The Legend of Valtera: Chapter 7
Books were everywhere, surrounding Prea in the library; they were opened, closed, cracked, upside down and right side up. She had been at it for days, reading every book inside the Reed household: history, science, geography, legends and lore, she had read it all. And still she found nothing. Her eyes were red and puffy with strain and exhaustion from the continued reading so Prea was taking a break. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her back against the sofa and played with her hair. The sinking feeling was returning, the one signaling her lack of hope in the existence of a cure for her brother.
She didn’t want the despair and hopelessness to take root and pull her down. That would help no one; not her, nor Alvie and especially not Carr. In her time of need, she dug through the mountain of books beside her and found the one that always made her feel better. She knew the book by heart, having heard it a thousand times during her childhood. It was the book of old tales; the one that regaled the beginning of Valtera, the magic of the land and the power of the heavens. It was the legend, the story of Aylin and Ciro.
Prea pulled the book into her lap, running her fingers over the embossed leather cover. This book had been passed down through her mother’s family for generations; no one truly knew how long it had been. She cracked the well-worn spine, parting the delicate pages so they opened to the story she sought. The weight of the book in her lap calmed her nervousness as she began to read the story of her childhood.
Though their love had combined and resulted in many children and grandchildren, the man and woman wanted to leave a token of their love on the Earthly plane. When the man and woman from the heavens felt their time on Earth was coming to a close, they performed a ceremony. In this ceremony, they imbued a stone with a little of their essence, melding their love and powers together for eternity.
She had read that passage hundreds of times, maybe even thousands, and never thought much of it. But reading it now felt different. Prea believed the story was true as she had been taught her entire life; that Aylin and Ciro came from the heavens and lived in the land of Valtera. She believed in their powers, in the spell and the existence of the stone. This was the right path, the answer to all of her problems.
The stone held the powers and essence of the sun and the moon, everlasting entities, which meant it held immortality. She didn’t know if it could be done, but maybe there was some way to use the stone and its powers to save Carr. It didn’t take long for the seeds of hope and determination to bloom deep within her soul. She stood, gathered the books splayed out around her, and put each back in its rightful place. She knew her course, knew what had to be done, now she just had to find out how.
Prea brought the book with the story back into the kitchen and sat down to study its contents. The story was familiar, but she had to dissect every tidbit of information if she was to determine where the stone might be hidden. She poured over the pages, consulted the history of the land and tried to find some correlation between the two. But she didn’t even know where to start; Alvie would be better at this, Prea thought, she’s the intelligent one. Her hope started to wane as the day went on and she was no closer to finding an answer in the words.
Discouraged, Prea retreated to her bedroom and welcomed the solace and comfort of sleep. Her mind was still alert, thoughts racing around trying to find some meaning in the jumbled mess that was her life. Her muscles relaxed, the tension slowly seeping from her body and her mind followed, thoughts fading into unconsciousness.
* * *
Out of the darkness came a blaze of light, blinding her where she stood. Her hand rose, shielding her eyes from the glare. When she opened them again, she had to blink several times before the black dots receded from her vision and, when she could see clearly once more, she had to blink again to make sure what she saw was real. The scene was still there when her eyes opened, but she couldn’t believe it. She had never seen anything this beautiful in her entire life.
Grass created a plush blanket beneath her feet as she wiggled and curled her toes between the green blades. The grass curved around the edge of a stone courtyard in the middle of a mountain valley where the stones glowed white in the gleam of the sun, reflecting beams of light all across the space. The air was pure and held a lightness that could only be found in the heavens, the musical chirping of birds sweet in her ears. On the opposing side of the courtyard was a building carved into the solid rock face at the base of the mountain. As she bathed in sunlight and watched the courtyard, three children ran out onto the stone floor kicking a ball around.
The three boys, clad in simple white tunics and trousers, played as their golden curls fluttered in the wind. Lyrical laughing filled the air as two little girls appeared, skipping hand in hand, gracefully avoiding their brothers. They wore white dresses as they wandered around picking and smelling the colorful array of flowers dotting the courtyard. The children giggled and squealed a sound of ethereal joy, the boys romping around as the girls danced. When the happiness turned to fighting, two beings finally emerged from the rock haven.
They were dressed similarly to their children, their white clothes on the verge of blending seamlessly with the color of their skin. The man called to his children, warning them to behave as they should. The children continued, though, as if nothing happened, and the man shook his head in exasperation. Children will be children, nothing in the universe would change that. The man and woman moved with the grace of angels to a bench in the courtyard as they sat holding hands and watched their children play. Their eyes glittered with pure joy and their smiles beamed with never-ending love.
