During the following days, Talon worked non-stop in decoding the Book of Epiphany. As for the other three, they found time for other pursuits. Since she was no longer alone, Willow resumed some of her usual activities. She collected fresh herbs and roots. Many plants only bloomed in the spring, and if she missed gathering the needed supplies, she might need to wait a full year to restock her supplies. Despite looking – and being – younger than her companions, Willow exhibited poise unmatched by the others. She grew exhilarated at the idea of trampling through the surrounding hills to gather herbs and roots, even if it meant working alone. She feared nothing, and if she did actually fear something, she disguised those feelings. The others, however, refused to depart the shanty house alone, which left everyone inside feeling cramped from the continual presence of other people. One morning, as Willow prepared to leave on her errands, Rose asked to go with her. Willow gamely accepted.
The morning passed quickly as they gathered many roots, a few herbs, and even some flower petals. Willow brought many small glass containers in her pack, and since Rose wanted to join her, Willow loaded the older girl with a pack as well. With two of them gathering and hauling, Willow expected to collect more today than any previous effort. She explained the process to Rose and instructed her in the intricacies of finding, evaluating, picking, and storing the specimens. Willow greatly appreciated the company. Spending the winter alone was difficult; the Protectorate hauled away every person she had ever known. She inwardly beamed at the arrival of guests, but Willow did not trust them. She hid her reticence and misgivings toward them. The role of Talon and Rose as crafters who had made glowing weapons was truly appalling. Being along, however, was more appalling. Thus, she was thrilled for their presence but maintained an unspoken animosity toward her guests, especially Talon and Rose. As for Daks, Willow had hardly spoken to him, which was surprising in retrospect considering the great amount time the group had spent cloistered in the shack during the previous days.
Today, however, felt different, maybe because it was the first Willow interacted with just Rose. It is nice, thought Willow, to spend time with Rose without the two boys hovering over them. Rose seems like a nice person, and she listens when I talk about missing my mother. Willow learned Rose knew much about life without a mother, and when Willow sidestepped the questions about her father, she appreciated that Rose did not push the subject. Most of her friends would press such subject, but Rose respected her privacy. For Willow, she almost wished Rose was unpleasant; at least them she would be able to maintain her dislike for her. Instead, she felt conflicted as looked upon the older olive skin girl with long dark curly hair because she seemed like a friend. I’ve always wanted a friend – someone who is nice to me and makes me laugh.
As they collected supplies from the hillsides, Willow’s unanticipated warming to Rose made the younger girl more willing to pass on advice. Earlier in the morning, Willow relished watching Rose flounder in her efforts. It serves her right, or so Willow thought. By late morning, however, there was no joy in watching the older girl fail so miserably in the attempts to gather the desired the herbs. Willow decided to provide Rose some much-needed instruction. While these lessons meant delay, she agonized watching someone like Rose struggling to complete mundane tasks. The sun-sculptor kept pulling at plants in an effort to dislodge the root, but her efforts were fruitless. The plant stems kept slipping from her grasp before she extricated the roots. Rose pulled with all her might, but upon losing her grip, she smashed upon her backside. Again, she pulled, and again, she landed flat on her bum. With each fall, the muddier became the seat-side of pants. Willow initially relished in each smack of Rose’s backside, particularly when she saw the filth upon her pants. Despite the joy in seeing her fail, Rose’s persistence nourished a nascent concern on the part of Willow. The falls and dirt pants, at first humorous, became less so. Pity replaced the glee over the girl’s failings. Finally, Willow asked, to the surprise of both the asker and the hearer, “Would like a little advice on how to collect the Isigor Root?”
“That would be wonderful, but … I have no idea what an Izzygorf Root is,” responded Rose.
“The Isigor Root,” said Willow, saying the name slowly to emphasize the “s” sound, “is what you are trying to pull right now.”
“Oh, well whatever you call it, it’s not coming up.”
“I can see that,” answered Rose. “Do believe the root can be pulled from the ground?”
“What do mean, do I believe …?”
“Just what I asked, do you believe the root can be pulled from the ground?” answered Willow.
“I suppose so,” responded Rose.
