Peli's Journey : Chapter 7

The taskmaster turned out to be a middle-age man wearing a pair of round and thick glasses. Sitting behind his office desk with an large, open ledger full of names and figures, he looked like an overworked clerk rather than a man who had power over numerous “labours”.

He was studying the ledger when the three entered the office, and he only lifted his head long enough to give the newcomers a quick glance before returning to his ledger.

“Welcome to the Iron City Labour Office, my name is Rus. Please give me your name and your work experience in order, starting with the lady.” The taskmaster spoke with a gentle voice, devoid of any emotion.

“My name is Rossa. I have been trained in literature, formal social etiquette, and various social skills like dancing.”

“That is all very nice, but we have no use of these skills in 10 days. Unless you are willing to take up a 3-month contract, we only have menial labour task for short term contracts.”

Rossa folded her hands, and stared at the taskmaster for a while.

“What does it take to leave the city on the other side?”

The taskmaster stopped looking at the ledger and fiddling with his quills, and looked up.

“Why would you want to leave the city?”

“Well, we entered the city in order to pass through it.” Rossa replied calmly.

The Taskmaster paused for a while, studying the three travellers carefully for the first time.

“There is nothing on the other side of the gate. It's a mountain passage that is basically dead. No vegetations, no animals, no water, only large and sharp rocks.”

“We met people who came from that way, so it can definitely be crossed.”

“We haven't received any one from that directions for over ten years. No one knows what happened on the other side.”

“We will find out.”

The taskmaster paused again, and then he shrugged nonchalantly, and continued, “There is no price to pay to exit the City as long as you have paid your due for entering the city, in this case your ten-day contract. However, that gate on the other side of the city has not been opened for a long time, so you'll need to find someone influential enough to persuade the Guards to open it for you.”

“Sounds like the gate is deserted.” Peli asked.

“It is. Except of the daily patrol, nobody ever gets near the gate any more.”

“Why?”

“Well, we used to get occasion trading caravan from that route, but since about ten years ago they stopped arriving. So after a while the gate just lost its meaning.”

“Did you find out what happened?”

“No. What's the use? We don't rely on the caravan.”

Peli and Rossa looked at each other in disbelief. This city really had no interest for the outside world.

“Well, back to the business at hand.” The taskmaster said in his unique gentle monotone, “since you don't intend to stay in the city for long, I have a perfect task for all three of you.”

He took a sip from a porcelain cup at his right hand.

“The Marshall is looking for people to perform spring cleaning to his mansion. He pays well. Usually he has his own helpers for the task, but this year he is a bit short-handed, so the housekeeper is looking for extra help.”

“Sounds reasonable. As long as we can stay together.” Rossa said, all business like.

“You'll be staying in the Mansion for the period. I'll contact the housekeeper to pick you up, so please wait for a while.”

The three sat idly in the taskmaster's office while the taskmaster summoned a page to inform the Marshall's housekeeper of her new help.

Waiting had the quality of making people's mind wonder. Who was this Marshall? How would the next ten days be? Compared to living in the wild, Rossa was secretly glad to be able to stay in a proper resident again, even though she had to do so as a servant and only for a short period.

The page returned amidst their wild guessing and wondering, with a young boy dressed in some sort of uniform. Rus the taskmasters took a quick glance at the young boy, and said to him, “Nasil, the three helpers assigned to your household are over there. Let your ma'am knows that the contract is only for ten days and they are subject to our monitoring. Any mistreatment will be punished.”

Nasil replied quickly, “Yes, sir, I understand.”

Without further explanation, Nasil approached the three and indicated that they should follow him.

“Please follow me tightly as we don't want to waste time getting lost.” was the only words the young boy said to them.

The streets of Iron City was packed dirt instead of cobblestone, and they were all lined by iron railings. The streets were used exclusively for carriage, while pedestrian utilize the walkway on the other side of the iron railings. The streets are busy, but a lot more quiet than the streets of Yan. The movements of people were so purposeful it was almost eerie. The three followed Nasil quietly, having no mood to appreciate such a strange city.

They soon arrived before a large mansion, away from the busy area of the city. The mansion, like the rest of the city, was build mainly from iron, the only difference was a small garden in the front yard. The city hardly featured any green, so a garden with green shrubs and some flowers must be a symbol of prestige and wealth.

Nasil introduced proudly, “This is the Marshall's mansion, one of the most well designed building in the whole city. You will be staying and working here for the next ten days. How lucky of you.”

“Since our houses are mainly build from iron, every year we need to spend some time scrubbing away the rust and coating the iron surface with oil or paint. The housekeeper will see you during dinner time and assign task to you. You will start working tomorrow. For now, follow me and settle in your sleeping quarter.”

xxx

The housekeeper turned out to be a stern, cold and almost mechanical old lady. Standing with a poise that reminded people of a statue, she moved with a brisk efficiency. She led the three helpers to a large backyard, where ironwares were lay out in the open. She explained with a stiff voice that they were to scrub the ironwares and coat them with a new layer of oil. Should any ironware appeared to be damaged beyond repair, they were to immediately alert Nasil. With the task assigned, she left the three to the young Nasil.

Nasil, being merely a boy, was more prone to emotional display. He led the three happily around the mansion, introducing various important places to them along the way to the dining quarters for servants.

There must have been a few dozens of people who worked as servants in this household. Most of them ate quietly without conversations, a few who talked did so in whispers. The dinner was plain, but it was at least properly cooked food. To the three travellers who had been living in the wild for the pass few weeks, that was not unlike a feast.

They were lucky to get their own quarter, apparently, every servants had their assigned place, so the three temporary staff got the quarter to themselves. Sleeping on iron bed wasn't exactly comfortable, but it wasn't the worse they'd seen either.

XXX

The next morning, they woke with the sun and sought out breakfast. On their way to the dining hall, they met Nasil who brought them three uniforms.

“You have to wear these whenever you are in the mansion, so that people know how to identify you. Once your contract is up, you have to return the uniforms, as fabrics are very rare in our city.”

“Got it. Anything else we need to know?” Peli had a natural liking to Nasil, who reminded him of his own childhood.

“Nope. Oh, if mistress go to the backyard, try not to get in her way.”

“Who is this mistress?”

“Well, she is the daughter of the Marshall, and she is the only one who would occasionally go to the backyard. I quite like her, but people warned me to stay away from her. They say she was...”

Nasil caught himself mid-sentence, and stopped abruptly.

“I shouldn't be saying things about her. Just don't get in her way!”

Nasil sprinted away with a waving hand after the sentence, seemingly hurrying to his own tasks.

The three had a good breakfast. Nothing too fancy, just plain bread and cheese, but it fed them well. Rossa was reminded of her own home. Her meals back in Yan City were of course much more extravagant, but she had gotten used to eating poorly handled food in the wild. She might not have noticed, but she had lost some weight because of that. She realized after being reminded of home, that she missed it terribly. On the other hand, she was amazed by how much she had changed over the pass few weeks.

After breakfast, they proceed to the backyard, and there, they saw the Mistress Nasil was talking about.

She was just standing there like an ivory statue, long, black hair mixed with some silver flowed around her frame, and she seemed to be enjoying the sun with her eyes close.

The three tried to be quiet, but she had heard the footsteps. She opened her eyes and smiled warmly at the three newcomers.

“Hi, I have heard about you. You came from out of town, isn't it?”

“Hi... yes, indeed, we are travellers from afar.” Peli smiled back shyly. Rossa, on the other hand, was alerted. This... mistress seemed unusual. What Rossa had observed since she entered the city, was she had never seen a smile from any adult. The genuine smile from the mistress seemed very out of place. Rossa chose to remain quiet, but she was watching the lady much more closer. Han'li, however, seemed oblivious to the whole situation. He merely walked to where the ironwares were and started working on them.

“Tell me about your journey. It must have been fun!” The fine lady said with unusual excitement, her smile revealing wrinkles around her eyes.

“It has been very difficult, our journey, but we managed to come this far. Thanks to Han, he has saved our lives several time. And Rossa here too helped us a lot.” Peli was strangely drawn to this lady. He had been feeling enstrange ever since he entered this Iron City, as he could sense no warmth from the people around him. This woman, however, was very different.

“Tell me about how you get this far!”

“I would love to, but I have to polish these iron wares as part of the my contract.”

“Oh, but please do tell the story as you work. I can work with you!” The fine lady sat down besides the ironwares and started working on them.

“That won't be appropriate!” Peli exclaimed, while Rossa observed intently, trying to figure out the motive of the woman.

“Nonsense. These are my properties and I can do what I like with them.” The lady said proudly. “Now, please tell me your stories!”

“If you wish, M'lady.” Peli complied.

As he was retelling his stories, Rossa noticed the expression of the mistress changed to one of melancholy. It seemed like she was lost in her memories. Rossa was suddenly reminded of the expression of the River Merchant. Could this lady be...

“You were married to a traveller before.” Rossa blurted out.

The mistress visibly shook. She turned and looked at Rossa with wide open eyes.

“You have met him!” She exclaimed, and it wasn't a question.

“So you really is the wife of the River Merchant!” Rossa said excitedly.

“River Merchant? What do you mean River Merchant?” the mistress looked puzzled.

“Well, he is living beside the river now, trading between the people on this side of the river and the lizard folks on the other side.” Rossa said animatedly. She couldn't believe her luck. That would mean they have a way out of the city! Peli was dumbstruck, but he soon understood the situation and joined the conversation. Although he had something else on his mind.

“Why did you divorce him all these years ago! You are such a fine lady!” He asked directly, while Rossa winced at the question privately. Such matters were not easily discussed.

The mistress didn't speak for a while. She was obviously trying to collect her thoughts and emotions. None of them spoke, and they used the ironwares to keep themselves occupied.

“I left him because I wanted him to move on.” The mistress spoke again, with a most tender voice, her eyes misty.

“I could see how he withered in this accursed city. He was so full of live! He always brought joy and laughter to me, but I could see how ill-fitted he felt in this city.”