The image faded, the light changed, darkness fell and when light came once more, the scene was no longer the same. The courtyard still shone in the sun, but only the song of the birds traveled with the breeze. The shadows of the man and woman were visible at the other end of the courtyard in the entrance to the rock cavern. She unglued her foot from the swaying ocean of grass and stepped onto the smooth surface of the stone.
Prea crept to the center of the courtyard, attempting to get a better view of the couple; she still couldn’t see and moved closer until only a few feet separated her from the magnificent pair. They were facing away from her, still dressed in white. The woman’s long waves of hair cascaded down her back, now pure white like her skin and dress. The man’s curls matched hers. They stood in front of a wall carved with their likenesses reaching out towards each other.
A hush fell as the woman raised her hand, palm up, and held it there as she muttered something and waited as a beautiful stone appeared out of nowhere, resting lightly on her skin. And in this moment, Prea witnessed the two place the stone against the wall, whisper a few words and pull their hands away leaving the stone set into the rock. They turned to look at the valley, to capture everything one last time and commit it to memory forever.
They were so close; if Prea reached out her hand, she could almost touch them. They were elderly now, yet still stunning, their skin seeming to glow slightly in the light; bright blue eyes the only color on their faces now. A silver tear trailed down the woman’s face, as they walked towards Prea, walked through her. She turned, her gaze following the lovely couple; within a few seconds, the couple’s image drifted and faded as they returned to their home in the sky.
* * *
When morning finally came, Prea woke with renewed hope in her heart. It wasn’t the first time she had seen something, but it was the first time she had seen something useful. Everything had been confirmed in her dreams, and, though most people would think nothing of a dream, Prea believed in its truth. She rushed back to the book and flipped to a page with a map of Valtera. The dream had answered the most important question: the stone was hidden in the mountains. The land of Valtera was divided into five cantons, each representing a cardinal element. She lived in Alder, the canton with the most trees and the one that represented the earthly element.
The River Nairne and the Bay of Aldin separated Alder from its neighbor Nodin to the south. Nodin was all grassy plains, allowing an unobstructed surface for air and wind. The canton of Egan was located in the southwest, a land of hot weather and sandy earth. Delmar encompassed the western third of Valtera, where most of the land was dominated by rivers flowing through wet marshlands with inlets around the coast. Lastly, the canton of Rodor bordered Delmar and Alder in the north and represented the ether element, its hilly terrain providing a clear view of the sky.
Mountains ran across the center of the island from north to south, cutting the land in half. People could only pass by the northern coast of Rodor or the southern coast of Nodin and Egan. No one had crossed the mountains anywhere near the middle, the peaks were too high.
But Prea knew for a fact that the stone was hidden somewhere in the mountains. That was her first clue; she could use the story and the poem to determine the course and path to make it to that final destination. She would need to figure out a few of the other directions before she left, but some could wait until she was on the road. Inspiration sparked and the map to the stone seemed to piece together in front of her eyes. She didn’t know where it was all coming from, be it instinct or intuition, but Prea knew what she needed to do and where she needed to go.
There wasn’t any time to be wasted; she had made up her mind and now she had to prepare. She rushed up the stairs where she dug out a large backpack and started assembling the necessities.
“What should I take?” she wondered, never having left her home. Being a geography teacher, she knew the land in theory. Terrain and weather would change, hot to cold and everywhere in between. She would need to pack for everything, every situation she could think of, yet still make it manageable.
“I’ve watched Papa pack for his trips hundreds of times,” Prea muttered. “But he also had a ship which provided relief from bad weather. I’ll only have a bag.”
“Let’s see, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. We’re in spring and the weather will only be heating up. But I’m heading to the mountains where it’ll be cold. So layers,” she finally determined and started searching through her clothes. Boots, shirts, sweaters, one of her father’s jackets. Prea gathered it all on her bed, then moved on to the kitchen, pulling out the densest and longest lasting food they had.
“I’ll be able to stop in some towns, replenish things.” Papa and Leal had told her about many of their trips: what they did, where they went, what they used and took. But knowledge was only so useful without experience.
The more she looked for things to pack, the faster her heart beat and an internal war began in her mind.
Am I crazy? the doubt asked.
“Very possibly,” she answered herself. There was so much to do, so much to think about. She took the food and returned to her room, laying it all out on her bed with her clothes. It seemed like an impossible task. She didn’t know how long it was going to take, how far she would have to go or if she would find what she sought. “But I know the stone is real. I know where it is. And I know how to get there.” For the most part, she added silently.
How are you going to survive? the doubt persisted. You don’t know what you’re doing.
“I’ll figure it out,” she said through gritted teeth. “I can do this. I have to do this.”
What about Alvie? the doubt wondered.
