1

First Steps

U'ka, dressed in heavily battle-scarred leather armor and a thick fur-collared woolen cloak, pulled a tarnished brass compass case from the rubble pile, adding it to her bag of scrap metal. She glanced towards another huge mound filled with broken stone and splintered wood beams.

Her companion, Teek, a Flora Sapien plant being, dug around for treasures of his own. Commonly known as a Green Jack, the tall tree-like man possessed long arms and legs. Impenetrable Iron Oak bark covered his lithe frame. He squealed with glee as he reached his moss-coated arm into the rubble, retrieving a handful of tiny pink rats. His mouth opened wide as he tossed them in, swallowing them whole. Most Green Folk received their nutrition from soil and sun, but Teek was a carnivorous plant and relished the much-needed protein.

Satisfied she'd gathered enough metal to use for bartering at the trading post, U'ka pulled the thick canvas bag’s drawstring closed and set it aside. She needed it to trade for information on where the last of the Daemon Lords might be hiding. A few managed to escape the purge that forced the Daemon hordes back to the dark realm. If she failed to track them down and expel them back to their domain, they could wreak havoc on the land again.

She pushed a long strand of stringy blonde hair behind her ear and wiped thick sweat from her brow, leaving a dark smear from her dirt-stained hand. U'ka rose to make a final pass of the ruined city center, wanting to make sure she hadn't missed anything valuable.

They’d gotten a good haul due to a magical barrier still in place around the city. It kept scavengers from foraging through the rubble, as they had just done. A powerful Blood Daemon mage had set the lightly glowing reddish barrier during the war. It should have fallen when the Daemons were banished back to their dark realm, but the magic still held firm.

U'ka attempted to bring it down, but her magic was far too weak. She was still struggling to regain her strength after being in a near comatose state for four months after the war ended. It took another two months for her to be strong enough for travel. Her body and soul suffered greatly from the ravages of the Blood War the Daemons wrought upon the land. She wondered if she'd ever regain her once powerful, sleek fighting form.

U'ka turned to check on her warhorse, Bud, and Daisy, their pack mule, grazing outside the barrier. She loved the great warhorse. They had all barely survived the war. Teek found Bud lying in a ditch covered in blood, unable to move. The pack mule, named Daisy by his mother because he loved playing among the yellow flowers as a young foal, came to them in much the same manner. Teek carefully nursed them all back to health. They were bonded to each other, having gone through their recovery together.

When her Spell Breaker charm failed to bring down the barrier, Teek used the Green Ways, magical pathways connecting all plant life in Eleanthra, to get them through to the city. The magic wall wavered, distorting the view outside. It was like trying to see through a waterfall, creating the illusion of light shimmering off the big coal-black destrier and the grey mule. They seemed to be moving in some strange dance. The animals remained outside because most couldn't tolerate traveling the Green Ways and went insane.

U'ka walked the perimeter of the ruined city square, casting out a Seeking spell to find any other valuables hidden in the rubble. Everything was so quiet and still, the kind of silence which unnerved every fiber of her being. Her boots were now stained black from the dark ash covering the ground. Black soot from the raging fires that destroyed the city, coated the few remaining walls.

The dark brown spatters of long dried blood seeming to cover everything, haunted U'ka's mind. This was where the city’s populace made their futile last stand against the invading army of Daemons. A cold shiver ran through her; she could almost hear the echoes of their screams. U'ka hated that she'd been powerless to stop the slaughter here and at every other city center in Eleanthra wiped off the map by the Daemon hordes.

U'ka's Seeking spell turned up no more hidden treasures among the ruins. Satisfied they'd discovered everything of value in the city square, she signaled to Teek the readiness to leave.

Brows furrowed in a questioning look, he pointed towards the ruined city where a few partial buildings still stood. The destruction here was complete; this once vibrant center now only an empty shell.

"No, Teek. It's going to be dark soon. I don't want to spend the night inside the city. Too much death and echoes of dark power here. I know I told you I wanted to find someplace with a real roof to sleep under, but I'd rather camp in the forest again than stay here any longer."

Teek exhaled, holding out his hand. Unlike other Green Folk, Teek's species of flora never developed speech. Instead, he communicated by a series of creaks and groans she'd learned to understand while fighting together during the war.

