Strangers of Aeon - Chapter 1
This is the first chapter of a new book Iâm writing. Itâs a story about an Earth boy who winds up in a fantastical world where danger and mystery await. Iâll be posting new chapters periodically, so keep an eye out. Anyhow, enjoy!
Now available to read on Wattpad:Â https://my.w.tt/593Gco5dxab
Waking up was like a fog lifting from his consciousness. As awareness returned to him, so did the pain. Owen Cross had never felt more battered in his life. His side hurt. His left arm was in agony. His head was throbbing and making his vision waver. Even the slight breeze blowing across his body had a stinging quality, as if tiny shards of glass were embedded in it. He propped himself up with his good arm, gasping and collapsing in pain when he moved the wrong way. Owen could only lie in the grass, catching his breath before he could work up the strength to try propping himself up again.
How did I wind up like this? What happened to me? How did I get here? Where is âhere,â anyway?
A strange sight greeted his eyes as he lifted his head and opened his eyes. A thick canopy of tree branches dimmed the light into deep shadows. The tight foliage also blocked most of the view, making it impossible to tell where he was. Owen steeled himself and pulled his wounded body to a sitting position. He closed his eyes a second, then looked about again. Nothing he saw earlier had changed, leaving him perplexed. Owen had the feeling something was off. Owen stared around and tried to figure out why he was hurting, where he was, something useful. He tried to recall the previous events, but his mind was still dull and he had trouble focusing.
Pausing to regain his breath had helped him regain a little energy. Owen now felt he could stand but did so gingerly. He propped himself against the umbrella-tree with his good arm as he gingerly got to his feet. Looking further at the tree behind him revealed a huge, white tree trunk with mottled gray patches. It occurred to him again that something was wrong, but why it wasnât right still evaded him. Owen decided to peek beyond the branches and see where he was. He moved forward with some difficulty and parted the draped branches like a curtain.
It was sometime in the afternoon, and the bright light beyond the canopy made him blink and pause to readjust. What Owen saw when his vision recovered left him dumbstruck. The cries of songbirds echoed among the trees like a natural symphony. Several small, fuzzy, unfamiliar animals bolted away and into the undergrowth as Owen emerged into the open. A lively, verdant forest of aspens and oaks spread out before him. Mixed among those trees were an unfamiliar species of thick-trunked, white-barked trees with dense, vine-like branches that formed a tight umbrella underneath them. Owen noticed that they were the same as the one he was under. The scene was like something out of a childâs storybook.
As he took in his surroundings, memory slowly returned to him. Owen recalled driving his friends Maya and Ethan home, that part he had no trouble with. It was whatever happened after that which still confused Owen. He remembered that his car had been hit by something that knocked the car off the road. He remembered the car rolling down the embankment. Then the car hit that big tree.
Then⌠then⌠then what? Was he dead? If this was heaven, it was nothing like he expected it to be. Heaven was supposed to be on the clouds or something, so being in a forest made little sense. He wondered if Ethan and Maya were okay. Maybe they got lost like he did. Or, maybe they were in danger themselves. Owen was particularly worried about Maya since she was the one who was wheelchair-bound. He hoped they were okay wherever they were.
Movement from one of the droopy treeâs branches caught Owenâs attention and jolted him out of his thoughts. Somebody was parting the branches of the tree. He peered closer, trying to make out the figure. A young, pale-skinned woman emerged from the tree, deftly turning the branches aside with one hand as she turned his way. The first thing Owen noticed about her was her strange clothes. She was dressed in a simple, hooded, brown linen robe tied shut in the middle with a braided rope. Her hood was up over her face, obscuring most of her features. Several leather pouches and unfamiliar baubles were tied to the belt. Owen wrinkled his brow at her. Who was this, some kind of hippie?
âThe Stranger has come around. It seems he is far more resilient than we anticipated,â the woman said over her back as she approached.
Stranger? Owen stared at her in confusion. If anyone was strange, then she was! He was too confused by the sight of the woman to answer her comment right away.
âAsk him where he has come from,â a deeper, more assertive female voice answered from somewhere Owen could not see, âYou of all people know his ilk are not to be trusted.â
âWho are you?â Owen was slightly intimidated by the distrustful voice and backed up a step. âWhere am I?â
The woman smiled gently at Owen. He found her kind expression a little reassuring. âA very direct man, I see. Then again, you did only just come around. Relax, you are safe with me.â
âDonât make false promises, Aruna,â the other voice said firmly, âAsk him where heâs from!â
Owen tensed at the hidden womanâs words. He found himself backing up even more, moving around the droopy-limbed treeâs boughs. He could tell the unseen woman did not trust him. He was not sure he should trust them either, particularly the one who was still hiding. Maybe that hiding woman would calm down if he just answered the question.
