Chapter Four

After he teaches me how to build a fire, I tell him about what happened, leaving out some of the details like the amulet, but the kid was smart and figured out that's what it was, he’d heard many tales about it from the elders in his village. He told me if he ever had an amulet with that kind of power, he would take it to a Wizard, because trinkets like that are very dangerous in the wrong hands. Pixies are meant to start living on their own at the age of ten, because they are so used to living in forests and living off nature that provides for them. He told me about the Pixies, how as they grew older they could grow their wings, but only some of them, and no one really knew why but bravery was a key factor. Pixies are one of the few creatures aside from Elves that frequently work alongside humans, as they look so normal they were never part of the war the humans set on the Daemonaria. So I guess after all that, I did make a friend that was willing to help me find a Wizard, and his name was Gecko. 

He didn’t understand why I thought his name was funny. 

I’m going to skip ahead a little bit. Gecko and I traveled through the forest together for two days on our own. He taught me which fruits and berries were good to eat and which ones would make me grow extra ears or inevitably die, I’m not sure which would be worse. Everything he taught me I either practiced or wrote down into the small book that Corvu gave me. It made me sad that so many people had tricked me. It made me sad that I was so naive. We had stopped by Gecko’s small hiding hole to collect some supplies, so for once I truly felt ready for whatever lied ahead. He lived on the side of a small hill, where he must have tunneled an area for himself to protect from the weather. It was surprisingly large for something he did himself and from the outside, it was barely noticeable. He was truly skilled for someone so young. I learned that his parents left the Northern Thack Hideaway, which is the name of the group of Pixies that usually stay together. He said they disagreed with some of the teachings but wanted to make sure he had stayed to become strong and learn to survive. He’s an incredibly sweet boy, he plans to search for his parents, and believes a Wizard may be able to help him do that. So even though his intentions aren’t purely just to help me, it makes me feel better that his agenda was still pure at heart. 

I told him my plan was to travel all the way to Wanbourne, which was the city on the map that had replaced New York, also known as the Capital. Gecko suggested that would be a good place for me since it was mostly dominated by humans, Elves, and other creatures with names that twisted my tongue. If the city there is as large as the map suggests, there should be a Wizard around somewhere. 

Day Five

“What about your parents?” Gecko’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. My feet ached from walking so much, even though it was only the middle of the day. I stop and sit against a boulder beside the dirt path we had discovered late last night. 

“I don’t remember them. I’m an orphan.” I say. He looked really sad from hearing this, “But it’s okay, because I grew up with a lot of brothers and sisters who took care of me. Showed me how to work, do tricks, read-”

“What kind of tricks?” He was easily excited, that much I could say for sure. I didn’t have anything special with me, no pack of cards or magnets, but I did have quick hands. I picked up a tiny rock and showed it to him in my palm. 

“Watch closely.” After swiping one hand over the other, I show him both but with no stone in sight. 

He steps back from me for a moment, “You’re a witch!” he laughs, coming back to me, knowing full well I’m absolutely not a witch and certainly had no idea how to use the amulet. “Where did it go?” Waving my hands in front of him once more I materialize the rock...from inside my sleeve. Gecko was very impressed. “Whoa! Teach me magic!” 

I instruct him to watch closely, he misses it again but on the third time when I did it slower, he noticed what I did. Trying himself, he dropped the rock, but that didn’t deter him from trying again. He reminded me a little bit of the younger kids at my orphanage. I didn’t stay around once I was legally an adult, and I’m so busy these days I don’t visit as often as I should. Looking around I make the mental note that it might not be something I ever do again. 

Beneath me, I feel vibrations coming from underground. Gecko stops what he’s doing. His ears twitch. He’s listening for something. Placing a finger to his lips he grabs my hand and pulls me away from the boulder. He gestures to keep walking silently. I didn’t know what was nearby but I didn’t want to find out. 

And then I did. 

Big. That was the first word I thought of to describe it. Before me stands the single biggest living creature I’ve ever seen. His entire body was covered in unusual tribal markings, covering himself with animal skins in only the important places. Bulging black eyes stared down at me, teeth like tusks and scars from living in the woods for what must be decades. In his hand, he held what looked a lot like a thick tree trunk, though it was quite a proportional club for him. He had obviously taken the time to add metal chunks into the wood for maximum impact. My heart beat in my chest like a drum. I didn’t want to move. 

“Run!” Gecko yells as the creature engages, lifting and swinging down the branch between us. This was a situation where I would normally trip over a nearby shadow and fall face-first into the dirt, but I was so far able to keep my balance as Gecko pulled on my hand to keep me running. He was fast. As the monster bellowed from missing us with his club, he started running towards us with one large step at a time - I felt every step through the ground beneath me. From a quick side glance, I could see that he was already there on our tails, ready to swing the club.

Not entirely sure where my bravery had come from, I push Gecko to the side of the road, landing on top of him and then rolling off into a slight ditch, thankful the club had missed us both, but only thankful for that moment. The creature, mouth gaping, stands over us. I wasn’t good with Daemonaria but I could tell he was angry. Was it my fault? Is it because I’m human? Leave it to the klutz to accidentally and magically teleport herself to a world where everyone hates humans. 

