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The History of Fatum: The Fourth Gift
By Zentari Silver
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There is a world younger than ours, created with the intention of purity and serenity. It is a world that was bestowed upon a universe with similar aspects to our own. However, its development varied from our own planet, mainly in the form of Gifts and magic. The first was life, then came magic, or Godi. Then, a century-long war was fought over the third. Uncertainty takes hold on this foreign world amidst the Fourth Gift, but this story comes to us here on Earth with certainty.
Godivai are real, Enchanting is real, The Fourth Gift is real.
Fatum IS real.
Chapter 1: The First Dream
If there was something that Kyle Johnson wanted more than anything else, it was purpose. He had been raised without a father, and his mother was often not around because of her work. He attended college because that is what was expected of him. Kyle decided to major in business hoping, for at the very least, a good financial future. He had some hobbies like gaming and sports, but they didn’t add to much. Most of the time Kyle felt like an empty shell, filling a role he wished not to play. Lucky for him, as if God above heard his whispers, he would soon find this ironic.
Kyle was exhausted, tired from his work and studies. Being a Friday, his week of midterms and work at the mailroom was complete. A weekend of laziness beckoned him. Kyle had been laying on his bed playing a game on his phone for some time. His roommate was clicking on a controller, playing a game of their own on the other side of the tight dorm room. Kyle had gotten used to those clicks, tuning them out with his earbuds. He adapted rather easily to things. While tapping away, he got a sudden notification. It was a reminder of an older post he had made years back on his social media account. The post was a photo of Kyle and his late grandfather Abraham, although he went by Abe for short. Abe had taken Kyle out for a cone of mint chocolate chip ice cream, as he’d always done after Sunday church. It was something the two of them always did together, no matter who else went. Weather permitting, they’d always sit in front of the little shop and enjoy each other’s company. The photo was taken by Kyle’s mom who had come with them during that sunny Sunday afternoon.
It was sometime before Kyle stopped reminiscing about that one image. He put away his phone, sat up, then grabbed his toiletry bag. Lucky for him, Kyle found that the shared bathroom in the dormitory hallway was vacant. He began flossing, brushing his teeth, and all his other normal night time routines before he would return to the dorm room. It was nearly midnight.
Kyle could hear Jacob, his roommate, screaming through his headset as he opened the door in the hallway.
“Yea! Let’s go!” shouted Jacob.
He was very competitive when it came to games and blissfully unaware of his surroundings.
Kyle went back to his phone for just a little bit longer. Jacob frequently stayed up well past midnight playing his games, but was always decent enough to turn out the lights when the time came. Kyle put in his pair of earbuds and watched videos on his phone until his vision faded to black. That night, he had a very vivid, strange dream.
“..........h....m................a.....ns............................”
A voice echoed from beyond Kyle's reach. He saw nothing, felt only weightlessness, nothingness. Kyle was concerned.
“......e.p..e..........f...e.r................”
He couldn’t understand it, but it sounded like the voice was in distress. The more it spoke, the clearer the sound became. He couldn’t understand the words, but he could understand the emotion in the voice. Kyle didn’t feel as if he was intruding on a conversation, but he was the one being spoken to. Kyle tried to yell back, but no sound came from his mouth. He couldn't feel his body. It was as if he was floating, perfectly still yet closing in on the voice.
“.....c..e..o.me.......”
Kyle desired to help, but there was nothing he could do. It was as if Kyle’s own soul was falling asleep, disconnecting from that realm. Kyle struggled throughout the night, tossing and turning. The feeling of darkness felt as if it lasted for days.
Light suddenly pierced his eyelids. Kyle began to sit up, struggling to pry his eyelids open. He put one hand over his eyes in order to block out the light. The other hand was on the ground. His body wasn’t responding nearly as fast as he felt it should’ve. The floor below his hand was cool. He assumed he rolled out of bed, which was unusual for him. Kyle mustered what little strength he had to push himself up. As he did, his fingers dug into the soil. He thought it must’ve been a prank.
The starlight burned his eyes like a burning torch. Kyle blinked several times in an attempt to adjust. To his surprise, he was outside amidst an opening in a forest just before sunset. He was able to see a log cabin upon a small hill. Kyle had just been inside of his college dorm room, and now he suddenly was standing outside of a log cabin. He questioned his own sanity. He never partied and had very little experience with alcohol, but it was enough for him to question if he had been drunk the night before. The cabin called to him, whether it be the charm of it or his curiosity.
Suddenly an unexpected sound came from behind him. When he turned around to see the distant noise, there was a shed near the edge of the forest opening where the sound of clanking metal came from within. After a moment, the banging stopped. The shed’s chimney released a large puff of smoke. The door swung open and out came a large figure covered from head to toe in a sort of leather armor. Their face was concealed by what looked like a welding mask made of leather, leaving only a slit to see through. The figure stood, staring at Kyle. Then, they began making their way towards him with large strides. Kyle slowly backed up from the walking armor, whose figure grew the closer they approached.
