Journey to Yesod

Art drawn by: Bintang Hamal

Written by: Hunter Ake

Edited by: Lilliana Steele and Dee Dee Davis

Chapter 6 (Part 2)

         The group of adventurers and their angel escorts marched up to the base of the northern cliffs. Zenebe looked up at the sheer surface and gulped air, “Have I mentioned that I’m not the best at climbing?”

         Dulani scoffed, “As if we would need a reminder. Plus we have the feather triplets over here.”

         Pirouz and his men carried the adventurers up to the top of the cliff where they found a makeshift camp. It was a single, dirtied tent with the scattered remains of multiple fires within a spry step of the tent itself. Dulani turned around and gazed upon the fog blanketed basin. She squinted hard and could barely make out the silhouette of the town within the mist. A man with dark skin and shallow wrinkles poked his head out of his tent with a look of concern. “Who- who are you peop-,“ his eyes widened as he focused on Zenebe. “Zenebe! Is that you, boy?!”

          Zenebe smiled, an expression of comfort that neither Dulani nor Sook had seen before, “Uncle! I’m so glad you are unharmed!” The two men embraced as the others watched, some endeared, some standing awkwardly.

         “How old are you now, Zenebe?” Tilahun asked as he held Zenebe’s shoulders and looked him up and down.

         “I am no boy any longer. I’m 23 now.” 

         Tilahun let out a sarcastic sigh, “Bah! You are still a boy. And you will always be a boy to me! What are you doing out here and who are these people?” 

         Zenebe took a step back and gestured at the others with his hand, “These lovely ladies are Sook and Dulani. They are my companions on my travels. This is Pirouz and his two soldiers. They are members of the Ydalian military who helped us find you.” 

         Tilahun’s expression darkened, “What do you military dogs want with me?” 

         One of the soldiers suddenly stepped forward with his hand on his hilt, “Watch how you speak to us, beast!” 

         Pirouz suddenly stepped in front of the soldier, “YOU watch how you speak to citizens of Ydalia! The man is clearly shaken. If words like that are enough to make you forget your station, perhaps you need some time in the garrison cleaning latrines.” The soldier tsked and turned away. Pirouz turned to Tilahun and placed his hand over his chest plate, “I sincerely apologize for my soldier’s unsavory conduct. We are simply investigating the disappearance of the town’s occupants and received a cryptic letter directing us to your whereabouts.” 

         Tilahun’s eyes began to water, “Took you long enough to check on us, huh?! I had friends in that town and now they’re…” 

         Zenebe moved his head into Tilahun’s gaze to meet his eyes directly, “Uncle, what happened?”

         Zenebe used his magic to pull water from his drinking pouch and filled his uncle’s dry and chapped hands. The group stood around Tilahun as he sat down on a rock and sipped water graciously. He didn’t look them in the eyes, preferring to keep his gaze fixed on the ground. “I was in the forest, foraging, the morning of the incident; when a mysterious woman, clad all in black, surprised me. I didn’t recognize her, but she had a unique accent I had never heard before. She warned me not to return to town because it wasn’t safe. She told me that I had to stay away, no matter what. I didn’t listen, of course. I told her not to be absurd and if something bad was going to happen, I needed to warn everyone. She didn’t give me a choice, though. I tried to push past her but in the next instant, everything went black. I woke up and she had tied me to a tree. She was still there, as if she was watching me to make sure I couldn’t get out. I was drifting in and out. I still think it was some kind of drug that she had used on me. I was suddenly shocked awake when I heard it. This deafening ring echoed through the whole basin. My teeth felt like they were rattling, it was unbearably loud. I couldn’t tell you how long it went on, but by the time it was over I could still hear it in my ears. Hell, I still feel like I hear it all the time. Once it was over, she cut the ropes and told me to stay alive, and then she just disappeared into the mist. I haven’t seen her since. 

         I immediately ran back to the town of course. But when I got there… they were all gone. I’m sure you’ve seen it already. The clothes scattered everywhere. It was as if something just plucked them right out of the world. I stayed in the town for a little while, hoping somebody would come back. Anybody. 

         But then those armored things showed up. I didn’t realize how dangerous they were at first. They attacked me out of nowhere when I tried to talk to them. Got me pretty good as I was running away, too.” Tilahun turned around and lowered his robes from his shoulders, revealing a ragged scar down his left shoulder.  “I’ve been hiding out here ever since. They don’t seem to come around here ever, and I don’t trust Ydalia. I lived there for a short time, but I was never accepted. I was called things like “beast.” The university refused to hire me. I would have been sleeping on the streets before long. That’s why I was so excited to learn about a town made up mostly of people like me. Sure, the mist is gloomy but at least I felt like I was part of a community… and now they’re all gone.” Tilahun’s head hung as the tears flowed from his eyes. “Everyone… everyone who had helped me. Everyone I said “good morning” to everyday… they’re all just… gone.”

