The Strange Adventure of Maria Mercado (3 page)

             
Then a voice spoke.

             
“Meeka, what is the meaning of this?” Unlike the others, it was a deep voice, an older voice, strong with authority. Maria looked around but couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

             
“Oh dear. This is my entire fault. This is Maria Mercado. She’s human. She must’ve stepped into the zone before I fully closed the shield. Oh dear.”

             
Okay WHAT is going on,
Maria thought
.

             
“Excuse me, what shield? Can someone explain to me what is happening? Where am I?” Maria asked out loud.

             
She saw a movement among the crowds, as they parted in the middle and made way for someone. Presently, she noticed an Omtar that is slightly taller than the others walking in the newly created pathway. He looked like all the others, but on his head lays a golden crown and on his shoulders hangs a purple cape. On one of his 4 arms he was holding a golden cane.

             
“Maria Mercado, let me introduce myself. My name is Luxa, leader of the Omtars. Let me properly welcome you to what you previously only knew as the Forbidden Area.

             
Welcome to the Kingdom of Hepoxia.”

***

Elsewhere in the kingdom, the figure that was listening in to the Omtars was rushing through the forest.  After some hours of travel it stopped a few miles south of the river, to what seems to be a farming community. Rows of farmland extend for miles, surrounded by small huts that the inhabitants use for dwelling. The figure entered one such dwelling; and the inside of the hut was bright enough to show the true nature of the figure. It looks human: hands, arms, feet, legs, body, and a head complete with eyes, nose, mouth and ears. On its forehead however, was what looked like a vertical birthmark.  He is not human; he is a Meston of the South.              

“Ah, Jonas you are back,” said one of the others inside the dwelling. “Come sit, we are about to start dinner,” he said, as he motioned for Jonas to sit on the empty seat next to him.

“Ankar, I have some urgent news,” Jonas said.

“What is it dear boy?”

“I just came from the land of the Omtars. They have a human there, a young girl.”

“A human girl?” said Ankar. “Are you certain she’s not a Meston?”

“Yes, I am, she bore no mark on the forehead. We need to tell our, ah, special friends about this.”

“You are right Jonas. But first, we must eat. Join my family for dinner. A warrior such as yourself needs proper sustenance!”

Jonas obliged, and the Mestons ate their dinner in complete silence, as always.  Afterwards, the young ones were sent off to bed as the rest finished off the day’s chores. Ankar and Jonas stepped outside. The latter pick up a jug of water and started to drink it.

“Good, Jonas. You need to be properly hydrated for your long journey.  When you reach our special friends – be careful and do not put your guard down, not even for a second. You know very well how treacherous they are.”

Jonas put down the jug, derived of its contents. “Do not worry Ankar, I know what they are like. I should be back here the day after next with instructions of what needs to be done.” He stretched his body and poised himself to run. “Until then Ankar.”

“Safe journey to you Jonas.” Ankar watched him take off and pick up speed until he is no longer in sight. He remained outside and looked up in the sky. He took a deep breath and began walking towards the river. The other Elders are gathered there around a fire.

“Brothers,” he greeted them, “Jonas brought news of a young human girl currently in the land of the Omtars.” The Elders looked around at each other. “We know that the time is near, that the prophecy will soon be fulfilled.” Ankar continued, “Jonas has started his journey to our special friends to bring them the news. Beginning tomorrow we must prepare the tribe for the coming changes.”

The Elders all nodded in unison. They got up and formed a circle around the fire. Each one of them lifted his and her hands into the air. In the otherwise silent night, in the southern part of the Kingdom of Hepoxia, the Elders performed their ritualistic chant.

***

Maria was seated on one of the top sturdy branches of the tallest tree she had ever seen.  Even in the dark, from this spot she can see an endless array of trees extending for miles beyond her comprehension.  The moon was shining bright in this part of the forest.

Wow. This is beautiful. I didn’t know the Forbidden Area was so big!

“Enjoying the view Maria?” said a little voice behind her.

Maria turned around. “Oh yes Meeka! I didn’t know this part of the forest was so big! How come no one I know ever comes camping here?”

“Ah, that is because they can’t see this place.”

Maria stared at the little guy. “What do you mean? We can see the forest. I walk by it regularly on my way to my parents’ store.”

Oh no. Mom and Dad! They must be wondering where I am. I’ve got to get back.

“Well, er, no. You can see the forest, yes. But the kingdom is sealed under a magical spell that we perform everyday. When the spell is on, no one outside of the kingdom can see it. Every time a human comes close to the area, the spell sends them an inner warning and they would usually change their mind and go the opposite way.

“Ohhhhh. That makes sense then. But how come I got in? I don’t think I felt any inner warning.”

“Well, you see, that was my fault. When we perform the spell everyday, we do it so it overlaps with the spell from yesterday. And, well, it was my turn to do the spell and I was a few minutes late.” He looked down in shame. “And by the time I completed it, well, you had already been sleeping under the tree so – well – so here you are.”

“Is that why you didn’t want me to leave? I do need to get back. My parents are probably worried about me already. They think I am at my friend’s house but I should be going home soon.”

“Oh don’t worry about that,” Meeka said.

