Balance of the 12 Page 6

  The season was changing once again, and the fear of a Kree attack was the common feeling among humans as it always was this time of the season. This particular year, though, the situation was a bit different. Kree people were everywhere with their families. They didn’t attack any villages, but they ran around like they were looking for something. At nights, they stalked human villages. And yet none of them attacked. It was odd, to say the least, but the humans were grateful for whatever measure of peace they could keep.

  In a small village of Utkuhapok, the situation was no different. A few days prior, a few Krees came, and for two days they prowled around the village nonstop. They didn’t want to be seen and tried to hide, as if they no longer wished to disturb anyone. The old people in the village didn’t even notice them. Those who did were unaware of what was about to come. They merely tried to ignore the Krees, not to get involved in any fighting. Too many children resided there for them to risk such innocent lives being claimed by the foolishness of engaging with those who for once, weren’t being hostile.

  One of these young men was Dwade, the human whose glowing blue eyes lingered in the memories of all who saw him. He had no idea about either his fate or the coming war. Yet the winds of the Balance already started to whistle his duty to him through his dreams. The harmony of existence was placed in his soul and the truth was about to knock on his door.

  “Dwade, dinner’s ready.”

  The young man just turned twenty, rose at the sound of his sister’s voice and cleaned the soil off his hands. His well-built body was full of scars just like other men from his village. Hunting in forests and rocky mountains had its challenges. These pains were the prices they all paid to let them eat. His long, wavy, brown hair danced with the wind. He squinted his blue eyes as the breeze grew stronger, and he ran to the cottage he called home. He and his mother, father, and sister were members of a poor, mountain village. Although most human settlements were poor, theirs was one of the worst. It was a compact cluster of ramshackle houses set in a valley between two large mountains and surrounded by a forest of deciduous trees that turned a beautiful fiery red in the fall. Now the trees were almost bare as it was near time for the first snows to reach the valley floor. Their community was small, housing only fifty or so people, and Dwade could see every single home from his family’s garden.

  As he walked back to the cottage with the winter vegetables he gathered tucked safely in a basket, he saw his father, Tagly, approach. His old man led a horse that had a deer strapped to its back.

  “A deer,” Dwade said with excitement.

  It had been a long time since his father had caught anything substantial, and he couldn’t wait for his mother and sister to see. Autumn might as well have been winter that year, and the family had seen many hungry nights. Dwade put down his burden to help while his mother and sister watched from the door of the house with anticipation. Dwade walked to the black horse that held his father’s catch and rubbed its neck.

  “You’re lucky you had Jessie with you, Father. That deer looks like it could be a hundred and seventy pounds. We haven’t had this much meat in ages.”

  Tagly smiled and looked into the eyes of Ishtar, his wife, as though expecting a compliment. “What do you think, my star? Do you still fancy I’ve lost my skill with the bow?” he teased, flashing her a massive grin.

  “Skill?” she huffed. “Skill had nothing to do with it. The poor animal was obviously blind if you killed it.” Her husband laughed as she exited the house. He embraced her, kissing her lovingly on the lips as he cradled her cheek with his hand.

  The little girl jumped up and down with joy, bounding outside after her mother. “Dwade! Dwade! Does this mean we can have venison stew tonight?”

  Dwade picked his little sister up and placed her on his hip, her bright blue eyes imploring him to say yes. “Is that what you want, Lillian?” he asked. The girl nodded vigorously as he laughed. “Then stew it is, but it must be tomorrow. You and mother have already prepared something for tonight, and we have to skin the beast.”

  Lillian made a face as she realized she wasn’t going to get her way then remembered the delicious dumplings and broth her mother had been preparing all afternoon and contentedly complied.

  As they entered the house, Dwade’s father turned to him with tired eyes. “Let’s skin the deer after dinner and share some of the meat with the village.” He shrugged his pack onto the floor. “Gronse just had a baby and needs food, and we should boil the bones for old Patrice.”

  “Yes, Father. That truly is a great catch, by the way,” Dwade replied and gave his father a soft punch on the shoulder, making him smile. He loved his father and was fond of his good heart. In this small world of theirs, family was all they had.

  Once back inside, Dwade stared around their homely shack. The kitchen contained a few makeshift wooden shelves, a stone counter, a wooden table, and a clay larder. The food was cooking over a fire in the far corner, and their sleeping mats were stacked one on top of the other near the back wall. It was a home with almost nothing in it but love. As Dwade and his mother talked over dinner and Lillian stuffed dumplings into her mouth, his father sat in silence and mulled over his thoughts.

  “Did you see any Krees while I was gone?” Tagly asked.

  “No, we didn’t see any today. But they’re around still. How did you manage to hunt a deer while there are so many about?” Dwade asked and searched his father’s eyes trying to figure out if he had any trouble.

  “I didn’t see any in the forest. I heard them but didn’t come across any. Maybe they understood how good a hunter I am, and they got afraid and ran away,” he answered with a sarcastic smile.

