When I woke up, the old man was long gone and the goat was grazing by the roadside chewing down on some fresh grass. I noticed it wasn't morning and I had no idea how long I was asleep, it was still night. Eternal Night. Although I could feel as if the stars glimmered brighter when it was supposed to be morning and dulled into the night, giving a chance for the moon to shine.
Where was the sun? How was this world still functioning and where the hell am I?
My hands started to shake and my heartbeats got faster, thumping out of my chest. I was anxious and scared. I wanted to go back to my room and sleep in my bed. The people I was with, yes, would be still there and I would still hate them but it was far better than this place where everything was so weird and grandly. It gave off an atmosphere of gloom, madness descending, and the world collapsing onto itself like a dead animal breathing his last breath.
The world was to end soon and I could feel this.
A sheet of paper fluttered under the rock kept there as a paperweight. I took the paper and started reading it,
If you want to know more about this world, come to the farm situated above the cliffs upward of the Junction. For directions, ask Marnie in the Cardinal Inn.
Signed, Just an Old Man.
I had an interest to know about this strange world I was in. It would be better to collect information than wander about aimlessly if I wanted a way out of here. I decided to go meet the old man.
I climbed out from the boulder and the descent was far easier than climbing up. A life lesson in that. I called out for the young goat, she kind of started growing on me. A happy little creature, full of ignorance about her surroundings, happy to live. I liked that.
She trotted towards me and I stroked her head and then we set out.
***
We rallied on, the goat ever lively. To cross the road was no easy feat, with giant boulders on both sides and slippery coarse small stones on the ground. The color palette, a mesh of natural tones of brown saturated grey by the evident lack of illumination. One misstep and we could have slipped into the chasm below that gave way to jagged steep cliffs enfolding with a sharp peak rising outwards then dropping down. A curve that peaked then dropped like protruding spikes glued to the mountains itself.
It was easier at first, we followed straight pathways that were emboldened by its frequent use but as we trotted onwards, the boulder grew in size, the initial boulder we had encountered only felt like a prelude to this turn of scenery. The boulders spread out, initially as mere huge stones laying on the side of the mountain trail then fattened into humongous cliffs, three to four times in size. The pathways turned and twisted around the stone walls that now the boulders formed. Eventually craving way towards a cliff that overlooked the valley below. The place where we were right now was called the Jagged Cliffs. It was etched on the wall with squiggly scribbles when we entered the mountain trail.
We may have crossed two or more mountains and still, the moon shone brighter than ever. No sign of setting anytime soon. I had no idea for how long we had hiked. The goat was panting, she was exhausted by this arduous journey. My legs were only sore a bit and there was a lot of breath left in my lungs, I could have easily trekked to the moon and back that was peaking surreptitiously through the mountain ranges.
I decided to take a rest for the goat's sake considering it was still a child. I didn't want her to faint out of exhaustion, not knowing how far Junction still was. I couldn't take this risk. I fed her the milk that I had left and she hurriedly gobbled it up. Instantly lying down for rest. I decided to follow in her footsteps, but first I needed warmth. The night air was chilly and as we climbed higher and higher, the temperature had started to drop drastically. I was ill-fashioned for this climate.
I found some dry grass inside the crevices, trying its best to survive in this cruel world with no visible light and scantily amounts of water. I wandered around for a while looking for firewood. I found a small tree branching out on the corner of a cliff looking upwards, positioned awkwardly in mid-air, slanted. I carefully broke some twigs off of it. I walked back to the goat and she was sleeping soundly, her little belly moving up and down as she breathed.
Hastening the dry grass and the twigs, I made a makeshift bonfire, small yet warm that I had kindled by sparking two stones together and clashing them together diagonally across. The clattering of the stones was the only sound in the valley. Echoed.
The fire caught instantaneously due to the dry grass that cried when it went up in flames, the water turning into steam. Later, I learned that it was called Jaesus wildroot. It was full of water and typically grew in dry and remote areas like this and the water could be used for drinking by carefully trickling it out by squeezing and twisting it over low flame.
