Even though she slept soundly under her thick navy blue comforter, Soraya sensed her father's presence creeping closer towards her bedroom. She awoke just as he towered over her bed.
I'm leaving for Matumi today. This is the last time I'll see papa for quite awhile.
Tishva gently nudged his daughter's shoulder with his weathered hand. "Morning kiddo," he said, his voice low and firm. "It's time to get ready."
Soraya knew there was no time for dragging her heels. She sat up, being careful not to bump Yabo, who was sleeping by her feet.
Tishva drew apart the dark navy blue curtains, letting in a pale yellow stream of light from the rising sun. "Today's going to be a long day for you," he said while picking up Soraya's suitcase. "I let you sleep in as long as possible and made us breakfast. I'll explain more while you're eating at the table."
"Sounds good," Soraya yawned in reply. Before her feet hit the icy wooden floor, her father had already vanished down the hall, his heavy footsteps growing fainter as he descended down the spiral staircase.
"I wonder what today will bring," Soraya pondered while staring at the sunlight pouring in from her window. She hopped out of bed and looked down at the ground below. The pearly white snow covering the trees and ground outside sparkled and looked enchanting. "I'll miss you," she whispered to her mother's grave. "Please help Papa remember me."
The girl changed into warm black stockings and a light green dress with long sleeves and a jade ribbon around her waist. It reached down a little past her knees. Soraya loved the two deep pockets sewn into either side, which in her opinion, made it the most practical for traveling in. She then scooped up her pandacoon, who was sluggish from having just woken up, and cradled him like a baby.
"I want to take you with me so badly, Yabo," she wished longingly. "I just can't leave you behind, I love you too much."
Soraya planted several kisses on his fuzzy face and placed him on her shoulder, where he happily sat and stretched to wake himself up. She then flew towards the kitchen, where her father stood at the dining room table, waiting.
"Kiddo," Tishva said, setting a plate filled with bacon and eggs in front of her seat. "I'm worried about going into town with you today. We'll run some errands and I can drop you off at the train station, but we'll have to hurry. I wish I could take you to Matumi, but I'm afraid of straying too far from home in my condition."
"I understand..."
They were both worried that he might forget who she was out in public. Although it made sense for him to stay behind, Soraya was nervous about getting to the other side of their country on her own. The town of Rivinsdeep was a small and tight knit community made up mostly of elderly Azakuins. Everyone knew everybody and looked out for each other like a family. She wasn't sure how the bustling oceanside city life of Matumi would be in comparison.
Soraya pushed her nervousness away by sitting down and tucking into breakfast. Yabo plopped onto her lap, sitting on hind legs while meowing for morsels. She obliged, sharing bits of egg and bacon by placing them in his outstretched paws.
"Look at how cute he is!" Soraya exclaimed in adoration, pointing at Yabo chewing his food. Her father didn't seem to pay any attention to either of them. Instead, he dug out paperwork from a large brown box.
"In case I have an episode and have to come back home early, I've written a list of chores for you to do today while in town," he explained, sliding a small piece of parchment paper next to Soraya's plate. "I need you to read this over and memorize it in case you lose this piece of paper."
Soraya glanced down at her father's neat handwriting, memorizing it in seconds.
1. Visit bank:
- Give Soraya access to bank account.
2. Visit the Library and buy:
- Etherian Biology
- Etherian World History
- Azakuin Language and Composition
- Music Theory
- Casmerahn Volume I
- Algebra I
3. Visit Dr. Yosef Athan and get a doctor's note
4. Visit Train Station and pick up:
- Prepaid train ticket to Matumi
- Train leaves at 18 o'clock
"This is it?" Soraya asked. It was a lot smaller of a list than she had anticipated.
"Yes," Tishva placed a small card in front of her. It had her father's name, address, and a twelve digit number printed on the front right. On the left was a picture of a red dragon with golden eyes partially coming out of a long rectangular frame that was vertically stretched. Underneath its body was a pile of precious jewels.
"In case anything happens to me, you need access to my Lari. We're making you a card like this today at the bank. That way, you're not left stranded or wanting for anything," her father placed his finger on the list and pointed at number two.
"These books should all be at our local library. If there are any missing, you'll be able to purchase or rent them from Darkwood Academy's library. Also, the doctor's note is so you can keep Yabo with you at school. They will accommodate for you as long as a doctor says he's an emotional support animal."
"It all seems so simple and straightforward," Soraya commented with a hint of distrust. "Are you sure there's nothing missing?" she half joked, smiling up at her father. Although his eyes twinkled, he wasn't joining her on kidding around.