âSlate Springs,â he said, âIâm from Slate Springs.â
âSlate Springs? I do not recognize the nameâŚâ the unseen voice said, âYou must mean Granite Hill.â
âNo, Slate Springs!â Owen answered, and tripped over a tree root when he backed up yet again. He stumbled, fell over onto his backside, and ended up looking up at the robed woman who was still coming to Owen.
The robed woman, who the unseen voice called Aruna, continued to approach Owen. She was now within armâs reach of him. Now that she was closer, Owen could see that this woman was tall and delicately-framed. She reminded him of a ceramic doll come to life. She noticed his questioning look and smiled that kind smile again. Something about the womanâs demeanor was comforting to Owen.
âAt ease,â she said gently, âyou are injured. I have healed the life-threatening wounds, but you are still weak.â The woman bent over her knees and offered a hand to Owen. âPlease, let me help you.â
âWait, what?â Owen was confused more and more. So, she was not a hippie, but a doctor? What was a doctor doing in a forest? Then again, Owen was not sure what he was doing in a forest; he was on a road in a car last he knew. The doctor did not seem dangerous at any rate. If what she said was true, she saved him. He owed her one for doing that.
The deeper female voice clucked in distaste, âIs the Stranger deliberately acting thick? It is not like a human to act so confused. Should IâŚâ
The robed woman shook her head and spoke over her back, âNo, stay put, Sylver. If you startle him, he may react violently. You are not wrong in that Strangers should not be underestimated. However, we neednât incite any misunderstandings.â
They were afraid of him? That made no sense. He was the confused one here. Owen decided to lighten the mood with some self-deprecating humor. âHey, donât get so worried. Iâm not looking for a fight or anything. Just look at me. I have the upper body strength of a cooked spaghetti noodle. Not to mention Iâm hurt.â He shrugged playfully, minding his arm. âSee? Iâm harmless.â
When his jest earned a silent stare, Owen decided on another tactic. Maybe just being friendly would work. âSo, uh⌠I guess I should at least tell you my name. My name is Owen, Owen Cross. I take it you are Aruna?â
Aruna nodded once. âThat is indeed my name. I am Aruna of the Red Mountain. In that wandererâs willow is my dear friend, Sylver. Do forgive her terse tone. She is a bit suspicious of newcomers.â
What strange names. Aruna? Sylver? And this âArunaâ woman was speaking very formally for some reason. Well, maybe this lady knew where he was. âWhere am I?â Owen asked again, âI thought I fell down an embankmentâŚâ
âThese are the Whispering Woods. Even though many Strangers end up here, this is in fact fey territory. Fear not, I have made an agreement with the fey to allow Strangers such as yourself to leave unmolested. Are you able to stand, Owen Cross?â Aruna extended her hand once more to him.
Owen was even more confused. The way she kept saying the word âstrangerâ made it feel like a title rather than a description. Owen did not feel it was inaccurate: he most certainly was a stranger to this place. The rest of what the woman said was an even bigger surprise. Fey territory? Fey like fairy or something? No, that was impossible. Fairies were not real. This weirdo was just pulling his leg.
He stood back up slowly with her aid and dusted the dirt off his butt with his good hand. He was still a little bit wobbly from the crash, and he swayed backwards again. This time, Aruna was faster and caught him in her arms. Her hood fell back and revealed her face, a sight that made Owen gasp in utter surprise.
The woman was human at first glance, but there were features that were clearly not human at all. The most noticeable thing, and the first thing Owen saw, was a single, spiral horn about seven inches long sprouting from Arunaâs forehead. She also had long ears that drooped down to her shoulders like a houndâs. The rest of her seemed human enough, but also a little bit alien. She had long, strawberry-blonde hair fixed in two braids that were tied behind her back with a green, silk ribbon. Beyond the ribbon, her hair was loose, and hung well below her shoulders. Her sharp, hazel eyes were larger than normal and set high on her face. She also wore an elaborate, golden diadem that draped delicately across her forehead and encircled her horn.
Owen could only gawk open-mouthed at her. Aruna was beautiful, but ethereal to him, like something out of a dream. That had to be it. He had to be dreaming. This woman could not possibly be real. This had to be a costume or something.
Or maybe⌠he wasnât dreaming.
If Iâm dead, then is this an angel? Donât angels have wings? And since when do they have horns or droopy ears? What is she?
Aruna had to have seen the astonished fish-face he was making, and her expression became a little sad. âDo you fear me?â
âN-noâŚâ Owen answered, shaking his head. He could not stop himself from asking, âWhat are you?â
âI cannot fault you for being confused, Owen Cross,â Aruna smiled slightly, nodding once, âI am an enqui. I take it you have not seen one of us before?â
âEn-coo-ee?â Owen attempted to imitate Arunaâs pronunciation. He knew he had to have misheard her, but what she said next only deepened his confusion.