The bonfire danced, its flames flickering and casting ominous shadows, and the sound of it - pleasing. I slept cuddling the goat around my chest, keeping her warm.
***
When I woke up, the bonfire was expunged, red-brown sand draped all over it. My hands were tied behind my back and I was made to sit cross-legged. My cheeks were bright red and my hair was scraggy.
It was astoundingly darker than before and the moon's soft light helped me glance at the droopy figures all clad in black, donning capes that rustled in the wind. The goat bleated out in fear and a thud was heard, someone had kicked her.
"Stop crying you, wench or I will toast and eat ya", the man who kicked her screamed at her.
Anger was rising up in me, eager to burst out. I remained calm assessing the situation. When finally my eyes adjusted to the dark and the moon had decided to move in between the ridges, then I saw properly. Five people. One was sitting on the distant rock with a long weapon that resembled a shotgun, only his silhouette was visible. Two men were to my right and one to my left, the man in the middle was forcing down the goat with his left foot and looking downwards on the goat's face, which was hidden away in the shadows.
"Who are you, what do you all want?", I nestled up the courage to speak out hiding my anger beneath. I knew this was not the right time to lash out, foremost I had to save the goat from them lest they killed her. I needed to save her.
"Who are we?", a deep voice drawled out slowly enunciating each word. It was the man on the left who had spoken, he crouched down on one leg, his pistol that glowed strangely butted my chin. He silently pranced on me like a cat.
"Who are we?", he repeated, mockingly. The three men laughed. The man keeping watch sat there on the boulder.
"Lads, who are we?", he griped.
"Maucaesians of the Cliffs", a man on the right said.
"That's right, Maucaesians. Hey, tell me, boy. How come you don't know about us? Everyone in this part does and to tell you the truth, I felt hurt. Come on we started wearing these capes to announce to the world. It's a symbol of truth. The cape overlooks the cliffs. Ever soaring. And you still don't know us?
Funny looking guy, who are you ?", the man on the left said. He was the leader of this group, I assumed. Whether there were bandits or rogues, or a cult. I didn't know.
"I am new here.", I said.
"Amusing,... You think this is a joke", he pushed the pistol further into my chin.
I looked into his eye, his face was weary and his beard was peering out. His hair was long and coiled on his forehead some lanking forwards to hide his left eye.
"Not joking. I came from the forest of lights and the witch there instructed me to bring this goat to the junction to bring about destruction. She said, If something happened to her or somebody killed her, He would be cursed to live as an ant for eons to come, never dying, eternally being squashed.", I stated the last words of my statement with concise and bold tones so as to be heard clearly. In my diction of these lies, I didn't falter. I had to convey that they were making a mistake hurting the goat and it was not the witch that would curse them, but me.
"Eek", the man in the middle lifted his leg from the goat upon hearing this. The goat grasped for air, slowly breathing. I sighed subtly.
Naive. I can fool them., I thought.
"Haha, What slander!", the man put away his pistol and stood up, " So you are saying, If I were to shoot this goat here, I would instantly turn into an ant. Should we try it out, eh?". He pointed the gun at the goat.
With conviction in my eyes, I gazed straight at him, " I don't know". I paused, he looked at me with a grin so distasteful it sent chills down my smile and then I slowly said," I am doing what the Witch told me. You are free to kill the goat but be aware of the curse and the doom that would await you, if not now then ever haunting you each day."
He put the gun down and faced me, "Hmm". He wondered for a minute then finally spoke, " The forest of lights, how did it look like ? Tell me. Let's see the truth behind your words."
The goat was trying to stand up, twitching her tiny legs, pushing herself forward with her knees to trudge on to stand erect. I had to keep their focus on myself and more evidently, distract them.
"It was unlike any other place, I had ever seen. It was full of purple lights, even the flowers gave off light. The moon was bigger and closer and the trees glowed as well. It was surreal...", as I was describing the forest adding in more peculiarity and making it more grandiose than it could ever be, all the while collecting sand in my tied hands.