         Zenebe shared his condolences with his uncle while Pirouz spoke with Sook and Dulani, “Well, now I have more questions. A mysterious black-clad woman spewing prophecies of death. An unworldly ringing sound. And then her prophecies turn out to be true?” 

         Dulani added, “And how the hell does HE factor into all this? Why would this woman spare him specifically?” The three of them looked at each other but none of them had any answers. Dulani looked over at Tilahun, “Well, at the very least, this is the man we’ve been looking for, so I guess it’s lucky for us that he’s the sole survivor.” 

         Sook slapped Dulani’s shoulder, “Dulani! How dare you say something so cold?! What happened to that town is a tragedy. Zenebe is lucky he still has an uncle!” 

         Dulani rubbed her shoulder, Sook can sometimes forget her own strength when she’s agitated, “Yeah I know, I just meant that it’s a win-win situation okay?” Sook shook her head and turned away. 

         Pirouz spoke up, “What is it that you need from him? I thought Zenebe just wanted to speak with him because he’s family.” 

         Zenebe placed his hand on his uncle’s shoulder and after a long pause he asked, “Uncle, I’ve been looking for you for a while now. I remember the stories you used to tell me as a child. I thought they were nothing but myths back then but now I need to know. What can you tell me about Yesod?”

         Zenebe and his uncle went to speak privately in Tilahun’s tent while Pirouz spoke with Sook and Dulani outside. “What is this Yesod that Zenebe mentioned and why are you people looking for it?” 

         Sook spoke first before Dulani had a chance, “Zenebe told me it is the gateway to another plane of existence and that those who reach it can make their heart’s deepest wish a reality. I was… lost when Zenebe found me and the idea of Yesod gave me hope when I had none left.” Dulani chose not to elaborate on why she’s interested. 

         Pirouz pondered for a moment, “It would be incredible if such a place truly existed. I suppose as far as journeys of discovery go, it doesn’t get much better than that, does it?” 

         Within the thin walls of the tent, Tilahun spoke to Zenebe in a hushed tone, “I have been throughout the entire western range of our world. This continent is far larger than people give it credit for. I tracked rumors on Yesod all throughout the West. Evidently, I haven’t found it yet, but I do have a good lead. On the far northern tip of the subcontinent of Eeztraulis, there is allegedly a man who had been to Yesod and had his heart’s desire made manifest. I hope to go there one day and meet him, but I still have work to do here.” 

         “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Uncle? You are the reason I have this dream in the first place.” 

         “I do appreciate the offer, Zenebe, but I need to find out what happened to my friends, first.” Zenebe sighed and lowered his head, but Tilahun placed his hand under Zenebe’s chin and tilted it back up. “Hey, look at me. I am so proud of you for inheriting my dream and I am happy to see you traveling with friends. I know your father is looking down on you with pride.”

         Zenebe hugged his uncle and held him tight, “Thank you, I miss him so much sometimes.” Zenebe stepped out of the tent not long after, “Alright, we have all the information we can muster. My uncle does not wish to return to the capital with us so it will be our responsibility to report back to Borzou.” 

         Sook shuffled her feet, “Maybe I should wait here? He made it very clear that I wasn’t welcome in the capital.” 

         Pirouz placed his hand on Sook’s shoulder, it was difficult because of their height disparity, “It will be alright. We will report to him and then you three will be on your way. Borzou can be bullheaded and rude, but he is a man of his word.” Zenebe hugged his uncle goodbye, Pirouz bowed his head with respect and Zenebe’s female companions waved goodbye. With that, the angel’s wings beat against the air and kicked up dust on the clifftops. Tilahun watched his nephew disappear as the angels flew the trio back toward the hills that split the basin from the capital and he felt even lonelier than before.

         Not long after, three different figures approached Tilahun’s tent. The Alkebuvian man heard shuffling outside before the fabric of his shelter was suddenly ripped apart. A large man in a light leather jacket, wearing metal cestus’ and a mask over the lower half of his face grabbed Tilahun from his tent and lifted him off the ground by his lapels with ease. 

         “How bittersweet for you to reunite with your nephew at the end,” the woman clad in black prowled from around his shoulder and spoke with a soft but stinging tone.

          “You! You’re the one who kept me away from my friends before they all disappeared! Wait… that accent again. That short woman had the same accent. Who are you peo-“ The large man let go of his lapel with one hand and grabbed his throat, squeezing tightly and making Tilahun choke for air. The third person stepped forward. He was tall and lanky with a voice that reminded Tilahun of a snake. 

         “My associate saved your life for a particular purpose. You’re going to give us all the information you have on Yesod.”  His lips curled into an unsettling grin, “We thank you in advance for your cooperation.”