The Shift

There weren't always dragons in the valley. The valley used to be home to the Kiweg Village. A young scientist named Yeilca worked alone in a hut on the outskirts of Kiweg. She was the first to discover the ability to harness the power within the land. She was terrified of the discovery that she referred to as The Shift, so she kept the discovery a secret and moved her lab to a cave located miles from Kiweg. For years Yeilca focused on controlling The Shift. She worked tirelessly inside the cave to avoid detection. She would only return to the village for supplies.

While traveling through the village one day, she ran across a young orphan boy who was crying behind a shack. "What's your name? Child?" Yeilca inquired.

The boy replied through snorts and sobs, "Nobody cares!" Yeilca could see bruises and a thin, dark red streak of blood running from the boy’s nose into his mouth. "The other kids throw rocks at me. They say I don't have a name because my mom and dad didn't want me. I do have a name!" The boy yelled, blood spattering from his mouth and stirring dust as they settled on the ground. "My name is... is... Box!" After shouting the name, Box lowered his head and began to sob again. "All of the old people call me Box, because I have to live in a box."

"Well, Box, you look like you could use some cleaning up. I'm headed to buy some soap right now. Jump on my wagon." As Box climbed onto the wagon a putrid smell of feces and urine followed him. "Don't expect me to be the one to clean you. You're going to have to do that for yourself. I'm just here for some supplies, then I am going back to work. I don't need you to slow me down, but I can't leave a child dirty and crying on the ground."

Box sat silently in the wagon as Yeilca navigated the village streets. Most people milled about, not paying any attention to the wagon. However, a few onlookers sneered at Box and Yeilca as they rolled through. "Don't worry about those people. Stay in the wagon. If you aren't here when I get back, I won't come looking for you," Yeilca snarled, trying to sound as intimidating as possible. She didn't think her voice was that threatening, but Box hunkered down into the wagon, hiding behind the dark wooden seat. Years of abuse appeared to have taken their toll on the child's mental capacity, and Yeilca frowned after she turned to walk into the shop.

"I see you have that boy they call Box in your cart today," the shopkeeper smirked. "Are you going to take him?"

"I'm just here to pick up some stuff and go on my way. I'm not interested in keeping children. I have too much work to do," Yeilca said as she plopped several glass containers, two bars of soap, and various other supplies on the counter.

The shopkeeper picked up the soap, "Ah, you're going to clean that filthy thing up, huh? You've been coming here for years and all you say is how you're always busy. You don't have time for anyone or anything, yet no one knows what you do or anything about you. I have tried for years to get your attention. Now you have a little piece of street trash in your wagon and won't give me the time of day!"

"You're right, I won't give you time. The only thing I have for you is payment for this 'trash.'" Yeilca surprised herself with the way her voice seemed to pierce the heart of the shopkeeper. As he angrily stuffed the supplies inside a container, she thought, "I've become quite the insistent snob today. Maybe all this work has me on edge." As the shopkeeper finished packing the supplies, Yeilca smiled sarcastically, "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. You really should watch your mouth. People here don't like those that don't contribute something to our village beyond coin. I've been tolerant of you for reasons," the shopkeeper creepily traced Yeilca's body with his eyes while licking his lips. "You are..."

Yeilca charged out of the shop before he could finish his statement, using the package of supplies she purchased to shove the door open. She was already running behind and had no time for despicable old men. As she mounted the wagon and pulled away, she could hear the shopkeeper yelling something about never coming back but she wasn't sure. The rattling of glass in the package and rocks under the wagon’s wheels drowned out his voice. Box popped up in the wagon, startling Yeilca. "I think you broke something and made that man angry. I don't like him because he calls me bad things."

"Stars! You scared the crap out of me, kid. I don't like the way he looked at me. The supplies will be fine. I'll have to figure out how to make my own soap now, I think."

"Where are we going?" Box asked.

"Well, in my cave there is a freshwater stream. You will be able to get cleaned up there. Then I guess you get to see my little secret. All the stuff I've been working on for years. Besides, I don't think it matters if I show you. You have no family, no friends, nothing. Who are you going to tell?" Yeilca almost felt bad for how crass she sounded at the end of her statement, but the thought getting behind on her work started to give her a headache. “No more talking. I need to concentrate on the path.”

As the wagon rolled down the path and the town disappeared around a turn in the surrounding vegetation, Box noticed that the ride started to become smooth. He observed that no more tracks were being formed in the mud on the path. “Hey, what is…” His question was interrupted as he was slammed to the floor from a flurry of turbulent bumps. One of the wagon wheels shattered into several pieces as the wagon slid to a halt in the middle of the path.