“Alright…you got me,” Kyle was so terrified his words were quiet.
The figure kept approaching without hesitation.
“Hello?” Kyle raised his voice as they came closer.
“Hello?!”
Then, the person in full leather armor stopped in their tracks. Something was muffled underneath their mask, as if they forgot they had a helmet on in the first place. The figure dropped a pair of forge tongs which they were holding and grabbed their mask with both hands. The worn leather helmet crinkled as it was removed. He dropped it to the ground.
Underneath was long, peppered black hair that sat atop an older man’s head. He had a beard that was well kept and reached down to his chest. The man then spoke some words that were unknown to Kyle in a deeper voice. Kyle assumed he was having difficulty listening due to shock, but the more the man spoke he could tell it wasn’t English.
Kyle stared into the man’s burgundy eyes as he crept back just a little. The man continued speaking in the foreign language, making Kyle all the more frightened.
“What do you want?” asked Kyle fearfully.
The older man came to a halt.
“English? You speak English?” he asked in an estranged accent.
“Yes?” Kyle responded with uncertainty.
The man had a confused look upon his face. Kyle could almost make out worry upon it as well.
“I am sorry, I did not know I would have guest,” said the man in the armor.
His accent was strong, especially with his pronunciation of the letter ‘R’ which harshly rolled off his tongue. Despite the confusion, the man seemed to compose himself quickly.
“Amon. My name is Amon.”
Amon then put out his hand, and Kyle slowly reached his arm in turn.
“I’m Kyle.”
After Amon shook his hand, Kyle felt a dry powder linger upon his hand. He looked down to see a fine black dust. Amon looked down as well and realized he hadn’t yet removed his gloves. Amon appeared embarrassed that he had forgotten to do so. That made Kyle feel a little bit less frightened, adding some humanity to the large man in the leather armor.
“Apologies young man. I have got some...some…I forgot the word.”
“Soot?” Kyle nervously said.
“Ah, yes, soot. I remember that word!” said the man as he bent down to retrieve his helmet, dawning a smile from his meager accomplishment.
Amon then lifted his hand and pointed towards the cabin on the hill.
“Do you not come in? I was just finishing my work and I think dinner would be nice.” His voice was jolly and rustic.
Kyle tried to imagine what accent the man may have had, but he found no success in finding it. He looked around at the nearby woodlands as the day was coming to an end. Kyle followed Amon to the log cabin upon the hill. Once they arrived at the cabin, Amon walked to the simple, wooden front door and pushed it open, waving for Kyle to enter.
“It is not much, but it is home,” said Amon.
Straight in from the entrance was a bed on the back wall, with another one tucked into the rear left corner. To Kyle’s right was an open space with a wooden dining table, and behind it was a stone fireplace. The mantle was decorated with various creatures, none of which Kyle could recognize. Amon turned left in the cabin to an area that looked like a simple kitchen. There was an old-fashioned stove, a few cabinets, and counterspace with a couple baskets filled with various vegetables and herbs. Also, a metallic box near the rear of the kitchen could be seen laying on the ground. Amon began shedding the outer layer of his leather suit. He removed accessories such as tools that hung from his belts, satchels, and other strange components foreign to Kyle. Underneath the suit he wore a spot smudged shirt and a pair of slacks which looked like jeans in texture, but more closely resembled cargo pants by the amount of pockets which had been sewn into it. Amon removed his gloves, revealing callused and gray-stained hands. Amon went back outside to hang up his armor.
Windows could be found on all sides of the cabin other than the back, and while there were drapes, they were pushed aside to allow for light to enter the cabin. Kyle heard the sound of running water from outside and so he approached the kitchen window to see. Amon was using a wet rag to wipe the soot from his hands, then from his face and beard. The water stopped, then Amon disappeared from the window's line of sight. He entered the cabin once more.
“Now I am clean. Dinner?” said Amon.
“Sure, I think,” Kyle softly replied.
Amon walked towards a metallic box on the ground, and as he opened it up a chill went through the air. Inside was a slab of frozen meat that looked fatty and plentiful, more than what the two of them could finish alone. He placed it on the moderately sized kitchen counter, then he grabbed a knife. Amon sharpened the tool on a whetstone from the counter. As he did, Kyle twiddled his thumbs and looked around the cabin.
Only after a minute had passed did Amon determine that the sharpness was sufficient, cutting the strange meat rather quickly and with expertise. Afterwards, he grabbed an assortment of bizarre vegetables from a basket and roughly chopped them into bite-sized pieces. Amon used the backside of the knife to slide the vegetables and the meat into their own bowls off of the counter. Then, he made sure to wipe the table down with a dampened rag to clean off any dirty scraps. After that, he went outside, leaving the door open behind him. The air which flowed into the room was gentle and mild. It smelt of freshly-cut wood. Kyle had been so distraught that he had not noticed before. Amon returned with a handful of various lavender, green, and teal colored spices with various sized leaves. He pulled out his knife once more to crush the aromatics and release their natural scents. Amon then placed those into the prepared bowls, giving the mixture a stir after adding a touch of what looked like cooking oil.