“So... I thought he should continue his journey. At least leave this city!”

“Well, he didn't exactly leave far. He told us he couldn't bare to leave you behind.” Peli was both moved and excited about the story that was unfolding.

“Why!” Tears started to roll down the cheek of the mistress.

“Because he loved you.” Han'li, who had been quiet since the beginning, suddenly spoke with a force.

“I don't deserve him! I used him to escape an undesirable marriage! I made him stopped his journey! I almost destroyed his life!” The mistress was agitated. She was almost wailing.

“None of that change the fact that he loved you.” Peli said quietly. “Do you still have the stone he gave you?”

“Yes! Oh, Yes!” The mistress cried, and fished out a black, round stone from her breast pocket. “I don't know what is it, but I keep it with me all the time!”

“It is the seeker stone.” Peli said, answering a question he wasn't even sure of the answer himself. “It will bring the traveller home. So, the fact that he gave you the stone, means that you are his home. His destiny.”

“Oh... but he never said...” The mistress broke down and cried. Tears that was held back for over twenty years burst forth. And like a broken dam, it washed away the hurt and sadness that was carefully nursed in her heart.

As her tears subsided, Han'li spoke.

“If you really wanted him to continue his journey, you should go with him.” Han'li stole a glance at Peli, who sat back facing him, and added, softly, “Like I did.”

“But oh how could I leave this accursed place? How can I be any more of a burden to him!” The mistress shook her head in despair, burying her head in her hands.

“Oh that's the easy part.” Rossa said, not without irony, as she asked exactly the same questions when she was leaving Yan City, “Just go. You'll never figure out how if you don't start your own journey.”

By then, the commotion in the Backyard had alerted the housekeeper. She arrived in the backyard with her stiff upper lips.

“Have these three new servants somehow offended you? Do you want them exchanged?” she asked the mistress mechanically.

“No, you stay out of this. I'll let you know of your task when I am ready.” The mistress spoke now with a certain authority: cold, metallic and harsh.

The housekeeper nodded once and walked away.

The mistress tidied herself and turned to the three travellers.

“You have brought me an important news. How can I ever repay you?” She smiled, the tear-streak face now slightly puffed.

“Let us out on the other gate!” Rossa said quickly.

“Go find the River Merchant!” Peli said almost at the same time.

The mistress smiled at both of them, but turned to Han'li and asked, “How about you? You who gave me a wonderful lesson about love, what do you want?”

Han'li shifted uncomfortably. “I would like to get out of this Iron cage.”

“Alone?” the mistress winked.

“Of course not! Together with Rossa and Peli, obviously.”

The mistress smiled again and looked at them fondly for a while.

“Well, it can all be done. I will speak with the housekeeper. I have enough authority and my own money to buy all of you out of the 10 days contract and arrange for your exits on the other gate. I will also tell her to supply you with some food and water.”

“How about yourself?”

“I will leave to look for my husband. And I will travel the remaining journey with him. I will not be stopped, and my father had learnt to not get in my way.” She smiled with resolution.

Han'li started to realize, perhaps there were some good qualities that associated with iron: iron-will being one of them. And in the next two days, he learnt a very important lesson about determination and love from the mistress.

As the gates of Iron City opened again after three sunrises, the three travellers found themselves on the other side of the Iron city, a new, harsh and strange path awaited them. And the mistress continued her journey of love from 20 years ago.

They set off in different directions, but they were all heading to their destinies.

Peli's Journey : Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Peli was no stranger to sailing any kind of boats, even though he did not take to the sea trade back in Alyssia.

The bright sun made the water surface into a mirror, and the raft seemed to be sailing among clouds. The water merchant took out his pipe and started puffing away, the sharp tang of burnt herbs lingered in the air, creating a sense of surreal peace.

“It will take almost a day to cross the river, at this pace,” the River Merchant commented. “What is your plan after the crossing?”

“We have no plan now. We’ll see what’s on the other side. Is it more grassland?” Peli replied, casting sight towards the other side of the river.

“Yes and no. There is still some grassland, but soon you’ll reach a mountain range, and besides the mountain range sits an Iron Town.”

“What about it?”

“Let’s just say it’s not the easiest place to be for stranger, and you need to get pass the town to continue your journey, because it sits on the only way through the mountains.”

“Are you warning us of potential danger?” Rossa interrupted.

“Nothing life threatening, but you might not fare well in that town.”

“We are just passing through!” Peli exclaimed.

“You might not even gain entrance, let alone gaining exit.” The River Merchant replied with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Han’li, who was rowing the raft, joined in.

“Well, this is as far as I will warn you, and that is for building this raft.” The River Merchant chuckled throatily. “You’ll have to find out more for yourself at the gate of Iron City.”

The three were speechless for a while, until Peli broke the silence by saying, “That sounds like fun!”

They ended up laughing together, but the uneasiness of the travellers hanged heavily in the air.

XXX

The mountain range was immediately visible halfway across the river, when the morning mist was melted by the scorching afternoon sun. From afar, the greyish tone made it looked like a blade. The harshness of the mountains was accentuated by its high and often very steep cliffs.

As the raft approached the shore, the Iron Town was clearly visible, as it sprawled like a giant black toad at the feet of the mountains. Against the mountains, it looked intimidating and foreboding.

“As the name suggested, the whole city is built by iron.” The River Merchant started without prompting, recalling his distant memories. “The mountains, the locals called them the blades of God, have rich deposits of iron, and there is very little wood around this area, so the locals have to make everything from iron as much as possible.”

“It is always said that people take on the properties of their surrounding, so in this case, the people who lived in the Iron city took on the characteristic of the metal. They’ve become cold, efficient, and very practical. They can withstand a lot of harshness, but has no warmth to speak of.”

“You seemed very familiar with them,” Peli made an observation.

“I am. I stayed away from the city, but I have met enough of them to know how most of they behave.”

“No, I mean, you seemed very affected when you described them.” Peli persisted, surprised by his own insights.

The River Merchant paused for a while, and then smile, “You’ll have to give me something to hear the story.”

Peli fumbled a bit, but he fished out the Ivory cone that had been forgotten for the large part of his journey.

“This seemed like something expensive, would you like to tell your story in exchange for it?” Peli asked, with great anticipation.

The river merchant seemed surprised. He took the ivory cone, looked over it for a moment, and held it in his hand.

Then he looked over at the distant city with a forlorn expression without speaking a word.

For a while it was quiet except for the slight noise made by the oar slicing the water.

Then suddenly the River Merchant spoke.

“She was like the ivory, so smooth yet so cold.” The River Merchant spoke quietly, as if talking to himself.

“I was a traveller, like you, and I met her passing through the Iron city. I was still very young, maybe slightly older than you, when I first set eyes on her. It was love at first sight. She was just standing among the busy crowd, with a quiet smirk on her face. Her jet black tresses rolled like wave across her ivory skin, and I thought I saw an angel. She was perfect…” The river merchant trailed off, and fell quiet again.

“She saw me from afar, and of course, I was a handsome young man back in those days, and she beckoned me. She beckoned, and I had to follow…” The River Merchant smiled as bittersweet memories swelled in his bossom.

“She was looking for a husband, as it turned out, and she did not like the man her family had arranged, so she was told to find a man she liked before nightfall, otherwise she’d have to accept the family’s arrangement. So, she was just looking around the busy street. Maybe it was fate, but she chose me, and I would not question my fate. Perhaps, she was the destination of my journey, and perhaps, the whole purpose of my journey was for the fateful meeting…”

The River Merchant stopped for a long time then, so deep into his memories that he seemed to forget the presence of the rest. When he started talking again, it was as if his voice was younger, and he seemed to be reliving those days.

“We got married, and it was like heaven for me. I had never thought I would meet my love of the life in my journey, but it happened. So I settled in and started a small family with her. Soon, I realized that she was cold and distant. Although she carried out her duty as a wife, I couldn’t feel any emotion from her. At first I thought it was just a marriage of convenience and she needed more time to open up to me, but I soon discovered that it was the characteristic of the whole town. Everyone in the town was like that. They were always cold and polite and lived with an edgy precision. I soon felt very isolated, yet I loved her so much that I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her, even though my passion was not reciprocated. I persisted. Then, she slowly started to change. She would occasionally give me smiles, not the polite, functional smile of the town’s custom, but a sweet and slightly shy smile, and that really encouraged me. I continued to show her love and passion in our daily lives, which stood in stark contrast against the whole town…”

“I still remembered her first laughter. It was 6 months and 20 days after our marriage. It was clear and free of worries. It sounded like the song of a sky lark to me. Since then she started to get interested in me. I shared the story of my journey, and she was fascinated. We really had a charming life since then. We would be the only household in town with real laughter. I even gave her my seeker stone, although I didn’t explain to her what the stone represented. It was after about 3 months that things started to change.”

A large cloud floated over the sun, and the sky suddenly darkened, reflecting the sullen expression on the River Merchant’s face.

“I still do not understand what made her change. It might be her family warning her off for being too out of place, but she suddenly became unreasonable. She would pick a fight over the smallest of matter. Slowly she grew cold and distant again, and finally she filed for divorce with the Jurisdiction.”

Suddenly the River Merchant raised his volume.

“I don’t believe she did it willingly. It must have been pressure from other people. I can sense that she still loved me very much, but…”

“But there was no going back. I left the city, but I couldn’t bear to go far, so I stayed at the outskirt near the riverside, and lived by trading with the lizard folks and the trade representatives from the Iron city, and it still felt like yesterday.”

After a pregnant pause, he finally said, “So, here is my story and we will reach the other side soon.”

The River Merchant fiddled with the ivory cone for a while, and then passed the ivory cone back to Peli. “I can not take anything from you, because the most precious gift you've given me is the willingness to listen to me. I have not told this story to anyone, and I am still living in it everyday. It has been over 20 years, and I still can't bear to find out how she is doing.”

“Would you like to come with us?” Peli asked. “Find out how she is doing!”

“I cannot. She might have moved on to another marriage, and she might be living a happy life. My presence will only be a burden to her.”

