Dying World

Shania waited for her parents to catch up. They were old and slow, but there was no way she would abandon them as so many other Elven had done their old folk… Left them to die with the world they loved.

Her father stepped around the boulder and grinned at her, turned back, and held his hand out for his wife and guided her around. “Watch it here dear, a little slippery.”

The track had got that way in many places because of the number of Elven that had passed through here on their way to the tree. Many more followed, the occasional disagreeable youth shoving their way past, in a hurry for the new world and not wanting to be left behind on this.

“Come on grandma, get out of the damn way.” An impolite group of young slid on past once Shania’s parents had moved around the boulder, and took off along the edge of the muddy, slippery path.

Shania led her parents to the grassy side where they could meander down the slope at their slow plodding pace.

“The young, always impatient.” Her mother yelled at the retreating group.

“Don’t worry about them mother.” Shania said as she helped them across the muddy trail.

“Oh! I am not. I am worried that your delay with us will not allow you time to pass through the tree.”

“Mother! Look behind you. If there is not time for us there is no time for so many.”

Her mother did not need to look; she had seen the long line of Elven trudging behind her.

Two young Elven came running up the trail carrying a travois. “We found this.” They lay it at their mother’s feet.

“You sure?” Shania asked her brothers.

“Well. She’s going to have to lose a few pounds, but yes, we’re sure.” The elder of the two grinned at her. “Hop on the seat Mother.”

Tridel and Potter raised their mother in the travois and gingerly carried her down the slope, keeping to the grassy edge as much as possible to avoid sliding in the mud.

“You boys are a Gods sent.” Their father Kirkeen cheered. Even he was becoming despondent with their slow progress.

Tridel slipped on wet grass but managed to retain his footing. “Maybe a little further off the track would be less slippery.” He coaxed his older brother in front.

Potter guided them closer to the trees. “Just watch you don’t trip over some twig or something.”

It wasn’t the fastest path they could have taken but it was a lot surer footed. So much so that many Elven that followed trailed in their wake, churning a new sodden trail.

“You convinced them into coming I see.” A voice came from the track.

Shania turned to see her friend Trianta sliding along in the mud. “It’s less slippery over here Tri.”

Trianta picked her way over the wet grass and settled beside Shania. Nodded at Kirkeen and repeated. “You managed to convince them, I see?”

“Yes… Finally…” Shania glanced around. “You?”

“No! no matter what I said, they decided to stay back and face the end together.” Trianta lowered her head.

“Probably for the best, your father could not walk five paces without having to rest, and your mother --- Well --- probably for the best.” Shania touched her shoulder.

“I know, I agree, doesn’t make it any more comforting though.” Trianta replied.

Shania squeezed her shoulder, and they walked on in silence.

Tridel & Potter stopped at the base of the slope and lowered the travois.

“Are you two going to be able to make it up that?” Kirkeen asked as he came up behind them.

“I’m thinking…” Potter began as he dropped his pack and began rummaging through it. “Slippery enough, you think?” He held out a rope.

“I see your reasoning.” Potter replied and paced up the hill to a tree. “This short enough?” He turned back to Tridel.

“Possibly to the next one --- Here.” Tridel threw the coiled rope up to him, holding onto one end.

Potter clambered to the next tree, swung the rope around it and gripped the loose end. “Should do fine.”

Tridel tied his end to the travois. “Try and keep leaning backwards mother, it will avoid the front digging in and help us keep it moving.” He waved to Potter. “Give it a try.”

Potter stepped back down the hill as the travois slid up it, giving his mother a wide grin as she slid past. “Easy as.”

Tridel climbed uphill behind his mother, grabbed the rope at front of the travois and retrieved the rest from around the tree as it was released by Potter, who took it on to the next tree.

It took quite a while and by the time they had reached the top both boys were drenched in sweat, having taken turns hauling their mother up the slope.

“Job well done.” Kirkeen smiled at them as he pulled himself up the last little rise with the assistance of a tree stump.

Tridel thought briefly of assisting others up the slope and even throwing their rope down to them. But they had already discussed their inability to be able to help others, if they started where would it end? If he left their rope to others, what would they have on the other side? He held his hand out to Trianta, and she gripped it, pulling herself to the top of the rise. She deliberately held on to his hand as she walked past, forcing him to turn with her, away from the slope and the other Elven struggling up the rise.

“You know you can’t.” Trianta said.

“I know.” He lowered his head. “Doesn’t make it any easier though.”

Trianta squeezed his hand, purely plutonic, they had grown up together with Shania, being her best friend since any of them could remember. “So put it out of your mind and help your parents instead.”

Tridel nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand. It was soft and warm, and every time he held it, he felt a little flutter… purely plutonic.

Kirkeen grinned. He had seen this often. One day they will realize, but for now… Purely plutonic.