“If I asked if you ‘suppose’ the root can be pulled, then that would be great, but I didn’t. I asked, ‘Do you believe the root can be pulled?’ Do you believe, yes or no?”
“Then, no, my answer is no. I don’t think a crazed Huftun could pull that root,” answered Rose defiantly, still angered over her inability to dislodge the plant from the ground.
“So be it, but I think you should listen to your dirty bum rather than your mind.”
Rose snapped a response: “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, why is your bum so dirty? You kept trying to pull the root, so why did you keep trying if you did not think you were going to succeed?”
Rose lacked an answer to Willow’s question. Perhaps the younger girl was right. A part of Rose did believe she could pull the root, but frustrations from her failure were getting the better of her. Willow bent over the Isigor plant and looked up at the downtrodden Rose. Willow began to wrap her hands around the base of the plant, but she paused when her hands reached around the plant stem but before actually touching it. After a few seconds, Rose noticed the faint glow of a light beaming between Willow’s hands. Rose looked up toward the sky to follow the beam; it appeared to extend indefinitely into the morning sky. As Rose continued to follow the beam with her eyes in an effort to locate its source, she realized it was coming from the sun, which did not even shine through the midday cloud cover. Witnessing the beam, Rose immediately recognized its resemblance between the light rays that enter the sun-sculptor’s lenses. It looked peculiarly similar to the beam of light that strikes the first lenses.
After just a few seconds of holding still, Willow tightened her grip around the plant’s stem, and with a gentle nudge, lifted the Isigor plant from the ground. She began harvesting its roots for her collection. A flabbergasted look overtook Roses countenance. She gaped at the younger girl, who disregarded her evident bewilderment. Her mind raced with question upon question; never had she seen anyone besides a sun-sculptor harness the power of light and she never saw a sun-sculptor harness the power without the benefit of the uniquely crafted lenses. Confusion overwhelmed her mind, but Rose lacked any doubt that Willow just corralled the power of light to dislodge the plant from the ground.
Seeing the gaping face of her companion, Willow said, “You were unable to pull the root because you did not believe – I mean really believe. If you had believed, you could have done it just as easily as I did.”
After hearing the girl, Rose did not believe. Belief, she thought, has nothing to do with Willow’s success. She succeeded because she harnessed the power of light. Befuddled by the younger girl’s bluntness, Rose spoke accusingly, “I saw the beam of light come through your hands. That is why you were able to pull the plant.”
Willow faced snapped toward her counterpart. Their eye met as both tried to discern the other’s thought process, but while Rose resolutely focused upon Willow, the younger girl’s quivering chin revealed the shock of seeing her secrets unearthed.
Rose, noticing the shock upon Willow’s face, pushed her advantage. “You didn’t think I would see that? How could I not see it?” Willow said nothing. Rose continued, “I saw the light come through your hands. It was coming from there.” She pointed in the sky toward the sun still shielded by the late morning clouds. Willow still said nothing so Rose continued. “Yo
u somehow corralled the power of the sun into that beam and used that power to dislodge the plant. I saw how easy it came out of the ground. You did something to it. Don’t try to tell me otherwise. I know what I saw.” Willow remained mute. Her young face revealed astonishment at the other’s knowledge, and not knowing what to say, Willow opted to say nothing. Too many secret are revealed for one day, thought the younger girl. It is better to say nothing, and perhaps, this problem with go away.
Trying to steer the conversation toward another topic, Willow continued looking for more Isigor Roots, ones that were smaller and could be extracted with a simple two-handed yank. Rose pressed the issue but once it became apparent Willow was saying nothing more on the matter, she dropped the subject. Yet, both knew the unspoken punctured their budding relationship.
Willow and Rose returned to the small abode where they found Talon busily decoding the book. The two girls said nothing to one another. The tension continued to mount, reaching a near palatable level. Once entering, Willow noticed Daks’ absence. “Where did Daks go?” she asked Talon.
Talon looked up and answered in an annoyed tone, “He decided we were going to need packs, so he has gone to find some leather in the village. He is hoping to make one for each of us.”
“By each of us, do you mean me?” asked Willow.