"Darkwood Academy provides school outfits so you'll be measured and fitted once you arrive," he prattled on as if Soraya hadn't said anything. "However, I need to go over some details with you about traveling."
He placed a small dark blue booklet in front of her. On the front was the pattern of the Azakuin nation's flag, which was a creature called a gremowlkin, a blend of an owl and cat. Gremowlkins were known for being great hunters, explorers and capable of adapting to any climate, which is why their government had chosen the creature for being the symbol of their country.
"This is your travel permit," Tishva said sternly. "Do not lose this or let it out of your sight. You'll need it for traveling across the country. Keep it in either your dress pocket or your jacket pocket for easy access."
Her father opened the booklet, taking out a small rectangular piece of paper from inside.
"This is a copy of your birth certificate. Keep this in here and only take it out to show adults when asked, and even then, only workers such as the train attendants and the principal at your school. Others may try to steal this information from you, so be careful."
His daughter studied the document. She had never seen her own birth certificate before.
"And kiddo?"
"Yes Papa?" Soraya noticed her father was holding something else in his hands.
"This is very important," Tishva placed a pair of black fingerless gloves onto the table. "You need to wear these at all times to cover the magic tattoos on the palms of your hands. You may wear them for religious reasons, and you can tell others it's because you're a follower of The Path."
Soraya reached for the gloves and slipped them on over her hands. They felt fuzzy and warm, decent for wearing outside and not too hot for wearing indoors. She was grateful they were fingerless, she liked touchings the textures of objects.
"That's it then. Are you finished eating your breakfast?" Tishva glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall next to their seats. It was almost nine in the morning.
"Yes, I'm done," the girl brought her dishes over to the sink and started washing them, but her father interjected.
"Don't worry about that, I can clean up when I get back home later today. Let's get ready to leave."
Soraya remembered what she had been doing the night before. "Should I finish reading through those books you gave me before we go?"
Tishva shook his head. "You'll have to do that when you come back in the next few months. We can't risk waiting too long to complete these chores, you can't miss the train."
The Azakuin Train Station was about an hour and a half away from Rivinsdeep. It would be a long day of walking outside in the snow, which is why they were leaving so early in the morning.
"Alright..." Soraya was disappointed at the thought of having to wait, but he had allowed her to read some chapters from his library, so she was grateful for that.
The duo bundled up before making their way outside into the cold snow with Soraya's suitcase and backpack. Yabo rode in the hood of Soraya's light pink coat, poking his head out every so often before diving back in to hide from the icy breeze.
Tishva closed the door behind them while his daughter took in the sight of her home one more time. The log cabin looked small on the outside, but she would never forget how spacious and cozy the interior was. No matter where she ended up, she would always love her humble abode hidden deep in the Averlore Mountains.
"Let's go, kiddo. We have a long day ahead of us," Tishva said, then hoisted the suitcase up, carrying it under his right arm while Soraya wore her backpack.
A cold, strong gust of wind blew by them, rustling through the naked branches of trees and whatever leaves remained on others. Tishva shivered while Soraya remained warm and cozy despite her clothes being a bit thin for such weather. She remembered reading the night before in the book, Arcanology: The Study of Magic Volume I, that Water Magic helped with staying warm in colder weather. She was impressed that it seemed to be holding up as a fact.
"Papa?" Soraya piped up. "Can I try gliding down the mountain for a little bit? I don't want to leave you behind, I just want to try flying."
"Of course," Tishva grinned. "It'll be awhile before I can teach you anything else about magic."
He pointed at the path leading down to Rivinsdeep. "Run forward, jump into the air, and believe you can fly. Mind over matter plays a huge role in using magic. You are fusing with the elements and becoming one with it, you have to believe you can use it."
His daughter studied the obstacles she'd be encountering if she did indeed manage to fly. The looming trees were tall and obscured most of the blue sky above. Even if she hovered five feet above the ground, she wouldn't hit their limbs.
"Yabo, stay with Papa for a few minutes," Soraya lightly prodded at her pandacoon to move. Instead of obliging, Yabo dug his claws into her coat and clung on tightly.
"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you."
Tishva held his hand out for the backpack, which Soraya took off and handed to him. The girl then inhaled deeply and glanced down the path one more time.
This was the moment she had been dreaming about ever since she could remember. She had always longed to fly, and now it was finally becoming a reality. Poised and ready for action, she sprinted forward. All she could hear was the snow crunching beneath her boots with each step.
Three... two... one...
Soraya leapt away from the earth and into the air with all her might. For a split second, she thought she was being carried up by the wind and became excited, but then realized she was coming back down.
Thud!
