• Legends of Eterra

    CHAPTER III: Chousa

    Ah, so that’s where you were hiding. I’ve been waiting some time for you to appear, you know.

    “-!?”

    Elle’s eyes shot open, a small gasp escaping her pink lips. Her gaze was met with a ceiling made of twigs that were tightly woven together, six feet from her face. When she ventured to think her ordeal was a nightmare, the unfamiliarity of a ceiling made of twigs only crushed any hope she had. She was still in her tank top and was wearing her plaid pajama bottoms. Her blonde main was still unruly and her face was still holding traces of dirt, possibly a bruise from when the storm plopped her to the ground. She rose carefully, but her back was sore, and her arm was still throbbing from when the men before and clutched it; she was sure a bruise would form later from the iron grip.

    A soft, fleece blanket covered her. There was the soft pitter-pattering of drizzle hitting the roof, and Elle had come to notice that the walls were made of the same material. There was a threshold with a small cloth hanging from it, providing only a hint of privacy. It wavered somewhat at a sudden draft. It was cool within the chamber, but there was too much moisture in the air; the humidity was making Elle suffocate. With a deep breath, she pulled herself to her feet from the small, comforting cot on the floor, the fleece-like blanket falling to the ground from her form.

    Her bare feet felt the strength of the twigs, their rough bodies prodding gently at their soles. With each step, she inched closer to the threshold. There was a series of voices that became more and more audible with each step. Elle didn’t touch the cloth, however, she peeked through the cracks, but she couldn’t see anything more than a small, make shift kitchen with wooden chairs, a table, and even dishes. A black pot hung over what looked like a kindling.

    Seems like a dangerous idea…this entire house is made from twigs…

    Elle focused on the conversation being had.

    “Hasn’t she come out yet?” came a male voice. Elle glanced over to the side of the room – a younger boy, more childish, sat in on a wooden stool, back turned to Elle’s eyes, “She’s been sleeping, for like, ever,” he finished, biting into an apple – at least that’s what Elle thought it was.

    Nothing is as it seems here. That apple probably isn’t an apple…she quietly reminded herself of her new reality.

    “Faris,” an older woman replied sarcastically – Elle could see her brewing something up in the pot as stirred with a ladle, “Don’t act like you’ve never slept more than 14 hours in your life span. Yggdrisill knows your more than guilty of it.”

    I’ve…I’ve been asleep for 14 hours? W-What is Yggdrisill?

    “Yeah, but I got up eventually, didn’t I? This chick has been in there for more than that, hasn’t she?”

    “When people are tired, they sleep,” the woman retorted harshly, “Now shut up and come eat.”

    With a sigh, the boy who the woman address as Faris jumped to his feet, taking another bite out the apple. His hair was forest green, and he had ears that were seemingly more pointed than usual. He was barefoot also, and was wearing grey pants and a ripped shirt. The woman, who appeared more plump, was wearing a light blue dress with an apron tied around her. In the pocket of her apron she had several cook utensils. She watched the plump woman dip her ladle back into the pot and pour it into a bowl that Faris was now holding out. Elle retracted somewhat, as if afraid to be seen.

    “Where’d Chousa go?” Faris mumbled, “…still being a dumb brooding sob on the bridge, per usual?”

    “He’s waiting for that girl to wake up,” the woman replied, almost whispering, as if being discreet, “He’s been so quiet ever since he brought her back here. He mentioned something about something she was carrying. I wasn’t paying attention, he was speaking too quickly.”

    “He’s always quiet and sulky – how can you tell the difference?”

    Chousa…is that his name? Is that…the boy who saved me? And I was carrying – oh no! That pendant!

    Elle suddenly opened and closed her fists and brought her hand up to her chest, in sudden realization that she wasn’t clutching it in her palm anymore – the boy had taken it from her.

    He must still have it then. So I’m not dreaming…this…this is real.

    Elle backed away somewhat, as if debating whether or not to show herself in front of the people who were just talking about her. What did they want with her?

