The Missing Link

Cruthetania was always my home. Or at least that is what my whole village thought. But that is not what I thought. I had grown up in Cruthetania for an eternity, and I was longing to leave it. I had heard many stories of the 'world beyond', as they called it and I genuinely wanted to know what it was. But whenever I brought up the topic, I was shushed. 

One day, I was walking the town circle to the market, as my mother had asked me to bring groceries. There was a large group of cosarths, who were like the heads of Cruthetania. As I walked by them, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on them: 

"Have you heard? She came to the town circle today!"

"What? Oh no!"

"Yes, yes. It seems that some even saw her footprints"

"How come I didn't see them during my daily morning walk ?"

"She must've erased any evidence of her arrival"

"Makes sense, she is a witch after all"

" Do you think she is still here?"

And that's all I heard. As I strode away, I couldn't help but wonder, who came to the town circle? What is a witch? Whoever she is, is she still here? Is she going to harm us? I had so many questions and no answers. But there was nothing that I could do. So I just shivered and picked up my pace to the market. 

The bells of the market rang as I opened the door. Even though it was still dawn, the market was already busy, with people flushing in and out everywhere. As for me, I already knew where to go. I quickly shoved my way through and gathered all the groceries. I looked back at my list. Corrots? Check. Tomotos? Check. Pototos? Check. Molk? Check. Linkora? Wait... what? What the heck was Linkora? I glanced at my watch. I should've been home by now. I ran to the cashier and asked him if he knew what Linkora was. He replied in the negative and told me he would check the inventory just in case. He returned in a minute and told me there was no such thing as Linkora, and I was just reading wrong. I looked back at the list. 'Linkora'. I showed it to him. He looked at the list and then back at me. Then he started shouting, "What the hell boy? Can't you read? I don't have time for your stupid pranks! Get lost!". I looked at the list. There it was, at the bottom of the list, written in my mom's handwriting, 'Linkora'. Why couldn't he see it? I showed it to him again, this time pointing at the word. He yelled at me again. What? Why couldn't he see it? I turned around and asked some other person if he knew what Linkora was. He said no. I showed him the list. He said there was nothing. I asked many other people and showed them the list, but it was in vain. I started to get anxious. They all couldn't see anything where I could see 'Linkora' clearly written. I gave up and checked out my other groceries and was about to leave when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to see an old woman. She was a contorted and wrinkled woman with a crooked nose. She was wearing a scarf the color of the night sky with peculiar designs all over it. At the edge of her scarf, stray hair peeked out, like the sun peeking out after a storm. Her tangled hair that peeked out was streaked with white and gray, and her clothes were tattered and stained. In her right hand was a basket full of random bottles and plants, and her left hand was resting a strange wooden cane. The cane wasn't polished, instead, it was like a tree, with the top and bottom extending out like branches. Her eyes were green like emeralds, but there was something else to them that I couldn't quite put my finger on. She was probably in her late 80s, as she had a hunchback and her face was wrinkled like a plum. She looked like the kind of woman that children whispered about in hushed tones, and adults avoided at all costs. Her quiet, raspy voice rattled in my ears as she asked, "Can I see the list?". I hesitated at first because the lady didn't look so trustworthy, but then I remembered what happened last time when I couldn't bring all the groceries. I still had scars all over my back. So I gave it to her. Her eyes knew exactly where to go. They hovered over the bottom of the page. I stopped breathing. After what seemed like an eternity, she gave the list to me and whispered, "Go to Nemue. She has what you need". And then she turned around and disappeared. I punched the air in frustration. Who on Cruthetania was Nemue? And whoever she was, how would I find her? Now I had even more questions, but still zero answers. Then I realized something. I quickly ran home, almost dropping the groceries on the way. 

Once I reached home, I thrust the groceries into my mom's hands and told her I had some other work and was going out. Before she could ask me what, I ran to my room, grabbed my notebook and pen, threw them into a bag, slung the bag over my shoulder, and jumped out my window. 