She fell on her face in the soft snow beneath her. Yabo clambered out of her hoodie, meowing in concern as he placed his black paws on Soraya's forehead and tried pushing her up and out of the snow.
Tishva's roaring laughter echoed around them. "Oh, I forgot to tell you to hold up your pointer and middle fingers on either hand to use Air Magic!" he calmed himself rather ungracefully as he ran forward and plucked his daughter up from the snow. "Are you okay?"
Soraya lifted her head and glared up at her father. "You forgot to tell me the most important detail for flying?"
"Sorry, kiddo," Tishva chuckled while hoisting his daughter back up onto her feet. "You have to admit that was funny."
His daughter's sour face broke into a grin and she laughed with him. "Yeah, you're right," Soraya placed her hands on her hips, attempting to hide her smile. "Was there anything else I needed to know before I try again?"
"No, that's everything," Tishva smirked. "You should fly this time."
Yabo, who was getting cold from standing in the snow, leapt onto Soraya's dress and clambered his way back up into her hoodie where it was warm. He chirped loudly once he was safely inside.
"That didn't scare you?" Soraya asked, reaching over her shoulder to pat his furry head. "You're a lot braver than I thought. Hold on tight, I'm actually going to fly this time."
The girl brushed off the snow from her dress and coat and held her pointer and middle finger out on her right hand. Even though Air Magic was tattooed on her left hand, she wanted to see how fast it would take for the magic to transfer to her right hand. She took in another deep breath before sprinting forward and jumping into the air. This time, she stayed afloat and hovered a few feet above the snow, just as she had hoped to do.
"There you go!" shouted Tishva from behind her. "That's exactly right!"
"I'm doing it! I'm flying!" the girl gasped in delight. She looked down, seeing her legs suspended above the ground. Even though Soraya was barely hovering over the earth, being in the air gave her an amazing sense of freedom. She was suddenly aware of every small change in the wind around her and found it interesting that flying felt a lot like swimming, except her movements were not slowed by water, nor did she have to worry about holding her breath.
"Now, lean your body the way you want to go and bend the wind to propel you in that direction," instructed her father from below.
Soraya did as he commanded. "It feels a lot like I'm asking the air to help me," she said in wonder as the current changed and pushed her further down the mountain.
"That's exactly what you're doing," Tishva explained. "The elements are like immortal beings. Magic allows you to become one with them, and they can hear you and give you what you need."
The girl loved the sensation of weightlessness. She spun around a few times in the air before rising up higher to touch the tallest branches of the trees towering overhead.
"See? I told you I'd do it," she told her pandacoon, who was clinging tightly to her clothing from inside the hoodie with his little velvet black paws. "Are you alright?"
Yabo meowed in reply.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Hey kiddo," her father called from below. "I gave you all I had left for Air Magic, and it's not a lot. Try not to fly too high for too long, or you'll fall from a great height and could get seriously injured, if not killed."
Soraya heard him but didn't respond immediately. Instead, she touched a red leaf hanging on a thin branch high above before focusing on coming back down. The wind pushed up gently from beneath, allowing her to float down gracefully until her feet planted themselves firmly in the snow.
"I did it!" she beamed proudly up at her father.
"You certainly did," Tishva smiled and patted her head with his gloved hand. "You're a natural."
"Thank you," she curtsied. "I can take my backpack now," Soraya held out her right hand and waited patiently for her father to hand it to her.
"For future reference, whenever you fly, whatever you're carrying with you also becomes lighter. You can fly with your backpack on, or even with another person, like we did the other day."
Soraya thought back to her father holding her while flying and sadness enveloped her heart. She didn't ever want to think about being choked by her father again, but the memory was still fresh and tied in with Air Magic even though she wished it wasn't.
Her father noticed his daughter's change of mood and switched subjects. "I haven't been to Rivinsdeep in years. You're the one whose been visiting and doing chores for our neighbors to earn food and new clothes."
"I think it'll be good for you to see them again," Soraya thought about how concerned and sad the townsfolk looked every time they asked her about her father. They seemed to always give her extra supplies to take home whenever she told them how busy he always was.
"Yes, I think you're right. It's about time I visited."
They trudged down the mountain path in silence for a little while after that. It was an hour long walk from their home to the little village at the foot of the Averlore Mountains, and both wanted to save their energy for the trip down. The trees and bushes surrounding them became more spread out the further they descended, meaning there were larger clumps of snow covering the path.
"Careful," Tishva called out to his daughter as she found herself suddenly sliding down a steeper part of the road. "You can use magic if you need to, just be mindful of how much you have left."