    Moreover, how do I know if they aren’t like those men from last night? She thought anxiously.

    Where AM I?

    With all of the courage she could muster, Elle walked firmly to the threshold and hesitantly pulled the red cloth away, her presence revealed from behind the curtain. The plump woman turned around, saw Elle, and let out a slight yelp.

    There was an awkward silence. Faris looked back at Elle from behind his seat and snickered at the woman.

    “Nice job, Leni.”

    “Oh, I’m so sorry, dear,” Leni, the woman started, putting a hand over her small mouth. Her round face produced a small smile after retracting her hand, “you just startled me. I’m glad to see you awake, though! Chousa told me to tell you to meet him when you woke, so why don’t you just step outside that door there. He’s out there somewhere, you’ll see him.”

    Elle didn’t say anything. Her eyes only looked at Leni’s caring brown orbs that soon returned to her pot on the kindle. Curiously, Elle walked across the foyer and to the door. Faris watched Elle with a mischievous smirk on his face. When Elle reached forward to push the door outward, he let out a chuckle.

    “Nice pants, weirdo.”

    “FARIS,” Leni spat sharply. Faris quietly snickered again. Elle, however, was not concerned with her appearance. When she pushed the door open, the humidity was more apparent than it was in the hut. She pushed the door closed and took in her surroundings.

    In front of her was a labyrinth of bridges, all made from wood, and several hutches, like the one that she had emerged from, planted at various levels of what looked like a forest of exceptionally long trees; they extended far into sky, disappearing into what looked like a mist from above. The entire village sat in a cloud with trees throughout, it looked like. The series of bridges connected upwards, downwards, in spirals, and the soft glow of fires from within each hut were bright. Ellenore had no idea what time it was. There was some light, obviously, but it was emitted softly, and it dully illuminated the forest in an eriee green. As she began to walk, the twigs and structures made noises of distress, which made Elle nervous. She stopped to lift up her foot and look underneath, focusing on the cracks. She couldn’t see much.

    This entire set up doesn’t seem stable. Everything is made of wood!

    She looked up and twirled to take in a panoramic view of her surroundings. The sounds of distant bird chirping and the wind sweeping through the village were all around her. It sounded as though the entire village was within a wind tunnel; it was at an exceedingly high altitude, from what Ellenore could gather.

    This…This is not Oklahoma…

    “Ellenore.”

    The familiar voice came suddenly, interrupting her intense study of her surroundings. She turned to face the figure who called her name. When she spun around, she was face to face with her silver-haired savior. Now that there was more light available to her, his features became more defined. He was taller, almost five, maybe six inches taller than Elle, and his shoulders and arms were soundly built as they sat at his side. Like she had seen before, his hair was an eriee silver color that was pulled back into a short pony-tail high above his neck, with a few loose strands that fell past his cheeks. His hair was an ethereal silver, a hair color that Elle had never seen before. He was something she’d never seen before. His skin was a smooth ivory, with pale lips that formed a firm line. His face was serious, stern; a face that Elle wanted to know more about.

    “Y-Yes?” she answered, “I-I mean, thank you. Thank you for what you did…last night.”

    His icy orbs regarded her with curiosity before shaking his head.

    “No, think nothing of it,” he said quietly, “I need to speak with you,” he paused, outstretching his hand, the jade pendant lying in his palm, “…regarding this item.”

    Elle said nothing; what was there to know? She didn’t know anything about where it had been or what it was even doing in Albion by the crater, or where her father’s friend had found it. It had simply come into existence, and it landed in Elle’s possession; it was her father’s really. She was only hanging on to it for a little while.

    “I-I don’t know anything about it,” she answered dejectedly, “I really don’t…I’m sorry,” she apologized. The boy shifted his weight.

    “Can you tell me…where you found it?” he asked. Elle pursed her lips somewhat before opening her mouth to answer.

    “A friend…of my father’s found it…by the crater in Albion,” she offered, but she was only met with a confused look. Elle’s heart sank. A small voice in the back of her head was reminding her about the possibility that she was in a place far away from Oklahoma.

