Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ry paced in disbelief. His eldest daughter lay on the ashen ground without breath.

“I know you want your daughters back. You would do anything to have them alive again, but you shouldn’t accuse the Elders of deceit. They are holy beings. They would never deceive you.” Presti placed her hand on Ry’s shoulder.

“Presti, I am not yet convinced of their innocence. Why haven’t they returned Emiline’s body?”

“Maybe they wanted to spare you the pain. I would rather not see Esis in this state. Seeing Emiline’s body won’t bring you any more peace.” Presti placed a blanket from her pack on Esis’s body.

“Presti, I don’t think Ry’s suspicion is based only on grief.”

Oryan removed the blanket, much to Presti’s displeasure. Inspecting her neck, he confirmed his suspicions.

“There! Below her right ear. The same symbol I found on Olbi Juster. Do you remember his death? Some harvesters and I found him dead in the Elka fields. He was soaked to the bone. We suspected he died in the creek and then someone dragged him to the fields, but the Elders didn’t investigate. They said he died of natural causes. We discovered a strange green symbol under his ear. When we asked the Elders about the symbol, they became defensive. The Elders accused us of dissension and took Olbi’s body from us. They didn’t allow the family to have a proper burial.”

“I remember his death, but I never heard about any symbol,” Ry said.

“Of course not. The Elders forbade us from speaking of it.”

“Then you shouldn’t be speaking of it now!” Presti pulled the blanket over Esis again.

“Presti, I want to see the symbol.” Ry knelt by his dead daughter.

“Please, Ry! We must respect the Elders’ wishes. They are wise and holy. They mean us no harm. If they are hiding something, it is for our protection.” Presti firmly held the blanket in place.

“My two daughters are dead! How can you tell me this is for my protection?”

“The Elders are eternal. They lived long before us and will live long after we die. They have a wealth of knowledge that we can never comprehend and…”

“Presti, I am not a priest. I am a father! I will not listen to a sanctimonious lecture. I want answers!”

Observing Presti out of the corner of his eye, Oryan could not help but suspect that she was concealing something. She kept flinching and looking about. He feared she heard someone coming towards them, but no one came.

“Presti, look at the symbol.” Ry said as he removed the blanket.

“I will not take part in dissention. I will report you.” Presti stood erect. “Don’t make me report you to the Elders!”

Oryan turned Esis’s head to the left, exposing the symbol. “Esis was your best friend. Don’t you want to know what happened?”

“I know what happened! She died. Nothing will change that!”

Presti sprinted south. Oryan knew she would go directly to the Elders’ Keep to report them. He wanted her love for Esis to overpower her stubborn convictions. He hoped the mysterious symbol would stir distrust in her. Presti followed the Elders blindly, and Oryan never supported that.

“Do we try and stop her?” Ry asked.

“There is no stopping Presti.”

“We are limited on time then. I must hide Esis’s body. Do you know of any place where we can hide a body?” Ry cradled Esis in his arms.

“The only place to hide a body is the restricted pathway. The Elders can’t enter Leviathan path.”

“Entering that path is unforgivable. I am willing to defy the Elders, but I still care for my soul.”

“I can take her. I have considered walking the path before. I believe there may be more Elka vines beyond the path. We are doomed if the sap continues to fail. The harvesters need more sap. It is our best option.”

“Oryan, you can’t think like that. That path is dangerous. I don’t want you near it. I don’t want my daughter’s body near it. We can bury her before Presti warns the Elders.”

“The Elders can find a buried body. You know they have powers. The path is your only option. We are running out of time.”

Ry’s masculine face weakened. He surveyed the landscape, hoping for another option. Finding none, he surrendered Esis’s lifeless body into the arms of Oryan who then headed to the restricted path.

***

Presti now knew she could alone hear the mysterious voice. Neither Oryan nor Ry reacted to it. How could she deal with this alone? As she ran to the Elders Keep, the voice warned her to avoid the Elders.

“The Elders aren’t trustworthy!”

Feeling alone, she sought the company of the Elders for safety. Their wisdom would direct her steps. The instability of this day had diminished her strength.

It didn’t matter how hard Presti clinched her fists, the voice continued to reverberate in her head. The trek to the Elders Keep was a significant one. She couldn’t sprint the entire length. Slowing her pace, she dreaded the long journey. What else would the voice say before she arrived? She planned to follow Westin Creek, until it turned towards town. Then continuing south, she’d take the secluded path that led to the Elders Keep.

Presti raised her hand to her ear. Rubbing her fingers against the skin just below her ear, she didn’t feel anything. However, the mysterious green symbol could be there. She stopped running, wanting to see her reflection in Westin Creek. The creek water bubbled around jagged rocks. White foam collected on charred sticks. She slid down the embankment, and looked into the flowing waters. Quickly frustrated, no angle gave Presti the ability to see below her ear.

“What are you doing my misfit?” Rabbi asked.

Presti, surprised, lost her footing, and fell into the creek.

“Oh dear! I didn’t expect to frighten you so!” Rabbi stumbled down the embankment to help.

“The creek isn’t too deep. I’ll recover.” Presti laughed.

After apologizing several times, Rabbi used the hem of her smock to dry Presti’s face. Presti enjoyed watching the lines in Rabbi’s face arc and twist as she spoke.