Amon poured the vegetables and herbs into a large cooking pot that was sitting atop the stove, and was adding just enough water to cover the contents. Then, he touched the stove. Out from underneath the pot came a mild flame which began heating the soup. He placed a lid on top, then picked up the bowl of meat before he began to leave the cabin once more. This time, however, as he was within the frame of the door, he turned around towards Kyle.
“Will you please come out and talk with me? I think cooking outside will help with soot. Or was the word smoke?”
“Smoke,” replied Kyle.
“Ah, that it was!” announced Amon with relief.
Kyle, with some reluctance, stood from his chair and began walking outside. There were blueish tints of light emitting from overhead and through the trees. Whereas when he arrived there was an absence of wind, now there was a slight breeze. Kyle had noticed the whispers of the leaves as they slowly floated along the wind. He looked over his right shoulder after exiting the cabin and saw that Amon had just walked around the home. Kyle followed. To the side of the cabin was a small bench with a few stools lined up against the cabin’s wall. Kyle saw Amon grab one from the wall and place it at the bench. Kyle figured he should do the same, but he hesitated, still unsure of what was going on. Eventually he walked over and gently picked up a chair, brought it over to the table, and sat down. Kyle never was one to know how to interact in any given social situation without que, and one with a stranger made him all the more awkward.
He watched Amon place a metallic grate over a stone furnace which was placed a few feet away from the cabin. He then went around the backside of the cabin and returned with some wood, which he gently stacked inside the furnace. Amon then pulled out a small, smooth stick from the cloth that wrapped around his waist. He pointed it in front of the hole in the furnace where the wood had been set. Then, fire quickly erupted from inside the furnace, eventually settling down into a moderate flame. Once heated, Amon then placed the meat on the grate and into the oven to roast. Kyle was confused, curious as to how a flame could begin from a mere stick. Amon walked back and sat down with Kyle.
“Relax, please,” said Amon in a low and soothing voice.
The soft, warm breeze that surrounded the cabin was calming. The trees were humongous, only branching out near the tops. The leaves were much larger than anything else Kyle had seen before, and their colors were similar to ocean foam, just a little more green. The fauna that laid out over the forest ground was much like typical shrubbery, and the ground contained no grass but instead something similar to cloves.
Kyle could see a bit into the forest, but the farther he peered in, the thicker and darker it became. He then brought his attention back to Amon, who was relaxing with his arms crossed in his chair.
“The fresh air is good, yes?”
Amon had a peace about him that Kyle appreciated, yet Kyle’s awkward nature made it difficult to find the right words. He gave a simple nod. It seemed a good enough answer to please Amon.
“Kyle,” Amon stated.
“Yes, Amon?” unsurely questioned Kyle.
“Do you know where you are?” Amon asked.
Kyle shook his head no. Amon gave a slight smirk, as if to relieve his tension. Then, Amon looked towards the ground, pondering on a thought.
“Do you remember anything more? Anything that happen between?”
Kyle didn’t know what else to say, it was clear to him that he was in his college dormitory just moments before. Then, he thought of that bizarre dream he had in which he heard that mysterious voice cry out to him.
“Do you have weird dreams, Kyle?” he asked as he stared at Kyle.
Kyle was surprised, imagining that Amon could have read his thoughts.
“How did you know?” Kyle appeared worried.
“It was good guess,” Amon joked, “Tell me your last dream.”
He explained it to Amon, the feeling of existing in a space that did not allow him to move or use any senses other than sound. He told Amon of the white noise that soon became a voice, but that it seemed so distant that he couldn’t make out the words.
Amon began observing the forest around them. He appeared different from the carefree-self he was when Kyle met him moments ago.
“I understand,” said Amon calmly.
Kyle felt he had done something wrong, but couldn’t determine what he did. He observed Amon, awaiting his next move.
“I know you be confused, but maybe I can help,” Amon said with a warm, subtle smile.
“Where am I?” Kyle wanted nothing more than to know this.
“This cabin here is my home. I live in the country of Lothrai. This world is called Fatum.”
Chapter 2: Into the New World
“So you mean this isn’t Earth?” Kyle nervously chuckled.
“This not your fault. Fatum has many mysteries. You here is part of that. I did this before you, long ago.”
“What do you mean? What has happened before?” asked Kyle.
“Long ago, before you was born, another came to me from a different world. He was some older than you now. He also was scared, not knowing of this world.”
Amon paused, as if trying to think of what to say next. Not because he didn’t have anything to say, but rather he couldn’t find the words in English to explain it easily.
“Now, I speak in English, common language in your world. English I learned from him. And from me he learned Fatlara.”
As he spoke the word Fatlara, it was much more smooth in his tongue when compared to his rugged English.
“If I stay here, will I need to learn Fatlara?”
Amon released a small chuckle at Kyle’s attempt to utter his language’s name.
“Quick to thinking, oy?” Amon smirked.
“And, is there a way for me to get back?” Kyle asked, “Back to my world?”