“Or maybe not.” Rossa said with a slight smirk. “Maybe she is living unhappily waiting for your return. Or maybe she is living a happy life and has totally forgotten about you and you are just a stranger to her.”

The River merchant laughed and said, “Little girl, I know what you are saying, but maybe I still want to live in my story. Maybe to me, my journey ends here.”

Rossa stared at the older man for a while, and turned away. Privately she sneered at the statement, but she was on that raft and she couldn't swim. It wasn't a good time rock the boat, both literally and figuratively.

XXX

There is a small dock and a small stone cabin on the other side of the river. The River Merchant had been staying there for a good 20 years, and what used to be a small path leading to the Iron City has become a wide and well kept road.

When they arrived on the bank it was almost nightfall, so the three travellers spent a night with the River Merchant in his small but cozy cabin. They didn't talk about the River Merchant's love story any more, instead, they were just sharing the stories of their journey. Peli tried to ask about Elyia, but the River Merchant wouldn't say anything on the topic.

The next morning, they parted ways. Following the road, the journey to Iron City took almost half a day.

The Iron city, with its severe grey of the iron and the dark red of the rust, formed an intimidating picture. It looked like a giant cage, and Han'li was already feeling very uneasy. In contrast to the Yan City, the Iron City didn't have a lot of activities on the out-skirt. Smoke pillars could be seen rising out from the city, presumably generated by the industrial activities going on in the city.

When the troupe reached the gate, they were very nervous. The sight of two gate guards in full plate armor, wielding giant halberds which looked like they can cleaved a tree into half in one swing, didn't help to elevate the mood.

“What business do you have in the Iron City?” A steely voice boomed behind the full helm.

“We just want to pass through the city and get to the other side.”

“No one enters the Iron City without paying their due. What do you have to bring into the city?”

“We have a few items for trade.” Rossa stood out, commanding all her poise, recalling her training in Yan City. “They were all precious relics of exotic origin. I am sure we can find people who are appreciative to our wares.”

“We do not trade in items which are of no use to us.” The gate guard replied coldly. “We only trade in fur, leather, cloth and food.”

“We do not carry any of those.”

“Then your last resort is labour contract. You can enter the city if all of you are willing to work for 10 full days in the city. After which, you can proceed to negotiate an exit with the other gate. Deal?”

The three travellers looked at each other. Slavery? They have to sell themselves as slave for 10 full days?

“We should go back to the River Merchant and ask for his help.” Rossa suggested.

Peli thought for a while, and then asked the Gate guard,

“Will we be confined?”

“You will not be confined, but you will be monitored. You are not a slave. You will be rewarded for your work and a task master will make sure everything is to maximum effectiveness.”

“What is stopping you from just enslaving us? We have no defence.”

“We believed that a willing labour is more effective than an unwilling slave. In any case, you don't have to pass through the city. And if we really are into slaves, we can already enslave you now. It is not like you can out run us.”

Even behind the full helm, Peli could tell the Gate guard was smirking with much indignant.

“Alright, I can buy it.” Peli declared.

“What? You mean you are actually going to be slave willingly?” Rossa jumped.

“Well, I sort of worked as a labour in my village, so I know how is it like.” Peli said, “And it seemed like that is the only way to get into the city.”

“So how do we get out on the other side?”

“We'll figure something out! Remember the River Merchant also passed through the city! He didn't warn us about slavery, he just said it would be difficult!”

“You know, you should have asked him about all this instead of his stupid story.” Rossa was part amused and part frustrated.

“Oh, perhaps, but what are we doing now?”

“Well, I guess we just have to sell ourselves as slaves!”

Han'li was quiet. He generally disliked city, but a city which was built like a cage just totally scared him witless. Unconsciously, he was holding on to the presence of Peli again.

Rossa was indignant of selling herself as a slave, but she felt comfortable. In fact, she felt strangely drawn to the Iron City. There is an edgy quality that so appealed to her personality, that she actually was feeling excited about getting into the city.

They stepped through the threshold, and as the iron gate came down with a loud clank, the past was shut away from them, and future was not yet open.

All they had was the present moment.

Peli's Journey : Chapter 5

In the ancient chinese scripts, Danger and Opportunity always appear as one word.
Communication between the men and the lizards was difficult at first. But soon, they worked out a peculiar language that was a combination of simple gestures and drawings. It satisfied the need of day-to-day conversations.

The grassland, surrounding a vast, nameless lake in the middle, was bigger than what the travellers had originally imagined. The lizard folks survived on the plain as roving nomads. They shifted with the seasons, living near the lake during spring and summer, and stayed close to the forest during autumn and winter.

On the other side of the plain lay a great river. It had once run through where the lake was, but after ages of shifting riverbed, it had changed its course and left behind a still lake and vast patch of marshland.

There was no way to find any kind of sensible directions from the lizard folks. All the three could do was to follow the tribe around. At least food and safety were relatively well taken care of. And as the tribe moved about, the three travellers started to get familiar with the lay of the land.

Han'li seemed happy to learn about a new kind of wilderness. He was always exchanging hunting tips with the lizard folks, learning about the indigenous animals and plants. Rossa was miserable at first, but after a few weeks, she started to get use to living in the wild and taking care of herself.

Cleaning herself was a big challenge at first. She insisted on cleaning herself everyday, but it was nearly impossible under the harsh conditions. It took a while for her to get used to living with the grim of outdoor living.

As for Peli, he was still thinking about Elyia. No one could tell the directions since the supposedly Lamp Bearer had no direction to give.

It must had been a few months after the initial encounter that the three travellers reached the bank of the great river with the lizard folks. It indeed was a great river, as Peli could hardly see the other bank from his side.

“What was on the other side?” was the first question that pop out of Peli's mind. With some sort of conviction that could not be explained, Peli knew beyond a doubt that Elyia lay on the other side of the river.

The lizard folks settled at the river bank, on a spot they seemed familiar with. Peli pointed across river and made a questioning gesture at one of the older lizards. The old one pointed at a stack of rare animal skins and then pointed across the river, then made an exchanging gesture. Clearly it was a trading post.

When everything was settled, the sun was setting in the west across the river. It was a magnificent scene, looking at the sun submerging into the seemingly peaceful water surface, the sky tainted a quaint purplish orange, and it was hard to tell how much of the sun was still above the horizon as it seemed to melt into the skyline, and when the last ray disappeared from the sky it felt sudden. The bonfire burned brightly and the stars started to blink innocently in the sky.

The three sat around the bonfire with the rest of the lizard folks.

“Do you want to cross the river?” Peli asked, looking from Han'li to Rossa

“What for?”

“To continue to Elyia, of course!” Peli exclaimed. “Don't tell me you want to stay here?!”

“Makes no difference to me, as long as we know how to cross the river.” Rossa shrugged. She just had a good bath in the river, so she looked particularly refreshed. Compared to when she first left the city, she appeared a lot calmer and steadier.

“I guess I'll go wherever you want to.” Han'li said, although he had just started to grow to like this plain, it still wasn't home.

“I have a feeling we'll meet someone from across the river soon. It is clear to me that the lizard folks are waiting for someone.” Peli said, hugging his knees and looked across the river.

The unknown held a special draw to certain kind of people. For such people, finding out what they didn't know was always more important than holding on to what they've already known. Peli was one such person; to him, as soon as he knew about something, that thing lost all magical touch and meanings.

For Rossa though, it was a total different experience. She had come to realize one thing: sometime she could not direct everything in life. Sometimes, changing her own way of behaving and thinking might be the best way to take control of a situation. She embarked on the journey full of confidence, full of the desire to prove herself capable to her parents. However, as she sat on the riverbank surrounding the bonfire, she started thinking about her parents. What were they thinking at the moment? How would they react to the news that their daughter had embarked on a dangerous journey without their consent?

Rossa had to smile at the last one. Even though she could see how pointless it was, the act of rebellion still sent shivers down her spines. She still wanted to go to Elyia, if for nothing else than to know she had accomplished something that she had set out to do, but the feeling of no turning back was gone. She no longer felt like running away from her city and her home.

The nightwatch had started and majority of the lizard folks had fallen asleep. The humans were gracefully spared the duty of night watch, but they stayed up and talked. The few months of living together, facing the harsh grass plains and having no one else to turn to except each other had made the three into some sort of true comrades. Rossa and Han'li still did not see eye to eye about certain things, but they had learnt to count on each other. Since forming the truce with the lizard folks, the three human had recovered some of their possessions with the help of the tribe. The food stuff they gladly shared with the lizard folks as a token of goodwill, the relic however, even though proved useless, they kept.

At the brink of dawn, as the sun again rose from their side of the river, the conversations had come to a halt, and all three were looking across the river with tired eyes.

It was Peli who first spotted the small black moving figure on the water surface. Like a sharp knife which sliced through the flat surface of silk cloth, the black dot glided through the river and became bigger.

When it was big enough to be seen clearly, the travellers found out it was actually a small boat. Only one person was on the boat and he seemed to head right at the direction of the camp.

“Must be the person the lizard folks were expecting!” Peli was excited to the prospect of meeting another human.

It took a while for the visitor to reach this side of the river. By which time most of the lizard folks had woken up and was ready for the trade.

The man seemed surprised to see other humans among the lizard folks, but he did not say much. Instead he carried on with exchanging goods with the lizard folks. His wares were mostly iron-made weapons which obviously were much prized by the lizard folks.

After the trading was done, the merchant lighted his smoking pipe and turned to the three humans waiting impatiently at the side.

“Heya, what business are you guys about?”

“Erm, we are going to Elyia.” Peli said. “What is your name?”

“People simply called me the River merchant.” the 40-ish stocky man smiled, cascades of wrinkles lined his weathered face. “Elyia, eh?”

“Yes, you know the way?” Peli asked eagerly, something akin of hope brightened up his face.

“Of course. I once looked for the same place.” The river merchant smiled fondly at some distant memories.

“So have you reached Elyia? Can you tell me how to get there?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot. The way to Elyia might have changed. You have to find your own way!”