“I don’t know,” answered Talon, “you would have to ask him.” Talon assumed Daks intended to make four bags, but noting the tone in Willow’s question, he thought it better to deflect the question to his friend. Willow’s question also brought forth an important matter: what would Willow do when they left? The other three were only biding their time waiting for their departure, and he presupposed Willow would leave with them, but no one actually talked to her about this proposition. Realizing his oversight, he punted to issue to Daks. I need to apologize to him later, Talon thought.
“Well, I will then,” answered Willow. She stormed from through the shabby door and into the village. Rose, for once, was happy to see her leave. It gave her a chance to speak with Talon alone.
“Talon,” she said, “I saw something I need to tell you.”
Frustrated by another interruption and not expecting to hear anything of vital importance, he snapped, “Then, tell me, that way you can stop interrupting me and I can get this work finished.”
Rose ignored his evident annoyance. She spoke fast, afraid of the other girl’s sudden return. “This morning, while we were pulling a special root, I saw Rose use her hands to channel a beam of light. It looked just like when the light enters the first lens. She used the beam to loosen a plant from the ground. I tried and tried but could not budge it, but she was able to pull with almost no effort.”
The story caught Talon’s attention. He knew of no one who could corral the power of light except for sun-sculptors. A few years prior, a friend tried for days to mimic their ability. Talon even let him borrow a lens to see if it would help, but to no avail. There was something special about being a sun-sculptor. They corralled the power of light in way no other person could – except perhaps Willow. Talon, experiencing a rush of denial, questioned his sister, “Are you sure? Maybe you saw something else and got confused. Maybe she pulled the root in just the right way. Maybe she knows something special about harvesting the plants.”
“I know what I saw,” said Rose. “I saw the faint glow of a beam of light. It looked just like the light that comes into the first lens. When I asked her about it, she didn’t really say anything. She was shocked, however. For some reason, she believed I would not see the beam.”
“You aren’t kidding are you?” asked Talon.
“Did you figure that all by yourself? Of course I am not kidding!” crowed a frustrated Rose. “What should we do?”
“I don’t know,” answered Talon.
Rose continued, “I, for one, don’t trust her a bit. There is definitely something she is not telling us, and I get the feeling that whatever it is, it must be pretty significant.”
“You are probably, right,” answered Talon. “But, I should remind you there are some things we are keeping from everyone else.”
“Like what?” asked a baffled-faced Rose.
“Like what is written in this book,” responded her brother.
“You know what it says?” asked the suddenly jubilant sister.
Talon responded, “I know enough to know there is way to destroy the glowing weapons. Despite what we had been told, there is way to loosen the light particles and cause a glowing blade or glowing arrow to dissolve back into the sun’s beam.”
“How do you do is?” asked the Rose eagerly.
“I am not quite sure, yet,” answered her brother. “I have a pretty good idea of the process, but I am still gathering the details. Give me a day, at most two, and I should be ready to explain it to you.”
“But what about the others?” asked Rose.
“I will explain it to them when I explain it to you, tomorrow or the next day,” answered the growingly impatient brother.
“Even to Willow?” asked the younger sibling in overly exaggerated tone.
“To everyone: you, Daks … and her.”
“But …” declared a now defiant Rose.
“I am far too busy,” answered Talon, “to waste away my day trying to discern friend from foe, and as a result, I am pretty much assuming everyone is a friend until I see them holding a knife to my throat.”
“Dad would have never blindly trusted people he did not know,” quipped Rose, “especially young girls who can manipulate the power of light. There is something up with that girl. She is not telling us something.”
“Perhaps … perhaps not,” pleased Talon, “but he did say to trust others. So, please Rose, start trusting others, would you?”
“Whatever,” said Rose. She said nothing more. A few minutes later, she slipped out the door for a short walk. Talon, who was once again focusing on the deciphering task, did not even notice.
By mid-morning on the following day, the small residence bustled with four individuals about their respective tasks. Talon sat in chair that he pulled into the corner of the room. He continued to pour over the Book of Epiphany in an effort to complete the translation. Talon announced to everyone that morning during the meager breakfasts that he expected to finish the translation by the evening; he further explained that he would work faster if no one interrupted him, especially just to ask how much longer. Everyone, including older sun-sculptor, was ready to know what the book’s contents.