“Wow, now I know why the other kids don’t like you. I told you to be quiet because I need to focus on the path! If you are wondering what is going on. I might tell you more when we get to the cave. I don’t have time for this. I might just leave you here.” As Box began to sob, Yeilca felt an unfamiliar emotion well up inside her. “Okay, kid! Relax. I have been in my cave for years. I don’t know how to deal with children. I barely know how to tolerate people, and I may have just exhausted my only option for trading in town.”

“Please don’t leave me here. I don’t have anywhere to go. I’ll be quiet,” Box whispered through whimpers.

“I’m not leaving you. Just don’t disturb me.” Yeilca smiled at the boy hoping that would cheer him up. To her surprise, Box stopped crying as his dirty face transformed from sorrow to content.

Box felt a spurn of hope, even if Yeilca’s smile seemed very awkward. He could tell she had not smiled in a long time. Her expression appeared slightly painful. He sat silently as Yeilca examined the broken wheel. She muttered something about having a spare wheel at the cave, but he was so focused on remaining quiet that he couldn’t quite understand her. Instead, he watched in amazement as the wagon began to level itself while Yeilca climbed onboard. He noticed the broken wheel sink in the muddy path and disappear. Box thought, “I’ve never seen a wagon move so easily with only three wheels. The path is smooth again, and there are no tracks. The deep rut made by the crash isn’t even there.”

After an hour of travelling down the path, Box was ready to explode. He was used to being silent, because he felt more comfortable not being seen or heard in the village. Life was better that way. If the people forgot about him, they wouldn’t throw things at him or insult him. However, he had never seen anything like this in the village. As the wagon came to a stop in front of a patch of trees, Box had to bite his tongue to keep from gasping. The trees in front of the wagon began to slide out of the way, revealing a hidden path. The wagon continued forward as the trees closed the path behind it. This continued for a few miles before the wagon approached the large rock face of a mountain with a dark gaping hole in the side.

Yeilca climbed off the wagon and was greeted by a large red wolf. Box ducked down into the wagon as the wolf began to snarl and growl. “Heel!” Yeilca commanded. The wolf took his place at her side as she said, “You can come out, kid. He isn’t very fond of strangers, but he listens well. He won’t hurt you. Unless I tell him to, of course.”

Box didn’t like the sound of that last statement, but he reluctantly climbed out of the wagon, trying not to make any sudden movements. As he stepped down onto the wagon wheel, his foot slipped and he fell onto his back, gasping for air. “Oh, come on now, it was just a joke,” Yeilca said. “I didn’t bring you here to be food for my pet. He’s already had his fill of children for the week.”

Through deep breathes, Box wheezed, “I don’t like these jokes. I can’t tell if you are serious. That really hurt. Does he have a name?”

“Yes. He does have a name. I call him Flame. His fur is red, and I found him inside a burning tree when he was a pup. So, the name seemed to fit,” Yeilca explained.

“Flame,” the wolf cocked his head to the side as Box said the name. “I have never seen a dog that big in my life. Please don’t feed me to him.”

“Okay, kid. Go in the cave. I need to fix this wagon. You shouldn’t have trouble finding the stream. Get yourself cleaned up,” Yeilca stated.

“But what about the path?” Box asked.

“I’ll tell you about that as soon as this wagon is fixed, and you are clean. You smell like garbage, and I am feeling nauseous the longer you stand here.” Yeilca covered her nose and tossed a bar of soap at Box.

Box protested but headed inside the cave. He walked past several tables covered in various glass vials filled with colorful liquids. The cave was damp and dark with sparse lighting from strange glowing rocks and vegetation. Box resisted the urge to touch anything as he made his way to the stream. He could hear the water flowing as he approached. Tiny green fish swam away from the bank as he slid slowly into the cold water.

As Box emerged from the stream, he could hear panting in the darkness. He froze in fear as he saw the silhouette of Flame in the dim light. “Flame? Is that you?” The wolf began to slowly approach. Box could see Flame was carrying something in his mouth. The wolf dropped some fabric on a stone slab near Box, then turned and ran away. Box was petrified by fear. Once he began to process what happened, he bent down and picked up some fabric. He noticed that Flame had dropped two separate things. One was a towel, and the other was a tunic. Box dried himself off and put on the clothing.