“You come here for purpose. When we find that purpose, I think you can go home,” Amon said, as if it was a simple task.
“How can you be so sure, what happened to the last person you met from my world?” asked Kyle.
“Oy. There is much to know about Fatum first, Kyle.”
Amon was charming, the type of outgoing individual Kyle had always admired as a kid. Kyle’s mother was shy and kept to herself, even with him. Even as a young child, his father was out of the picture, never to be seen again. Kyle never managed to develop those coveted traits Amon carried on his own. Instead, up until this moment, Kyle had descended into himself even further than he had realized. Amon was a refreshing change of pace.
“Fatum has many questions. We not know how everything is, but we do learn more everyday. Kalvar will guide us to your purpose,” calmly and confidently said Amon.
“Fatum, as in where we are?”
“Oy, this world.”
“What or who is Kal-”
In the midst of their conversation, Amon’s attention was redirected over Kyle’s shoulder as a pair of footsteps came from around the cabin.
A younger woman yelled out to Amon in Fatlara as she approached. Kyle turned to face the voice. Kyle’s attention was quickly caught by her amber red hair. The strands seemed to trap the remaining sunlight as it radiated subtle golden rays. It was tousled and wavy, falling down to her lower back. As she walked by, Kyle could smell her perfume. It was like that of sweet herbal flowers from orchards. Her skin was fair, yet retained a cool shadowy undertone. Before seeing the young woman Kyle thought that Amon’s skin was stained gray from his work. However, he soon noticed that Amon too had a similar complexion after cleaning off the soot. Amon's, however, was much darker than the young woman’s leading Kyle to believe that she must have spent more time indoors.
The young woman who previously took confident strides towards Amon, suddenly stopped in her tracks at the sight of Kyle. She hesitated before greeting Amon. Then she glanced towards Kyle and muttered something in Fatlara.
She seemed serious when turning towards Kyle, as if she was trying to gather information based on his looks alone. The golden, amber eyes peered directly into his soul. He was enthralled by her complexion, stupefied by a sort of love-at-first-sight moment. While her skin appeared flawless, freckles could be seen decorating her nose. Kyle was taken aback by her natural beauty.
Amon uttered a few words in Fatlara that quickly changed her mood. The young woman turned back towards Amon, as their conversation seemed to become more interesting. As they spoke her fair complexion appeared to turn more pale.
“The boy speaks English. His name Kyle, oy?’ He looked towards Kyle with a warming smile.
Kyle noticed that the woman’s reactions were not on par with her tone. She asked something in Fatlara to Amon, and while her voice seemed inspired by wonder and intrigue her expressions spoke nothing of it. Her eyes became more serious as she turned back towards Kyle. He became nervous, shying his eyes away as not to be seen staring.
“So then, you are English?” Asked the young woman, relaxing and composing herself. Her Fatlara accent in English was a little less pronounced when compared to Amon’s.
“No, I am American,” Kyle realized the confusion he could have made, “but I speak English, yes.”
Thinking that English was foreign to them, Kyle understood that he needed to utilize simpler words and fewer of them.
“Fala…” She whispered to herself.
“This here is my niece Aceline. She is of strong head, but also has a kind heart.”
“Thalo, that does not sound like a compliment,” complained Aceline.
Amon appeared to be correct about his statement, kind and strong-headed indeed.
“Let us continue. It is okay for her to listen,” Amon said, continuing the conversation like Aceline had never interrupted.
Aceline grabbed one of the remaining stools and took a seat at the end of the table.
“Who is Kalvar? I remember you saying they will help me,” Kyle was still thinking about that name.
“He is creator of Fatum. Someone once told me in your world the creator is named “God”, here is Kalvar. Kalvar created ground, sky, water, and us. He also created Gifts.”
“Gifts?” Kyle inquired.
“Oy, the Gifts, young one. An old friend told me once ‘gifts’ was good word for it.”
Kyle at the very least understood that returning home was not an impossibility, but it didn’t seem like it would be as easy a task as Amon made it sound.
“So this is the second time this has happened to you, right? I mean someone showing up?”
Amon nodded.
“Does that mean such a thing is common then, people coming from my world to this one?”
Amon looked over at Aceline, as if looking for what words he should say next to answer Kyle’s question. Amon’s tone turned serious.
“You should understand Kyle, Fourth Gift from Kalvar is special.”
Again, Amon exchanged words with Aceline in the foreign tongue before turning to Kyle.
“Kalvar gives person an ability. That person then screams into the abyss, and brings back someone, The Fourth, from your world. Only happen once before.”
“Maybe your English isn’t good enough for translation. This has to be a mistake.”
The reality of the situation started to finally set in, pressure was quickly building in Kyle’s chest.
“This is a mistake, you have to be wrong. I am just a student, still learning about, well, everything.” Kyle began speaking up, anxious and confused.
“There are no mistakes in Fatum, Kyle. If you were called here, it means your destiny lies here,” Amon said.