Potter slapped his brother on the back. He also saw it. “Come on, let’s keep moving before we decide carrying this old lady is not worthwhile.”

“What old lady?” Queeshane berated. “I can walk from here to there.” She pointed the hundred yards to the huge tree, flickering blue flame as Elven passed through it.”

“You could Queeny, but we don’t know how much walking would be on the other side so take the opportunity to rest while you can.” Kirkeen said holding her hand as the boys lifted the travois.

A few guards stood either side of the tree making sure the passing was organized and unrushed, the worst thing they needed was a sudden panic and Elven rushing through together. It was advised that only one should pass at a time to avoid any problems… Problems that no one really went into explaining but assumed that you may not come out the other end as yourself.

Tridel entered first, to make sure others would arrive aided. He touched the bark of the tree, it sparked blue, he stepped in from the grey damp world of Parteethia to a bright blue sky. Walked a couple of paces forward and turned back to the tree. Kirkeen exited the tree and allowed his son to guide him into the light of the new world. Queeshane staggered as her feet tangled themselves and accepted the strong grip of Tridel as he unceremoniously held her upright and dragged her around to nestle into her husband’s arms, the queasiness almost overwhelming.

“The sun is bright here.” Queeshane mumbled shading her eyes.

“Very.” Kirkeen replied as he lowered her onto the grass to lean against a boulder.

Trianta stepped out of the tree and accepted Tridel’s hand.

Shania followed closely behind, and side stepped around Trianta as she stood transfixed in the bright glow of day.

Trianta released Tridel’s hand and paced along behind Shania.

Potter appeared through the tree, and the group moved further away to allow others to pass freely.

They had argued for many nights about what group they were to follow once they had arrived in this new world. What Clan they were to kin with.

Potter scanned the flags. “I cannot see him.”

Tridel shaded his eyes with his hand and looked along the line of flags. “Is that it?” He pointed to a purple flag fluttering in the breeze, briefly showing a diving otter.

Potter squinted. “Maybe.” He strode towards the flag with the others following.

A young Elven girl sat in the shade under the flag.

“Where’s Crain?” Potter asked.

“Don’t know, ain’t seen him… ain’t seen nobody.” She replied, not bothering to look up. “Heard they already moved on though.”

“So, they left the flag here then.” Potter studied it to make sure it was a diving otter on a purple background.

She shrugged. “Don’t know… ain’t seen nobody.”

“Yes. I understand. You ain’t seen nobody.” He mocked her.

She ignored him.

“We could always go to Diandra’s flag.” Tridel said.

“He ain’t takin no more.” The girl said without looking up.

“What do you mean?” Tridel asked.

“Exactly what I said.” She waved her hand around the clearing to all the other flags. “They all reckon they got enough and don’t want no more… They reckon if we wanted to join them, we should have on the other side.”

Potter strode off towards the nearest flag.

Kirkeen lowered his wife onto the grass in the shade.

A group of Elven came racing through the tree right on the heels of one another, then closer together then groups came plummeting through together, not caring or listening to the yells of others, then clouds of dust and ash followed some through, the tree belched black smoke and misshapen creatures were spat out to lie writhing on the ground, screeching profanities, howling indignation. The tree groaned, something unholy was extricated from deep within, it galloped and twisted its way across the clearing, groaning, and moaning balefully, slammed into a tree at the forests edge, wrapped itself around it, screamed, drove its head into the trunk again and again until the tree took on a bloody hue. The creature slid quietly to the ground in a deep sigh and lay motionless.

The huge tree of passing glowed a deep blue, its branches leant inward, smoke billowed from its bark.

Potter came running back to his family. “Quick move --- into the forest --- quick.” He lifted his mother in his arms and led them in amongst the trees. “Keep going --- keep going.” He could not stop to see if they were following, he knew he would soon lag carrying the weight of his mother alone.

Shania and Trianta passed him. He stopped briefly to hand his mother over to Tridel, he was the stronger of them and soon gained on the women. Kirkeen managed to keep up with his son but was puffing heavily. Nobody considered the girl or if she had followed.

Potter turned, feeling the impact of the air. An explosion rocked him off his feet, he grabbed his father’s hand as he fell, they would hit the ground together and he hoped he could aid his landing. Leaves flew past them in clouds of dust; the boom of an explosion drove them into the ground hard. and debris whistled overhead followed by branches, then rolling logs and tree stumps. Potter forced his limbs into action and dragged his father behind a sizeable tree that he hoped would hold ground. The scream of wood sliding off wood and splintering against others was the only sound heard above the crying of the air as it whirled around them battering them with sand and gravel, leaves, and twigs. A large branch slammed against the tree above them, split in two and ricochet off others, splinters of wood rained down on them, cutting exposed flesh and knifing through clothes…

Kirkeen was coughing beneath Potter, fighting for air.