"The bag's not too big, is it?" she said, knowing there was a size limit on inanimate objects he could pull through the Green Ways.

Teek indicated it was fine with a wave of his arm.

U'ka picked up her scrap metal bag and took his smooth wood hand as they approached a thorny bush. The air shimmered around the leaves from Teek's opening of the Green Ways, which allowed the Green Folk to travel anywhere in Eleanthra within a few heartbeats.

She closed her eyes before the energies pulled them through. Even short trips made her head ache. Her magic and that of the Green Folk weren't entirely compatible, and traveling the Green Ways always messed with her head.

U'ka strapped the sack to the pack mule's back along with everything else they'd scavenged during their travels. She gave the patient mule a caress along his fuzzy cheek.

"Thanks for all your hard work, Daisy. I promise we'll lighten your load once we get to the trading post."

The mule answered with a loud grunt, instinctively knowing his work would never be done.

She climbed into Bud's saddle, signaling Teek to lead the way. They traveled for another few hours on dusty, empty roads, leaving the city ruins far behind them. His long legs allowed him to cover lots of ground. He headed into the forest to gather wild tubers and root vegetables for her dinner once they made camp.

U'ka readied her bow, pulling an arrow from the quiver on Bud's saddle. Teek usually flushed out any small game for her to shoot. A rabbit darted into the open a few steps ahead of them. She let her arrow fly, piercing the brown rabbit through the neck. He picked it up and handed it to her, pulling the arrow free before tying the carcass to the saddle. U'ka took the tubers he collected and stuffed them in the saddlebag.

"Still no deer? We haven't seen anything larger than a badger since the war ended. I'm dying for something other than rabbit or pigeon or rat to eat."

Teek shrugged and walked off. She knew the Green Folk were helping the forests heal from the damages inflicted during the war, but where had all the large animals gone? They should have come back by now. The war couldn't have killed them all off; at least, she hoped it wasn't the case.

They passed many more burned-out buildings along a rutted road winding through an ancient forest of tall, twisted, and heavily gnarled trees. Shafts of light fought their way through the dense canopy, illuminating the forest floor. The sound of birds and other small animals scurrying through the leaf litter filled the air around them. Teek pointed to a small clearing, indicating their campsite for the night.

U'ka dismounted to relieve the animals of their gear. Heat radiated off their warm bodies. She pulled out a rag to wipe down their sweaty coats before brushing them to get rid of the road dust. She waved her hand along the length of their bodies, casting a spell to cool the air around their overheated bodies

U'ka ran her hand along Bud's well-muscled, sleek body, marveling at the beauty of the great warhorse. He possessed a grand name as was the tradition with all great warhorses, but Teek told her it was a reminder of a violent past the proud horse needed to forget. He just wanted to be called Bud.

The Equine Masters kept breeding the great warhorses even though the Green Folk forbade the first human refugees landing on the shores of Eleanthra from waging war in their lands.

The warhorses fought bravely during the Blood War, as they'd been trained to do, but still fell to the overwhelming power of the Daemon hordes. As far as she knew, he was the only one to survive. Bud and Daisy's eyes slowly glazed over from her careful grooming, so she knew she was done and left them to graze until they were ready to sleep.

Teek returned with a pile of dry branches for the fire. U'ka handed him the cooking pot to fill with water. He silently communicated with the forest plants to find a nearby stream.

She focused a fire spell symbol in her mind and cast out her magic. The wood slowly smoldered. Small flames formed, quickly spreading through the dry wood. She pulled out her hunting knife to slice the tubers. Teek returned with a pot of water and hung it above the roaring campfire. Their nightly routine, now well-practiced.

U'ka tossed the vegetables in and gutted and skinned the rabbit. She was careful to keep the pelt intact to add to the roll of small animal hides she'd collected for trading. She cut up the meat and added it to the already bubbling stew. Teek scooped up the rabbit's entrails and bones, slurping them down with a satisfied grin.