Amon got up and gently put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. Amon then took a deep breath inhaling through his nose, and exhaling with great force from his mouth.
“Oy, in the morning we start your training.”
“What do I have to train for? There’s no way I can help, what can I possibly do?” Kyle’s words carried with them a great level of concern as he was coming to terms with this new reality.
Amon motioned with his hand for Kyle to walk with him back into the cabin. Kyle followed behind, but at a much slower pace. Kyle had gotten the hint. He knew at this moment that whatever reason he was there, whatever these so-called ‘Gifts’ were, Amon truly believed Kyle being there meant danger.
“Tell me Amon, is there anything I should be afraid of in Fatum?”
“Many things, but vlatira are easily most common, especially here.”
“Yea, and what are those?” asked Kyle.
“I heard in English, the word is ‘beasts’.”
Amon could notice that his words were only making the situation worse, as Kyle’s mind appeared to be racing to figure out how to process all of this information. Aceline followed right behind them, cooked meat in hand about to enter the cabin. In an attempt to help, Amon gently motioned towards Aceline to give them space, whispering something in the foreign tongue. Her eyes let him know that no amount of words would keep her away. Knowing better than trying to fight with her, he opened the door to the cabin and let everybody in. Aceline sat the meat down and went to take a seat on the smaller bed in the corner.
“Kyle, there is much learning needed here. Take time for today. Tomorrow we start. Now, supper.”
Amon began setting out some hand carved wooden bowls on the kitchen counter next to where the pot of vegetables was boiling. Aromas of fragrant herbs, savory meat, and sweet vegetables filled the cabin. The smells were nothing that Kyle had ever experienced before. It was obvious that whatever it was would be delicious. Grabbing a two pronged fork, Amon picked up the roasted meat, serving it into the bowls along with the vegetables and the golden broth. Amon sprinkled some dry herbs on top attempting to make the stew look more appealing, although the stew’s smell alone was intoxicating. He was delighted to turn and see his new guest salivating over the food.
“Now, we eat!” his voice booming through the cabin.
Aceline rose up from the bed and quickly sat down at the table, eagerly awaiting to eat the coming meal. Amon was able to carry all three steaming hot bowls to the table in one go, setting each down gently on its individual placemat. He then returned to the stovetop, where he once more touched it and the fire came to a halt.
“How did you do that?” Kyle asked.
“How do what?” asked Amon, confused.
“Well, you touched the stove and it turned on, and just now you touched it again and it turned off,” Kyle stated.
“I enchanted the stove long ago,” said Amon.
“Enchanted?”
Amon waved his hand in a jokingly fancy manner, touching it again to turn it on once more. Again to turn it off. He repeated it a few times, perhaps having a little too much fun. Kyle was amazed each and every time, which Amon couldn’t get enough of. Aceline was at first unamused at her uncle’s antics, but witnessing the Kyle reaction eventually drew out a smile from her. Kyle looked towards Aceline to see how she would react, as if to see if he alone was the crazy one. Instead, he caught the grace of her smile. He quickly turned back to Amon, who was still looking proud of his work with the stove.
Amon stopped his antics to explain it to Kyle.
“People in Fatum can give abilities to things. We use our nature with them. Enchanting.”
“Have you heard of the word magic? Is that what this is?” asked Kyle.
“Oy, that is the word I hear long ago. Magic is what we have in us all, even you.”
There was no way that Amon could have possibly known that Kyle was able to use magic, or so he thought. Then, Kyle remembered that Amon mentioned someone came before him.
“Was the last person from my world able to use magic?”
“Oy, exactly. In Fatlara, we call ‘Godi’,” Amon seemed impressed.
Kyle then thought back to the grill outside, and how the process seemed different out there when compared to the indoor stove.
“Why did you use a stick to ignite the grill outside instead of touching it?” asked Kyle.
“Quick to thinking, Kyle. Enchanting is hard and takes long time. It is a, oh what is the word, Ritual. I use the cabin stove more, so it was worth,” said Amon.
Kyle pondered if Amon’s stick was indeed a wand, but Amon was concerned he was overloading Kyle with information.
“This is enough for today, young one. You are quick to learn, but even this is too much for one time. We will eat and rest. Tomorrow I will answer many questions.”
Amon then spoke a few words in Fatlara, of which Kyle picked up the word Kalvar. It appeared to be a prayer of sorts. Then, without using the spoon he laid out himself, Amon drank from the bowl and quickly devoured his soup. He had already eaten his fair share of roasted meat by this point since he snuck in bites as he cooked. After finishing his bowl Amon appeared satisfied with his work, and rightfully so as it was truly delicious. Afterwards, he swiftly went to his bed and retrieved a large box from underneath the bed frame. He retrieved various leathers, as well as a metallic chestplate, strapping them onto his body.
“What is all that for?” asked Kyle between bites.
“Do not worry young one, this is precaution. I will be back later. Aceline will be with you.”