While Talon knew the gist of the leathery pages, the decipherer had not shared any of his insight. At present, his refusal to divulge information seemed obtuse to his companions, especially Rose who believed their familial connection entitled her to the exclusive information. From the perspective of the other two, the mutual ignorance of Rose kept their frustrations at bay.
While Talon kept quiet in the corner of the small, cluttered room, Daks dutifully completed the leather pack for Rose. On the previous day, with the help of Willow, Daks found the necessary supplies to make packs for everyone in the group. Thus far, Daks battled the personal perception that he was more a burden to the group rather than a contributing member. Until be started on the pack, Daks could think of no way, save his frequently sour companionship, he benefited the group, but that was about to change. Daks utilized his skills as a leatherworker to make traveling packs for everyone. At present, they relied upon day packs, which were overfilled, uncomfortable, and disintegrating. These packs were not equipped to deal with the grind of daily, on-going use. Realizing the limitations of these bags, Daks specially designed bags to meet their needs; they were appropriately sized and comfortable to wear. The leatherworker finished a bag for Talon during the nighttime hours, and despite working well into the wee hours of the morning, Daks rose early to begin a pack for Rose. Occasionally, he requested Rose’s presence in order to ensure the fit of the bag
. Other than these few interruptions, he worked steadily at the table – rarely pausing from his task, and then, only for a few minutes.
Willow busily sifted through the plants she collected on the previous day with Rose. She needed to process the plants to make them useful. At present, Willow squeezed the oil from flower petals. Each mauve-colored petal provided less than a drop of oil, which required a pail full of petals just to fill one small vial. Yesterday, the girls collected less than a quarter of bucket, and as result, only a small of amount of the precious oil dripped into the vial.
As Rose watched the younger girl in her tedious task, she marveled at how their efforts netted so little oil. Rose said little to anyone, especially Willow, whom she intentionally avoided. Her efforts, however, were not very effective. To avoid her completely would have left Rose with nothing to do this morning while the other three were diligently working. Thus, Rose approached Willow about how she could help her. Willow jumped at the opportunity. Within moments, Rose was attempting to skin the Isigor Roots pulled the previous day. “Attempt” is the operative word. The root was the hardest substance Rose ever felt, and the prospect of removing it top layer was nil. Yet, Willow had assured her it was possible so Rose spent her morning making almost no progress. She wondered, am I being played for the fool? Perhaps Willow is silently bursting at the seams with laughter over her futile efforts to “skin an Isigor Root.”
In the late afternoon, Talon gathered the others for an announcement. Each quickly dropped their respective tasks, even Daks who neared completion of the fourth pack. They gathered around the small table. No one said anything as they slid into their seat and waited for Talon to speak. Talon, who planned these words for some time, fumbled over words trying to begin. He spoke quietly at first, almost at an inaudible level. Daks intervened, “Say what you got to say, Talon.”
Talon, thankful for the encouragement, and rigidly released his mounting thoughts. “As you know, we are seeking a means to destroy the glowing weapons of the Protectorate. I am deciphering this book to assist us in that effort. I am pleased to report this book contains the information needed to destroy the weapons and dissolve them back into light.”
“Finally,” interrupted Daks, “So tell us, would you?”
“As I was saying,” continued a slightly perturbed Talon. “I have read the means for destroying the glowing weapons. It requires the collection of three things: (1) ice from atop Five-Point Peak, (2) sand from the outfall of Dry River in the Verve Valley, and (3) blood from the heart of the red kite who lives on Sporadic Island. These three ingredients, when mixed in equal proportions, will create a turquoise liquid that will dissipate the coagulated light.”
Talon finished and looked to the others for their response. Three unexpressive faces stared back at him. Willow answered the open request of Talon’s gaze, “It does what again?”
“Dissipates the light,” answered Talon. Three blank faces continued to peer at him.
“I heard that,” answered Willow, “but what does that mean exactly? I heard something about goopy and congratulations, but I really don’t understand how light becomes goopy and are we supposed to congratulate you?”