“Is it across the river?”

“Well, that is one way...”

“Can you help us cross the river?”

At which point, the River Merchant pointed at his small and shabby boat and laughed throatily, “Do you think such a small boat can carry so many people?”

“We can make a boat ourselves.” Rossa said calmly.

“Do you know how to?” The River merchant winked.

“No, but we will figure something out.”

“Well, I can help you with building a new boat, if you want. But once you have crossed the river, you'll have to give me the new boat, what do ya think?”

“Fair!” Peli said before someone else could react. Not that anyone was likely to object at this point.

Possessions, as the troupe discovered, sometimes were really useless except for sentimental reasons.

XXX

It took a week or so to build a new boat under the instructions of the River Merchant. The lizard folks had left them with the Merchant after observing their actions, and no doubt decided that the humans were up to something silly. They left behind a sack of food stuff as goodbye gift, and then proceeded to go about their own business leading their own life.

By then, all the humans were quite adapt at surviving on this harsh plains. They used the encampment the lizard folks left behind as a base and started to build their means of crossing the great River.

The new boat, or rather a raft, was built of thick branches from the nearby low shrubs, and tied together with thick vines. They were quite happy that it floated on water.

As the sun rose again on this side of the river, 4 humans embarked on the newly built raft and started crossing the river, it was beautiful to see the raft left the shore and floated towards the horizon of unknown future.

What awaited on the other side? Not even the River Merchant could claim to know the answer.

Peli's Journey : Chapter 4

Rossa felt uneasy with a legendary Relic in hand. It was surreal, holding something so precious in her hands. Relics like these, she thought, should only belong to the rich and powerful; people with certain stature and position in the Society. Somehow she felt unfitted to hold the Lamp of Lambrahsia.

On the other hand, there was a sense of excitement. It felt like she stood at the edge of the cliff, and there was nothing between her and the world of greatness; an interesting mix of fear and anticipation.

It was thus akin to a dull thud to the solid earth when she realized that the Lamp does nothing, as far as showing her direction goes.

It was the first night out of the city of Yan when she took out the Lamp, with great reverence, and… well, she didn’t know what to do with it, so she just held it in her hand. How could a lamp show direction? Maybe it would shoot out a light beam and point at the general direction? Rossa carefully placed the Lamp on top of her palm. Maybe the Lamp would rotate and point at the correct direction like a compass. Or maybe there was some kind of secret map engraved on the body of the Lamp. Rossa tried everything she could with the Lamp. Shaking it, rubbing it, staring at it, talking to it, every possible action one could take with a living or non-living object.

Nothing really came.

When she lay exhausted in the back of the cart, the holy Lamp discarded aside out of frustration, she was confronted with an overwhelming sense of loss and fear.

What would happen if the Lamp could not show her the direction? How would she carry on? She had no idea what’s the world out of Yan looked like, she had no idea where to go. And of all her preparation, she did not bring a map. She just assumed that the Lamp will lead her to where she wanted to go!

She had to come up with something. Those two young men would soon come to her for directions, and somehow, she must have a direction to give when the inevitable question come.

XXX

The road leading out of the City of Yan was a wide and well maintained dirt-packed thoroughfare. The cart could travel fast and steady on it. However, it soon came to an abrupt end. It almost looked like the road was chopped off by a sharp cleaver: the end of the road hung alone among muddy low-grassland. A small, shabby guard post stood alone at the end of the path.

Rossa stepped down from the cart and approached the guard post.

<>

An old man emerged from the guard post and greeted Rossa with a warm smile.

“Where are you and your friends going, M’lady?”

“We are leaving for Elyia.”

“Ah, but there is nothing from here on!” The old guard cackled wildly, “This is the end of the world!”

“Huh?” All three travellers were caught off guard by that remark.

“I mean, there is nothing out here except endless grassland.” The old guard waved his hands in wide arch, indicating the surrounding marshland. “No one who ventured forth ever came back.”

“But we know people who came from Elyia!” Peli exclaimed with great indignant.

“Hehe, Elyia is just a fictional name used to cheat innocent kids into leaving their comfortable home! It’s all a big lie” The old man had a wild look in his eyes.

“But… but…” Peli stammered.

“Look, have you ever been to Elyia?”

“Well, no, but we are heading there…”

“How many people that you know have been to Elyia? Have you seen maps or books about it?”

“Uh…”

“My Lady, with all due respect, you came from the city of Yan, has anyone talked about it except as a subject in the Collegia?”

“I am not aware if there’s any source other than the Collegia.” Rossa replied coldly. Inside, she was shaken.

“See, it’s all just fables!” the old man grin widely and showed his yellow, dirty teeth. “And my job here is actually to tell lost kids like you to go back home and stop pursuing groundless dreams!”

The three young travellers looked at each other, lost for words.

“You are not getting anywhere. Look, there’s nowhere to go except back!”

Looking around, Peli could tell it was true, at least as it appears. There was not a visible path continuing from here, and everything was just hidden.

“We will go ahead.” Rossa said with a stone face.

After discovering that the Relic had no magical property, and that it might be possible that she could go nowhere, and that she did not know the way, she however could not imagine returning to her city and her home in disgrace. After all, there were another two young men here on their way to Elyia, and that she just might reach there tagging along.

“Haha, but where would you go?” The old man smirked, eyes twinkling with mischievous glint. “Where could you go? You cart can’t even get past this point!”

“We don’t need the cart.” Han’li said without much emotion. He was surveying the grassland and realized he could survive on this grassland. It wasn’t something he was familiar, to be sure, but he noticed movement and disturbance among the low shrubs and bushes that suggested life. And he believed that anywhere he could see life, he could survive.

“I am quite sure how to live on this plain. We can figure out the way later. But we are leaving the cart behind.” Han’li said with distracted authority.

“There must be something we have to bring along.” Rossa said, desperately clutching to her Lamp.

“Well, each of us can carry a sack of whatever the person can carry, but that’s all. We need some food stuff and water, but that’s all I really recommend.”

At this point, the old man interjected.

“Hold, hold, ye all. So you are determined to go?”

“Yes, sir, I guess we are.” Peli said politely.

“Well then, can’t stop fools from chasing after gold. Haha. Here’s what I’ll offer you. Leave all the stuff you can’t bring along with me, I’ll provide u with all the food and water you need.”

<>

The rest of the day was spent sorting out and packing things to bring along. Rossa couldn't carry much weight, if at all. She was so used to having servant to help her with her burden that the sole idea of carrying her own sack repulsed her. However, she was told by Han'li in no uncertain term that if she didn't carry her own share of food, she might not live.

What was interesting was that she did not think of turning back, even when confronted with the possibility of losing her way and dying in the grassland. Challenge from Han'li only made her more determined than ever to prove that she could undertake the journey.

An old saying goes, “we were all once immortal at the age of 20”. For Rossa, it definitely felt that way. Intellectually she knew the possibilities of death, but the concept of death seemed so far away and surreal, that she might as well had been an immortal.

With the cart parked nicely beside the old shabby guard post, the troupe of three left to walk through the grassland with nothing but their respective provisions on their shoulders.

Han'li took the lead. He felt invigorated by the presence of nature. The man-made structures of the City of Yan stifled him, while the vastness of nature released him. Every senses became acute, the movement among the shrubs, the distant noise made by unknown animals, the mixed scent of various animals and plants carried by the wind, all made him very aware of his surrounding.

The grassland seemed peaceful, but his experience told him that there might be hidden danger, which might also mean there might be opportunities for new discovery. The combination of both excited Han'li.

<>

There were path hidden under the low grass, animal trails which led towards water source, and for Han'li the first order of the day was to find a safe place to make an encampment, only then can the next step be planned.

The other two of the troupe followed silently, each buried deep in his or her own thoughts.

Peli was beginning to doubt whether he could ever reach his destination. For him, the arriving and leaving had become his life. He could no longer stopped at a place for long, unless he reached Elyia. Even then, he was beginning to realize maybe it wasn't the end of the journey.

Rossa, on the other hand, was determined to make it to Elyia and back to Yan, so that she could prove to her parents, the collegia, and perhaps the whole city, that she was better than all of them. Or maybe she just wanted to prove to herself that she was good enough. She didn't know which, but she kept telling herself she would not turn back until her goals were accomplished, and she kept telling herself that she would never regret her decision.

Han'li soon realized that the low grassland was dotted with pockets of quicksands, and it would be hard to find clean water source. And rare water source would be visited by many animals, which no doubt included predatory animals which could threatened the life of the three travellers. They would need weapon, but beside some small knifes primarily used for cutting, Han'li had not prepared any weapon. In the forest, the hardwood used to provide the perfect material for wooden spears, but the soft and tender branches of the low shrubs probably could not make a convincing and effective weapon.

He had to improvised and adapted his hunting skills to the new condition of the grassland.

That particular question was soon rendered irrelevant. Or rather, it was to be made into another problem when they stumbled upon the lake hidden amongst the long grass.

The Lake was surrounded by low shrubs and various form of low vegetations, which sort of hid it from the view of the travellers. Once they had gotten pass the curtains of vegetation, however, the Lake that presented itself was majestic.

It filled the view of the travellers, extending to as far as the eye could see, and seemingly blended into the far sky. Han'li squated down and tasted the water.

“It was clean and safe to drink.” He said, indicating the surrounding with a swipe of his right hand. “We need to look for a place to camp. A higher ground, perhaps.”

While they were busy surveying the ground, Peli suddenly heard a strange hissing sound. He quickly alerted his party:

“Han, you heard anything strange?”

At this point, Han'li had realized something was wrong, but before he could do anything, a grassrope lasso flew out of nowhere and trapped him. And like a well rehearsed dance, the second and third lasso flew out of the shrubs surrounding the swamps and trapped Rossa and Peli respectively.

It was too late to struggle but to prepare to meet their captor. They were not kept waiting for long; lizard-like folks, with the height of half a matured man's body, emerged from the surrounding shrubs. They were dressed in simple clothing made of leaves and grass, and wielded primitive weapons made by sharpened bones. There were about 10 or them and they approached the three trapped human tentatively, their scaly snout twitched nervously, and their yellow eyes flickered with something akin to doubt.

