Sixteen

Rufus and Biggie walked next to Lisandra who was leading her berquine, a bearlike animal with a longer head and longer legs, with her sister on its back. Her sister, Sabane, had her hands tied to the pommel of the creature’s saddle.

“I still can’t believe that we were digging a hole for three days.” Biggie said.

“Yeah, why a hole. It’s silly.” Rufus responded.

Sabane turned her slender shoulders and head slightly away from them and sniffed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“She believes that there are people that live underground. Sabane has been asked by our Father, the Dabuek of the World…” Lisandra hesitated at the funny looks that Biggie and Rufus were giving her “…Dabuek is like Thane or, maybe King. You know the word King correct?” Her voice was like silk over their skin. A slight Gaelic accent or something foreign. Rufus’ blacksmith brain could easily make out the distinguishing aspects fom each syllable.

“Sure, I’ve heard of king and thane both, but no one is the King of the World. I’m sure we would have heard of it.” Rufus shrugged.

“Anyway, Sabane was given strict orders not to search underground for the Lost. But, it seems like she can’t follow her master’s dictates.”

“Dictates? Commands? Orders?” Sabane scoffed. “So you admit that the Lost exist?”

“Of course the Lost exist. All of his Children know this, we were raised by them. But they don’t live underground. They live in the OriginHomes.”

“Really, and when was the last time you went to the OriginHomes? There haven’t been any new Children for twenty years. Mother and Father, The Grand Dabuek and Dauchess, are done having Children and they won’t allow anyone else to progress our population. So the Lost are just that, truly lost. They don’t need the Lost anymore. They forced them out of the OriginHomes, but he wouldn’t dare allow them to be in our lands. So where do you think they are? Dead? no, I don’t believe he would kill them. They may not be Children, but they are still his offspring—”

“How dare you say that! The lost aren’t his offspring! They are Lost!” Lisandra stopped and looked right at Sabane. “Only those that can project are his Children, the rest are…are just chaff!”

“We argue about this all the time! How can you say that? Mother and Father never were there when we were young. Only the Lost. Only the ones that truly loved us. They were the ones that we should love back. They are the…chaff!” Sabane stopped talking. Appalled, her jaw dropped open, just realizing what Lisandra had called the Lost. “You think the Lost are garbage? To be cast aside because they are worthless? Do you even hear yourself? You are blinded by your devotion. The Lost are the children of the Dabuek’s siblings or his own. They are our family, but aren’t able to project. That is it. You have lived through too many of their lives to not know this.”

Lisandra set her jaw and marched forward ahead of all the rest. She obviously didn’t want to hear anymore of what her sister had to say.

…

They traveled for an hour in silence along a trail that merged onto a well worn road. In the distance, large flying creatures could be seen in the gray cold sky. The open fields on rolling hills stretched to either side. Occasionally they would walk through a copse of trees. Fairies and other creatures that Rufus had gotten used to seeing since coming to the Arena were abundant. Trees periodically uprooted themselves and walked along with them for a short time.

“Are these all the Children of your King?” Rufus asked incredulously.

“Haha, no. These are the Firstlings.” Lisandra kept walking without explaining. She held her hand to a flower that burst into several fairies, one of which landed on her outstretch finger.

“Firstlings? What is a Firstling.”

“Ah, yes a Firstling is like a Child. A person that can interact with the Klandistone—can project. But they have been this way for centuries. They turned to these creatures before the Sunderance, when Dabuek Kuecgtt and The Grand Dabuek separated the Klandistone’s power from the rest of the world creating Tulendor. They remained in their state and haven’t ever returned back to their human selves.”

“What are Biggie and I then? We aren’t Children or Firstlings, but we can interact with the…Klandistone is it?”

“I don’t know if we have a word for you. Father calls you Dabuek Kuecgtt’s Experiment. He feels what Merlin is doing in the valley, or as you call it the Arena is frivolous and unnecessary. The Sunderance won’t fail and we will continue to live our peaceful lives and your world will decay and destroy yourselves.” She continued walking. “As you always have.”

Rufus thought about that. This side of the mountains didn’t seem like it was a part of the Arena, but more like the Arena was a part of this world—Tulendor. He had heard the word Dabuek from Ms. Blackwatch, but didn’t really have any context until now.

“Merlin is a Dabuek?”

“Yes. He doesn’t tell you much does he? When the Sunderance occurred a veil was placed on this part of the Earth. Only those with the knowledge to see Tulendor can reach it. The Grand Dabuek, my Father, separated his reign into two parts. He retained the reign of Tulendor and he granted Merlin the reign of Dabuek Kuecgtt, which is the rest of the world.”

“So the Grand Dabuek and Dauchess reign over the world, and Merlin has the title of Dabuek Kuecgtt which is the ruler of everything except Tulendor?”

“I wouldn’t say Ruler, per se. Merlin is the Governor or Guardian until the Grand Dabuek can return.” She explained

“Where is Tulendor?” He continued. No one had explained his answers as of yet, and he was going to ask until she couldn’t (or wouldn’t) answer.

“What a silly question. Tulendor is here in front of you. It is this land.”

“Yes, but where on the planet is Tulendor? You said a veil was put on part of the Earth, I assume to block Tulendor from the rest of the Earth. You called it the Sunderance?”

