A New Dawn

My hands shook with anticipation. The forest was dark, and the last breaths of light from my lamp trickled through the spindly fingers of towering pines. It seemed they wouldn’t tolerate it, at least not while the sun remained unsummoned. I held my breath against the void. This was my journey to take after all, my burden as was my brother’s before me. A shadow of doubt crept into the depths of my mind. What if I fail as Devon did? The thought made my jaw clench. It had been a year since he left for his journey and when the sun hadn’t peeked over the mountains the next day the whole village knew he had failed. I took a moment to master myself, reciting the litanies of calming as I took my first steps into the mist.

I am the master of my mind,

I shall bring a new dawn,

The Herald

Small wisps of water dripped down my brow. It had gotten cold, so insufferably cold. I pulled my coat in as tight as it could go, and yet the wind would still find a way to squeeze into my shirt. I looked up at the cloudless sky above the peaks of the trees, searching the stars for a way to keep track of how long I had been wandering this accursed wood. I slipped off my glove, raised it high against the mist, and collected my mind.

Matter begets matter, focus becomes form.

I felt the mist slowly obey, bending to my will with every small turn of my hand. It was then that towering figure emerged between the trees, a monolith of purple fur, and clawed arms topped with a crown of glorious triangular horns. It stared back at me with its lifeless black eyes, large ears turning as if wanting to hear me speak.

“Eh-oh.” It rumbled as its stomach fizzed to life, revealing lines of white noise that made my eyes burn. “Looksee.”

I was drawn into it like a moth to the flame, and the longer I peered into the light, images began to form amidst the blur. It was Devon, falling on his knees in broken terror before a bright light. I shut my eyes and reached out again, draining the light from its belly. The creature stumbled backwards, its roar like a horn blaring from a passing ship.

“I am not like my brother. I do not fear you and I will not bow. I come for the sun, and you will guide me.”

Strangely, it looked back at me with an unsettling smile before turning round. “Follow, Tikwik.”

***

The Inquisitor

We ventured deeper into the forest with every ground shaking stride. The mist had retreated, and the light from a large number of Tik’Wik’s smaller kin lit our path. They had appeared out of nowhere, scrambling between the giant’s steps with childlike glee. It was then that a second creature emerged from the trees, embracing Tik’Wik before turning to me with a tilt of its head. It was large like the other one, but its fur was a deep green, and instead of a crown a singular spike protruded from its pointed head.

“Ooman.” It said, resting its massive paws on its knees. “Dypsy curious.”

“I’ve no time for games. My people are dying.”

“Dying? Oh no! What do?”

I felt an anger well within me as the thing spoke. It spoke like a child would, laughing between phrases, mocking the suffering the sun’s disappearance had wrought on my people. Even the smaller creatures began to chuckle amongst themselves, and I felt a wicked power surge through my veins.

“You will cease this!” I stretched out my arm towards a nearby boulder, lifting it off the ground.

Then Dypsy’s stomach whizzed to life, flashing another vision into my skull. It was Devon again, eyes red with rage, swiping at the mist with all his might as the green giant laughed with glee. I soon realized his folly and lowered my hand.

“Emotion does not rule me. Take me to the sun, so that I may save my kin.”

“Sun! Sun!” Dypsy roared. Tik’Wik nodded and led the way again.

***

The Maternal

The two giants stopped before a clearing in the trees. I paused, seeing that even the little ones refused to go any further.

“Why are we stopping?”

Tik’Wik looked to the clearing, and at its center sat another of its kindred in a field of night flowers. I approached cautiously and saw that it had golden fur, gently curved horns, and locks of yellow hair flowing from a kindly face. Its eyes opened and it lowered its arms to me with welcoming grace.

“Laa-Laa care.” the giantess said, her voice soft as a calming wind.

She took me in her palms and moved me towards her belly. I looked at the scene playing on the screen again and saw an idyllic version of the life I could’ve lived. It was a dream so real I felt tempted to touch it. It was then that I saw Devon’s reflection on the screen, lying asleep on two massive palms.

“No. Enough time has been wasted and dawn is nearly upon us. I seek the sun.”

Laa-Laa smiled again, nodding her assent. “Po judge.”

***

The Sovereign

Tik’Wik led us through the winding paths until we finally reached the edge of the forest. A great gate stood between the trees and the rolling hills beyond, a land as vast as the sea littered with flowers and meadows with a massive domed temple nestled in the centre of it all.

The Evermorn, this must be it.

I was close to the end of my journey it seemed, yet another giant stood silent sentinel in our path. It had blood red fur and a regal bearing unlike its kin, with rings of many sizes bursting from its neck and surrounding its head in a morbid halo. Its bleached white eyes looked skyward as we approached, and the other giants bowed to it in deference. Laa-Laa raised me upwards and the red giant held up its hand towards me, two fingers raised signifying its pending judgement.

“Po see all. No lie to Po.” Laa-Laa whispered.