Rossa was scared, and when she was afraid, she usually started talking. Even though she wasn't sure whether the lizard folks could understand what she was saying.

“Hey, please, we are just travellers going to Elyia. We mean no harm and we just want to get through in peace! You can have anything you want as long as you let us lived!”

She talked desperately, staring at these strange creatures pleadingly. On the other hand, the lizard folks stopped advancing and glanced at each other, obviously puzzled by the strange sound made by the female human.

Han'li quickly noticed that their communication was a series of hisses and clackers, and apparently they did not understand any human language. He also noticed that some of the lizard folks carried a sort of primitive blowpipe. From his own experience, these blowpipes were usually paired with poisonous darts. He used these blowpipe usually against bigger predators. That made him realized that these lizard folks were also hunters living on a harshland.

He started to survey the lasso that trapped them. It was made of three intertwined vines, and it seemed only half processed, as there was still some leaves left on the vines. Vines which were not cured could be easily broken as long as he had some time.

Rossa, and now Peli, had put up a credible effort to stalled the lizard folks, realizing that human language didn't work, Rossa and Peli contented themselves with making pleading sounds and gestures, whatever limited gesture they could make. The lizard folks seemed more hesitant, and the attention was diverted away from Han'li.

Han'li tried to hide behind the other two and inconspicuously attempted to loosen the lasso. Throughout the years he had developed a certain technique of flexing his muscles so that he could get out of tight spot, and if he could just loosen the vine ropes enough that it slipped to his wrist level, he was pretty sure he could break the vine ropes with sheer strength.

However, time wasn't always enough, and something else interjected and changed the scenario again. The new agent came in the form of a ferocious, and hungry tiger.

The tiger jumped out from a nearby shrubs, and neither party was aware of its presence because they were focusing on each other. Immediately one of the lizard folks were caught under the massive claws of the tiger while the rest scattered in all directions.

Rossa and Peli stared in horror and as Rossa let out a loud scream which startled the tiger, Han'li had successfully broken the vine ropes and freed himself. In hurry, some of the blowpipes were left on the ground. And Han'li quickly took up one of the blowpipes and immediately blow a dart at the tiger. That seemed to antagonize the tiger and the tiger switched its attention from the trapped, fainted lizard folks to Han'li. However, it also seemed to remind the rest of the lizard folks of their blowpipes, soon, several darts shoot out from the shrubs and stung the massive feline, anger it further. It tried to jump at Han'li, but Han'li evaded with great agility, at the same time he pushed his two companions who were still trapped to another shrubs to the side. He took out a short knife he kept closed to his inner thigh and prepared to fight the tiger. He knew if he ran, he might not be able to outstrip the tiger. Several more darts flew out from the shrubs and landed on the tiger. Some slipped off hitting the thick fur, a few stuck into the tender buttock.

Whatever the lizard folks coated on the dart, it surely took its time to show effect. Soon, the tiger seemed to wobble, and it tried to get away. However, it could no longer moved with great speed and after taking a few steps, it crumbled to the ground, either unconscious or dead.

Han'li did not take time to find out. Immediately he used his short knife to release the two trapped companions and pulled them running. It appeared the lizard folks had exhausted their darts, as the three companions ran away, no darts trailed their footsteps.

Rossa ran like there would be no tomorrow. It was the first time in her life she ran like a madwoman, not knowing where to go, not knowing where to stop. A tiny voice in her mind said to her, “This is crazy!” while her whole body knew if she stopped running she might not be able to run again.

Han'li, on the other hand, ran with a purpose. He was looking out for a safe place to hide, and just as they were about to run out of breath, he noticed a cavern hidden beneath large shrubs. It seemed like a sort of winter hideout of big animals like bear or wolves, but it didn't look occupied.

Han'li pulled the other two into the cave and three of them immediately slumped to the ground, panting, trying to recover from the run for their life.

Han'li's instinct was proven correct. There were dried bones scattered around, but there doesn't seemed to be any activities in the recent days.

It was a rather good hideout, as it was deep. And even though it was below ground level, it was still pretty dry. There was only a narrow entrance, which made for perfect night watch position. And being hidden under large shrubs meant that they would be well camouflage, and not easily spotted.

There would be plenty of space and time to recover and plan for the next step, as soon as they solved the issue of food, since all provisions were lost during the escape.

XXX

Fortunately Han'li and Peli were both rather experience hunters. Peli wasn't accustomed to facing off big predatory animals, but when it comes to finding food in the wild, he was pretty resourceful. Soon the two men gathered enough food for a few days just by surveying the surrounding shrubs. Han'li realized the grassland had an abundance of small animals like rabbits, bull frogs, snakes and various birds. Even edible fruits were easily found in the surrounding. That removed one of his worries.

Rossa was miserable. She was totally unaccustomed to the new situation. She was doubly glad that she was in the companionship of the two young “brutes”, as she realized she might just lose her life, stranded in this wild land with no skill whatsoever to speak of.

The sun began to sink in the west, and a small fire was started to roast the hunt of the day. The three ate their meals in silent, lost in the reverence of being alive.

As they were finishing the food, Peli started to speak distractedly.

“Somehow we must get through the grassland. Elyia was on the other side.”

“But how?” Rossa said in frustration.

“Well, you still had the lamp, u would know which way to go, won't you?” Peli said with a sudden renewed enthusiasm, realizing that Rossa had tied the lamp on to her belt all the while.

“Uh... it doesn't really show the direction.” Rossa threw her hands in the air. “I tried everything, it just did nothing!”

“Oh...” Peli was surprised, “But Sir Maheuw said...”

“He obviously knew nothing about it.” Rossa raised her voice.

“Well there was one way it can show the way.” Hanli interjected. “Throw it in the air and we'll go whichever way it points to.”

“Haha, you are so funny.” Rossa cackle drily. “If the situation wasn't so dire I might have enjoyed your humor.”

“I wasn't joking. It is one way we can use the lamp to decide a direction.” Han'li shrugged. “As long as we have a direction, we can just go.”

“Wait, how about we ask the lizard folks!” Peli exclaimed.

Rossa and Han'li looked at him like he had lost his mind.

“I know they don't understand our language, but they are not animals either! As long as they have intelligence, we can try to communicate! Right?”

“Erm... they tried to capture us if you can remember.” Han'li said, patting Peli's head with worry.

“Well, that maybe because they thought we were dangerous. Maybe that can change!”

“I seriously don't see how can you do it, but I guess it's no worse than using the holy Lamp as a coin toss.” Rossa commented with great irony.

“We'll figure something out, I believe. Let's just rest and tomorrow, we shall start our journey again.”

xxx

Peli and Han'li splitted the nightwatch duty among the two of them, Rossa having no experience living in the wild, and physically drained out.

The moon had just passed the middle of the sky when Peli woke Han'li up to change the shift.

<>

The vast grassland under the canopy of the peaceful night sky looked like a majestic ocean, which belied the danger hidden within. Peli wasn't sleepy when he woke Han'li up, so he decided to stay with Han'li for a while. The surrounding reminded him of the countless nights in the forest, when life was simply a concern of food and safety.

“Do you miss your life in the forest, Han?”

“No, not really.” Han'li replied without hesitation.

“You could have a peaceful and happy life in the forest, had I not dragged you into this foolish journey of mine.” Peli smiled, staring at Han'li.

“I wanted to come. After you arrived into the forest, I have realized it wasn't enough to simply live in my world. I want to share my life with someone else now.”

“Anyone?”

“I don't know. I have only really known you so far.”

“How about Rossa? What do you think of her?”

“I don't understand her. I think she needs to learn how to live on her own first.”

“I was reminded of myself when I first left my village when I saw her. We were so alike, helpless outside of the places and people we were used to.”

“You were willing to learn! She wasn't...”

“I almost died, remember? Could be a strong motivation to learn about surviving.”

Han'li laughed about it as he recalled the first time he saw Peli, half-dead in the forest. He still remembered clearly that was the first time he approached someone else.

Suddenly, Han'li heard a dull thud which stood out in the silent night. He stood up and looked around. Some distance away, the several lizard folks stood with the corpse of a tiger, apparently the same one who tried to eat them earlier in the day. The lizard folks appeared unarmed, but Han'li noticed subtle movement beneath the surrounding bushes.

Peli stood up and saw the same scene. He was excited.

“Do you think they are trying to show us something? Perhaps a truce of peace?”

“I can't tell.”

Han'li examined the lizard folks carefully. The few that showed themselves appeared nervous, their scaly tails and snouts twitching occasionally. But they seemed determined. They simply stood besides the corpse and did nothing.

“I can't tell whether it's a trap.”

“I don't think they need a trap if they mean any harm. They obviously had found us quite some time, and with their poisonous blow pipe they could easily have caught us.”

“Maybe they want us alive?”

“Maybe, but that will mean we have no immediate life danger!”

“So what do you suggest?”

“Let me go over and try to figure out something.” Peli said. “If anything isn't right, at least you can get away with Rossa and try to rescue me later.”

Han'li tried to object, but Peli had already started moving towards the small gathering of the lizard folks.

Truth be told, Peli wasn't so much afraid as thrilled. For some unknown reason, he did not feel threatened by the lizard folks. Perhaps it was in the nervous twitching of tails, but he realized he could trust them.

He probably wasn't realizing it but as he was walking towards the lizard folks, he was smiling, and when he stood by the corpse, he felt no danger. Somehow he could tell the lizard folks were smiling back at him.

He stuck out a hand, open palm, and waited. The lizard folks looked at each other, and finally one of them put out a claw.

The claw and the the hand clasped, and a truce had been reached.

The key to the grass plain had been found.

Peli's Journey : Chapter 3

The City of Yan was like nothing Peli had seen before. Not that he had seen any other settlements besides his own Village of Alyssia. Yet, all the stories Peli heard could not prepare him for the grandeur of Yan.