“The entire village sent me on an errand to find you. They plan to celebrate late into the night and their guest of honor is missing.”

“Why did they send you? Why didn’t they send a messenger?” Presti asked.

“I volunteered. The crowd resisted at first. They said my old bones couldn’t handle the search.”

“I am sure you didn’t take that with much grace.”

“No, I didn’t! Rabbi said. “However, I didn’t protest when they offered their fastest cortex. Wouldn’t let me go without it.”

“You have a cortex with you? Presti climbed the embankment to see.

“Yes, that beast of burden is harder on my bones than a walk, I assure you!”

Presti thankfully beheld the long-legged cortex. The beast nipped at the ground, digging at the ash, vainly searching for food. That nimble creature would make the trip to the Elders Keep much shorter. Rabbi caught Presti in a side embrace.

“Will you return with me to the Center for some celebrating?” Rabbi asked.

            “Are the Elders at the Center?”

            “What a foolish question. Night rituals begin soon. They have certainly left for the Elders Keep by now.”

            “I can’t explain, Rabbi. I can’t come to the Center. I need your cortex.” Presti mounted the cortex using the side ladder strapped on its side.

            “How will I return to the Center without the cortex? What will I tell everyone when I get there?”

            “I don’t know.” Presti wrapped the reigns around her wrist and hand.

            “You own me an explanation!” Rabbi shook her fist.

            “My secrecy is for your safety. There is your explanation.” Presti slapped the cortex.

            The cortex’s claws dug into the burnt earth. Lunging forward, the animal covered twenty feet in a second. Stretching its neck forward, it showed resolve. Presti heard Rabbi’s complaints for only a few heartbeats. After covering a great distance, the animal only increased its speed. The cortex leapt over Westin Creek. Now that the creek curved towards town, Presti could no longer use it as a guide. Attempting to keep the cortex’s path as straight as possible, she hoped to find the secluded path leading to the Elders Keep.

            Inspecting the horizon, she couldn’t see any building or sandy path. The farther the cortex ran, the more barren the landscape. Rumors suggested that the Elders Keep resided in this area. No one attempted to confirm those suspicions, and Presti began to doubt all the villagers’ stories. However, just as she was about to abandon her mission, the cortex darted to the right. Sprinting southeast, it headed toward a gathering of bushes. After a few more strides, Presti saw a sandy path between the bushes. Relief and fortitude strengthened her grip. She encouraged the cortex with another whip of the reigns. Running at a speed it hadn’t yet reached, it glided across the ash like the wind.

“Stop!” the mysterious voice bellowed within Presti’s head.

            Much to Presti’s shock, the cortex immediately stopped. Frantically wrapping her arms around the animal’s neck, she steadied herself from the sudden stop. She looked at the ground, six feet below. Swallowing hard and breathing a sigh of relief, she balanced herself again. She dismounted with the side ladder. She drew the cortex’s slender face towards hers, looking straight into its huge green eyes, she spoke to an animal for the first time.

“You heard him?”

            The cortex made no magical gesture or reaction. Acting like any cortex would, it shook loose of Presti’s grip and sniffed for food on the ground. Stamping her foot, Presti asked again.

            “Did you hear the voice or not? Did you stop because of him? Look at me!”

            The cortex took a few steps forward and clawed at the ground.

            “I will feed you, if you answer me,” Presti said.

            The cortex remained unresponsive. Presti placed her hand on her cheek and laughed. She patted the cortex’s head. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out an Elka Vine thorn, which the cortex devoured.

            “Perhaps I pulled the reigns without realizing it. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

            She mounted the cortex again. She tied the side ladder, so it wouldn’t dangle by the animal’s legs. Grabbing the reigns, she directed the animal toward the sandy path. Estimating it would only take three minutes to reach the path, she hoped the path wasn’t long. Night rituals might have already started.

            Presti rapped the reigns and the cortex lunged forward.

            “Presti, you are stubborn. I have no choice.” The voice said. “Come!”

            The cortex lifted its front legs high into the air. Presti screamed. As the cortex came back onto its four legs, it then bowed. Presti attempted to dismount while the animal was low to the ground, but before she could pull her left leg around, the cortex bounded forward. Presti’s lungs gasped at the air. The cortex no longer headed toward the sandy path. Charging north, in the opposite direction, the cortex obeyed the voice instead of Presti’s orders.

            The animal retraced their journey, including jumping over Westin Creek. They passed the embankment where she had encountered Rabbi, but she didn’t see the old lady now. As the beast ripped through the landscape, Presti screamed for help. She feared all the villagers still celebrated at the Center. No one would hear her screams in that section of the town.

            Eyeing the ground, she stretched her foot downward. Quickly retracting it, she held tighter to the animal’s neck. The beast abandoned a straight path and turned just west of the Elka Fields. A knot formed in Presti’s stomach. She wildly began untying the side ladder. It released and knocked against the beast’s long legs. Struggling to keep pace, the cortex whined from the pain.

            “Come!” The voice was stronger now.

            The beast charged forward so hard that the side ladder twisted and broke free. Presti attempted to grab it, but failed. Leviathan Path came into view, and Presti knew it was the cortex’s destination. Presti prepared to jump. For her, there was no other option.