I looked up at the creature’s serene features, impartial and indifferent. “I seek the sun to save my people. Will you grant me passage?”

Po stood silent and resolute, hand stiff and unyielding.

“Did you not hear me, creature? I seek the sun!”

Its two fingers curled slowly into its palm, and rumbled as it clenched into a fist. Then, in a rush of stormwind it barreled forwards with lethal intent. I raised a palm and answered the assault with one of my own, though my power had only managed to slow it ever so slightly. I raised my other hand and struggled against the weight of the giant’s fist.

“I seek no quarrel with you! I just want to save my people!”

“You lie…” Po rumbled. “Bad ooman lie…”

“No! Please! Stop this!”

A thousand tons bore down upon my shoulders as the shadow of its might loomed over me. I felt a wet trickle flow down into my lips, filling my mouth with the taste of hot iron. My mind strained against the effort, and I felt my strength wane with each passing moment.

“Alright! Alright! I lied! I’m here for my brother! That’s all there is! I just want to know what happened to him! Please!”

In an instant the weight had been lifted and I fell to my knees, warm blood dripping onto the top of my palms. Po had raised his hand again and the giant’s belly glowed with a familiar brightness. There I saw another vision, this time it was of me sitting in the evaluator’s chamber back home. A clock ticked with heavy strikes, and a tv screen buzzed to life in front of me.

‘Mr. Warren, what do you see?’ a voice crackled on the speakers. ‘Mr. Warren comply or we will terminate this exercise.’

I saw nothing, yet claimed to see visions. A bright sun shining over the horizon, and fields of golden grain rising from the ground. That along with my other abilities were enough to convince, enough to trick. I lied to get here, and now I can hide from it no longer.

“I am unworthy…” I cried. “I always have been… But please… I must know what happened to Devon. I need to know where my brother is…”

I looked up to see that Po had turned its face towards me, eyes glowing a bright yellow. It slowly unfurled its hand, turned round and slammed it into the gate with a thunderous clap.

“Inside. Almost time.”

***

The Elder Sun

Laa-Laa set me down atop the domed temple and all four giants now stood in a line behind me. Many of the smaller creatures gathered round the temple, belly screens beaming across the night sky. A soft murmur of a chant began amongst the crowd, growing in tenor with every passing moment. I stood in awe of it all, not knowing what it is I was witnessing. A deep rumble shook the ground below. Then a massive form erupted from the earth, sending clouds of dust blowing into all directions, and when the dust had settled bright rays pierced through the mire, lighting the night sky in a blaze of ethereal glory. I shielded my eyes but stood agape at what laid before me. It was a leviathan standing mountains high, blessed runes gleaming from its four hands and flames of golden light encircling its face. I struggled against the light, raising my hands to create just enough of a psychic buffer to clear my vision. The previous chanting grew louder, the sound as deafening as the light was blinding.

It was then that I saw it, and my heart had nearly stopped.

“Devon?!”

My brother turned towards me, tears of molten gold flowing down his cheeks. He nodded slowly, as if it pained him to do so.

“What… What is this madness?!”

You shouldn’t have come, Aaron. I heard his voice between my ears.

“You… What happened to you?!”

This is the price we pay, Aaron. What the tribute must do to keep our people alive. But I would not have you share this fate.

“I… I don’t understand.”

Neither did I when I stood where you were. But years have passed, and I see things much clearer now. The cycle must end.

“You would doom the world? Hide the sun? But why?”

Look at me, brother. Look at what I have become. I would not wish this on any of our people, let alone my own flesh and blood.

“But our people? What of them? You would see them all fall to ruin?!”

Let me ask you, brother. What have our people done to deserve the blessing of life? What have they given to afford such a promise when all they have wrought upon our family is suffering? What gives them the right to choose amongst our kin, to have us suffer this fate? Such power is too much, too great for one to handle!

I turned to see the four giants behind me, their faces turned towards Devon hoping this summoning would be the last. Po presented his palm to me with two items, a dagger carved with ornate patterns littering its handle, and a golden mask.

Take the dagger, Aaron. Drive it into the mask. Destroy me. Release me. End it

I held the golden mask in my hand, the dagger held high above it. The power it offered called to me, beckoning me to sample its grandeur. But there was another path it offered, one that had escaped the eyes of every tribute that had come past.

“No. I would not have you live in pain, but neither would I selfishly doom our people,” I said as I snapped the mask in half and slipped the other on. “If this power is too great, then I would share your burden!”

It was then that I felt a heat build up within my chest, and soon a small trickle turned into a massive flood. I was lost in the void amongst the stars, carried aloft by a light similar to my brother’s. I heard him wail from the back of my mind yet I closed my heart to it. I accept this burden as my service to mankind. I shall endure this suffering for their sake. I shall become my brother’s watcher, a vessel to share his overwhelming burden, and as the crescent rays of pale starlight surround me, and my body becomes no more, I gladly take my place amongst the servants of the sky. The moon I shall be, forever living to calm the sun.