* * * * * *

With her stomach full of rabbit stew, U'ka scraped the skin clean of sinew and laid it flat to dry overnight. It was a full and tiring day; her muscles ached from the day-long ride. She pulled out her bedroll and placed it near the fire before stripping down to her muslin under clothes. Exhausted from their hard day of scavenging, she felt tired down to her bones and knew she’d fall asleep fast.

Teek silently stood guard nearby. Small roots from his feet dug into the ground, connecting him to the forest for many acres around them. No one would get near their camp without him detecting them.

He'd been her guardian during the war and saved her life many times. Now he kept watch over her, continuing to fulfill his oath. She could rest secure, knowing she wouldn't be attacked in the night.

Sleep came quickly, fitful at first, then a deeper sleep leading to dark dreams of the war. Daemons and humans viciously slaughtered each other with sword, polearm, ax, and bow. Daemon mages cast all manner of deadly magic. Men fell dead where they stood, their faces twisted in horrible pain. U'ka stood at the center of the raging battle, blood soaking the ground all around her. The warm liquid seeped through the soles of her boots.

Blades viciously sliced into flesh, creating so much blood spatter, the air filled with a thick layer of red mist. Her heart pounded as it became nearly impossible to breathe. The agonized screams of the dying intensified until she could no longer stand the carnage going on all around her.

U'ka clawed her way to consciousness to escape the horrible nightmare. Her screams filled the night as she threw the heavy, damp blanket off. She looked down at her body covered in a thick sweat, relieved she wasn't soaked in blood.

Even in her dreams, she couldn't escape the horrors of war. With heavy breaths, she gazed at the night sky to calm herself and slow her frantic breathing. Scattered stars shone through breaks in the wide tree canopy. Crickets chirped their lonely song in the darkness, reassuring her all was well.

Teek's wooden hand appeared before her face, holding a tiny red seed.

U'ka took it from him and sniffed. "Baku seed?"

He nodded, motioning towards his mouth.

"I know what it's for," she said, popping the bitter seed onto her tongue. It numbed her throat as she swallowed and worked its way through her body, sending her into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

"Thank you," she mumbled, her eyelids too heavy to remain open.

* * * * * *

U'ka felt a nudge on her shoulder. What now? I've just fallen asleep. Eyes slowly peeling open, Teek's thick bark-covered legs appeared before her.

"Can't I sleep in for one day?" she groaned.

Teek let out a low rumble, pointing upwards. The sun was already high in the warm blue sky.

"Alright, alright. I'm awake," she said, sitting up, still wrapped in her thick blanket.

He laid a cloth filled with fruit, berries, and nuts before her.

"You actually found an apple tree?" she said, biting into the ripe, delicious red skin.

Teek let out a series of clicks and creaks that told her he'd found an abandoned orchard not too far away. He handed her a warm cup which she lifted to her nose, smelling the familiar spicy aroma of Balla Bark, a strong tea to help wake her up.

"Thanks, mom, you're too good to me."

Teek rolled his eyes in response.

Man, I really miss bread, thought U'ka while she ate. It'd been so long since she'd eaten warm bread fresh from the oven that it seemed like such a luxury now.

She finished her meal and stood to stretch her stiff muscles before checking on the animals. Bud and Daisy happily crunched away on a pile of apples. Their ragtag group would never have made it this far if not for Teek looking after them. She dressed quickly, wrapping her long wool cloak around herself against the chill of the morning air.

U’ka fastened her sword belt, and checked her weapons to make sure they were in good shape. They hadn't run into any marauders yet, but their luck couldn't last forever. She picked up the now dried rabbit skin and added it to her roll of pelts.

Teek led Bud and Daisy to a nearby stream to get their fill of water while U'ka packed up camp. A burlap sack full of apples lay near their supplies. He was always good at thinking ahead. These would come in handy for food or trade at the next outpost. Teek returned with the animals; she saddled up Bud while Teek loaded up Daisy. He softly patted the pack mule's neck in appreciation.

U'ka smiled, knowing of the Green Folk's close bond with the animals of Eleanthra. They liked them far better than humans, who they barely tolerated much of the time.

Teek stepped onto the dusty road, setting a fast pace for the half-day ride to the trading outpost.

© Copyright 2020 L.A. Stinnett. All rights reserved.

Cover image © Copyright 2020 David Stinnett