The Island With No Parallel

Family History

It’s time you knew, said the wolf. We pass through your world that you call Earth all the time. The wolf suddenly disappeared. Manuel jumped again as a tiger cantered from behind him. It spoke with a female voice. Your father had an uncanny ability to hear us. An ability very rare amongst humans.

Manuel started backing up. “I-I’m going mad.”

“No you’re not, Manuel,” said Fernando. “I can hear them, too. They are called the Unseeables. They are creatures that live between worlds.”

When Manuel turned, the tiger was gone and an owl flew onto Fernando’s desk and stared Manuel in the eyes intensely. It, too, was female, it seemed. The powder that has opened your eyes is a gift from us. We Unseeables have the ability to put power into ordinary objects so that you can defend yourselves from evil, and to make you wise to your surroundings. There exists another world, far from Earth, that is called Caorfi. The girl you have taken in, Yunara, is from this place. She is not human.

“She’s not human? Then what is she?”

A Naiad. She is one of four races that are on Caorfi, along with Elves, Fairies, and Dark Ones. You cannot see the parts of her that make her look Naiad because your eyes are shielded, as are most humans. But the seeing powder only works for a day before you have to use it again.

Manuel tried to get a grip on himself. “And you-- or you all, or however many of you there are here, you’re going to tell me about how my parents died?”

Yes. But first we must begin with the story of how your parents met. You see, your father was one of the few humans alive that could see Caorfians without seeing powder. The only way it could happen that a human could see a Caorfian without the help of an Unseeable is if they were in love with a Caorfian. Your mother was a Fairy from Ecencia that your father convinced to stay here on Earth to marry him.

“And here I have proof,” Fernando said, pulling out the second book again. “Your father was an artist, and he drew Caorfians. As long as he drew Caorfians from memory, the depictions were visible to anyone that saw them. But when he drew them from looking at a model, something amazing happened.” Manuel gasped as Fernando showed him that the same picture he saw of his mother had changed. Now he saw wings sprouting from her back and pointed ears.

“Th-that’s got to be a different drawing,” Manuel said.

“I haven’t even turned a page, I left it here open while you were hiding behind the chair. This is your mother, Manuel.” he turned the pages to where a map was drawn across both pages of the book It wasn’t Earth. “And this is where she comes from.” Fernando gave Manuel the book and all he could do was stare. He turned back to the page of his mother. How was this possible?

Through your mother, The owl continued. Your father understood her people’s plight. They were being terrorized by the race on Caorfi known as the Dark Ones. They are wicked creatures that only seek destruction. When the rich and evil Caorfians wanted their vile deeds done, they requested the help of the Dark Ones, and the suffering of the poor was usually the payment requested for their services. We Unseeables foresaw that a dark day was emanant in Caorfi, so we strove to be heard so that we could prevent catastrophic results. Few had the capability to hear us. Your father did. You do, and as does Fernando, Yunara, and a growing number of humans and Caorfians everywhere. Your father and mother fought against an organization that works to summon Dark Ones on behalf of the rich and died fighting for their cause. But their deaths were not in vain. They recovered five stolen items that belonged to one of five great heroes long ago, the sacred swords of the Ancients, and your father was able to hide away his only son from his enemies, because he knew they were going to find him where he lived.

Manuel stopped her. “Wait, do you mean to say my father abandoned me... to protect me?”

The owl spread its wings as if it were getting ready to leave. Now, Manuel Suarez de la Costa. You have been chosen, but you are given the option to choose. Will you continue on your father’s work? Make every thing he did worthwhile? Or will you abandon your destiny and leave your responsibilities in your wake?

“Wait, you haven’t answered my question. Who was after my father? Was he killed? Who was he protecting me from?”

Answer, the owl demanded, its eyes narrowing.

Manuel didn’t understand anything that was happening. But he wanted to learn more, and this was the only way. “Y-yes,” he stammered.

The owl didn’t reply. It took off and flew towards the window, disappearing before it made contact with the glass. Then Manuel felt sharp talons grabbing his shoulders. Two ravens had gripped onto him and flapped their wings, lifting him off the ground with impossible might. Fernando opened the window behind him.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Manuel demanded. Fernando didn’t answer. All of a sudden, the ravens charged through the windows, carrying Manuel with them. They soared, a nauseating distance from the ground. Then they entered the clouds, and all Manuel could see was white. When they emerged, Manuel was sure he was in another world. The ravens dropped him off at the mouth of a spring on a floating island, with a waterfall that began from infinity. The ravens disappeared, and in the air above the spring appeared five giant animals with fantastical features, a bear, an eagle, a horse, an elephant, and a deer. They introduced themselves, Orsella, Kalor, Baio, Facurna, and Oskan, and Kalor the eagle swooped forward to face Manuel. It glared at him intensely with black, beady eyes, holding his stare as it hovered in front of him.

Then finally it said, I have chosen you, Manuel. Your journey will be a hard one, and you are not going to get all the answers you deserve to the questions you hold just yet, because there is more important work to be done. But on this journey helping this young Naiad maid Yunara, you will find what you were looking for, and even what you didn’t know you needed. Kalor screeched so loud it hurt Manuel’s ears, then all of the animals disappeared, and Manuel appeared back in Fernando’s office. Yunara was already standing there waiting for him, and Manuel could see her.

Fernando seemed to be in already talking to her. He was saying in english, “I am sure Manuel will be willing to help you. I am certain he has motivation now. Ah, he has returned already. Manuel, I present to you the girl you already know, but have never seen before, Yunara.

Yunara seemed shy to make eye contact, as if she felt awkward that Manuel could see her for who she really was. She had gills in her neck and webbed fingers. Her ears were pointed, and he saw her eyes as slightly more squinted and large.

“Please don’t stare so,” she said, blushing.

“I--I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Fernando said, “I am sorry, but I really cannot tell you any more about your parents than what the Unseeables told you. But if you agree to help her, on her journey, it is impossible not to find information about them. For example, she knows the name of the man who killed your parents.”

Manuel’s eyes went wide. “Who?” he demanded.

Yunara looked confused. “What do you mean, Fernando?”

“You know Renen’s uncle, no?”

Yunara gasped and covered her mouth, looking to Manuel with soft sympathy in her eyes, then looked back to Fernando. “Lord Francis Stretton... Killed his parents?”

Fernando tossed Manuel a bag of that powder. “Take the powder. It lets you see people like Yunara and be able to parallel. Go with her and I promise you.” There was fire in Fernando’s eyes. “You will see justice done on the man that killed your parents.”