The Chosen

Prologue

...Fourteen Years Ago...

  One evening, after a long day of work, Nolan sat down on his front porch to enjoy the deepening silence of dusk. All around was the Valley of Ode, consisting of flowing creeks, foothills, fields, and deciduous trees. On the western side of Mt. Ashling, his log cabin dwelled near one of the foothills and although his cabin was simple, it had a rustic feel to it. Two years ago, when Nolan first came to these hills, he noticed the way the sun set at dusk and knew he found home. Nolan's head dropped to his chest as he remembered a far off place and just as quickly, he shook off those memories. This was his home now. Out here he was free.
  Little did Nolan know that the moments of his life played out as they did for this precise moment. And while he believed he controlled his own destiny, fate had intervened and decided he had a much larger role to play.
  He was meditating as he usually did, when he noticed something rustling through the trees. Nolan did not take much notice of the sound, as animals often scurried around at night. That was, until someone detached herself from the deepening shadows of the forest and stood quietly a few yards from his house. His first thought was that it was some kind of apparition, caused by the light illuminating from the fire. Indeed, so sudden was her appearance, and so strange it seemed to be in the presence of another human being, he found it difficult to grasp to the concept that she was even there.
  “Are you o.k.? Do you need help?” Nolan asked, stepping to the center of his porch.
  The woman hesitated, as though she was unsure whether she wanted to run or stay, and it was than that he noticed she was carrying something though for all his observation skills, he was uncertain what exactly that was. Nolan’s attention was fixed on her presence, rather than the child she carried in her arms.
  Nolan and the girl stayed that way, silently contemplating each other as a slight breeze began to pick up and make its way into the clearing, caressing the leaves on the topmost branches of the great aspen trees. The girl spoke first.
  “I’m looking for Nolan, do you know him?” She asked.
  Nolan chuckled in disbelief and knew that no amount of words could have that kind of impact on him as the ones she had just spoken.
  “How did you find me?” he demanded, bewildered that someone would even know him by name not to mention try to find him. When Nolan left his hometown years ago, he left his name, his past, and his possessions behind him. In fact, Nolan was positive that whoever knew him thought he was dead or forgot he even existed.
  “I am not from the empire, if that is what you are thinking.” She answered softly.
  “I find that hard to believe, considering you found me,” he responded sarcastically; and yet, he knew her words contained a certain element of truth. If she was really from the empire, he would not still be here thinking about this. He would already be dead.
  Suddenly a sinking feeling abruptly dawned on him as he remembered something his friend Malakoz had once said to him, something that struck him odd now that he found himself in such a situation:
  One day, a young girl will come and ask for you, and when she does, you will think back on this day and remember me.

The Cloaked Man

...Fourteen Years Later...