I landed on the ground with a quiet thud. As I ran, I checked my watch again. I still had time. So I slowed down. I walked down a narrow alleyway and crossed the road. I took the next right and then walked up a small hill. Then finally, I reached my destination: The Cruthetanian Library. As I walked through the old library's creaky wooden doors, the sensations overtook me. The smell of aged books and musty pages filled the air, and the shelves towered over me, filled with volumes that looked as if they had been there for centuries. The light filtered through the stained glass windows, casting an ethereal glow on the rows of books. I could feel the history in the walls, and I couldn't help but imagine all of the stories that had been told within those walls over the years. It was a quiet and peaceful space, a sanctuary for those seeking knowledge and a respite from the outside world. It was clear that this library was a place of great importance, a treasure trove of knowledge and information that had been carefully preserved for generations to come. I come here a lot, and still, every time I am truly mesmerized by the library's grandeur. I knew exactly where to go and walked down the W aisle. As I was walking, I saw the librarian, Mr. Garain. I waved over to him. 

He spoke back to me, " Why hello, young fellow! What brings you here today? Is it a good mystery that you want? Or maybe you are in the mood for a nice romance? Whatever it is, I know where it is!". 

I replied, " I'm good today Mr. Garain, but thank you for asking. I think I will do some exploring on my own today.". He gave me a thumbs-up and resumed his work. Once I finally reached the W aisle, I stopped. I looked at the aisle and did some estimates. It might take me a good hour to just find the right books, and then maybe another hour or two to jot down notes. I glanced at my watch, I had plenty of time. I ran my fingers along the spines of the books as I searched for the right book. After some time, I finally found a book that looked appropriate. It was called 'Witches, the Perfect Guide'. I took the book and went to a table to take notes. I opened the first page and found myself looking at the definition of a witch: 'A witch is a mystical and enigmatic being, possessing an otherworldly power that allows her to harness the elements of nature. With a flick of her wrist and a whisper of ancient incantations, she can summon the winds to her will, command the tides of the sea, and call forth the fires of the earth. Her knowledge of the arcane is vast and deep, passed down through generations.' I flipped through the book, hoping to find some more important information, when suddenly I saw something. It was a picture. But not just any picture, it was the picture of the lady I had seen at the market. It looked exactly like her, with a crooked nose, a dark scarf with strange designs all over it, and long white hair that peeked out from underneath the scarf. In her right hand was a basket and her left hand was resting the same wooden cane I had seen the old lady at the market use. Underneath the picture, it read ‘Nemue, the witch of Cruthetania. She lives on top of Nomia Hill. She is capable of interworld and interplanetary transport. But, only those who truly need her will be able to see her'. ‘Interplanetary transport’? Does that mean that she could travel to other worlds? I was suddenly filled with hope. Was she the gateway to my exploration of the world beyond? Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces clicked into place in my head. She was the witch the cosarths were talking about. She had come to the market, and I had seen her because she was still there. I needed to find Linkora and I desired to travel to other planets, that's why I had seen her. And the reason her eyes looked so peculiar was because she was a witch! That's it! I had figured everything out. Now, the only thing that was left was to go to her. But I didn't know where Nomia Hill was. So, I decided to ask Mr. Garain. 

I walked up to Mr. Garain's desk and asked him for the latest map of Cruthetania. He looked me up and down and asked, "What might a fine lad like you need a map of Cruthetania for, and that too the latest one?". I swiftly lied, " Just for a small research project for school Mr. Garain.". He nodded and said, "Oh ok. Give me a minute". With that, he went into the doors behind his desk and emerged a moment later holding a paper in his hands. He gave it to me and said, "Good luck with that project!". I thanked him and left the library. I unfolded the map and observed it. Nomia Hill wasn't too far away from the library I noticed, it might take about 20 minutes at maximum. I glimpsed at my watch, it was almost afternoon, and my stomach agreed too. So I decided that I would get lunch first and then go on my trip. I stopped by my favorite lunch place, called the 'La Cruthetania' and had some sandwiches. After lunch, I immediately started for Nomia Hill. I followed the instructions on the map and traveled to Nomia Hill. It wasn’t that hard, because there aren’t many hills in Cruthetania. As I trekked up the hill, my legs ached with each step. It wasn’t that steep, but since I had been traveling the whole day, I was already exhausted. As I reached the top, I caught my breath and looked around. There wasn’t much, just a small old cottage with a thatched roof and an overgrown garden. A crooked chimney jutted out from the rooftop, and slow smoke was seeping out. The windows were boarded up, with cracks in the glass and rustic shutters. The door had a peculiar knocker of a snake eating its tail. It was clear that whoever lived in the cottage didn’t want visitors. Despite this, there was a sense of magic and sorcery emanating from the walls. My legs were shaking as I went and knocked on the door. Once. No response. Twice. No response. I was beginning to lose hope. Did I come all this way for nothing? Then suddenly, I heard footsteps. The door opened. It was the lady from the store! I was looking at the witch, Nemue! 