The creature reacts when he drops his club to grab his head. A small stone fell beside me and I realized it was flung into his head. I’d been rescued like this before. Was Corvu really here? I couldn’t help feeling relieved and honestly a little excited by that. 

“Go back to your dwelling, Shorg!” A woman's voice shouts. I stand, which gives me enough height to see outside the ditch. A woman, along with three others stand around the Shorg with weapons either drawn or ready. One of the men held a slingshot, but it wasn’t Corvu. No, this man was most certainly a Clawhop. I feel momentarily proud that I was able to identify him that way. The Shorg looked down at everyone, I can only assume contemplating how easy it would probably be to squash our skulls with its giant bare hands. After a minute of silence, it picks up the club beside it and slowly retreats between everyone, their swords and bows never facing away, not even for a moment. 

Minutes pass as the sound and vibrations of its footsteps are no longer heard. Looking around I see these people relax, a pair that were easily identifiable as twins chuckled sheathing their weapons, very proud of themselves. The two boys punched each other in the shoulder and retreated back to the main group, their long plaited hair pulled back slickly behind their ears, which were actually normal to my surprise. In fact, they may be completely human. 

The woman that had shouted turns toward the Clawhop and gives him a peck on the cheek. I’m relieved they helped us, but I do worry about what will happen once they discover I carry an amulet meant to give untold power. I look down at my chest to confirm it was still nicely tucked under my shirt before coming out of the ditch with Gecko clutching my hand. 

“Thank you.” I state first. The Clawhop turns to me, smiling widely. I realize that the top of him looks more human than the first of his kind I had met. Perhaps he wasn’t what I thought and there was yet another species I didn’t know about. This was getting exhausting. 

“No worries,” his extremely deep voice responds with cheer, “, we were heading this way and heard the kerfuffle. Couldn’t very well just standby.” He seemed really friendly, which felt reassuring. “I’m Luca. My wife, Bella, and my two sons Theda and Yunda.” The twins I’d almost put at my age, or perhaps slightly younger. 

“I’m Tia, and this is my friend Gecko. Honestly, I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”

“Get flattened?” Yunda commented. 

“Yeah, that was a given.” I smile. 

Bella chuckles, “We are glad you’re okay. What are you both doing this far out without a cart or wagon?” My stunned silence and confusion let Gecko answer for me,

“We got lost. We are just trying to get to the next city.” 

“Would you like a ride with us? We’re actually performers and this area has a lot of bandits, being on your own as you are is dangerous.” Perhaps fifty paces away was a tall and wide carriage, its doors painted golden and the rooftop in a darker version of it. The rest of the cart was red but decorated with paintings that resembled dragons and vines. As I approach the carriage with everyone beside me, Gecko nudges me with his elbow, giving me a nod of approval. 

“If you’re offering we would love to come with you.” I say. 

“Wonderful!” Luca exclaims, throwing his arms up toward the air. “You shall ride with my wife inside, boys-” He’s stumped by the boys roughhousing each other, which reminded me of how it used to be back at the children's home. I miss those days, the simplicity where the only worry was whether or not we’d be adopted. Everything else back then seemed insignificant. “Boys!” He shouts, “, get the horses moving.” They stop attempting to punch each other and set their attention to the two grey horses strapped to the front of the carriage. This was actually exciting for me, the possibility that these people might be offering assistance out of the kindness of their hearts.

But I couldn’t expect to be safe, regardless of the situation. 

Luca was actually a Clawhop, but only half. Apparently there are many Daemonaria that mix and match their species, even with humans. He was grateful that his parents got together. He assumed that if they hadn’t, he never would have met his wife or had the twins. The twins were amusing, to say the least. They bickered over every tiny detail, even who would get the larger apple for lunch. Politely I declined and ate some of the assorted berries that Gecko and I found and gathered up. It was a nice feeling personally, I didn’t feel so helpless for once. 

Later that day we had camped by a skinny river where the twins taught me how to fish. It was an unusual technique and not one I was previously familiar with. They did it by throwing rocks to block the stream, throwing a net over it, and watching the fish try to jump over. I was very impressed because it was so easy to scoop up the fish for dinner. I’d also never gutted a fish before and as eager as I was to learn, but it, unfortunately, ruined my appetite. 

The next day the ride was quite smooth, I felt like there was great progress made with the speed we had traveled - and since we were getting closer to another village I became almost excited at what new things I’d discover. I made sure to keep the journal up to date, since I couldn’t be sure when I’d need to refer back to information. Bella taught me how to sew patterns into a satchel bag during the ride, and even though I had injured myself with the blunt needle a few times, I was genuinely proud of myself at the not-very-pretty flowers I created. Everyone thought it was pretty funny and Bella insisted I keep the bag as a reminder of where I started. Bella’s curly hair made me remember my manager at the convenience store. She was a trying woman, who didn’t like change but was always very encouraging to teach me something completely new. 

It was almost dusk when one of the twins popped his head inside the carriage window and announced that we were half a day’s ride from the next village, but they would have to stop to make camp in about an hour. I didn’t sleep well the night before. I had tried to get used to being cold and sleeping on the dirt but it just wasn’t a capability I was picking up easily, so while riding in a carriage with slightly padded seating, I took the opportunity to close my eyes and rest.