  A cloaked man stepped down onto the Tivona harbor followed by a small army of misshapen creatures with wrinkled bodies, long talons, and dark clad feathery wings.
  The citizens of Tivona gathered near the harbour and glanced at the newcomers apprehensively. Nisroch had never sent a large emissary to their village and whatever reason she had to send them now obviously meant trouble.
  The harpies screeched in a distorted fashion, anxious for blood. Irritated, the cloaked man raised one fist in the air commanding silence and although several harpies continued to coo excitably, there was no question of who was in charge.
  The cloaked man entered the circular courtyard, silently appraising the city before speaking.
  “I am here on behalf of the temptress Nisroch. You have fallen disappointingly behind on your monthly tributes. Explain yourselves!”
  There was a slight murmuring in the crowd, a hesitation. Then to his immediate surprise, a young man stepped forward. He was a field worker with a leathery face, deep-set eyes, and short hair that was unkempt and messy.
  “We no longer serve under Nisroch. Why should we serve a monarch when she obviously could care less about her people?” he demanded angrily. The crowd murmured in agreement behind him.
  The cloaked man narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
  The young man's eyes flashed. “Several weeks ago we sent numerous requests for aid against our enemies. However, instead of sending us reinforcements Nisroch choose to ignore our pleas and we were forced to fight on our own."
  The cloaked man shook his head. “I have heard no such news about an army attacking your city.” The cloaked man replied solemnly. “In any case since we had little knowledge that your city was under attack Nisroch cannot be held responsible.”
  The young man face flushed. “You are mistaken. Even if our messengers were ambushed, we are holding Nisroch completely responsible. It has been three years since Nisroch sent any ambassadors to us. It is obvious that Nisroch does not consider our city worth much notice and yet surprisingly now that we have withdrawn our tributes here you are!”
  “The empire has been dedicating its time to quell the rebel armies over on Kasinda and as such we have not had the manpower to spare to send ambassadors to your city.” The cloaked man replied tetchily.
  The young man’s chuckle was bitter. “And yet here you are.”
  The cloaked man stiffened and turned to his harpies. He saw an anticipating look gleam in their cold knowing eyes, watching him expectantly. The cloaked man wavered for a moment, undecided.
  Every time he was sent on Nisroch’s bidding, he felt as though he lost a part of himself. It was a gradual chipping of his resolve, but sufficient all the same. Yet, not for one moment did he think to stop serving Nisroch. As long as he remained loyal, he was better off. As long as he remained obedient, he had less reason to fear darkness closing in on him as he slept.
  In any case, Tivona’s refusal to pay their monthly tributes was a clear indication of disloyalty. The last thing he needed was to have Nisroch doubt his loyalty, especially with an army of harpies watching his every move. Although, the cloaked man had full command over Nisroch's harpies they would only continue serving him as long as he did as he was bidden to do.
  The cloaked man shook his head solemnly and raising his hand gave the command. The harpies shrieked excitably as they began dashing into the courtyard, attacking and dispersing the citizens in a clash of talons. One citizen chucked a large stone at one of the harpies, causing her to veer off course and stumble into her sister, but another harpy shrieked as she flew swiftly towards him and lifting him into the air, dropped him several hundred yards from the ground.
  The cloaked man turned to the wooden crate seated at the harbour and sat down refusing to watch the slaughter. He was not worried that the harpies would lose. They never lost. Although the people of Tivona were brave and fearless, it was painfully obvious that they were not raised with the same kind of instinctive thirst for destruction as the harpies. He lowered his head in anguish.
  Suddenly a flash of movement caught his attention as the young man broke from the harpy onslaught and rushed towards him in a cry of rage. The cloaked man, however, reacted instinctively and just as the man prepared to strike him down, he grabbed his arm and in one fluid motion twisted his arm behind his back. The knife clambered to the ground, useless.
  “How can you take orders from them?” The man gasped angrily. “Don’t you see they just want to destroy us?”
  The cloaked man released him and as the young man realized he was suddenly free, he picked up his fallen weapon and attacked once more. The cloaked man dogged the first attack as well as the second. Dangerously angered, the cloaked man grabbed his arm with lightening reflexes, yanked him close, and smashed his arm against wooden fence with a satisfying crack. The man screamed and dropping to his knees, held his damaged arm. The cloaked man, however, grasped him by the throat and yanked him upright.
  The young man screamed curses as he clawed at the cloaked man's fingers. The cloaked man squeezed tighter and before he realized what was happening a dark blue aura pulsated from his arm and tightened around the young man.
  The man’s eyes filled with horror. “What…are…you doing…to me?” He gasped frantically.
  The cloaked man blinked, suddenly aware that his arm was pulsating, and as he glanced down at his arm, he was immensely surprised. He was not even aware that he had evoked his power and he found he no longer cared. Squeezing the man's throat even tighter, he watched with a horrible sense of satisfaction as the man's skin turn to a dangerous shade of blue.
  A hand suddenly gripped his forearm, causing him to drop the man as though his spirit was touched by liquid fire. The young man gasped as he fell to the ground and with a final look of horror stumbled quickly away from him. The cloaked man turned to the newcomer. It was a girl. A young girl with long silvery hair, diamond coloured eyes, and pale celestial skin. Indeed, so graceful was her countenance that the cloaked man had no doubts as to the purpose of her being.
  “Who are you?” He whispered, eyes wide and searching.
  “Shush,” she whispered reassuringly. “My name is Pandora. I have come to save you.”
  The cloaked man burst out laughing, his voice was bitter. “No one can save me.”
  The girl smiled, whether in recognition of his truth or at his foolishness, he never knew. Yet, for the first time in his life, she inspired him and filled him with hope and as she reached up and pulled back the cowl of his hood, he exhaled as though he had held in his breath his entire life.
  And there, in the midst of the blue glimmer of his eyes was an unmistakable familiar face. In the Valley of Ode where three occupants slept, Aaron woke with a start.