âWe are one of the descendants of man. Since my illusion has failed, I may as well reveal who I truly am. Please do not be afraid.â Aruna released Owen, who was too astonished to move. She reached for her waist and pulled the rope, untying the bow in one draw. Her robe fell away, seeming to crumble apart and vanish like a mirage. It revealed a sight almost as baffling as Arunaâs face.
Under the robe, Aruna was wearing a set of scale mail armor, not unlike that a medieval soldier or knight might wear. It was a rather form-fitting design, and showcased a lean, athletic shape that Owen could not help admiring. The metal of her armor was silvery, with a hint of gold that lent Aruna a noble bearing. As if to compliment the look, a long, slender rapier made of the same metal hung at her hip. With the robe gone, Owen could now see that she was barefoot, wearing only cloth bindings on her feet. Even though she was armored, Owen got the impression that Aruna was quite agile. To his further surprise, Owen also saw that Aruna had a tail. It was long enough to brush the ground, and bore long, silky fur the same color as her hair. It was swishing idly back and forth behind her almost like a content dog. Aruna was also wearing some kind of armor across the top of her tail, made of the same scales as her body armor. It was all a bit too much for him to believe.
âW⌠whatâŚ?â Owenâs knees gave out as he collapsed to the ground again and stared up in awe and disbelief.
âAt ease, Owen Cross,â Aruna was still speaking softly, as if concerned that she might startle him, âIs this your first time meeting a Pythian Knight? You need not fear me. It is our mission and sacred duty to shepherd the newcomers to our world.â
Owen finally regained enough of his nerve to speak more coherently, âC-call me Owen. But what do you mean by ânewcomer?â You mean this isnât Slate Springs or something?â
Aruna tilted her head, flicking her hound-like ears like an attentive cat. Something about the animal-like gesture seemed rather cute to him. âI beg your pardon?â Aruna asked, âIs that the name of your home country? Or perhaps that is the name of your home world? At any rate, I can answer your other question. This is the land of the fey, Metris. Our world is known as Aeon, if that helps you. I wish I had the time to explain further, but I need to take you to a human settlement before the fey lose their patience. Before I do, allow me to render some aid. You still seem weak from your wounds. Can you stand again, Owen?â
Aruna extended a hand again to Owen. What Aruna said was ringing in his head like a bell. Metris? Aeon? What was Aruna going on about? She seemed sincere enough, but there was no such place as Metris or Aeon⌠then again, there was no such thing as enqui either. Yet, he was supposedly staring one in the face.
Just what is happening here?
He was too bewildered to do more than stare at her hand. When she got only that as a reply, she placed her hand on his shoulder. Her thin build belied a strong grip that made Owen gasp in mild pain.
âMy apologies Owen, but I have no more time to wait. This will ease the pain and fatigue somewhat. Just relax and breathe deep.â Owen looked up at Aruna to ask what she was doing when he felt a small, almost electric tingle where Arunaâs hand touched him. The sensation changed to a warmth that spread down his shoulder and chest and through his arm. The sensation spread next across his body to his right side and arm, then flowed down his legs. Finally, the warmth flowed up his neck and through his head. Owen gasped again at the bizarre feeling.
The entire thing only lasted a few seconds before fading. As the warmth tapered off, he noticed that he was no longer in pain. He flexed his left arm experimentally and found it in perfect condition. In fact, he felt as refreshed as if he just took a nap. Owen stood back up and discovered that his strength had fully returned. He looked up at Aruna in sheer wonder, and his jaw dropped as he tried to find the words to say.
She was giving Owen a light smile, clearly amused at his response. âHow was it? Do you feel better?â
Owen continued to flex his limbs. He was amazed at his recovery. âI feel⌠good!â he chuckled in incredulity as he checked himself over, âWonderful! What was that just now?â
âA very simple curative spell. Normally it only numbs the pain and restores a little energy, but I forgot how sensitive to magic Strangers can be.â Aruna chucked a little and smiled kindly as she saw Owenâs continued reaction of disbelief, âAh, but make no mistake, I am quite glad that it has helped you.â
He came enough to his senses to realize that he should thank her. âT-thank you, Aruna.â
Owenâs mind was spinning. Did Aruna just cast magic on him just now? Yeah, right. Magic was not real. It was all deception and misdirection for amusement, nothing more. Yet, he had just experienced something like a miracle. He had been so weak and in a lot of pain earlier, but it was now only a memory. He rubbed his shoulder and tried to find out what she did to him. If this was some kind of trick, he was not finding the secret behind it.
This was far too confusing. First, he woke up in a forest unlike anything he ever saw before. Then, he met this unicorn-woman who called herself an âenqui.â Finally, this lady healed him with âmagic,â which should have been impossible. In fact, all of this should be impossible.