I glanced in between the exchange that the goat was on her feet and the man in the middle was drawn in by my story. The man far away had decided to nap. It was for the best.
"...I also got something from the Witch. She gave it to me.", I ended my monologue about the forest. Everyone was drawn in. Their attention was on me.
"Oh, What is it?", the second man on the right spoke for the first time.
"If you can come closer, I can show it to you."
He looked towards the leader for approval. He nodded and nudged his pistol pointing it towards me, telling him to go. The man on the right had his pistol holstered by his belt and his cape rustled backward, leaving it unguarded. When he got close enough, I leaped up headbutting his chin and kneeing his groin. He faltered down and then I swiftly scattered the sands in the face of the leader.
"Gooo!!!", I shouted. Hoping the goat would understand.
"Secure the goat", the leader called out smearing sand out of his eye. I deftly took out the pistol from the fallen man's holster and kicked him toward the edge. He tumbled down into the valley below. His scream echoed. I couldn't believe what I had done but there was no time for remorse and guilt. I had to save her.
I shot the leader in the upper thigh, he thudded on the ground. Groaning in pain. My guilt had won and I decided to leave him alive but then proceeded to shoot him in the wrist, taking his pistol. Leaving him harmless.
I carefully shot my handcuffs which were made out of a strange metal that vibrated with a falsetto upon the impact. My wrists tinged in pain and a bruise was left behind numbing the carpal tunnel of my left hand.
All the other men had chased behind the goat, which had trotted blazingly upwards on the nearest cliff. Only the leader was left behind, blind, shot at, and groaning in pain.
I chased behind them.
After climbing the spiral cliff, all the way to the top through the engorging rock passageways. I hadn't encountered the remaining men. I halted. The passageway gave way to a clearing atop the cliff, only a single tree stood there in the middle, its trunk from the ground up twisting and turning. Its branches were crooked and devoid of any leaves. It was naked. Only a single flower bloomed at its highest branch, glowing. The flower had petals that were spherically elongated and it had only three petals, all white and radiant - giving off light.
The light enveloped the tree in an ephemeral aura. The goat stood there under the base of the tree, the bodies of the men scattered around her meters apart, all laying face down. She looked straight up at me, her small green eyes glowing.
"Oh you are safe", I cried out kneeling down on one leg. I dropped the pistols and my left hand seethed in immense pain, my teeth clattered but I didn't let it show up on my face. I opened my arms out in a hug. The goat leaped into my arms and I embraced her,, " I was so worried".
She bleated and then snuggled out and trotted slowly toward the base.
An old lady emerged from behind the lanky twisting trunk. She was covered in tattered robes that hid her whole body. Only her hands furtively peered out, bony and grey.
"Not here", she looked at the tree, Ignoring me until the goat bleated and then she looked upwards, her face hidden away behind the contours of the robe.
"So, you are back again in this world. Toya, guide her. I cannot anymore. I have to find the perfect spot.", she said raspily.
The goat bleated in response. I looked at the goat, black-grey fur glistening in the light of the flower was now silvery and she did not feel like a child anymore - she felt otherworldly.
"The covenant is no more. Lucila was ravaged and destroyed by the darkseers and Vivandre. You are our only hope to bring back the light. Find the Astral Realm. Toya don't let him get lost again. Guide him."
The flower wilted and the light extinguished as if suddenly a candle's wisp was snuffed. The old lady vanished in the dark and the goat turned to look at me, pacing towards me. She set her innocent emerald eyes on me that exuded radiance and ignorance unlike the previous moment, she bleated and snuggled her head into my chest, pushing my hand on her head. I stroked her smooth hair, adjusting to what had happened and examining the bodies that lay face down on the ground. I looked at the goat all the while stroking her,
"So your name is Toya".
Toya snickered and I sat there with her in my arms, dumbfounded.