The Depleting Forest

  Inside the cabin, Aaron laid quietly catching his breath as he blinked in the semi-dark room. His heart was thumping loudly, drowning out the sound of Nolan’s steady snore seeping through the floorboards of his loft. Once his heart rate steadied, Aaron lifted himself up on one elbow and pulled back the curtain on his window. It was almost morning. Sighing, Aaron flumped his head back on his pillow and groaned. He was still sleepy.
  Aaron had been having these dreams for the past few months and he was beginning to get the feeling that there was something more to his dreams than what was immediately apparent. He just wished he knew why he was getting them. Aaron knew about telepathy though he never personally met anyone with those abilities, but even if the cloaked man was sending telepathic messages why was he sending them to him? Aaron was certain that you had to know the person before you could send telepathic messages and seeing how Aaron never stepped outside the valley the likelihood that someone would bother sending him telepathic messages was nil. Besides, if there was someone out there that wanted to tell him something, why waste time showing him these images instead of getting to the point and tell him what he wanted?
  Aaron shook his head, pulled back the covers, and promptly began dressing. He decided that it was pointless to waste his time thinking about it. He pulled on a pair of brown pants and a dark blue-sleeved shirt with a V shaped collar and boots. Once he was finished, he climbed down the ladder and started towards the door when Nolan’s voice stopped him.
  “You’re up early,” Nolan mumbled sleepily.
  “Yeah, it happens sometimes,” Aaron shrugged.
  Through the small opening of wall hangings, Nolan shifted under his blanket. Nolan was once a soldier from the Kazak Empire until something terrible happened that forced him to leave. He never specified what exactly had happened there as Nolan told him on numerous occasions that it was none of his damn business. The only detail he did manage to snag was the word betrayal, which he heard him mutter under his breath by chance. Aaron admired and respected Nolan greatly, but sometimes his bitterness made his advice seem like a tedious reminder of why it was wise not to trust anyone. Still, Aaron supposed he probably had a good reason for feeling the way he did. Nolan carried many scars.
  “Well don’t go too far. We have a lot of work to do today,” Nolan muttered, drawing his blanket close.
  “Sure,” Aaron agreed thankful for an easy escape. He just did not feel like talking.
  By the time Aaron began chopping firewood, the morning sky was an array of colours. Eos danced with crimson ribbons as Helius and his golden chariot ascended the eastern skies. Aaron wiped his brow as he breathed in the sweltering heat. It felt good to strain his muscles and keep his thoughts occupied. He had avoided thinking about it since this morning, but sometime between chopping firewood and stocking stacks of wood in the woodpile, he could not escape the revelation that it was his face behind that cowl. He shook his head, concentrated on the block of wood in front of him, and brought down the axe.
  Whamp!
  Throwing aside the broken pieces, he wondered whether he was making a big deal over nothing. Sure, his dreams were obsessive, repetitive, and disturbing, but maybe that is all they were, crazy nonsensical dreams. He just wished he knew why he could not shake that ominous feeling.
  Aaron was on his third stack of woodpiles when he noticed Jendayi by the front porch preparing breakfast. When comparing the two, few would mistake the family resemblance between Jendayi and Aaron as both had the same eagle cerulean eyes and the same small button nose. However, while Jendayi had long auburn hair and freckles sprinkling across her shoulders, Aaron had coffee coloured hair, a tawny complexion and a strong jaw-line.
  Satisfied with the amount of wood he chopped, Aaron swung his axe onto the chopping block, and slump into one the porch chairs. The porch was a simple overhang of wooden planks held upright by two large pillars. Jendayi was over by the table chopping herbs for the stew. The hobo stove, which they used to cook during the summer, was next to her.
  “I see you are hard at work today,” Jendayi mused humorously, handing him a pitcher of water. “So, what’s the catch?”
  Aaron shifted a grin as he took the pitcher from her. He was absolutely parched. “I just have a lot on my mind today,” He said after gulping down several mouthfuls.
  Jendayi scooped the herbs and added them to the pot. “Do you want to talk about it?”
  Aaron nearly choked on the water and began coughing. “Ah, don’t worry. It’s nothing important,” he answered quickly with a sudden flush.
  Jendayi regarded him with a long measured look before returning to her worktable. “Well, I am always here if you need to talk.”
  Aaron was not sure why he felt uncomfortable telling Jendayi about his dreams. It was not as though it was a big deal or at least that is what he kept telling himself. I suppose it was because deep down inside Aaron understood more about his dreams than he realized and if he spoke aloud about them he was afraid that everything would change.
  The cabin door opened as Nolan stepped outside. “Morning,” he said, letting out a huge elaborative yawn. “What’s for breakfast?”
  “Stew,” Jendayi answered as she began setting out ceramic bowls.
  Nolan raised his eyebrows as walked over to the stove for an inspection. “Looks good,” he muttered approvingly before stealing a bite.
  “Hey,” Jendayi shrieked, slapping his hand. “You have to wait!”
  “Sorry,” Nolan mumbled shifting a huge grin of stew. “Tastes good though,” he said dropping the ladle back into the pot.
  Jendayi began pushing him outside her workstation. “All right I’m going,” Nolan exclaimed, laughing. He sat down by the fire pit next to Aaron. Aaron observed him with thoughtful eyes.
  Nolan was thirty-seven years old with long black hair, a straight nose, and short facial hair. Long scars ran across his body as though he was once whipped with cat-o’-nine-tails. Nolan’s right eye was partially slashed and his nose was missing a chunk of skin though otherwise the majority of the scars were across his back and neck. Sudden inspiration dawned on him.
  “Nolan, can I ask you an abstract question?” Aaron asked keeping his voice carefully neutral.
  Nolan shrugged indifferently. “Sure why not?”
  Jendayi’s eyes fell upon him as she finished serving them. Aaron avoided looking at her. “Did you ever wear a black cloak? You know the kind the magi use to wear?”
  Nolan chewed, regarded him inquisitively. “No, why?”
  “No reason, just wondering,” He said, flushing.
  Nolan turned to Jendayi, a questioning look forming on his lips, but Jendayi shrugged and said nothing. As Nolan and Jendayi changed the subject, Aaron’s inquiry was soon forgotten, and the rest of the morning passed by uneventful. Still, Aaron could not help noticing how Jendayi was watching him and he begun to feel uneasy under the heat of her eyes.

