Forest Spirit Page 4

Mathen didn’t go to the City of Aguares to have his life completely turned upside down. He also hadn’t planned on turning the town its-self upside down. He had traveled just over a week from the City of Valen for only one thing...Rocks. 

  Well, stone might be a better word for it. Mathen owned more than a small number of factories that made the best stone products in all the Necromian Kingdom. He had heard of a new stone quarry outside of Aguares with unusually high quality of stone. 

  So it was purely with the intent of a business deal that he found himself driving his wagon through a forest of dead trees just outside Aguares in the Yucaipan Republic. It was the 3rd such forest he and his two escorts had passed through and Mathen found himself reflecting on the changes he had seen in the world during his life. It was during the course of these reflections that a voice came to his mind. 

  You should’ve seen this world in the day I was created. Only the most ancient elves can even imagine the life and beauty this land once enjoyed. 

  Mathen’s hand moved to his chest and felt the shape of an ancient crest that hung from his neck under his shirt. The crest had been in his family for over 800 years but it wasn’t the age that gave it its value. It was the soul locked away inside of it by ancient elvish magic. It was a fieles, which was the name given to living objects. 

  I’d rather not, Mathen thought back. Just the decay in my own time is enough to make me sad. I’m not sure I can bear what could’ve been.  

  The Voice responded, You think it's hard for you? Think how some of the more ancient of the elves feel about it. In the last 800 years they have watched humans build more and more machines that aren't very friendly to nature. Just those steam engine things you guys came up with a few years ago do tend to make the air very dirty. It's no wonder they blame you guys for the decay. 

  Mathen replied, But we know humans aren't to blame. This decay started over a thousand years ago. All we can do is make best of the time the world has left and there is still quite a bit of time left.  

  Much time for you perhaps, but a blink for me. And then I’ll be here long after the world dies. That’s my future, came the response. 

  It was an old argument. Mathen determined to make the best of his life and the life of others while the fieles around his neck spoke of the good ol’ days and complained about the present, and the future, or lack thereof. 

  The fieles was named Seer. Its power was to give glimpses of the future, sometimes things that would be and at times things that might be. The glimpses would come randomly, sometimes as clear visions, or at times as vague premonitions. 

  Despite their arguments and different opinions the two were good friends and had developed a relationship of trust. Seer had been extremely helpful in all of Mathen’s business dealings and it was on the fieles recommendation that he was now entering Aguares. 

  The city had spent most of the last two thousand years as a farming community. So while it was one of the largest cities in the region it was spread out and seemed very small when compared to the cities of the neighboring kingdoms and nations. 

  Making the city feel smaller yet was the fact the fields had lost their fertility over the last five years. Most of the population had left and only the fates knew what the rest had done to survive since the stone quarry had opened only a few months ago. 

  As his wagon slowly made its way down the main street towards the center of town he was amazed on how few people there were. There were a couple of sullen looking children sitting in front of a shop. A man dressed in rags lying on the side of the street in what appeared to be a drunken slumber. Mathen noticed his escorts kept resting their hands on the holsters of their firearms as they moved through the city. 

  I’ve seen cities a day after being pillaged and razed with happier and more numerous people, Seer commented. 

  Mathen responded, Most left when the farms failed. Those that remain are spread out. What I wonder is how they have survived these last five years with no visible source of income. 

  Independently wealthy? Seer asked. 

  You can answer that better than me. I’ve been here once before and that was 40 years ago. You’ve been here, what, a couple dozen times in the last 500 years? Mathen shot back. 

  Thirty-eight.  And you’re right. This place should’ve been completely abandoned within two years of the land failing. The nearby forests are all dead and rotting. The nearest source of food is a day’s journey; so all food would have to be traded for, but what do they trade with? Seer asked. 

  I’ve always liked a good mystery, Mathen thought as he pulled up to the hotel and looked over himself to make sure he was presentable but not overly neat. 

  Mathen sent his escorts in to make arrangements and stepped down from the wagon to begin tying up the horses. As he finished Seer alerted him to someone coming. 

  Looks like they have a welcoming committee for you. 

  Turning around Mathen saw a young boy about 8 or 9 approaching him. The boy was the first smiling face he’d seen so far in town, but it was the type of smile Mathen normally associated with predators moving in of prey. On a boy that young he couldn’t decide if it looked cute or disturbing. 

  “Welcome to Aguares, Sir!” the boy started enthusiastically. “Can I help you with your bags?” 

  “Thank you but I can manage myself.” Mathen answered. 

  “You’re a Necromian aren't you?” 

  “Yes I am. I’m from Valen, what gave me away?” Mathen asked the boy with a grin. 

  “Your skin is darker and the top of your ears are a little more pointy. Is it true you live a long time?” the boy asked. 

  The child fidgeted as he spoke, pacing a little from time to time. Mathen noticed he seemed to slowly fidget closer and closer to him. 