“Yes. We lived in your world, and then the Firstlings Rebellion occurred, and the Klandistone was stolen from my Father and the Eldren by King Midas. Merlin and the Blue Dragon captured it and returned it back to our home in Alba—or I think you call it Scotland. The Sundarance separated, magically not physically, the main body of Alba from your world and that created Tulendor.”

“The Firstlings Rebellion? King Midas?” Rufus couldn’t believe what she was saying. “So that means there was a Golden Touch, do you also have Rebel Scum and the Dark Side?” He scoffed.

Lisandra gave him a strange look and mouthed “Rebel Scum?” Even with a questioning look her face was still serene and graceful.

“How big is Tulendor? Scotland isn’t the largest country.” Biggie asked thinking back on the maps that he had seen of Europe.

“Well, no the Alba you know is not that large, but it use to be. There is a land bridge between Tulendor and Alba at its north. It ranges from John O’ Groats to Thurso. But, we keep it hidden. Alba, in my Father’s day was larger than the mainland to our south. Um…you call it Europe? Yes, Europe he has said it many times. The veil I spoke of folds space and time around us so that ships will sail through Tulendor without even knowing they were here.”

“You know the Highlands well, hmm?” Biggie questioned.

“Well, of course. We go into Alba on a regular basis. Father requires us to check in every once in a while, to make sure your world hasn’t completely destroyed itself.”

Rufus stopped. “Wait, are you saying there is another continent? A whole continent that has been hidden from the scientists and the satellites and …” He sputtered. Even his enhanced brain couldn’t comprehend this.

The road traveled into a large forest with massive trees reaching to the sky and short ferns that covered the ground. They walked for several more minutes until they came to a double sweeping staircase with white, ornately carved handrails leading up into the trees.

“Here we are. Sabane?”

Sabane slid off the berquine and they went up the staircase. It lead them to a large series of connected platforms that wound around the many of the trees in the forest. More stairs went up to higher levels and even more platforms. They followed Lisandra and Sabane until they got to a grand palace that was connected and supported by ten trees with trunks as wide as Biggie was tall. It looked like the walls and floor were grown out of the supporting trees. He felt the wall and the wood felt…alive.

They were standing inside what looked like a foyer or waiting room of some sort.

“Lady Lisandra.” A slender. busy looking man came up to their group. “Lady Sabane, how nice it is to see you.”

“Announcer Gerad, we are here to seek audience with the Grand Dabuek.”

“How nice it is to see you and your sister. I am afraid We are busy at the moment and couldn’t possibly entertain you.”

“Gerad, please don’t do that. I know we aren’t the cleanest but there is a sense of urgency here.”

“Again, I am so sorry that We aren’t able to let you into the throne room, especially looking like this.” He picked at Rufus’ shoulder and a cloud of dust billowed into the air. Gerad faked coughed just as a preemptive strike against the contaminants.

“Gerad. We are dirty, but we must speak the Grand Dabuek, now. There is a reason for our unclean state.”

Gerad harummphed and lightly tapped his staff. The noise even though it was quite reverberated around the room. He turned and walked towards two ornate white doors that opened as he approached.

Lisandra and her group followed the tall man into the throne room.

At the other end of the room were two thrones, carved from white wood. On them sat two graceful individuals. Rufus mind could only describe them as elves. Beautiful, white haired, and tall, with pointed ears that extended just beyond their hair. They looked like statues, unblinking, calculating, living stone. As they approached, Rufus could see that they were, in fact, not stone.

“Lady Sabane.” The individual on the left spoke.

“Yes, Grand Dabuek.” Sabane curtsied as well as she could.

“Child, why have you come to my palace, and why are your hands tied?” He gestured to Sabane’s wrists, and Lisandra immediately undid the binding.

“I was searching for my mother, Father.” Sabane responded.

“I believe you have found her.” He smiled a knowing smile at her and for the first time moved his hand and rested it on the individual next to him.

“Yes and no. That is my Mother, but not the woman that raised me. That I loved from birth. That woman cares nothing for me, like she cares for the dirt or the stairs she steps on. I am looking for my mother. And I will not stop until I find her!”

“Most Great One, we have heard her before. This doesn’t interest me. The Lost are gone. They have left us and gone to Alba to live their lives. Sabane, you must know that your Father and I love you and only want you to come to love Us the same.”

“I will not love you. You banished me and cursed me with this hideous mark.” She unclasped the portion of her blouse, that had been done up to the top of her neck to show pock-marked sagging skin around her collarbone."

“Love, we do that with all our children who disobey. You must learn how to interact in this world. If you don’t, you will grow intolerant to our customs and beliefs.” Her Father said. He stood up. Graceful and lithe. “You will go back with these two deviants, and you will stay with your brother and be under the Jurisdiction of Dabuek Kuecgtt.”

Sabane stuttered. “I am being banished from Tulendor? To America? Not even to Alba?”

“Silence!” The Father swiped his hand in a slashing manner. The room darkened slightly from his anger. “As your ruler and as the ruler of the Eldren and of the Firstlings, as the Grand Dabuek of Tulendor, Alba and of Talamh, I command you to change your ways and your thoughts.” His voice quieted, the room lightened again. “I command you to be better and to follow Us. Devote your fervor to Us.”

“Please, Sabane. As your parents we request that you return with these others and start your schooling with Dabuek Kuecgtt. He will guide you and teach you how to control your abilities.”

“And to brainwash me?” She bowed her head. “I will go. However, I will never stop looking for the Lost.”