“No,” answered an increasingly frustrated Talon, “Here what happens. Those three things will create a turquoise liquid, which will cause the light-based products to dissolve into the air.”
“Oh,” interjected Daks, “so the weapons will be destroyed.” Rose and Willow faces changed their blank expressions to a visage of recognition. Finally, they understood.
A moment of silence passed over the group. After taking a few moments to understand Talon’s words, the actuality of the task before them became apparent. They faced a moment of decision: would they elect to travel across Centage and collect these three substances or would they return to their previous life? The first choice required much faith, hoping the three substances actually dissipated the light, but to choose the latter implied a willingness to cede power to the Protectorate. For three of them, the choice was easy. Talon and Rose both witnessed the viper-like qualities of Commander Lupier when he kidnapped their father. Willow, like the two siblings, saw the Protectorate strut its militant power over her feeble village and then force everyone, including her mother and sister, to leave. For Daks, however, the choice was complicated, join the “junior rebel brigade” on its most certainly hapless quest to thwart the plans an infinitely superior force or return to life of normalcy and enjoy the expected pleasure of life. I am, he thought to himself, an accomplished leatherworker who can expect a comfortable future, regardless of whether it’s under the authority of the Protectorate or not. He proceeded thus far without truly taking a side. Up this point, he thought himself as Talon’s companion. His friend, however, was the true instigator. Daks never needed, at least until this juncture, to face the decision of whether he personally believed in Talon’s efforts. Now, however, Daks knew the decision was upon him. It is one thing to travel to a nearby village, but it is radically different to trek to across Centage in search of secretive, insurgent materials. I really want to return home and live a normal life. With these thoughts dashing through his head, Daks faced the most poignant question of his life: join a ludicrous quest or rejoin his life a leatherworker apprentice.
After allowing the group some time to ponder the reality of their task, Talon interjected, “So who is with me? I am ready to go.”
Rose stepped across the small room and stood next to Talon; she answered in an annoyed tone, “Why are you even asking me? Of course, I am ‘with you,’ and there is never a need to ask me this question again. If I ever decide to be ‘against you,’ then you will be the first to know.”
As she approached, Talon gave his sister a quick hug. He whispered into her ear, “I know, sister. I was just asking for the sake of the others.”
Rose kicked him in the shin, which left Talon grimacing in effort to hide the obvious pain. She then whispered in his ear, “Just to say I love you.”
Willow answered next, “I know I am young, but I want to go as well. I have nothing here. My mother is gone. Everyone I know is gone. There is nothing left for me here.” She stepped over, but without quite the fanfare of Rose’s decisions. Rose, for one, remained suspicious of the younger girl, and while she was pleased in her decision to join them, Rose remained leery. Talon eagerly welcomed the younger girl. He spoke directly to her, “A bold decision from one so young.” Rose’s reception was cooler. She ignored the girl with the ashen-colored skin.
Talon, Rose, and Willow now all three stood together. From their cluster, they looked to a solitude figure – a firmly planted Daks. The lanky, red-haired young man gazed downward, unable to meet the piercing gazes from the others. His demeanor revealed a decision not yet released from his mouth: Daks wanted to return home. He longed to go home and live an ordinary life. Sensing the imminent pronouncement of his already determined decision, Talon interjected his thoughts in order to sway Daks’ already determined mind.
