One Journey's End

Sevas had been traveling for a year now, and though happy to finally be coming home, his heart was restless. He knew his adventures would end when he reached the city, and adjusting to ordinary life back on the mountain would be difficult. The journey had predominately been a lonely one, but Kreedasa, another traveler, had recently joined Sevas. As they traveled across a foothill, Kreedasa pointed out that the road could be seen from their vantage point.

When they reached the road, they kept moving at a swift but comfortable pace talking casually along the way. About midday, Kreedasa suggested they stop to rest and have something to eat. He decided to try and convince Sevas again, “Why don’t you come with me through Forest City? You have been away from home for almost a year now. Surely a couple more months won’t hurt.”

“You never told me why you want me to go with you. What would we do there?” Kreedasa did not answer, which made Sevas uncomfortable.

As they started back on the course, the awkwardness grew. They had packed up and moved on in complete silence. Sevas decided to speak first, but something caught his eye. The two slowed as they saw that someone was collapsed on the roadside. They only exchanged a glance before moving forward for a closer look.
Sevas bent to examine the bloodstained man. “He’s alive,” he reported with concern. For a moment, he thought he knew the man. He seemed familiar, but Sevas dismissed the idea as he started caring for the man’s wounds. “What’s your name?”

The man replied slowly. “Arvoth.”

Lifting Arvoth’s shirt to better see the wound, Sevas found the source of the blood. He looked up at Kreedasa who was standing by watching. “In my pack there’s a bag with herbs in it. Bring it to me.” After this, Kreedasa did nothing else to help. Sevas cleaned the cut, which was infected, crushed the leaves, and applied them to the wound.

After a while, Kreedasa approached Sevas, “It’s almost dark. I want to leave soon.” Before Sevas could protest, Kreedasa continued. “You’ve helped him as much as you can. There’s nothing left we can do.”

Sevas had been so concerned for Arvoth that he had not realized how unsympathetic Kreedasa was. “Don’t you care that this man is dying? He’s lost a lot of blood and he has a fever from the infection.” Sevas paused, waiting for some sensitivity from him, but Kreedasa didn’t move. Sevas whispered harshly, “Have you no compassion?”

Kreedasa’s face hardened. He spoke through clenched teeth trying to sound as if he cared, “Friend, how do we know that he didn’t deserve what he got. I don’t trust him. I cannot stay here. I wish I could explain…” He actually didn’t want to explain anything to Sevas. His apprehension, which began when he first saw Arvoth, was now becoming more apparent. So, he decided to leave before Sevas became suspicious. Kreedassa hissed, “Tomorrow, we would have parted at the crossroads. Perhaps I should just leave now.”

Sevas did not understand why Kreedasa was acting so strangely. “Why can’t you wait? Arvoth is harmless in his condition. I want to stay until he’s better or, if worse comes to worse, until he dies.”

Kreedasa snapped, “I must leave tonight. It’s your choice if you want to stay.” He still wanted to try and convince Sevas to come with him, but he could see now it would not work. He decided to set before Sevas a different decision.

Kreedasa took something from his pack. “Before I go, I want to give you this.” He pulled back the cloth that was covering it and revealed – a rock. “Here take it.” Kreedasa pushed it into Sevas’ hands and though the rock felt much lighter than it looked, there did not seem to be anything significant about it.

It was simple: smooth, round, and flat as if it had been taken from a riverbed and was about the size of his hand. Yet Kreedasa seemed to think it was very important. “Keep it covered,” he whispered as he pulled the cloth over it. “Don’t show it to Arvoth. Don’t tell him I gave you anything at all.”

Sevas, puzzled, replied, “Alright.” Smiling politely, he thanked him as he stored it in his own pack. “I don’t understand why you must go.”

With a glance in Arvoth’s direction, Kreedasa replied, “My fear is that you will understand all too soon.” Kreedasa’s words sent a chill down Sevas’ spine.

After seeing Kreedasa off, Sevas sat across the fire from Arvoth. Arvoth looked at him and after a few minutes, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t understand why he didn’t wait until dawn to leave.”

Arvoth gazed up at the stars and said plainly, “His kind prefer the dark of night.” Sevas was surprised at this stranger’s reply. Even so, whatever uneasiness he had before from talking to Kreedasa melted away as he sat there with Arvoth looking up at the stars.

As he lay down, Sevas worried that Arvoth would be dead by morning. He was extremely weak from the fever. Troubled that he could do no more, Sevas lay awake for a long while before sleeping. As he drifted into dreams, he began to see that he was on a narrow ledge.

Behind him he heard a noise and realized without looking that the ledge was beginning to break apart. It fell away closer and closer to his feet. Above the ledge stood Kreedasa and Arvoth. Each stooped simultaneously and offered a hand to Sevas. He reached up for each hand though both men were trying to get him to take his own hand alone.