    “Crater…in…Albion?” he asked, “Where…is this Albion?”

    “Oklahoma,” Elle answered instantly, “It’s a small town, so I’m sure you haven’t-“

    “O-Oklahoma?” he offered, interrupting Elle. Elle nodded.

    “Y-yeah, Oklahoma,” she replied. Again, her response was met with an even stranger look.

    “I’m sorry, Ellenore. I don’t seem to recall an Oklahoma anywhere in my memory,” he replied smoothly, “perhaps…you could explain more about your village?”

    Elle’s heart sunk further. The boy had no clue where or what Oklahoma even was. She had never heard of anything like this happening in her life – how could a mere tornado take her far enough away to a place where Oklahoma was unheard of? Her eyes fell casually to the side as she stayed silent to think for a while.

    “W-well,” Elle started, “It’s not really a village, it’s just…a small farming town, on the eastern side of Oklahoma,” she started her explanation. The boy was silent until he thought she was done. Elle continued, “in the USA.”

    “U…S….A?” he repeated. It was then that Elle concluded that he had no clue where or what the United States was. Where was this place? Elle couldn’t imagine a place where the United States of America was unheard of. Elle continued her explanation.

    “It’s….It’s a different country on earth,” she added. Again, her response was met with a blank stare. The blank stare then turned into look of subtle anxiety. The boy parted his lips somewhat, regarding Elle’s appearance.

    “Come with me,” he said quietly, turning around, not turning to see if Elle was following. She did as she was told, and followed him across a bridge. As Elle was walking, still barefoot, she took in her surroundings. When she looked down, it was a misty abyss; she couldn’t tell how high up the village was, or maybe how low it was. Regardless, the thought was unnerving, so she focused her attention on following the silver-haired boy through the labyrinth. She followed him up spiral cat-walks, all created by the same intricately woven twigs as the house she had emerged from; how it was standing was beyond Elle. With each step, creeks, cricks, and cracks emitted from every angle of the twigs below her, but she tried to push the thought of anything breaking from her mind. As they ascended further and further into the trees, the mist began to clear, and the sky became more clear, more blue like she had remembered the skies in Albion.

    Clouds were scattered about here and there, the warmth of the sun was hitting her skin, and the different life forms in this place were making their sounds and fluttering about, in and out of the trees. When they reached the stop, the view was simply amazing. The two of them stood on a wooden platform, looking over the land, that had more colors than Elle had ever seen in her life. When she surveyed the miles of land that were outstretched before her eyes, she came across a view that was infinitely more disturbing than anything she had ever seen in her life. It was a view she had never seen anywhere before in her life, the skies of Albion included.

    A huge gasp escaped Elle’s throat as both of her hands came to cover her mouth. The boy watched with mild interest at her reaction.

    In the boundless blue sky were three moons; they were next to on another in a row at a slight arch, bending towards the bright light in the sky (what Elle thought to be the sun, but certainly not anymore) and varying only little in size. Respectively from top to bottom, they moons appeared to be of a red, purple, and blue hue. It was too perfect, they were floating there in what seemed like perfect harmony. Also decorating the sky was a large arch in green and yellow hues that extended up and down, a large planet sitting in the middle presumably; the arch, then, was the ring of an identified planet – nothing Elle had ever dreamed of seeing in her entire life.

    This, however, was the moment at which Elle realized she was farther away than she thought. Much, much farther away.

    “Have you seen this sky before?” the boy asked, disturbing her trance. Elle shook her head, still in shock at the beautiful, haunting display of planetary objects in front of her.

    The tornado that had whisked her away had whisked her more than several miles – the storm had whisked her several light-years away.

    This is a nightmare. There’s no way this can be real! Elle thought frantically, storm systems can’t do that! They don’t even reach that far into the sky! How would I have even escaped the atmosphere? How was I even breathing in space?

    How-How did I-

    “How did I end up here?” Elle thought aloud. The boy, who seemed to put together the pieces of the missing puzzle, opened his mouth again to reply.