  Dwade grinned, and Lillian immediately chimed in, “Of course, Father, they must be crazy if they are not afraid of your arrows.”

  Ishtar smiled at her little girl’s enthusiasm, then took a deep breath and joined in, wishing to impart some hope. “Something is odd about them this year. I hope it’s not a bad sign and I just pray to the Balance they keep to themselves this winter. I don’t think this village can survive if the Kree insist on taking all our food.”

  The Krees and their animal counterparts had been increasing their territory as of late. Now their hunting grounds reached to the small forest just outside the boundaries of the village, and there wasn’t enough game for both races. Dwade and his people were looking forward to a difficult winter. Trouble from the Kree would only make it worse. They had lost several souls last year. Dwade’s heart was heavy to think they could lose more.

  Tagly gently held Ishtar’s hand. “As long as you pray, we will endure, my star. Your heart is pure enough to carry us all through this winter.”

  Lillian giggled, and Dwade smiled at his parents. He hoped he would eventually find someone like that to love, but it was difficult to even court in his tiny village. Now, there were only two girls his age, and they both found him awkward. He had no experience wooing, so he decided to be content with his family and his work until the right woman came along. He was tired of being laughed at anyway.

  After they finished dinner, Dwade and his father headed outside to skin the deer. They strung up their catch in the small barn, worked on pulling the skin off the flesh, and quartered the deer. They moved some of the meat to storage where it would stay until tomorrow before it was distributed to other families in the village.

  As the sun began to set and the house was shrouded in darkness, the family grabbed their sleeping mats and laid them on the floor. Dwade retrieved their furs from a wooden chest, and they huddled around the fire. That was their routine—work, eat, and sleep—and even though they had to sleep together on the hard floor, Dwade couldn’t picture it any other way. He was happy, and as long as he had his family, he would continue to be so.

  Dwade laid his head down as he gazed at the fire. Lillian crawled toward him, dragging her fur along with her. “Can I sleep with you?” she asked.

  Dwade laughed. “Don’t you have your own mat?�
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  “But I’m cold,” she said as she pushed out her bottom lip.

  “Come here,” Dwade said as he lifted his blanket. Her face lit up, and she snuggled into his chest. They both closed their eyes as the outside world grew darker, and the warmth of the fire lulled them to sleep.

  ***

  The ground beneath Dwade quaked and groaned as an earthquake struck the tiny village. His whole body shook. Through a window, he saw he was high above the ground. Down below were explosions, and the fires spread through the woods as huge waves swallowed the land from the shore. As the world crumbled before his eyes, a baby cried. He searched for the child and found himself in a strange place, a room made of iron, staring at a familiar face. Her face.

  He knew he was dreaming; he had this dream more times than he could count. Her face was beautiful, soft and smooth like porcelain. She always looked at him and blushed happily. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, and her large smile made his whole body feel warm. But her eyes, her eyes always captivated him. They reminded him of the soft colors in the flame of a candle or a hot pool of lava. Although her appearance was stunning, she appeared tired, and a film of sweat and dirt covered her face as she looked down at the baby she cradled near her chest.

  “You will liberate us, little one,” she said to the babe. “You will restore the Balance once again.”

  Dwade’s eyes opened, and he blinked a few times as he returned to reality. The sun was just starting to stream through the windows, and Lillian laid asleep next to him, her chest moving up and down rhythmically. He ran his fingers lightly through her hair and brushed her cheek before getting up and seeing his mother and father had already started breakfast.

  He returned to Lillian’s side. “Wake up, Lillian. It’s time for breakfast.”

  The little girl fought him for a bit, kicking her feet in protest, but once she smelled the potato cakes and eggs, it didn’t take her long before she was hopping around her mother and stealing bites of the taters.

  Dwade picked up the sleeping mats and returned them to their usual spot, and the family sat down to eat their breakfast.

  “We’ll take the extra meat to Gronse and Patrice today,” Tagly told Dwade. “Then there’s a hunting party moving out in an hour. We better join it if we want to have enough food for us before the Krees begin their evening hunt.” He spat out the name “Krees” with disgust.

  “How about I tack up the horses while you deliver the meat?” Dwade asked and his father nodded as he scooped up another mouthful of eggs.

  It was a while later when Dwade and Lillian were cleaning up the dishes that the sound of howling reached their ears. It was like all the animals in the forest went crazy at once. The small family looked at each other with fearful eyes.

  “Are they Krees?” Ishtar asked as she squeezed Dwade’s shoulder.

  Dwade looked out the window but couldn’t see anything or anyone. He shook his head, unsure of what was happening. Soon the sound of galloping horses reached them, and all other animals hushed. The branches of the trees trembled. He thought Krees were running away from whatever was coming toward them. His mother pulled him and Lillian away from the windows and made them sit at the table. The galloping horses came closer. Nobody understood what was happening. Only a few villagers owned horses, as they were hard to come by and expensive, so the sound of multiple horses was cause for concern. Dwade stood again and rushed to look out the front window even as his mother called him back.