Potter eased his grip, slid a kerchief from his pocket and held it out to his father. The dust was choking them. He pushed his face closer to the tree trunk hoping to get fresher gulps of air. The tree cracked. Potter & Kirkeen’s eyes met. The tree heaved towards them, creaked, and whipped backwards with a vibrating whoosh; the ground heaved as roots ripped up. The tree shook, showering them with leaves and twigs, groaned and swayed.

Debris dropped with the sudden loss of wind, coating them with a fresh layer of sand and twigs… Dust hung in the air.

Kirkeen rolled out from under his son coughing spittle.

Potter stood and squinted through the dust to where the rest of his family had disappeared. He coughed. “Tridel, Shania, mother?” He coughed again.

Kirkeen forced himself to his feet and between bouts of coughing yelled himself. “Queeny? Queeny?”

Sound started to drift back into the forest, they heard yells and screams all around them, there were survivors, but they had to find their own first. Potter pushed his father to sit. “You stay here father I will go ahead.”

Kirkeen protested, but it was a weak protest, he didn’t have it in him to argue.

Potter dropped his pack and raced further into the forest following the direction his family had previously run. Within seconds he found the girl that had sat under the flag, she was wedged between two tree trunks and there was no doubt she would be dead, but she groaned. He was torn between leaving her and giving her some last-minute comfort as she died. Their eyes met.

“Well, ain’t this a predicament.” She mumbled through bloodied lips.

“I cannot help you; I am afraid.” Potter decided on the truth.

“Nah… Didn’t think you could… If it wasn’t for the dust an’ all --- I was flying, could have been a happy moment --- If it wasn’t for the dust an’ all ---” She sighed, and blood bubbled from her lips. Her eyes lost focus. “It ain’t so bad --- I can’t feel a thing.” The hand that was gripping a branch dropped and her head lolled to one side.

Other screams erupted.

He stepped forward. “Tridel?”

A faint call came from off to the left, he hoped it was family.

“Shania?” He yelled.

Shania stepped out from behind a huge boulder and waved at him. “Over here.”

Potter ran.

“Tridel is hurt, I think --- Mother is --- Mother is…” Shania broke down sobbing, then realized her father was not with Potter. “Father?”

“He’s okay.” Potter stepped around the boulder. No doubt their mother was dead, her neck broken. He stifled a cry.

Trianta was nursing Tridel, he had a lump on his forehead and an obviously broken arm. They would need to tend to before they moved him.

“Shania.” Potter looked at her sister. “Father is back there.” He pointed to the tree he left his father under. “Bring him and my pack here.”

She nodded her understanding and strode off in that direction.

Potter knelt.

“You have some blood on yourself Potter.” Trianta noticed.

“And you, but neither are serious I guess.” He held his hand over Tridel’s nose and mouth to feel his breath. “Good.” He touched the lump on his forehead. “Not so bad if he wakes up.” Then he ran his hand down to the break in his arm. “Could be worse, the bone is not sticking out.” He grabbed Tridel’s hand and twisted it, felt a crunching of bones, and hoped he had done it right. He had seen a healer do similar once to a young lad who fell out of a tree. Did no know if this were the same, but could do nothing else, his arm looked straight now at least.

Kirkeen knelt beside his wife and straightened her head. He sobbed, tidied her dress, bent to her, and cried.

“I need some cloth to bind Tridel.” Potter mumbled.

Trianta stood, grabbed her pack from the boulder she had moved it too and pulled out a white dress. “This do?”

“Perfect.” He grabbed it. Then, looked at her baffled.

“Well --- Someday I was going to get married in that, if you tear strips from the bottom, it may just be a short wedding dress.” She grinned uncomfortably.

“I’ll try.” He laid the dress on a boulder and tore up the seam from the hem, then tore strips off to tie Tridel’s arm up and dress the wound on his forehead. He smiled at himself, never thought watching the healer all those times would ever come in handy as it has.

“Where did you learn all this?” Trianta asked.

“Watching a healer --- He seemed to know what he was doing, and it worked --- mostly anyway.” He stood. Looked down at his father and over to the silent Shania. “Now, need to find some shelter.” He turned back towards the clearing where the tree had exploded. “Won’t be much back there.” He turned towards the thicker forest. “Maybe less damage in there.”

“Can’t we just stay here for now?” Trianta asked.

Potter glanced overhead, then at the devastation around them, the occasional cry for help and scream of pain. Then back down at his father. “Okay, I guess --- But I’m going to have to see about some of those out there.” He pointed towards the cries.

Trianta nodded. “Would you like some help?”

Kirkeen stood. “Nothing to be done here, I guess.” He strode out towards one of the wailing voices.

This new world had not welcomed them and only time would tell if its human inhabitants would accept the races of Elven from their lost world.