Amon became bulky by the amount of armor he fitted to his body. He then reached once more under his bed where he grabbed a sheathed sword. It looked to be a longsword of sorts, but with a slight curve. Then, he held his hand upon the handle, as if awaiting a reaction from it. Suddenly there was a quick jolt, and a small part of it jetted out from the sheath. It was almost as if it had just been unlocked, yet he didn’t remove it from its sheath. He grabbed one more smaller blade and a bag of items as well. Amon undid his cloth belt, which was simple and unrefined, and used it to wrap the weapons around his waist, holstering it to his right side. All he had left was to put on a full-coverage helmet that appeared dented from excessive use. He looked as if no attack against him would prevail, with nearly every inch of himself covered. Amon walked to Aceline and patted her on the shoulder, muttering something in Fatlara. Then, he left the cabin firmly closing the door behind him. Kyle wondered if the surrounding area was more dangerous than Amon made it sound. There was a moment of silence.
“He is protecting us you know,” Aceline spoke while still chewing on her dinner.
Kyle was shocked that she was the one to break the newfound silence, for she had been keeping her distance since the first time they met some hours ago.
“From what?” asked Kyle nervously.
“Beasts. People. Or anything else you can imagine. I have only been told stories, but the last time someone came from your world, Amon told me people went to capture the Fourth,” Her eyes were still fixated on the bowl as she finished the last of the stew.
It was easy to tell that something was different with her demeanor, but Kyle could not determine what it was exactly. That worried him deeply. She gently walked around to all the windows in the cabin, unrolling the cloth drapes to cover them completely. Once finished, she went back to her small bed hidden in the back corner. The breeze rustling through the leaves in the distance was the only sound to be heard. He thought about breaking the silence, but Kyle figured there might have been a good reason for staying quiet.
The gentle whistles of the wind didn’t match the tense atmosphere in the cabin. Then, amidst the wind’s whispers, a subtle snap outside window next to the fireplace caught the attention of Kyle. Aceline appeared startled, but more so at Kyle’s inability to sit still.
“It might just be the wind. Do not be so afraid,” said Aceline in a stern voice.
Kyle nearly thought she was making fun of him, however her expression was softer than her tone. Kyle believed that she was attempting to comfort him.
“Do you know how long Amon will be out?” asked Kyle quietly.
“With grace, only an hour,” solemnly Aceline spoke.
“Do you know what he is looking for?”
“I am not sure. We are near Oblitus, so anything I suppose.”
“What is that?” asked Kyle, concerned.
“Oblitus is a forest, but not like the one you can see outside. It is darker, and far more dangerous,” she said.
Kyle didn’t ask any further questions. He was not adept at social interactions, but his ability to read people’s expressions grew as a consequence. The relatively long silence was only ever broken up by the sounds of wind rattling across the windows and leaves tumbling along the ground. The more they waited, the more terrifying the once cozy cabin began to feel. Once more, a tree branch could be heard cracking.
“Do not worry, it is only the–” Aceline cut her words after the crack of another branch.
This one was louder and seemed closer to the cabin. She quietly jumped out of her bed and made her way to the window opposite the kitchen. Aceline pulled out a knife from a hidden sheath on her upper left arm beneath her sleeve. The noises became more frequent, and it became clear that something was stepping towards the cabin. Kyle also got up, trying his best to not make a noise. Unfortunately, the chair he once sat on quietly squeaked as he rose. Aceline looked back towards Kyle in horror, the sounds of snapping foliage came to a halt. She remained motionless, holding her breath to avoid making a sound. Kyle too remained still, listening attentively for any changes. After a brief moment, the steps continued towards the cabin window. Whatever was approaching did it cautiously.
Kyle’s hands began clamming up, his heartbeat became so loud it was as if drums were beside him. They were both taking shallow breaths in hopes to conceal their presence. Kyle started to analyze the cabin, looking for anything he could put between himself and whatever approached. He spotted a barrel next to the fireplace that held scrap wood, most likely to be used for kindling or maintaining fires. Kyle walked slowly towards the barrel. After what felt like an eternity, he slid one of the longer pieces of wood out. He kept the noise to a minimum, but it was just enough that it worried Aceline, as she gazed at him.
In the corner of the cabin, between the window and the front door, he stood at the ready. Kyle wasn’t much of a fighter. He was of average height, and his strength was mediocre. The only thing guiding him now was adrenaline and instinct. He wanted to be safe. He wanted to keep both of them safe. The sound of footsteps came right up to the window, stopping once they reached the wooden walls. Kyle clutched the piece of wood with a fierce grip.
Aceline slowly started to backup towards the rear of the cabin. As she creeped backwards, she attempted to check her path, but it was too late. She had barely nudged the heel of her foot into an uneven plank in the floorboard. She fumbled, attempting to catch herself, and exhaling what little breath she had left. It was just enough noise to trigger the creature outside of the window.