As he entered the area of the cave that had the shelves, he noticed that the glowing rocks and plants were more vibrant than before. He could see Yeilca sitting at a table and writing in a notebook. She motioned for him to join her. “I told you Flame listens well. I know you have a ton of questions. I’ll start with the path. I discovered what I call The Shift a long time ago. I still don’t understand what it is, and I can’t risk anyone else finding out about it. So, when I return from town, I use the power of The Shift to cover my tracks so no one can follow me. As you know, I can also use it to make a path of my own. The trees provide additional security from nosey hunters and villagers. I have discovered that The Shift allows me to also manipulate plants and rocks to create light. This is where I conduct experiments to test different ways I can use The Shift. Now that you know, I will not tell you more unless you promise to never tell anyone what you have seen here.”

Box gulped, “I guess you could just have Flame take care of that for you, so I do promise not to tell anyone. Besides, I don’t know where we are. I have no way to get back to the village to tell anyone.” He had more questions, but he was so scared that he forgot what they were.

“Well, I can’t have a child distracting me from my work, so I plan on taking you back to the village in the morning.”

“Can I stay and help?” Box asked. “I know I am just a kid, but I can do stuff. I don’t have anything to go back to. I don’t want to go back to my box in the mud. This cave is big enough for both of us.” Flame barked. “The three of us,” Box said nervously.

“Perhaps taking you back tomorrow isn’t the best plan; I have already had my work delayed by the many unexpected events that occurred today. If you stay out of my way, I will consider letting you stay. Plus, you have managed to survive on the streets for quite a while. If you disturb me too much, I could just have Flame take care of you, like you said.”

“I will do what I can. If you teach me to hunt and cook, you will have more time to focus on your work. I can also clean up.” Box really hoped he could convince Yeilca to let him stay, even if he was terrified of becoming food for a large wolf. This cave was the most comfortable place he had been in a long time, plus he had plenty of fresh water from the stream.

“I guess we’ll see,” Yeilca said coldly as she continued to scribble notes. “Eat this food I’ve prepared for you, then clean up the table. Don’t get in my way or you could get hurt. I am not responsible for anything that happens to you.”

Box collected the plates and wiped off the table while Flame walked around picking up various crumbs off the ground as Box made his way to a wash basin. Box could see Yeilca in another area of the cave with a few broken glass containers. He watched in amazement as the glass fused together in Yeilca’s hands. Flame approached Box and began to lick the plates causing them to slip. Box shifted to catch the falling dishes and crashed into the wash basin. He was relieved to discover that he did not drop any of them and they were still intact, but he froze when he heard glass shatter in the direction of Yeilca. “This is why I only live with Flame! No unexpected noises! If you are going to be a pest, you must leave!” Yeilca was furious.

“I must have slipped. I apologize. I will be more careful,” Box begged. “I will have this cleaned up and put away before you know it.”

Yeilca snorted with disagreement as she picked up the broken glass and began fusing it back together while Box cleaned the dishes. When they were done, Yeilca said, “It is getting late. We need to get some rest. I don’t think you staying here is going to work. I will return you to the village tomorrow.”

Box lowered his head and walked to a damp stone slab in the cave to lie down. Flame dropped a blanket at Box’s feet and walked away. Box lay on the stone slab unable to sleep knowing that he was going to have to go back to living on the street. Yeilca had not been very nice to him, but she wasn’t as mean as the villagers. As time passed, he noticed that no matter how he laid on the slab, the surface of the stone seemed to shift with his weight. He had never been on something so comfortable. He eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Box awoke to Yeilca yelling his name. Flame was lying at his feet. “Box! Wake up! You need to get ready. I don’t have all day. We need to go.”

He rubbed his eyes, “I’m up. I will grab my clothes. They’re all I have.”

As Box was grabbing his clothes, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the cave. Yeilca sighed, “I guess luck is on your side. I can’t take you to the village in the middle of a storm. Wash those clothes. We can try again tomorrow.” Box smiled as he walked to the stream with his dirty clothing.

The storm continued for days. Then weeks. With each passing day, Yeilca became used to Box being in the cave. Flame seemed to enjoy Box being there as well. In addition to extra attention that he didn’t get from Yeilca focusing on her research, Box dropped food on the floor regularly while eating. Box also proved to be valuable in keeping the cave clean, despite being a messy eater. He was also quick at learning. He had not yet learned to cook, but he learned how to prepare food and could have a meal ready to cook while Yeilca was doing various experiments. After a month and a half of the torrential downpour, Yeilca said, “Maybe you can be more useful. Even though you are a distraction, I have been able to get more research done with you cleaning up and preparing food. Perhaps I’ll consider letting you stay.”