“Alvie,” Prea muttered. Her sister had never been left alone, never had much responsibility or worry in life. Prea had taken all of that on alone. She wanted her sister to remain a girl for as long as possible. Alvie didn’t deserve to be abandoned, left alone to fend for herself. “But what about Carr?”
The doubt didn’t have an answer for that. She paused in her packing and went to check on her brother. Prea watched him, frozen in his bed, being kept alive with fluids, herbs and nutritional solutions. Alvie was taking care of him. There was nothing Prea could do for him here, just watch and pray. It was agonizing. She moved to his bedside and held his hand.
“I’m scared, cricket,” she whispered. “You’re supposed to be driving me crazy, annoying Alvie and being our little brother. You’re supposed to be awake and healthy.”
She waited, ridiculously hoping that her words would have some miraculous effect. Nothing happened. “I’m going to save you, Carr. I’m going to make this better. I’m going to make everything better.”
Prea released his hand and kissed his forehead before leaving.
It took the better part of a day to collect all of the important items, and it took the rest of the day to determine what she really needed and what she could live without. The doubt continued to fight her resolve as the rest of the world passed by outside. Prea noticed none of it.
“What are you doing?” Alvie asked out of nowhere, causing Prea to jump out of her skin.
“Good heavens, Alvie, you scared me half to death,” Prea choked out as her hand registered the crazy beating of her heart through her chest.
“What are you doing, Prea?” she repeated without emotion.
“I’ve found a cure for Carr, but I’m going to have to leave for a little while to collect it.”
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing in this land that can help Carr. We don’t even know what’s wrong with him,” Alvie argued, doubt evident in her voice.
Prea looked away. “It’s nothing medicinal or herbal. It’s the stone…the stone from the story of Aylin and Ciro,” she stammered.
Alvie’s jaw dropped. “That is a legend, Prea. It’s just a story. It’s not real. You’re chasing a fairy tale. What are you going to do, just leave me here alone with Carr?”
“You know very well it’s true,” Prea countered. “We have an entire book full of proof downstairs.”
“That isn’t proof. It’s just a bunch of stories. It’s what Mama’s family believed. That doesn’t make it true.”
“You can’t still think that after all these years?” Prea argued.
“That’s exactly what I believe.”
“You didn’t always,” Prea reminded her quietly. “You used to believe it all.”
“Well, things change. I grew up and realized that magic and fantasy don’t fit into reality.”
“So this is about Mama?”
“No. This is about you abandoning me while you go on a ridiculous quest for a magical cure.”
“Where do you think it all comes from?”
“Where what comes from?” Alvie asked confused.
“I know you feel it. We all feel it. Mama did, I do. So do you and Carr. The power. The energy from nature, the land, the elements. Where do you think your skills with the earth and healing abilities come from? It comes from your lineage, your ancestors.” Prea paused and Alvie made no move to speak. “You know it’s the truth.”
“That’s beside the point,” Alvie countered. “Power, abilities, magic. None of them are going to help Carr.”
Tears welled in Prea’s eyes. “Alvie, do you think I want to be doing any of this? No. But Carr needs my help and I will do anything I can to save him. I have to. I would be doing the same thing if it was you,” she explained, looking her sister square in the eye. “You’ll be fine. You can handle yourself and we’ll move Carr to the infirmary so he won’t be alone. I’m going to ask Beda to move in here and make sure Dal checks in on both of you so you’re not alone. Everything will be all right, I promise.”
“Everything is far from all right, Prea,” Alvie retorted bluntly. “We’ve lost Mama and Papa and our brother is lying unconscious down the hall. And now you want to go gallivanting off who knows where searching for a mythical object that doesn’t exist.”
Prea looked at her sister and saw her again as the child she still was. Alvie had been given two more years where she remained blissfully unaware of the stresses of reality. Now she was seventeen and Prea was putting her in an unbelievable situation, abandoning her when she had no one else. But it couldn’t be helped; Alvie had to grow up so that both sisters could give Carr the rest of his own childhood.
“It does exist. I know it. I’ve seen it. I don’t want to leave either of you, but I can’t do anything here. You can. But out there is a possibility, something that I can do. I can’t keep sitting here, waiting. The two of you are all I have left and I’m not going to lose another person I love. I can’t do that. I won’t. You may not believe in the story or the stone, but I’ve never let anything happen to you in your life. Do you trust me?” Prea asked.
“Of course I do, Prea,” Alvie answered immediately. “But you’re talking crazy.”
“Then you have to trust that I know what I’m doing. And I do. I will bring the stone back and I will save our brother,” Prea proclaimed. “Then everything can go back to normal…or whatever normal will be then.”
Alvie spun on her heel and walked away from her older sister and Prea let her go. She could hate Prea all she wanted, but something had to be done and she was the only one left to do it.