The window shattered. Glass flew across the room as both the creature and cold wind entered the cabin. Kyle could see a dark-purplish four-legged beast standing where Aceline was moments before. She had moved just in time and avoided being jumped on. It resembled a wolf in most ways but it was larger. It had perked up ears, a muzzle that was drooling and snarling, and a long tail whose tip looked sharp. Its mouth appeared like a shark’s, multiple rows of jagged teeth lined its gums. They looked as if they were designed for ripping flesh from bone. Its obsidian eyes were nearly twice as large as the average wolf, both of which were transfixed on Aceline. As it blinked, Kyle noticed that the eyelids were see-through, allowing it to blink without losing vision of its prey. This terrified him.
Kyle gripped the wooden scrap ever so tightly. Aceline began slowly backing away from the creature. The wild thing snapped towards her, quickly bridging the gap between them. One step, then another. It crept closer and closer as Aceline tried to make her way to the back of the cabin. Then, it started flexing its leg muscles, preparing to pounce. Kyle yelled in a frightened, cracking scream in an attempt to divert its attention onto him. The beast quickly shifted its head towards Kyle, displeased with his scream. Fur rose along the beast's back,and it let out a growl before jumping towards Kyle.
Kyle dove to his left, hitting his shoulder on the dining table as he landed. He stood up quickly, not wanting to give the creature an opportunity to strike while he was vulnerable. After missing its target on the first strike, the creature appeared to think more strategically to not make the same mistake twice. Its snarl now included a low, bass heavy grumble. The reverberations were at such a volume that they could be felt all the way down Kyle’s spine.
Adrenaline was the only thing fueling Kyle, time felt slowed down. He kept calculating different moves in his head, as if playing a game of chess. If he kept dodging the wolf-thing as he had just done, it might go for Aceline instead. If he ran up to attack, there was the chance of it moving quick enough to evade and retaliate. He searched around himself, only moving his eyes to see what he could use for leverage. The dining table was long enough for most of his body to fit beneath, and its height was considerably smaller than the beast. With little time to think, he began crouching towards the dining table. The creature turned, locking its fierce eyes onto Kyle. He needed to wait until the last second to make any sudden movements, slowly lowering himself to get under the platform. Once low enough, he gripped his weapon tight, fell flat to his stomach and rolled beneath the table.
The creature snapped towards him, barely missing Kyle as its face struck the corner. It let out a terrifying roar as its right eye began to bleed. In a fit of rage, the beast clawed at the counter in an attempt to destroy its way to Kyle. It began unhinging its jaw, revealing hundreds of teeth fixed to blackened gums. Kyle knew that the table wouldn’t hold out for long, and so he quickly pushed himself away to get some distance. Then, with as much thrust as he could manage, Kyle propelled the wooden stake into the open mouth of the beast. It quickly chomped down and attempted to resist. The teeth began shredding the wood. Kyle struggled to grip the stake with his clammy hands, but kept pushing forth.
Aceline took this opportunity to jump on the monster’s back, stabbing it in the neck with her knife to deal the final blow. The creature’s fur descended, succumbing to gravity’s pull. Its lifeblood, rich and black, slowly poured out from its mouth. Kyle scooted himself out from underneath the table. Aceline unclenched the blade and backed away as the blood created a black pool on the floor. Kyle then approached the broken window. The drapes were gently flowing in the calm breeze. He nervously pulled them to the side, revealing the violet, moon-lit field. The opening on that side only had what seemed to be a couple fruit-bearing trees, as well as a few tools near them.
Subtle vibrations were felt again in his feet. His gaze returned towards the forest. The reverberations grew stronger, and alongside it came the familiar sound of a bass-heavy rumble. Kyle knew that more of those things would be coming. He was terrified. They barely managed to stop the first one. A new pitch of howl joined in, the two becoming one horrifying scream. It echoed across the forest, forcing Kyle to question from what direction it was coming from. He raced to the other window, stepping over the dead beast’s body along the way, and peeked through the drapes of the kitchen window. Kyle saw nothing. His heart dropped to his stomach as a third, different tone was now audible. It interjected on different beats, echoing as a soft, deep laughter. The little bit of hope that Aceline and Kyle gained from defeating the first beast disappeared. Now, at least three of those same creatures were approaching the cabin.
The laughter of the beasts grew louder by the second, with sounds of distant snapping branches becoming more frequent. Five, long seconds went by, then five more. Kyle’s breaths became heavier, as did Aceline’s. Then, a stronger breeze entered the cabin through the broken window. Aceline and Kyle both whipped their heads to look and see. As the curtains swayed, the window revealed glimpses of a group of beasts running from the treeline. Aceline pulled her dress up along her right leg and revealed another hidden blade tied to her upper thigh. She unsheathed it and tossed it to Kyle. He barely managed to catch it without cutting himself. Then, a sound of rustling came from the direction of the front door. They knew they couldn’t fight on two fronts, let alone one. Within mere seconds, another beast lunged from the open window.
The second monster jumped through with full force and into Kyle. The weight of the creature caused him to fall down flat on his back, knocking the wind from his lungs. Kyle still had a grip on his weapon, and so when the beast bared its fangs, he thrusted it into the beast’s neck. Unfortunately, its skin was thick and Kyle wasn’t strong enough to thrust it deep enough.