  Four horses stood outside, the beasts nearly double the size of those found anywhere near the valley, and four riders sat astride them, two of them wearing white cloaks and two in black. They had their hoods pulled over their heads, and it was difficult to make out whether they were human, Kree, or something else. Overly curious villagers flocked outside their houses and into the square, whispering as they viewed the strange visitors in their midst, more than ready to defend their village the best they could. Although they all had a fear of dying visible in their shaking hands, they had a fire in their eyes as they gripped their measly weapons. A fifth horse galloped toward them. This one was ridden by a woman. Unlike the others, her hood was pulled back, and her long hair flew freely as she pulled up beside the others. She had a bigger head and eyes than those of the humans in the village. Her clothing and horse were far too clean to be a Kree, and she was too small to be an Olym.

  The whole village was now out in the square and stared at the strangers with curiosity and trepidation except Dwade’s family. His mother didn’t let them outside yet.

  “Readers,” Tagly said under his breath.

  “Readers? What would they be doing here?” Ishtar asked fearfully, but he didn’t have an answer and continued to watch as the woman dismounted.

  “Greetings, villagers,” she called loud enough for the small family to hear inside their shack. “We are friends from Atlantis. We are searching for a man named Dwade. It is of the utmost importance we find him. Does anyone know him?”

  The villagers were all silent. Everyone knew everyone in the mountain village, but none of them wanted to snitch, not knowing what the Readers had in store for Dwade.

  Tagly signaled them to stay away from the window, and Lillian ran to hide behind her mother. “Who are they, Mommy? Why are they looking for Dwade?” Her voice was frantic as she tugged on her mother’s skirt.

  “Hush, child. We’re not sure yet.” Ishtar lightly placed her hand on Dwade’s arm. “Do you know anything about this?” she asked her son.

  Dwade shook his head. He had never even left the village except to hunt in the forest. How could he have anything to do with the great city of Atlantis or any member of it?

  The female Reader cocked her head slightly toward their house, causing Dwade to retreat further from the window. She reminded Dwade of a hunting cougar sitting frozen in the tall grass, listening for its prey. As soon as she touched the ground, her eyes focused only on their home. She must’ve decoded it. She raised her hand and called, “There,” signaling the other riders.

  Moments later, there was a hard knock at the door. Tagly moved to answer, but Ishtar held his arm and shook her head. “They’re Readers, no point in hiding,” he whispered to her and gently removed her hand.

  As he approached the door, the rest of the little family huddled together, their hearts beating loudly in their ears.

  “Nonsham,” said the large-eyed woman even before Tagly fully opened the door. As soon as he pulled it back halfway, the woman pushed her way inside. “We come in friendship. Let’s talk inside.” Her four companions waited next to their horses to protect the house as the woman entered the one-room cottage. When she spotted Dwade, a triumphant smile appeared on her face and she bowed to him to everyone’s surprise.

  “Greetings, I am Violen of Atlantis. I am one of the Vice Chancellor’s commanders. I have been assigned to speak with you about an important matter, Dwade.” She straightened and asked, “May I sit?” She gestured toward a simple wooden chair. She was trying to look friendly in the best way she knew. It was almost impossible for a Reader to understand other races’ logic and way of communicating.

  The family only stared at her and refused to answer. Where they lived, politeness and courtesy were everything, and they didn’t appreciate this Reader forcing her way into their home. There had always been some tension between humans and the other eleven races, and the economic disparity and imbalance of power made the humans a bit resentful.

  Violen, feeling the tension, let it go and took a seat anyway, crossing her legs under her white robe. She didn’t especially care how they felt. She was fatigued after her long journey. She and her team had been searching for weeks, and they were starting to feel pressure from the administration. This village farm boy was coming with them whether he liked it or not. She fiddled with a silver locket hanging from her neck as she studied her quarry. She stared at Dwade and spoke. “My team and I have been searching for you, but Utsuhapok is a big place to search for a single human man. Than
ks to our Kree allies we have been able to reach our goal of finding you, sir.”

  At least now they understood the Krees’ reason for sneaking around. They were all searching for Dwade. That wasn’t a good sign. Ishtar, Tagly, and Dwade waited in silence, hoping for a peaceful exchange and an explanation, while Lillian was so terrified of the imposing Reader she held her brother’s arm very tight and glowered. Except for Tagly, none of the others had seen a Reader before, but they were easy to identify. Compared to humans, Readers had somewhat larger heads. They were skinnier, taller, their faces angular and their eyes were significantly wider. The woman’s silk dress, which they could see beneath her grey cloak, was decorated with golden suns, clearly not an outfit found in any human village. Her beauty was remarkable, though her attitude left something to be desired.

  Dwade put together all his courage and looked into her somber eyes. “I don’t understand why a Reader might wish to talk with ordinary villagers like us. If you’re here to ask for tribute, you should speak with our village leader, Patrice. But we already share our produce with the Kree, and I don’t think we have anything left to give if our village is to make it through the winter.” He wasn’t even sure what he was talking about, but nothing else made sense of why some Reader would be in his home.