The city of Yan was separated into the outer city and the inner city by a sprawling old stone wall. When Peli emerged from the forest with Han'li and saw Yan for the first time, he did not think much of it. From afar, it looked similar to Alyssia. That impression slowly changed as the two companions approached the city. The vast stretch of farms and orchards that formed the outermost rim of the outer city slowly gave way to dirty industries, most of which Peli had never seen before. That was when Peli started realizing the true size of the City of Yan. The true shock came as they were approaching the stone walls. The 4-men tall edifice encompassed the inner city liked an old and protective dragon. And that must had been the first time Peli saw a real wall up close.

While Peli was assaulted by all the new experiences, Han'li, who had seen the city from afar for many times, was experiencing another emotion. Sure, he was impressed when seeing everything upclose for the first time, but the stronger emotion was that of fear. He found it discomforting to be around so many other human beings. It made him wanted to run screaming to the nearest tree. Unconsciously, he nervously placed a hand on the Peli's shoulder. That man he knew, and that man was safe.

The Gate Sentry let them entered the inner city without challenge. The inner city was even more extravagant. Milling crowd filled the cobble stone streets, and all kinds of merchant shops were doing their best to attract the attention of passer-by. The result was a total cacophony for Han'li. He gripped the shoulder of Peli tightly, and his palm started to sweat. Immediately, Peli noticed the changed in Han'li and reacted by patting his hand. Everything was new and exciting, but scary at the same time. They walked to the market square, and that was where they encountered their third fellow traveller: Rossa.

Xxx

Rossa grew up in the city of Yan. Both her parents sat at the city council. She grew up with the expectation from both her parents that one day she should become a city chancellor. She was given the best education, and all the material needs was fulfilled.

That didn't change the fact that she was an unhappy and angry young lady. Sometimes, she was so frustrated and angry that she was prone to violence. Yet, she could not articulate what she was angry about.

Her parents had always told her to be calm and controlled, and be collected. In truth, she did not want that. All she really wanted was like the other kids running freely in the wild, but she was always being piled up with requirements and enrichment studies from her parents. “No space and time for games” was her parents' favorite line.



That afternoon, she had decided to take a break from her daily routine. She sneaked out of her house with a fantasy novel tucked under her arms. She felt a surge of rebellious delight reading what her parents would considered junk. Pitiful, actually, that she had to resort to such trivia matters to express her discontent. But of course, it was something important to her.

She walked towards the market square, where she could be lost among the crowd, dressed in purposefully chosen nondescript clothing.

There was a part of town centre garden which became her favorite hiding spot: a sharp corner tucked nicely behind a tall and big willow tree. The low wall of the garden which formed the corner allowed her to conceal herself pretty well while observing passer-by. She could sometime spend the whole afternoon just looking at people; somehow she was calmed by other people, especially those who moved with a purpose.

That afternoon, however, after she settled down, her attention was immediately caught by two unique figures that moved among the market square crowd.

They were two young men, wearing very crude clothing made of various animal skins, the slightly smaller build one appeared enthralled, the taller one who placed his hand protectively over the other's shoulder appeared nervous. They looked like two wild men who were accidentally released in the city.

She followed their movement for a while, until something caught her eyes. It was a glint of metal under the sun. Apparently the smaller guy was carrying something in his sack.

Rossa was intrigued enough to act on impulse. She quickly moved from her hiding place and approached the two young men.

“What are you carrying in your sack?” She stood in front of the shorter guy and asked, without any explanation.

The two guys seemed shocked, but the shorter one quickly reacted

“Nothing, it was just a bronze lamp.”

“Can I see it?”

The two guys glanced at each other nervously, until finally the short-one licked his lips nervously and agreed, “Here you go...”

xxx

Peli and Han'li were a bit taken aback when this beautiful and refine young lady approached them. She seemed like a princess, although Peli had only heard stories about princesses. Even though she dressed like a commoner, the way she carried herself commanded obedience. So when she asked to see Peli's possessions, he only hesitated for a while. After all, these were only junk he just could not bear to throw away.

So when he showed her the bronze lamp, he did not expect such a dramatic reaction. He basically saw this refined young lady suddenly opened her eyes wide in shock and her gripped on the bronze lamp tightened.

“What was it?” Peli asked in concern...

XXX

Never in her life did she expected to see this relic. “What was it?”

“You have no idea what this is?” She asked the two young men again.

The two shook their head in synchronization.

“This is one of the long lost royal relic of the City of Yan!” Rossa exclaimed “One of the oldest, and definitely one of the most valuable one.”

“Ohh...” Peli was a bit dumbfounded.

“where did you get it?” Rossa was wild with excitement. Such a relic would mean untold wealth!

“A traveller passed it on to me. He told me it can provide warmth and light, but it didn't really work, so... I didn't think much of it.”

“Well, according to legends, it used to be the source of the Holy Fire. But legends are just legends. Nonetheless, it is still one of the most prized relic of our City. The Lamp of Lambrahsia.”

Suddenly Rossa swirled to the two young men.

“What would you want in exchange of the lamp?” Her fierce intensity gave Peli and Han'li a fright.

“Uhm.. I am to deliver something to Maheuw of Collegia of Yan City, and I am travelling to the Elyia next, so I will give you the lamp if you can point me to the right direction.” Peli said. Truth be told, he was a bit scared of the fiery young lady in front of him, but he needed help to get around. No doubt the lamp was valuable to this City, so why not asked for something in return?

That was in sharp contrast to what Peli used to do in the Village of Alyssia. There, he was contented to receive any reward that the villagers offers for his help. But with a destination in mind, he knew what to ask for.

“Collegia, not a problem. I can lead you there right away. Elyia, I have never heard of, but the scholars in the Collegia will surely know. And I will offer to supply you with provision for your journey! Is that a deal?” Rossa could not believe her luck. Something of immense value in exchange for something so trivial! Her heart danced wildly with ambition. Imagine what kind of power she would have over her parents! She could demand to move away and have a mansion of her own. She could be independent of their control, and do what she wanted. This relic would be used to buy her freedom.

“Deal, I guess.” Peli nodded. Something was going on in the mind of this lady. She was agitated, but Peli somehow found it amusing and intimidating at the same time.

“Let's go!” Without realizing it, Rossa grabbed the wrist of both men and hastily strode towards the Collegia.

XXX

The collegia of Yan had a reputation of being the source and destination of all knowledge. Or at least all citizens of Yan believed so. The Scholars in the Collegia are expected to answer all questions.

Scholar Maheuw definitely looked like he knew the answer to every question. A wise, old man, he moved with a quiet deliberation which gave others an impression of thoughtfulness. He had long, fine beard and hair which are all white, and blend nicely with his silvery robe.

When Peli handed him the black rock, sorrow shadowed his face.

“Another seeker perished, and when will one return with a message from Elyia?” He muttered, staring ahead to an unknown time and space.

“We are going to Elyia.” Peli said softly. The old man seemed so authoritative that he dared not speak louder than that. “But we do not know the way!”

Maheuw shook his head slowly, and his eyes fixed on Rossa and what she was clutching tightly at her side.

“The lamp.” Maheuw pointed at the lamp. “A citizen of Yan carrying that lamp can show others the way to Elyia.”

Rossa goes “What!?” at the remark. She never expected herself to become part of the journey!

“You must bring this seeker rock with you, because it will guide you back to Yan, but you must travel to Elyia. Without you, they will not find the way.”

“Well, someone else can do it. I am not interested.” Rossa felt annoyed. Again! Another request, another expectation. Every inch of her body felt rebellious.

“Yes, but that would mean you have to part with the lamp and go back to whatever was it that you did at your home.” Suddenly, the kindly stare of Maheuw became something else. Something predatory, and compelling. His eyes seemed to bore a hole into the soul of Rossa.

“That is not what you want.”

Rossa felt exposed. She quickly realized there was no lying in front of the old man, and admitted freely.

“My parents would never allow me to get out of their sight. I can do anything just to be free from their grip. And expectation.”

Smiling, Maheuw replied.

“No one can imprison you but yourself. If you wanted to be free so much, what is stopping you from leaving right this moment?”

Rossa shrugged, a bit too forcefully, and said,

“What can I do? Where can I go? Wouldn't they be heart-broken if I was gone? I mean, how can I do that?”

“Now that you have a perfect reason to go and leave, would you do that?”

“I... uh, how would I survive outside of my house? How could I survive on my own?” Rossa blurted out.

“Well, wouldn't you want to find out?” Maheuw spoke with a twinkle in his eyes. “Hire this two young men as your guards, and that should provide some security, wouldn't it? After all, they seemed quite skilled to live in the wild!”

“I came from the wild.” Han'li, who had been quiet, suddenly said, “there will be no problem.”

Rossa casted a glance at Han'li, “It is not just the wilderness. We will be meeting new people, learning new cultures and customs! And obviously brutes like you could not appreciate.”

Han'li crossed his arms and turned away from Rossa. That wasn't a good start.

“You can come with us!” Peli exclaimed, “we will take care of one another, and you can lead us to Elyia with your lamp.”

“You come with me, not the other way round.” Rossa lifted a finger. “After all, I am the lamp holder, not either of you.”

Han'li just threw his hands in disgust. Not that Rossa noticed anything.

“So you'll undertake the journey?” Maheuw asked.

“Oh yes, wise one. As you said, this is the perfect excuse to get away from my parents. I trust that you will have a word with my parents.” Rossa could not afford to be challenged without throwing something back.

“Definitely, if that's what you want. Here, take this.” Maheuw pressed the black rock into the palm of Rossa. “It will bring you home.”

“So... I guess I have to start preparation right this moment! You two, better follow me tightly, you don't want to get lost!”

As Rossa walked out of the Collegia with the two young men in tow, Maheuw looked on with a fond smile on his face. Fate really was a trickster that sprung surprises at every corner. Rossa did not know what she had to do, yet she might have embarked on a journey which will change the city forever.