When he looked up, there were not two men there but one, and this man was utterly different from the two men he knew in the waking world. He wasn’t a man at all, but some horrible beast. His eyes shone red and his face was warped. For what seemed like an age, Sevas stared at that ominous monster, and awoke shocked.
He looked up into the morning sky and there before him was a silhouette. As his eyes focused, he realized that it was Arvoth standing over him rousing him to wake. “Arvoth! You’re better?”

“Yes.”

As Sevas sat up, he realized that, not only was Arvoth better, he was cooking breakfast. Sevas inquired, “How is it that you are well? Last night, I thought that you would not live to see this day.”

Arvoth made no explanation for his health, but went on cooking. Serving Sevas breakfast, he thanked him for stopping and helping him. “Most people would have left me.” Sevas watched Arvoth for a long time before eating. His stained cloak appeared newly pressed and clean. There were no signs of fever as before and Sevas was certain that if he asked Arvoth to show him, he would have no cut.
Though Sevas was amazed, he was not afraid. He smiled unreservedly as he ate. He still had that peaceful feeling he had the night before as he and Arvoth watched the stars in silence. This peace even washed away the sense of dread he had felt from the nightmare. What's more, the sense of familiarity he felt when he first saw Arvoth returned stronger now.

Arvoth didn’t eat; he only went to and fro looking for something. After a while, he seemed to be satisfied and sat across from Sevas. Just as Sevas was finishing, Arvoth spoke, “I must leave, but before I go, I have something for you.” Arvoth stood and revealed what he had been searching for. It was a stick.

“Wanderers give strange gifts,” Sevas thought to himself. The stick felt much heavier than it looked. It was tall, standing slightly above his waist. He thought it might come in handy for hiking.

Sevas was just about to thank Arvoth for the gift, which was at least useful compared to the rock Kreedasa gave him, but Arvoth interrupted him. “A choice has been set before you. You must choose between this and Kreedasa’s gift.”

“How did you know about that?”

“It is urgent that you choose before you reach the city, but think on it first.”

Sevas was getting used to people avoiding his questions. “I don’t understand! What’s so important about a rock and a stick?”

Arvoth smiled. “A rock and a stick? Are you sure? Look closer.”

Sevas opened his pack and found the gift Kreedasa had given him. He removed the cloth and saw not a plain rock, but a jewel! It was deep red and shone intensely in the sun’s light. He looked down at the stick still in his hand that was now a staff. It was ornately carved with flowers and stars and all things beautiful. Sevas turned to ask why their true form had been hidden from him, but Arvoth had vanished.

Sad because his friend was gone, Sevas did not leave right away, but sat a while pondering all that had happened. He wondered why each man had given him such magnificent gifts. What would he do with them? Why was it important that he choose? After some time, he packed his things and left for home.

He walked tirelessly all day with his mind fixed on the beauty of the two gifts. He held them in his hands looking at them all the while, stumbling now and then because of some stone he did not see. He did not see the flowers or the trees. He did not see the clouds in the sky or even hear the birds’ song. When he came to the crossroads about dinnertime, he was surprised that he had so quickly arrived. Straight ahead to the east was the road home to Selodhur.

His mind shifted again to the jewel and the staff. “How can I choose?” he thought aloud. Sevas considered each gift, its qualities, and the man who had given it to him. Yet, he could not choose. He decided to think more as he walked to the city.

Unlike before, he walked slowly knowing he would have to choose before he entered the city. Contemplating his choice, a voice in his head, not unlike that of Kreedasa’s, asked him, “Who would know if you kept both?” Sevas stopped abruptly realizing that was the answer. He wouldn’t choose!

As he set in his heart to keep both, the jewel began to shine brightly and the staff shuddered. Startled, Sevas dropped both. The top of the staff grew roots upward like the gnarled fingers of an old man. The jewel melted like lava onto the staff until the two gifts became one.

When it stopped moving, the jewel’s light began to fade. Wondering what enchantment this was, Sevas bent to pick up the staff. As his hand touched it, he felt a dread worse than that of his nightmare. The jewel and the staff looked like two hands intertwined, clawing at one another. The beautiful carvings were gone and in their place was twisted wood like that of an old tree.

In that moment, Sevas understood finally why Kreedasa had to leave so suddenly. The joining of the gifts revealed that not only the jewel and the staff, but also Kreedasa and Arvoth were at odds with one another. They always had been – even before he met them. That is why Arvoth seemed so familiar to him. Arvoth’s influence had always been at work in him, but Kreedasa’s influence was new.

My fear is that you will understand all too soon. Kreedasa had been afraid of Arvoth for some reason. Now Sevas could see that Arvoth was good and kind and would have revealed Kreedasa for what he was - a manipulator and trickster.

These two people were vying for Sevas’ life. He did not fully understand why, but looking down at the warped staff, Sevas realized that they would not leave him peacefully in Selodhur. Sevas wondered what would have happened if he had chosen the jewel. He got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realized he had in a way chosen it along with the staff. This choice he had made could not easily be undone. With this grim realization, he walked into the city. He carried with him the bejeweled staff knowing now he could never be rid of it nor did he want to be rid of it.