MYSTERIES OF NO-LAND

 MYSTERIES OF NO-LAND 

Prologue 

He jumped over the decaying log of wood, another unfortunate victim of their savagery. Vince increased his stride as he tried to cover the distance between himself and the swordsman.

It was a good thing he was light-footed. 

Pushing back a cluster of leaves, he ran deeper still into the forest. The leaves fizzled, and this muffled his movement. He had never been this glad about nature. Having always loved flowers and being a self-taught nature conservator, he always had been passionate in his desire to see life preserved.

The forest cover densely packed, allowed just glimmers of light to infiltrate the forest floor even as the orange glow from the setting sun dimmed. Good thing he wasn't a stranger to the forest.

He noticed that the stumping of the swordsman’s boot was no longer audible and wondered if he had given up chasing him. He ran still until he came to a clearing where he was sure no one would follow him. 

He stopped, breathing in the moist air gradually as he tried to catch his breath. 

Slopping down, he allowed the tears to flow freely.

Why was this world so cruel and heartless?

Some hours ago, he had been in the company of those who mattered the world to him and the next they were gone.

Pictures of his father's dying body washed back, like tides in an ocean,  into his memory, and another stream of hot tears came pouring down. He had tried to ensure that the life of his beloved boy was untouched but had died in the process. If only he had listened. 

He remembered a song his beloved mother used to sing to him, the tune all the years sticking to his memory like a bad dream. He recalled the last line. 

Just a little longer my dear child 

There'd be no worries or fear 

Your wishes and dreams light will find 

Sleep for tomorrow draws near

A little at a time, a little for the night 

She had lied to him. If only he could tell her so. She would put her hand on his shoulder and say ‘my dear boy, mother never lies.' 

Was she telling the truth then when she had said they'd always be there for him?

 He knew without a doubt that she was dead, together with Thelma, his beloved sister, the wild version of himself. The castle had been torched with no one allowed to escape, but he had warned them. 

He pulled his knees into his chest, burying his face as he began sobbing again, this time with no care that he might be heard. All hope of life had been seized from him. He had nothing to care about, nothing to live for.

The trees seemed to have quieted for him, showing him their sympathy. A friend bereaved. Even the chirping of the birds had ceased, and the nocturnal insects no longer sang their high-pitch lullaby to their sleeping neighbors. All was quiet. 

Unusual. 

Vince  got up, cleaning his eyes and looking around. His eyes found it challenging to adjust to the emerging darkness. His legs had begun to ache, punishing him for overuse. He carried them still, trudging slowly into the part of the forest unknown to him.  

The smell of ash and dead matter blew past his nose. Vince traipsed, allowing his instinct to direct him. 

He lost track of time as he wandered further into the dense and darker part of the night. 

Then, Vince saw a faint glimmer of light some meters away. He approached with caution not wanting to give himself away for all he knew they could be Oreon’s soldiers.

He tiptoed closer and ducked behind a tree to watch three men tearing at pieces of meat they had cut from the larger one hanging over the fire they had set up. 

Their clothing bore no semblance to armors, let alone Oreon’s. The tall, wild-looking one with heavy beards spoke, and the others went reeling with laughter. They seemed to be ordinary men, night travelers perhaps. It wasn't strange to have people moving at night as the forest of Pongash was no home to wild creatures. They have long been driven away or worse killed during hunting expeditions. 

There appeared what looked like a sack of rounded stuff near the shortest one among them who preferred to listen while the other guys talked. He kept looking around occasionally. 

No worries boy. The danger is far gone.

Vince turned to go, thinking it wiser not to reveal himself to them. For one, though they weren't soldiers, they could be anything else if the daggers they had holstered to their waist were anything to go. 

He only saw a flash of it as it came towards his head. In split seconds, the world faded from his view.