As he fought off the fangs of the beast, a metallic screech was heard behind the front door. A loud groan pierced their ears, a kind which they hadn’t heard yet, and footsteps approached the cabin door. Aceline quickly walked around the creature pinning Kyle and held her knife at the ready. The sounds of stepping stopped at the front of the cabin.
The door then suddenly burst open, and standing in the frame was the familiar figure. Amon stood in his armor, shadowed by the moonlight behind him. He dropped the corpse of another beast onto the ground just before he reached for his hip. He then threw shivs into the creature that was pinning Kyle to the ground. It jumped off of Kyle and snarled at Amon. He began walking straight to the injured creature. Once he got close enough, the beast lunged towards Amon. He in turn sidestepped, anticipating the attack, and grabbed the beast by the throat with both hands. It squirmed as he squeezed tighter and tighter. Eventually, the creature stopped breathing all together. Amon walked to the door and threw the corpse outside. Then, one last beast entered through the broken window. It looked around the room as if to choose a target. Amon whistled to catch its attention, which it gladly obliged. It jumped at him, making the same mistake as the previous. Amon kicked it as if lunged towards him. He hit it with so much force that it flew many feet back slamming into the wall of the cabin. Amon approached it while unsheathing the smaller of his two blades equipped on his side. He stomped on its head a few times until he heard no more sounds from the beast, then he stabbed the small blade in its neck for good measure.
Amon also stabbed the first corpse Aceline and Kyle had fought, piercing it in its lower abdomen to check for movement. There was none. He walked outside to finish off the one he had choked out. When he returned into the cabin he went to the splintered dining table, grabbing the rag sitting on top to gently clean off his smaller blade before sheathing it. He took off his helmet and placed it on a clean part of the table. His hair was messy, damp in appearance from the sweat.
“Good work Aceline, Kyle. They beasts are a worry in a group.”
Amon walked towards the shattered window, appearing more annoyed than worried. He spoke some words in Fatlara, none of which Kyle knew. It was obvious they were words of frustration. Amon began picking up the beasts, one over each shoulder, and carried them out of the cabin. Aceline was the first to recover, and she began to pick up a few of the knocked over objects. Kyle stood and began doing the same.
“This isn’t ordinary, right?” Kyle asked curiously, hoping for confirmation.
Aceline wiped her blade on the same rag Amon left on the table, then began sheathing it to her upper left arm.
“Normally when Amon does his night walk, the forest opening remains peaceful. I stay and clean up after supper. I have never seen beasts this close,” She took a breath after she spoke those last words.
Kyle returned the blade to Aceline after wiping it off on his already blood stained shirt.
“Ah, so that is where my extra dagger went. I thought you only had the one on your leg,” Amon said to Aceline as he watched.
“Well, it was used, was it not?” replied Aceline sassily.
Amon said nothing, but gave a nod as if to resign from the debate.
Amon went out the door and stood outside, observing the treeline, as Aceline went to grab more rags from Amon’s shop. When she returned, she began cleaning the pool of blood, however when she knelt down to clean it she visibly grew disgusted. Kyle walked over to help. Blood was already splattered across his clothes, so getting them dirty was no concern to him. The blood was thick and took time to absorb into the rags. As they cleaned, Amon was out near his tool shack hanging up the four slain beasts upon quickly-fashioned hooks. He quickly slit each stomach in preparation to skin them the next day. Back in the cabin, Aceline left the cleaning to Kyle as she grew sicker staring at the blood. She instead carried the dirty bowls outside. She washed them under the spigot that was a few steps away from the side of the cabin. Kyle continued to clean the floor, but found himself in need of cleaner rags and freshwater. Also, he desired a breath of fresh air.
The two moons shone brightly overhead. Most of his life Kyle found himself living in decently-sized cities, resulting in light pollution that prevented him from observing the cosmos. Above were rich, multicolored stars. A purplish tone was spread across the sky. One of the moons was as plentiful with craters, yet it gave off a more blueish-grey light. The second was larger and appeared to be more smooth, while its color was a lighter shade of scarlet. It was magnificent.
“Thank you, for everything,” said Kyle to Amon as he approached.
“You are guest, young one.” Amon was undoing the straps of his armor, “That, and you are the Fourth. It is my duty to protect you.”
Kyle appreciated the hospitality, but he was still shook up.
“Beasts have not come to my home in long time. I must be growing older,” Amon paused. “Does not matter, tomorrow we train.”
“Do you think this will happen again?” Kyle grew concerned.
“Who knows. Best you learn, Kyle. If you being here like last time The Fourth here, there be danger.”
Amon looked like his own words scared him. It was clear to Kyle that he wanted to become like the kind, strong character before him. If he didn’t wake up back in the dorm room after that night, if this wasn’t indeed a dream, then he needed to learn from Amon. His strength was immense and his presence was intimidating, regardless of whose side he was on. Kyle was still a bit wary, as he had just met Amon, but he couldn’t resist respecting him.