She smiled an old smile at me and said, “Come in, I have been expecting you”.

As I stepped into the cottage, a wave of warmth swept over me. Nemue instantly invited me to sit on the couch and went to get me a cup of tea. In the meantime, I took in my surroundings. The crackling sound of the fire in the fireplace and the soft glow of the flickering flames filled the room with a peaceful ambiance. There was only one couch in front of the fireplace and had soft throw blankets draped over them. Directly above the fireplace, there was a lion head mounted to the wall, and next to that, there was some sort of calendar, with pictures of moons. The aroma of various spices and a pot of hot tea on the stove filled the air. The rustic carpeting and wooden floors added to the cottage's magical feeling. Nemue came back to me holding a cup of tea in a china cup and handed it to me. As I brought the tea to my lips, I was greeted by the sweet fragrance of jasmine tea. With every sip, I could feel the smooth, floral taste and felt a sense of relaxation wash over me. The tea gave me a comforting and soothing sensation, making it the perfect drink after my hectic day.  I asked her, “How did you know I would come here?”. 

She smiled at me and said, “You are a smart boy. I knew you would figure my clues out. Everything that happened today was staged for you to come here.”. 

I smiled and said, “Then you must know why I am here. Please give me Linkora and I will be on my way.”.

Nemue responded, “Linkora, I will give you. But first, there is something else I need to address. I recall you want to leave this planet?”.

I grinned, “Yes! Do you know about it? Can you transport me somewhere else?”.

She answered, “I haven’t done interplanetary transport in a long time. But, I have the ritual’s instructions and I can give that to you along with the ingredients. Give me a minute and I will go get it”. With that, she went into a room behind her kitchen and emerged a moment later carrying a dusty book. She opened it to a page and said, “Here is the ritual for interplanetary transport. You already have all the ingredients. And remember, follow all the instructions.”. 

I took the book from her and looked at the ingredients. She was right, I did have all the ingredients… except for one: Linkora. 

I looked up at Nemue and said, “You are right. But I don’t have Linkora.”.

“That’s true. That’s why I made you come all the way here. I have Linkora and I am going to give it to you.”, Nemue replied.  

I was puzzled. “Does that mean you were the one who wrote that on the list? It was never written by my mom?”, I asked.

Nemue nodded and gave me a plant. It looked like a normal plant, but it had some glow coming from it. “This is Linkora. Take this and perform the ritual. It must be done on a full moon night, which is tomorrow, lucky for you. Remember, follow all the instructions.”.

I nodded and took the plant. I slipped the plant and book into my bag and departed from Nemue’s house. As I walked home, I wondered if the ritual would work and if I would travel to another planet. 

The Next Day, at night

As I stood outside, gazing up at the full moon, I knew that it was time for me to perform the ritual that would grant me the freedom I had been seeking for so long. I had all the necessary tools and even had the backpack with necessities just like the book had told me. 

First, I lit a series of candles and arranged them in a circle around me. Then, I began to chant softly, eyes closed and hands clasped together in front of me. I began to recite the chants from the book, powerful and ancient.  As I continued to chant, I could feel a strange energy building in the room. It was almost like a vibration, a hum that seemed to fill the air. I opened my eyes and watched as the candles flickered and danced, their light casting strange shadows on the walls. Finally, I stood up. I walked outside of my room to find a blue portal, fizzing with energy. As I stood in front of the portal, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I reached out with my mind, envisioning the planet I wished to travel to. Slowly, I began to chant another series of ancient words, my hands moving in intricate patterns as ordered by the book. A blue light began to glow around me, growing brighter and brighter with each passing moment. I felt their body being pulled forward as if I was being sucked into a vortex. Suddenly, I was standing on a new planet, my feet sinking into the alien soil. The ritual had worked, and I was no longer on Cruthetania.