***

  Fourteen years have passed since Nolan met the young woman and her child. Since then they have become a part of Nolan’s household, despite Nolan’s earlier attempt to live a solitary and confined existence. The young woman’s name was Jendayi Haze of Ephyra, a city that was destroyed by the Kazak Empire seven months before Jendayi arrived onto Nolan’s doorstep. Nolan had no idea why the Kazak Empire had attacked Ephyra, but whatever reasons they had, Nolan was not surprised.
  They have been hunting for over five hours when Aaron spotted the young doe grazing among the high grasses. Her ears flickered softly, listening for the sound of predators. Carefully removing his ash bow, he pulled the drawstring taunt, and took aim.
  Snap.
  The doe’s head shot upward as a dry twig snapped. In a fluid motion, Nolan released the drawstring and fired. The arrow whistled through the air and struck her forearm as she bolted. The doe staggered and limped off into the woods.
  “Damn,” Nolan swore, lowering his bow. Positioning his bow over his shoulders, Nolan and Aaron quickly followed in pursuit.
  The forest barely provided them much coverage from the rays of the sun. The trees were thin, bare, and wilted. Nolan contributed the dying forest to the reason why there was an increasing absence of wildlife. The chirping of birds and squirrels, the scurrying of rodents rushing for the safety of their dens were all strangely absent. The only thing that did not seem out of place was the mosquitoes and black flies that were even more abundant – go figure. Thankfully, Nolan and Aaron took the opportunity to smear mud on themselves earlier this morning, but most of the mud was dry and wearing off. Nolan made a quick mental note to find another mud patch as soon as possible.
  The trees thinned even further as they walked into the declining lowlands. Nolan drew his fingers to his lips in a sign of silence, positive by the sloppy tracks that the doe was somewhere nearby. After a few minutes of searching, Nolan and Aaron found her behind jutting rocks. The doe twitched as they approached her, yet she made no attempts of escaping. She was exhausted and losing blood.
  “Hold her steady,” Nolan said as he withdrew a long hunting knife. Aaron held the struggling doe steady as Nolan pulled back her head. Then, just as Nolan was about to slit the deer’s throat, Aaron suddenly jumped backwards, staring down at his hands in shock. The deer stumbled a few feet, knocked the knife from his hand, and collapsed, panting.
  Nolan picked up his knife. “Why did you release her?” Nolan demanded, irritably.
  “I thought I just…” Aaron started, turning over his hands, looking bewildered. “Never mind, just a trick of the lights,” Aaron replied, a dazed expression crossing his face.
  Aaron steadied the doe and Nolan quickly slit her throat without any further mishaps. The doe let out a strangled cry and lowering her head, she quickly died. Nolan wrapped her securely in a blanket and threw her over his shoulders. Once he was ready, Aaron carried Nolan’s ash bow and they soon began the long walk home.
  They took the path through the lowlands, following the length of the river towards the valley. On the left side of the river, giant cyclopean massifs stood with razor-sharp cliffs and steep escarpments. Downstream, the river was non-navigable as a series of rapids and jagged rocks would rip through a boat in mere seconds before descending hundreds of feet off Delyn Falls. On the right side of the river was the glen adjacent to the Jorunn mountain peaks, was a series of twists and turns with rocky banks and scattered vegetation.
  Evening approached as the steady decline of the sun deepened, casting the sky behind them in brilliant shades of red and gold. Turning to the open foothills, Nolan could see Jendayi’s outline on the porch. Nolan shifted the doe over his shoulders. She was getting heavy.