    “If this isn’t your world…” he began, “What is the name of the world you come from?”

    “Earth…that’s…that’s the name of my home…planet,” Elle answered.

    I can’t believe I’m saying this. I can’t believe this is happening. How am I-How am I going to get home? How can I talk to my parents?

    “You’ve never...visited other worlds before?” he asked. Elle shook her head vehemently.

    “N-No, this stuff isn’t-this stuff isn’t common from where I’m from! I mean, we-we can travel in space, but-but-but—“ Elle sputtered, struggling to speak, “I-I mean, this-it’s crazy-this, I can’t even…I can’t even speak right now, I just-I don’t even know how this happened, I didn’t even know it was possible!” she nervously chattered away. The boy raised a hand to silence her. Elle fell silent, as if controlled by the movement of his outstretched palm. Her pendant was still tightly clutched in his other palm. He extended it to her, giving it back. Elle reached out to take it. When she wrapped her fingers around her pendant, the boy looked at her sternly again.

    “You need to leave. Immediately.”

    “…?” Elle was confused.

    Leave? What does he mean? Leave this village? And go where? I don’t even know where I am!

    “I don’t know where this village is, how can I leave-“

    “Leave this world. Go back to your world. And take that pendant with you,” he spoke. Elle’s eyes grew wide. Dumbfounded, she searched for words, but they only came out in panicked sobs. The boy, startled by her reaction, paused for a minute to study her.

    “What do you mean go back!?” she screeched, “How? How can I go back when I don’t even know how I came here!? I don’t where I even am, let alone go back! Please,” she sobbed, tears running down her cheeks, relentless in their own right, “Please help me,” she begged, “If you know someone who can get me out of here, then please, tell me!”

    Frantically, she began spinning around, pacing in circles as if formulating some kind of plan. Her hand gestures her erratic, waving all over the place maniacally as though swatting invisible nats flying over her head. She was speaking, chattering away to herself before turning to the boy, and covering her face with her free palm.

    “I know of someone that might be able to help,” he began quietly.

    Elle looked up.

    “Y-You do?”

    “There’s a mage who lives in Rythais…a city far to the west of here. I…can’t promise anything, but he’s the best I know, and I’m sure he’d…explain how you got here…better than I can, at least,” he replied. Elle blinked.

    “Do you…know how I got here?”

    “I’m not sure if my theory is correct,” his voice became considerably more bitter and hostile, “but I have reason to believe you were summoned here.”

    “…S-summoned?”

    I was summoned? By who?

    “Who could have done this?” she asked.

    The boy fell silent. He disregarded her question.

    “I’ll ask Leni to make preparations for travel. In the meantime, you should rest as much as you can. You’re going to need your strength,” he turned his back to her, “I won’t make any garuntees of your return to your world, only that I will make every effort to see to it you return to your world. I’m sorry…you’ve been involved in all of this, Ellenore.”

    “It’s Elle,” she corrected, “Just call me Elle.”

    “Elle. Very well,” he began his descent into the village. Elle followed.

    “So…do you have a name?” Elle began carefully. An exhausted look passed over his face briefly at Elle’s question, followed by a distant, nostalgic facade, as if he was deciding whether or not to tell her. Instead, her question was answered with a brief, ‘yes’. Elle furrowed her eyebrows.

    “Well…what is it?” she asked, almost annoyed. The boy took his time again to answer.

    “Chousa,” he answered reluctantly. Though circumstances suggested her demeanor be otherwise, Elle smiled politely.

    “Okay, then…Chousa it is,” she replied, “Is…that it? You don’t have any other names? Like a last name? Or a middle name?”

    “Chousa…is all you need to know,” he answered sternly.

    When they descended, the mist began layering into the thickness that Elle recognized. The bright sky and the scattered clouds disappeared in the sea of leaves, the thick canopy blocking out any warmth, leaving only the humidity. The humidity, the mist, or her surroundings didn’t quite bother her.

    Elle couldn’t help but wonder about her new found companion.

    There is always more than what meets the eye.