Maheuw fished a small, black rock out of his robe, and for a moment, he let himself immersed in the reminiscence of his own journey, all these years ago. It was time, that someone else should travel the old path, and came back to tell the new stories.

Xxx

Usually when a group of people who were supposed to travel together started quarrelling, it usually meant the journey would be difficult. So when Rossa started making a big fuss out of preparation, and Han'li started getting impatient, Peli was totally perplexed.

“Of course we'll need to bring sufficient dress. You'll never know who you'll meet during the journey. Not to mention provisions and sleeping arrangement. We better hire a cart.”

“A cart?! No way. We make do in the forest!”

“Ha! Forest? There is no more forest to the west of the town. And I am the lamp bearer, so only I know the way.”

“Well, you've never lived outside the city before.”

“I have read about it. I know exactly what to do, so if you would just listen to my instruction, we can get on the way.”

At that point of the argument, Peli interrupted. He placed a hand on Han'li's shoulder and said quietly,

“We need to get on the road, let's do what she wants us to do and be done with it. We need a way to Elyia.”

Han'li still looked flustered, but he stopped arguing.

“Well, the small one is smarter, apparently. So, please follow me to the market and we'll get the necessary provisions.”

The three proceeded to the market square. The preparation exercise itself was an eye opener to Han'li, who had never been to any kind of human settlement. He stayed nervously closed to Peli all the time. Peli, who at least had some form of previous experience in Alyssia, still found the whole experience daunting.

People moved about with haste, always carrying something to another place. Most conversed in a quick, impatient tone, and from time to time arguments burst out of nowhere.

Rossa on the other hand, was in element. She moved about in confidence, pushing people aside to get to her destination. People seemed to fear her. There was something about the way she carried herself that just seemed to command respect from others.

Soon she reduced the two young men as obedient followers who obediently carried items she purchased.

At the end of the whole preparation, when the two young men looked at the mountains of provisions, blanket, dresses, supplies that piled on a mule cart, they were surprised by the amount of things the three of them managed to accumulate within half a day.

Rossa looked at her spoil with a huge sense of pride.

“We are well prepared for the journey. There will be no problem reaching Elyia.” and then she could return with the Lamp of Lambrahsia and planned her life in her own way.

“I would be sitting in the cart, so two of you take turn to drive the cart. For the convenience of all of us, you can have the front half of the cart, but the back half belonged exclusively to me.”

Funny it never occurred to Rossa that she might need protection from these two young “brutes”, as she saw them. But of course, none of them, including the two “brutes” realized any issue there. A queer thing, truth be told, yet of all her preparation, Rossa did not take time to understand her travel companions.

The city slowly quieted down after a busy day, as street lamps started dotting the cobblestone streets, the busy people of Yan slowly returned home, each carrying their spoils of the day, calculating gain and loss.

A lonely mule cart, carrying the three travellers, left the almost empty market square behind, left the yawning gate guard behind, left the weary citizens of Yan behind, and started the journey to the legendary Elyia.

Peli's Journey : Chapter 2

“The journey of a thousand mile starts with a single step.” - Lao Tsu, Ancient China.

Peli stepped into a new world.

Life in Alyssia was simple and adequate. The sea produced enough food to feed the whole village, and everyone had his own role. It was hard life, but everyone was contented.

The dark forest that surrounded the village acted like a natural wall; to the residents of Alyssia, it might as well have been one.

However, Peli realized for the first time how little he knew about the forest that was so close to his life.

Tall and ancient trees shattered the sky; sun ray sneaked through the dense canopy creating splinters of bright spots on the ground. The dirt path snaked among the trees, seemingly going nowhere.

Walking along the path, Peli was possessed by a feeling he had never experienced before. The excitement made every sense acute, and the air seemed charged with energy as he strode with great anticipation. Adventure was the name of the game. He felt almost invincible equipped with the three artefacts the strange traveller had given him.

However, as the day wore on, Peli began to feel doubts creeping in. He started to wonder whether the artefacts really worked. He shook the ivory cone, and it didn't feel like there's anything inside. The feelings of great excitement slowly faded away, and was replaced by a sense of dread. What if the artefacts did not work? But he was resolved to continue the journey. For some unknown reason, he wanted to continue despite not knowing what the future held. There would be no turning back.

When darkness fell over it was almost unnoticeable until after the fact. The surrounding seemed to have been dipped into a pool of dark blue, and everything seemed to blend into one another. Peli stopped in the track, and sat down against a tree. He took out the brass lamp and started to rub the lamp.

He rubbed three times on the left side of the lamp, nothing happened. He tried again on the right side, nothing happened. Fear and anger coiled in his stomach like a cold, poisonous snake. He had been cheated. That was the first thought that came across Peli's mind. These were no magical artefacts!

He raised the lamp into the air and prepared to smash it. But somehow he didn't had the heart to do it. Perhaps that was because the lamp, no matter how useless, was still one of his few possessions. Besides, a more urgent matter would be the safety and sustenance of the night. If the lamp did not work, the rest would not work too, so he would have no food and no safety for the night.

The only way to get through the night was to stay on top of a tree. Peli looked around and settled for a tree with relatively low branch. He settled against a branch that was strong enough to hold his weight. The cloak was made of fine wool, and although tattered, it still provided sufficient warmth in this chilly night. Despite hunger and dread, exhaustion proved too much for Peli, and he fell asleep in the wilderness for the first time in his life, outside the safety of Alyssia.

Daybreak saw an even hungrier Peli climbing down the tree wearily. He did not get much rest, but he regained enough energy to find some food. The only problem was that he did not know how to find food in the wilderness.

Strange fruits and mushrooms were abound in the forest, but he dared not eat. Old people from Alyssia often warned children away from unknown fruits and mushrooms. Some was poisonous enough to kill a grown man, they had always said.

Thus Peli was almost unconscious with hunger when Han'li the Hunter found him.

Han'li had stayed in this forest for all of his life. Even though he was only 18 of age, he was great at living in the forest. Foraging, Hunting, Trapping, skinning, making coats from animals' fur, in short, he was a great huntsman. He had never seen another human being except for his father who died when he was 10, and occasion travellers through the forest. Those travellers he left alone. He didn't know why, but he didn't like to meet new people. The forest was his to roam, but he roamed alone. Travellers were passer-by, but he was the owner.

So he felt strange that morning when he was compelled to reach out to the prostrated figure. That was not the first time travellers fell in his forest. Every time he hesitated to reach out, and when he made a decision it was usually too late: either the traveller had found a solution and carried on his journey, or the traveller had gone beyond the point where help was of any use. So this time, Han'li did not hesitate, he walked over to the stranger lying half-concious on the ground and picked him up.

Peli felt someone lifted him up, but he had no more strength to find out who it was. After a while, he felt warm soup being fed into his mouth and he lapped it up eagerly. With some substance in his stomach, he slowly gained a feeble hold on reality and took a good look at his rescuer. The rough young man had a roguish face and an innocent demeanour. He was holding a wooden bowl that was filled with meat broth, and was grinning widely.

“Han'li,” the rescuer pointed at himself.

“Hi, my name is Peli.” Peli said weakly.

“Have some more!” Han'li pushed the bowl into Peli laps, which Peli gratefully drank up.

Han'li looked at this new stranger who called himself Peli drank the meat broth eagerly, and felt a new sense of contentment: a pure joy he had never experienced before.

“Why are you here?” Han'li asked, staring at Peli intently.

“Well, I uh... I want to go to Elyia. It lies at the end of this path. But I wasn't really ready for the journey...”

“Elyia? Where is that?” Han'li asked with a frown. He had roamed the forest and knew all the towns that surrounded the forest, but none with the name of Elyia.

“I don't know. It's quite far away, I guess.”

“End of this path is the city of Yan, not Elyia. North is a small village of Narkhain, South has two villages, Jarumi and Kuhn. No Elyia.”

Peli was a bit shaken, but he quickly remembered one thing.

“Someone came from Elyia and he passed through this way, so maybe Elyia is further away!” The thought that the “someone” had given him three fake artefacts did not occur to Peli.

“Maybe,” Han'li shrugged, “But you need food, and hunting skills. You will die out there.”

Peli fell silent. It was foolish not to think of the consequences, but he had travelled a long distance, and to return to his old life would be unthinkable.

“Would you help me?” Peli asked in earnest. “You seemed really good with surviving in the wild.”

Han'li gave a big grin and nodded his head, “Sure!”

XXX

The next two month saw Peli living with Han'li in his small wooden cabin. Everyday, Peli went hunting with Han'li. He learnt about different kind of edible fruits, he learned about laying traps, he learned about making simple hunting tools and using them, he learned about starting a fire, he learned many things about surviving in the wild alone.

But above all, he learned about Han'li and himself. He learned about a genuine and simple young man of his age, living alone in the forest for all his life. So different from his, yet so similar. Because even though Peli lived together with the village people, in his heart he had always felt alone. Partly because he was an orphan, partly also because he did not feel attracted to Alyssia's main activity: fishing. He felt much more alive learning how to hunt and live on his own from Han'li.

In a sense, Han'li was the family Peli never had.

For Han'li, the whole experience was a new one. Somehow it reminded him of the days he had lived with his father, yet it was different. This time, he provided the knowledge and guidance he had received from his father, and it felt good. There was an inexplicable sense of satisfaction as he watched Peli learned the rope of living in the wild.

The two young men grew close, but it was an incident which transformed the relationship.

Han'li was out hunting alone, while Peli stayed behind at the cabin to make some dried meat out of a deer they had hunted the day before. Peli started to get worried when the night arrived and Han'li was nowhere to be seen. He started a fire and waited for Han'li to return. The first time in his life, he experienced anxiety. Of course he could not name it, but the whole agitated and unsettled feeling was totally new to him.

When finally Han'li limped back to the cabin, Peli ran towards him with a sigh of relief and new worries. What had happened to Han'li?

Turned out, it was an unfortunate meeting with a wild boar who had just given birth. Han'li managed to escape from her, but not without some serious injuries on his thigh.

Peli was distressed. He did his best to dress the wounds, but it didn't look like Han'li was going to be able to do anything besides lying still.