  “What took you guys so long?” Jendayi asked once Nolan and Aaron reached the cabin.
  “It’s been a long day,” Nolan answered with a grunt as he made his way to the back.
  Nolan spent the next hour preparing the meat and put the cut pieces onto the drying rack. After he finished and cleaned the leftovers, he ate supper, and sat down by the fire. Nolan and Jendayi spent most of the evening talking about the dwindling food supplies, knowing that if things did not improve by winter, they could all easily starve. Jendayi suggested they gather wild roots and other edible plants. Aaron’s groan met Nolan’s sentiments exactly. No matter how many plants he stuffed into his mouth, he always felt hungry.
  “We might want to look into other sources of protein,” Nolan remarked thoughtfully.
  “What do you have in mind?” Jendayi asked after a moment of silence.
  “Grasshoppers, crickets, termites…” Nolan replied and laughed when he saw the look of disgust cross Aaron’s face. “Come on, they are not that bad.”
  “That’s disgusting.”
  Nolan shrugged. “Wait till you are hungry and you’ll be the first to dig in.”
  “I’d rather starve,” Aaron declared resolutely.
  Nolan shrugged and said nothing. He knew all too well how people can do things they never dreamed of doing when pushed into extreme circumstances. It was a lesson he had to learn the hard way. We do not always get the opportunity to choose our own paths and some of the paths we do choose often appear as the only ones available. Almost nobody willingly comes into the world dreaming to become petty thief or a prostitute, but we do what we have to in order to survive. It was not fair, but then life was never fair.
  By the time Nolan perceived the black accumulation of clouds in the sky, it was already dark. His lips formed into a ready smile, thankful that the valley would see rain at last, when he realized something was not quite right. The cloud was an odd shape; more like a swirl of speaks than a mass of condensation. He stood on the edge of the porch in quiet contemplation when he noticed that the cloud was moving towards them with alarming speed. Sudden horror crossed his features and before he could react and lead his family into the safety of the cabin thousands of ravens suddenly descended upon them. Jendayi flayed her arms and screamed as one raven after another brushed past them, followed by a rapid succession of thumps and the sound of bones breaking. Nolan crouched and covered his head with his arms while the momentum knocked Aaron to the ground. It was over in a matter of seconds.
  All was silent.
  Nolan opened his eyes and stared at his porch in astonishment. The porch was littered with dead crows. Aaron rubbed his head gingerly as he climbed to his feet. Jendayi was shaking.
  “Why would they do that?” She demanded eyes wide and frightened.
  Nolan stared at the ravens in amazement and was about to speak when Aaron suddenly ran off to the side of the cabin.
  “Aaron! Get back here!” Nolan’s voice boomed angrily. Aaron hesitated then slowly he walked back to the porch looking sombre.
  “It’s alright. They’re not coming back,” Aaron replied softly.
  “I don’t care,” Nolan said, eyes flashing. “Do you realize you just blindly walked into the open and exposed yourself?”
  Aaron shrugged and said nothing. 
  Nolan growled angrily over his reckless behaviour when he noticed Jendayi’s strange half-glazed expression.
  “It’s finally happening. This was the sign. The sign he told me to watch out for,” She said in almost a whisper.
  Nolan shook his head, flabbergasted. “What sign? What the heck are you talking about?”
  Jendayi raised one trembling arm. There, looming in the sky was the full moon, saturated in the colour of red.