  “Yes, it’s true,” Mathen answered. “We have a little elvish blood in us which means we age at half the speed of full-blooded humans. I’m 108-years- old.” 

  “What are you doing here in Aguares?” 

  “I’m a stone cutter. I came about the new quarry.” 

  “Oh, you’ll want to talk to Mr. Stoneman across the street,” the boy replied. 

  Mathen looked to the building the boy pointed to which apparently was the moment the boy had waited for. After a quick warning from Seer, and without even looking, Mathen snapped his hand over to his left pocket and grabbed hold of a wrist that was already moving away. Turning around he came face to face with the boy who had both a startled look on his face and Mathen’s coin bag in his hand. 

  It was as Mathen opened his mouth to speak that the vision struck. In all the years that Mathen had possessed Seer, he had had many visions.  Hundreds in fact. But the vision he had at this moment was the longest, clearest, and most disturbing vision he had ever had. While the horrors of war, death, and unspeakable crimes he witnessed seemed to go on forever, the vision passed almost instantly in real time as all visions do. 

  As it ended Mathen found himself still holding the boy’s wrist, the coin bag still in hand and a fearful look on his face. The boy... the boy had been the focus of the vision. He had seen glimpses of the boy’s terrible future -- or better said the terrible future this boy would create. 

  Mathen quickly tried to compose himself and managed to give the boy a smile as he plucked his coin bag from his hand. 

  “Thank you for finding that, I hadn’t realized that I had dropped it,” Mathen said. 

  The boy’s expression changed from one of fear to one of confusion. Meanwhile Seer wasted no time in giving its own opinion. 

   I don’t think letting him off is a good idea. We both just saw his future, what he will become, and do. I’ve seen more than a few monsters in human clothing but if you let this kid go on his merry way he’ll cause more pain and suffering than any of them! 

  Whatever he may do in the future, he hasn’t done yet, and right now he’s still
a boy. Just give me a moment to think and sort this out, Mathen thought back quickly. 

  Continuing to smile pleasantly at the boy, Mathen removed his coin bag and shifted his grasp to one of a simple handshake although he continued to hold the boy tight. 

  “It was very kind of you to pick it up for me. Let me get you something for your trouble, by the way what's your name?” 

  The boy’s expression suddenly turned to one of suspicion. 

  “I thought you were here for stone.” 

  “I am. Is there anything else I could be here for?” Mathen asked him. 

  The boy continued to stare at him suspiciously for a moment and seemed about to say something when they were suddenly joined by another person. 

  “Is there a problem here?” asked the new comer. 

  A man wearing a sheriff badge came over to them glancing between Mathen and the boy. 

  “This boy didn’t try taking anything from you did he, sir?” 

  “I merely dropped my coin bag and the boy was good enough to retrieve it for me,” Mathen responded as he released the boy’s hand. The man put one hand on the child’s shoulder as he studied Mathen for a few moments. He then broke out in a huge laugh and said, “Sure he did. Jas here is the most considerate boy in the orphanage. Always finding people’s lost money.” 

  He continued laughing until the boy, apparently named Jas, kicked him in the shin and took off running. 

  “Are you okay?” Mathen asked. 

  The man tried to chuckle as he rubbed the sore spot on his leg. “He’s got spirit, I’ll give him that. Don’t worry about it; boys will be boys after all. I'm Sheriff Ajant, and you would be?” 

  Mathen took the hand offered him and responded, “Mathen Cutter.” 

  Upon making contact, Mathen had hoped for another vision. There was something creepy about this Sheriff Ajant and he had hoped for something that would give him more information on what was going on. Yet he got nothing. 

  I don’t need a vision to know there is something off about this sheriff. 

  Mathen ignored Seer’s comment and keep his attention on the sheriff who seemed a little startled at hearing Mathen’s name and was now eyeing his somewhat sloppy clothes. 

  “Mathen Cutter? Not the Mathen Cutter who’s owner of Cutter Stoneworks?” 

  “The same.” 

  Sheriff Ajant let out a long whistle, “Ain’t it kind’ve gutsy for a man of your means to be traveling alone?” 

  “I’ve not alone,” Mathen responded. 

  “My escorts are in the hotel making arrangements. Besides, I never travel with anything of worth. Anyone familiar with me knows that. I only carry what I need.” 

  At that moment Mathen’s escorts came out of the hotel, “Sorry sir, but the hotel seems to be full, no rooms available.” 

  “Full?”  Mathen said with raised eyebrows glancing at the sheriff, then around the empty streets. “Is there an event in town this week?” 

  Sheriff Ajant got an uncomfortable and slightly suspicious look on his face and answered, “Sometimes we get an influx of travelers, other times we’re empty. You happened to arrive on a full day.” 

  Wow, this guy must think you're as stupid as you look. 

  “I see,” Mathen answered the sheriff, and then turned to his escorts. “See what you can find, I need to see to business here.” 

  Mathen nodded to Sheriff Ajant politely and started across the street.