Han'li was relieved. Again, having someone waiting for his return at his cabin evoked a quint warmth in his heart. At the same time, he felt safe with Peli. He had not realized how much he missed another human's company until then.

For the following 3 weeks, there was a reversal of role. From the student, Peli became the caregiver, while Han'li was resigned to be taken care of. A special bond was created through this experience: For Peli, that was the first time he had taken care of anyone else besides himself. That was the first time he felt strong enough to protect another. For Han'li, it called up the memory of a not-so-distance past, when his father was taking care of him.

For both, it meant the first time they have felt that another person matters. Han'li was too young and was trained too well to understood the implication of his father's death. And He was mostly concerned with survival. However, another human being had walked into his life, and it made him realized the importance of companionship.

So it was that during these 3 weeks, these two young men had become real kin. It seemed like Peli would have a comfortable future in the forest, alongside Han'li.

Yet, there came a day when Peli was reminded of his journey.

One day, Peli was hunting on his own. when he stumbled upon the body of a man. The man seemed to have just died, as the body had not started decaying yet, and he was clutching something in his hands. Out of curiosity, Peli pried open the stiffened hands and took out a black stone and a note. The note read:

“My journey is coming to an end, but the stone must be returned to the City of Yan. Maheuw of Collegia would know the stone. Whoever sees this, I implore you, fulfill my dying wish.”

The black stone looked similar to the one Peli received from the mysterious stranger from Elyia.

That night, Peli told Han'li that he would be leaving for the city of Yan, and maybe further.

Han'li felt a strange sadness upon hearing the Peli's declaration. He had grown used to having Peli at his side as a company. It was strange, but he could not remembered how it felt to live without companionship.

“Why do you have to go?”

“Well, I want to deliver some stones to some people. So I have to go to Yan City.”

“what kind of stones?”

“Just black stones. Nothing special as far as I can tell.”

“So why go? Why not just stay in this forest and enjoy life?”

“Maybe...”

This simple question got Peli thinking. Why? Indeed.

“Maybe it's because of a promise. I promise someone to deliver the stone to Elyia. And I also want to fulfill the dying wish of a fellow traveller.”

“hrm.. Will you come back to this forest and be with me after you deliver the stone?”

A pregnant pause filled the air as Peli frowned in deliberation. It took a while before he replied,

“I really don't know. I might, but I might also die on the road. I might end my journey somewhere else. So I cannot promise you.”

“Oh...”

“Why don't you come with me? I think I need your help.”

“But I have never left this forest before! What would I do if I leave the forest?”

Suddenly Peli thought of the conversation he had with the stranger at the entrance of Alyssia. Hearing similar words from another person reminded him of how far he had come, away from the sleepy village of Alyssia. That brought a quiet smile onto his face while he stared at Han'li. The strong face of Han'li was softened by the dim light, and for a moment, Peli saw the child beneath the appearance of a man.

“Do you want to come with me, Han?”

“Yes, but...”

“Well, you have a choice. You can either stay back and let me go alone and wait for me to return, not knowing whether I am still alive, or you can come with me, and we'll face whatever that came together.”

Han'li was silent. For all of his mastery in the forest, he felt scared. Anything beyond the forest was unknown, and Han'li did not like the unknown; He knew every crooks and nooks in the forest. Yet, would he want to let Peli leave alone and go back to living a solitary life?

“I will go with you to the City of Yan. Maybe further, but I don't know.”

“Great! I could use some more pointers on my aiming skills...”

The orange sky of the evening quietly gave way to the starry, cloudless night sky. As the two young men sat in front of their wooden cabin chattering away merrily about the future, the air hummed with anticipation. The small bonfire on the clearing in front of the cabin burned for the last time, the light and warmth encompassed the two young bodies, making them glowed against the dark and mysterious forest.

The pit stop was over. When the day broke, the wooden cabin would stand alone in the forest with the ashes of the extinguished bonfire from previous night, its occupants departed on their next journey.

The forest was quiet and calm as usual, but as the songbirds sang the praise for the rising sun, they seemed unusually chirpy.

Peli's Journey : Chapter 1

Nightfall.

The summer night had always been too hot and humid for Peli. Wearing nothing but a pair of short pants, he sat on a large, flat rock near the village entrance and looked over to the dirt path that leads towards the forest. He had always wondered where would the road lead. Alyssia was surrounded on three sides by forest, and a big, sapphire ocean to the east. The only land route that arrived in Alyssia came through the single dirt path. In fact, the only reason why there was any land route into Alyssia was the occasion arrival of pilgrims and travellers, since Alyssia rely on its robust sea trade. Most of its residents were sea-faring sailors and fish-hunters by trade, having taught since childhood that learning the sea trade was the only way to live.

Peli was a bit different. He was brought up as an orphan. In fact, no one in the village had ever told him how he arrived to the village. Thus, when he decided that he was not at all that interested in faring the sea, he was met with no objection.

What ultimately captured his attention was the single dirt path leading to the forest. Where did it lead? Why had no one leave the village via the path? The questions kept coming.

There were many stories about the forest.

Some said it was haunted, that the King’s army had slain a group of bandits and the ghost of the bandits were roaming the forest, extracting revenge from any soul unfortunate enough to set foot in the forest.

Some said a coven of witches and warlocks lived in the forest, and they preyed upon travellers who were not aware.

Some said deep within the forest laid the fountain of wisdom and that whoever drank from the fountain will achieve enlightenment.

And of course, the most popular legends said that the path leads to Elyia, a mythical place which was not unlike heaven in the minds of the people of Alyssia.

Despite all these, Peli was simply curious about the path itself. There was something compelling about the lone path. Sometime he thought of himself as that worn, deserted, forlorn path. Neglected, forgotten, but had so much hidden within. Peli had just reached the age of 18 last night, and it had been a quiet celebration. To him, it meant he had to do something about his life. Working chores in the village no longer satisfied him. Everyone in the village told him to find a nice girl, settle down and raise a family, but he was not sure he wanted that.

And that’s why on the first night of his 19th years of life, he sat on the rock and wondered about the path.

And this was meant to be a special night: a night when his life was forever changed.

Surprise came as a lone figure emerged from forest. Clad in ragged robes, this figure stumbled into Peli’s view like a ghost emerging from the dark and foreboding forest. Peli jumped and gave a quick yelp.

The figure stopped in his track and looked up, and a tired but kindly face showed up in front of Peli. Despite the bushy brows and unkempt beard, his genuine smile settled the skittish nerves of Peli.

“A great evening, my boy!” Although the traveller seemed tired, his voice carried an uplifting ring. Peli was tentative and shyly smiled back. Seldom did the village receive any travellers, but when they arrived, they were usually great and important people.

“Is this the village of Alyssia?” The traveller slowly walked over and sat on the flat rock with Peli.

Peli nodded with great deference while he shifted slightly to make space for the traveller.

“Ah, finally.” The traveller leaned back against his hands, and breathed in the heavily sweet scent of late summer’s flora.

“Where did you come from?” Peli asked, curiosity brimming at the edge of his question.

“Why, I came from Elyia, a place far away.” The traveller said softly.

“Elyia!” Peli eyes widened at the mention of the name. “What is it like?”

“Well, things might have changed, so I don’t know now, but you can find out for yourself.”

“How?”

“By going there, of course. Just follow the path!”

“But I can’t travel out of the village! No one ever does that! How would I find food? How would I know where to go?”

The traveller looked at Peli with a slight smile in silence. Peli caught himself and stopped talking abruptly. The traveller asked softly,

“Don’t you want to find out what is behind the path?”

Peli nodded forlornly without saying a word.

“Well, did someone tell you not to go?”

Peli shook his head sadly.

“So why don’t you just go?”

“But I have no idea where to go!”

“Sure you do. You want to go to Elyia. You have a choice: you can stay in this village for the rest of your life and always wonder about what hides behind the path until the day you die, or you can travel along this path.”

Peli did not reply, instead, he looked ahead at the path.

It was dark and menacing. He didn’t know anything outside of the world of Alyssia. But someone had just arrived, so which means it can be travelled.

“So, what do I need to travel the path and reach Elyia?” Peli asked, looking at the stranger intently. Somehow he felt he could trust the stranger.

“Well, I don’t have a map, but I do have some gifts for you which will make your journey easier.”

The stranger took out a few items from his back sack. There was an ivory cone, a bronze lamp, and a black stone. And then the stranger removed his cloak and handed it over to Peli.
“This cloak will keep you away from dangerous animals and poisonous insects, as long as you put it on all the time.”

“The ivory cone will be magically refilled with magical nectar everyday. The nectar will quench your thirst and hunger, but it will only refill once per day.”

“The bronze lamp is a source of light and warmth. It will always give you fire when you rub it three times.”

“And the stone…” The stranger had a distant look on his face.

“What about the stone?”

“Oh, it is probably nothing to you, but I did bring it from Elyia, and I would like to ask you to return the stone to the village. Would you promise me to do so?”

“Sure! I give you my word.”

“Thank you! Well, now you can get going!”

“But what about you?”

“Me? I am staying here in Alyssia. A journey ends, another begins. This one without travelling.”

“Well, is there anything I can help you with?”

“You already did, by promising to deliver the rock. It is an important relic and I would like to see it going back to Elyia.”

Peli smiled at the stranger, whose name he did not know, and he jumped off the rock.

Dawn was creeping near and the morning mist had started to fill the air. Suddenly the edge of everything became blurred, and the dirt path became like a road leading into a dream. The dark forest that was menacing a few moments ago now seemed calm and sleepy.

Peli had been wondering about the path and where it led for a long time, but that moment he suddenly knew beyond a doubt that it was time he started his own journey.

So it was that when the sun came up for the village of Alyssia, the person called Peli had left without a trace, engulfed forever by the forest, and a weary traveller sat on the rock where peli had been.

There were some questions among the villagers, but life went on. As far as the villagers were concerned, Peli had just gone somewhere else.

However, life as they knew it would never be the same anymore.