The rain finally stopped, and Box sat at the table to observe Yeilca working with some stones. He was transfixed as the stones appeared to change form from liquid to solid to different colors of crystal. Yeilca fused the rocks together and formed a yellow crystal cube. “The rain has stopped. I’ll get ready to go, but how did you do that?” Box asked.

“I am exhausted. We aren’t going to the village today. I need to take a break.” Yeilca joined Box at the table. “I use The Shift to mold the rocks how I want to see them. I have not discovered a way to stabilize the way to do it yet. I wanted the cube immediately, but I wanted it to be blue. I do not understand the power of The Shift.”

“How did you find The Shift?” Box was curious. He wondered if he could learn how to use it to help even more.

“I was doing experiments with golden crystals I found deep inside this cave when I felt a bolt of electricity flow through my hands.” Yeilca explained, “I don’t know what happened next, but I woke up on the floor of my hut. I wanted to stand up, but I couldn’t move. The more I thought about getting up, the more I felt the dirt beneath me moving. After several minutes, I was on my feet, but I still had not moved. Eventually I was able to turn around. When I did, I saw a mound of dirt behind me. I tried to move it, but I couldn’t. After several days, I discovered that I could move the dirt with my mind. I immediately retreated from my hut and moved into this cave. I have since learned that I can manipulate rocks, glass, and other materials. It is easier to do when the materials are the same. Changing them is hard.”

“Maybe I can help you?” Box said. “If you can take me to the golden crystals, I can look at them with you.”

“That is not possible. I buried them deep in the cave. This power is dangerous. I don’t want anyone else to find it.” Yeilca seemed very disturbed.

As time passed, Box learned to hunt and cook. He observed as Yeilca became more frustrated that she could not control The Shift the way she wanted to. He did his best to stay out of her way. Until one day after returning from a hunt with Flame, he discovered her lying on the floor of the cave. He realized that she was still breathing as he approached her side. He tried to wake her, but she wouldn’t move. Box ran to the stream and collected some water. He splashed some on Yeilca’s face. Her eyes slowly opened, and she said, “What happened? I was working with some rocks after you left. How long have you been gone?”

“We have been hunting all day. The sun is setting, so we came back. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Bring me more water please.” Her voice was weak.

Box went to get more water. When he returned, Flame was lying next to Yeilca. She said, “Thank you. I have more work to do, but I can barely move. This has happened before. I will be fine. I need a few days to recover.”

“I need to clean up. Yell if you need me. For now, get some rest.” As Box returned to the stream, he noticed a crack in the wall that he had never seen before. As he approached the crack, he could see that it opened into a larger passageway. He could see that several boulders had fallen, and some appeared to turn to dust. As he entered the passageway, more boulders began to evaporate before his eyes. After forcing his way through the small passage for fifteen minutes, Box stepped into a large open cavern. In the center of the cavern was a group of large golden crystals. The crystals appeared to be pulsing with energy. He approached the crystals and could hear a humming coming from within them. He reached out to grab one of the crystals and it broke off in his hand. He grabbed another. Each crystal that he removed would stop glowing, but the humming noise increased. He continued to dig through the crystals until he exposed a golden sphere. There were strange etchings around the sphere that he had never seen. He ran his hand over the sphere and the humming stopped. One golden crystal began to glow. Box reached out. As he touched the crystal a golden spark arched between his fingers and up his arm.

Box awoke to the cold wet snout of Flame on his cheek. He was lying next to the golden sphere. The crystals were gone. He reached up and pushed Flame away as he stood up. The etchings in the golden sphere began to glow as Box approached. He touched the sphere and the entire cavern filled with bright golden light. Box could not see and stumbled back as wind filled the space.

As the light faded, Box could see the stars through a large hole in the side of the cave. He ran back to Yeilca. She was sound asleep. He was relieved that the disturbance had not awakened her, but he felt uneasy about Flame nervously shaking next to her. He sat at the table in disbelief. He was not sure what happened, but he was curious if he now possessed the power of The Shift. He looked over at the yellow crystal cube that was on Yeilca’s workbench. He walked over and picked it up. He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. The cube began to heat up in his hand. As he opened his eyes, he no longer held a yellow cube. The cube was now a dark blue crystal. As soon as he noticed the change in the cube, a loud shriek was heard from the mouth of the cave.

Box rushed to the opening and peered into the night sky. He could see three large silhouettes flying in the moonlight, fire spewing from them. Trees burning on the horizon. They were flying toward Kiweg.