the traitor in the family, but at least I could let Tarka sleep in there. "My brother's room is trashed, so you can go ahead in sleep on my bed."

With a sigh, I walked back to the table and sat down on one of the cushions. My head spun from everything that was going on, and all I could think is that my mother doesn't hate me like I always felt she did, but what does it matter if I can't keep her safe? I looked up at Tarka, my eyebrows furrowed. What if I can't keep her safe either? I would have nothing, nothing but despair.

Twenty-Seven - Tristram

I was excited. So excited that after our meeting, I ran off into the jungle forgetting my tent.. and my sword, pack, and food. Well I actually forgot everything. That wouldn't be the only mistake my excitement caused. After a minute I realized Rhythmus wasn't following me... and that I was walking West, not East where my destination was. I walked back to Rhythmus's home just in time to see Alden and Tarka disappear into the foliage. Rhythmus stood next to the door with all my provisions packed up next to him. While his face was stoic, his amusement at my excitement clearly showed in his eyes.

A short hour later, we arrived at the Brackin border. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago,the three tribes were once again at war. This happened a good five or six times throughout our long history but this one was the first. We all had started on campaigns of expansion and the three armies met in battle over a small, yet fertile, section of land. In the middle of the battle, a flash of light stunned the armies and a man appeared in the middle of the field. He spoke with an amplified voice and demanded to speak with the leaders of each tribe. The four of them met in the middle and here the wizard, for that is what the man was, laid down the borders for each of the tribes. The middle section where this fertile meadow was would serve as the wizards home and he would take a section of land as a buffer zone against the others. Since then, the descendants of the wizard have lived on the land, each also practicing the art of magic and serving as a neutral diplomat in order to keep peaceful negotiations and not allow one tribe over power another.
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Map of Terraro

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When I saw the Brackin border, I realized that we had been inside this middle neutral zone, having patrolled this border myself back in the day. This man next to my, Rhythmus, was a wizard. Once more, excitement overtook me and I stepped over the border, back into my homeland, to safety, to fam-

       "You there, stop." A guard spotted me cross the border and my brand shone in the moonlight. I then realized a second oversight my excitement back at the camp had caused: I was banished and condemned to death for reentering my territory, as Alden probably was too. For the second time in three days, I saw men with swords running at me, but what would I do this time? Should I run or should I fight my own brothers?