“So what will be, Daks?” began Talon. “Will you join us in our quest or will you leave and go home? Before you decide, hear this: I believe the paths of our lives are not determined by the daily, mundane decisions but by our selections to life’s big issues. You, my friend, are facing a crossroad of epic proportions: either join us on our quest or return home and accept a life under the Protectorate. I know you joined Rose and me on a whim and facing the same decision with the knowledge you have now, I expect you would stay home. That reality, however, matters not because you are here with us now and you have experienced the same things we have. Before you decide, answer me this: what kind of person do you want to be? The decision you make right now will determine that answer. Are you going to someone who prioritizes the self and looks only after your self-interests? Is your life going to be only about you? If so, then go home because, in truth, we would not want you around. Maybe, however, you want to be a different person. Maybe, you want to be a person that cares for others, someone who i
s willing to live sacrificially for the sake of others. Because that’s what our quest is going to take. We must leave our self-interest, self-plans, self-desires, and self-worth here, because on this quest, these concerns are only the burdens of our demise. This is a quest for others; the betterment of people who don’t stare back from the mirror. I make no guarantees of success. Tragedy may befall us by sunset, but I tell you this, should tragedy await us, as it most often does, then I choose to face it for the sake of others. So what, my friend, what will it be, join us or go home. Before you answer, consider this: there is no return from your decision. Choose to go home and you can never rejoin us. Choose to join us now, however, and I will never doubt your commitment because you will have chosen the path of hardship over the life of ease. Today is the day you must decide, and now is the time. You can never return to this moment, so choose wisely. The options are before you: a most-likely tragic quest to save the lives of strangers or a life of ease, esteem, and normalcy. Before you decide, I ask you this: when you are an old man and your grandchildren gather around to hear your stories, what kind of person do you want to be, one who lives for the self or one who sacrificed the desires of the self for the sake of others. Daks, you are my friend and on this journey, you have become a good friend. Nothing will ever change that. No matter you decide now, I, for my part, will always be your friend. So, my friend, our quest begins at this moment.”
With that, Talon looked to Rose who was standing beside him and asked, “Can you get the map for us, we need to plot our course.” Rose opened the leather pack Daks recently made and quickly located the map. She rolled it open and placed it on the table. Talon moved beside Rose to see the map more clearly, and Willow moved to Rose’s other side for an unobstructed view of the parchment. The travelers scanned the map’s tiny writing and prolific labels to find the landmarks on their pending journey. Talon noticed a multiple mountain ranges and began searching the labeled peaks in each range. Then, in Blazing Mountains, he noticed a label: Five-Point Peak. He tapped his finger atop the spot and declared, “There it is, Five-Point Peak. That is where we must go to collect ice from atop the mountain.”
Seconds later, Willow blurted, “Finally, right there.” She pointed to the map’s far right edge, along the shoreline of Glass Sea. “It’s Sporadic Island, isn’t that one of the places? There it is, right there.” Willow giggled enthusiastically at finding a destination before her older companions.
Talon nodded, “Yes, there, we must take blood from the albatross’ heart. Now we need to find one other, Dry River.” A moment of silence ensued as the three sets of eyes scanned across the map looking for final place.
“Look, right there,” said a deeper voice than any of three possessed, “Dry River.” Daks, standing at the open spot around the table, extended his long arm and pointed on the map.
Talon spoke. “The land next to that river must be Verve Valley – the one referred to in the Book of Epiphany.”
“Those are the three spots we must go,” noted Rose. Examining the three destinations in relation to others, she observed, “Well, at least they are relatively close, and we will avoid any other villages. All three places are on the other side of Centage. At least, we are already on the edge of the Expanse.” She spoke of the far eastern portion of Centage, which abutted the uncharted land. The conclusion was evident: the three destinations were located in the wilderness of Centage and regardless of how close they appeared on the map, much danger awaited the travelers.
At least, thought Talon, Rose, and Willow, a fourth person would journey with them. Daks made his decision, and never again, thought Talon, need I question Dak’s commitment. His friend aligned his course with the young wayward adventurers. Nobody said anything to Daks; nobody needed to say anything. His actions communicated clearly. The quartet readied to depart on their nearly impossible effort to destroy the glowing arsenal of the Protectorate.
Willow looked to others, with her long blond hair falling back over face, and asked the question on everyone’s mind, “How are we ever going to do this? I mean, what are chances this actually turns out like we want?”
Nil, thought Daks.
The other three looked at her. Talon and Rose struggled for responses to the honest query when Daks intervened, “Willow, that’s another day’s concern.” He returned to examining the map.
To the surprise of the Sunsculptor siblings, the answer satisfied Willow. Talon looked to Rose in surprise at the contentment of the younger girl. Rose returned his glance, shrugged her shoulders, and joined the others in examining the map. A vexed Talon likewise shrugged his shoulders. That answer, he thought, may be the only easy thing about this journey.
9 MOUNTAIN ASCENT