"I got it, thanks Papa," his daughter called back. She was determined to save her magic for when she really needed it. There was no telling when she'd ever find more again. Soraya found her balance and skated down, managing to stay upright until she came to a halt at a small plateau at the bottom. Her father slowly stepped sideways down the small slope until he met his daughter at the leveled ground.
"I forgot how dangerous this part of the road can be," Tishva looked down at his daughter with admiration. "You do this trek all the time, and without magic. I usually just fly down to our mailbox at the foot of the mountain to deliver and pick up mail and only walk on the road when I feel like getting more exercise in. I'm impressed with you."
"Thanks," Soraya blushed. "I don't mind walking up and down the path. It's peaceful and beautiful, especially during the spring and summer."
As the duo made their way down the winding mountain path towards Rivinsdeep, a white, spindly skeleton tree that Soraya used as a landmark for the halfway point came into view. It stood alone off the path, tall and erect with long thin branches twisting and winding away from all directions.
If lightning could be frozen in place, Soraya imagined that's what it would look like. She had always found herself both terrified and fascinated by the tree's presence. There didn't seem to be anything like it anywhere else on the Averlore Mountains, which made her appreciate its uniqueness, though its ominous presence kept her from wanting to venture any closer than she had to.
"Papa, what kind of tree is that?" she asked as it came closer into view. She turned her head and gazed up at her father.
"I believe that's..." Tishva brought his gloved hand to his chin and stroked his golden beard in thought. "That's a Syraple Tree."
"Oh?"
Soraya never would have guessed that such a scary looking plant could have such a cute name.
"Yup. Those are common in snowy areas, just not on this side of the mountain. That one looks very old and frail. If you dig into the trunk near the bottom, you can drain out syrup that's sweet and edible, though I doubt this one has any left in it."
"That's neat," Soraya commented, studying the foliage before closing her eyes. The tree was clear as day behind her eyelids. "We have about thirty more minutes to go," Soraya stated once they had passed by the skeletal tree.
"We're making good time," her father pulled out his pocket watch. "It's nine thirty-nine in the morning. We should be there a little after ten, and the train leaves at eighteen o'clock. Wherever we're at on our list of chores, we'll stop to eat around three o'clock. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful," Soraya grinned. "Could we have lunch at Delphi's Diner today?"
Their neighbors, the Delphi's, had turned the first floor of their home into a restaurant where they served breakfast, lunch and dinner all day. Their menu was small, but everything tasted wonderful and flavorful.
"Yes, we can eat there."
"Yes!" Soraya exclaimed. "You've never been there before, it'll be new for you."
Tishva smiled down at his daughter. "Going into town with you will be new for me too."
"That's true!" Soraya gasped. She couldn't remember the last time she and Tishva had gone to Rivinsdeep together, or if that had ever even happened.
"Might as well check the mail before we continue on."
They had reached their mailbox, which looked like a small, windowless dollhouse on a stick. Above the latch was their address written in large pearly white letters: 1408 Averlore Mountain Way, Rivinsdeep, Farenwell Province 100.
Tishva pulled the small door down, and it squeaked as it opened. Inside was a small, rectangular yellow parchment envelope.
"That should be for me," her father said nonchalantly while taking the letter out and examining the front. The envelope was addressed to Tishva in their language, Azakuin, but the letter was handwritten in Casmerahn.
Salutem Tishva... Soraya interpreted the first line quickly in her head, but the rest of the words weren't familiar to her.
Despite this, she did manage to memorize the letters before her father tucked it away into his coat.
"How much further until we get to Rivinsdeep?" Tishva asked while looking down into his daughter's bright blue eyes.
Soraya knew he was asking to draw her attention away from the letter. She wanted more than anything to know what it said and who it was from, but her father wouldn't willingly divulge that information to her. Instead, she went along with the change of topic.
"It's about a two minute walk from here to the front gate,"
Soraya said, pointing ahead at the stone paved path which curved to the right and disappeared behind a small grove of bushy green and yellow trees. "We're practically there."
She looked back up at her father and noticed his creased forehead and furrowed brows. Out of nowhere, he coughed.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned about his health and him having another spell of forgetting who she was.
Tishva procured a handkerchief and wiped his mouth. When he pulled it away, Soraya saw bloodstains covering the insides.
"I'll be fine, I just haven't stopped by to talk to anyone for quite a few years. I wonder how they'll all react when they see me."
"Don't worry, Papa. It'll be fine," Soraya gave a reassuring smile and reached out for his gloved hand. "I'll be here with you."
"Thanks, kiddo." He gently grasped onto her palm. "Let's go into town.
*3,942 Words