“Huh? How can I not? I don’t want to be in an even bigger trouble than I already am!”

“You’re in trouble?”

“Yes. I got suspended from school. Wait, you do know what school is don’t you?” she asked.

“Yes,” Meeka laughed, “you’re not the first human we’ve met.”

“Oh, so there are others!”

Meeka’s face turned grave. “Well it’s a long story. I will tell you later. But what is the trouble you are talking about?”

“Oh yes I was told to leave the school and not come back until the day after tomorrow. My best friend Jasmine, she’s been going through a lot at school with her ex boyfriend and this girl Madeline who is mean to her. Well she played a cruel but funny prank on Madeline and I got blamed for it.”

“She is your friend! Surely she will tell the proper authorities the truth?”

“Well I’m sure she will, but she left school before I actually got in trouble. Anyway I will deal with that when I get back. I can go back, right?”

“Yes you can, but we would have to take you to the Royals for that. We start the journey tomorrow, in the morning.”

“The Royals? Hmmm sounds so majestic. But why wait until tomorrow? I need to get home tonight! My parents- ”

“Oh didn’t I tell you?” Meeka interrupted, “you don’t need to be worrying about that. The normal time here goes by very, very slowly in your human clock. I would calculate that you had only been gone for a total of, oh let me see - maybe 5 minutes.”

“5 minutes! Wow! Well I guess I’ll be okay then,” Maria yawned, “I do feel tired. Is there a place I can rest?”

“Yes of course! Come, follow me.” Meeka got up from the branch and started to walk towards the trunk of the tree. He pushed it and a small door opened. The inside of the tree was hallowed and they used the stairs to get back down to the bottom. Once on the ground he led Maria to a small shelter behind the tree.

“There, my brothers set that up for you. It should be sufficient.  I will stay and get my rest on this other tree.”

Maria made herself comfortable under the shelter. She opened her backpack and took out her iPhone. It was dead. She realized that they probably don’t have an electric outlet to charge it, so she just put it back inside the backpack.

It wasn’t long before Maria Mercado fell asleep; unaware of the pair of glowing eyes watching her intensely from nearby.

CHAPTER THREE

Gadik arrived in the palace a little before the golden sunrise.  The journey from the land of the Omtars to the residence of the Royals took him all night, even with his Bostav speed. He had to take a few detours, for fear of being ambush by the Unknowns, even at this time of peace.  If they were to capture one of the Bostavs, they will for torture him for pure pleasure, until he dies.

When he first became a Bostav, Gadik knew that he had chosen a lifetime of servitude for the benefit of the kingdom.  Bostavs are the Royals’ own guards; their sole purpose is to protect them and to make sure that they do not come into any harm.  Only 100 Bostavs exist at one time; if and when one of them dies (which is an extremely difficult task to accomplish, considering the proficiency of the Bostavs in combat,) the process then begins to look for suitable replacements from the human world.

              Gadik was recruited over 100 years ago, in human time. He was a member of the British Forces and was chosen by the Royals for his commitment to doing the right thing and to his loyalty to Queen and country.  Therefore they proposed for him to join them in the Kingdom of Hepoxia, a world he never knew existed. In exchange for his services he was granted eternal life, provided he doesn’t get killed in combat. So here he is now, 100 years later, still a prominent member of the Bostav army, even after the Great War 50 years ago.  Gadik also knew that as soon as he moves to the kingdom, his entire life in the human world would be erased and there would no longer be a trace of what he once was. His parents would live as if they never had a child, and everyone who had ever met him will no longer remember his existence. That was the biggest price to pay for someone who chooses this life.

             
The Bostavs had felt the commotion in the land of the Omtars.  They possess the gift of sensitivity; they feel most changes that are happening in the Kingdom no matter how far. The only species they can’t detect are the Unknowns. They have managed to develop the ability to mask their feelings and intentions from the Bostavs, no doubt through the use of magic. And if any of the other species were in league with them then the Unknowns would no doubt help mask them as well.

Gadik had been sent by the Royals collective to patrol the land of the Omtars and to see what the commotion was all about. He was to observe and not interfere with their affairs; afterwards he was to report back his discovery to the palace.  The only exception would be if any of the actions he observed would have a negative impact to the Royals or to the kingdom.

              He entered the palace and headed straight to the chambers of the Royals.

             
“Stop.”

             
One of the Bostavs guarding the chambers came forward face to face with Gadik. “State your intentions,” he said.

             
“I bring news from the land of the Omtars, as commanded by the collective.”

             
The Bostav took a few seconds before saying “You may proceed.” The Bostav went back to his original position. Gadik walked by him and the rest of the guards and entered the chambers. He kept walking until he reached the end of the hallway and turned left. He placed his right hand on the door scanner.

The door opened.

              “Enter,” said a voice.

             
Gadik entered as commanded and fell on his knees to bow down.  Before him stood the remaining Royals: Princess Aisha, Prince Maalm, Princess Dhalis, Prince Antaw and Prince Gutav.  They all emit a golden glow from head to toes, save for the red flowing robe that each one is wearing, and the accompanying red footwear. Each of them is wearing a crown and carries a staff engraved with their individual royal symbols.  They were all equals; no one is above any of the others. Gadik’s eyes adjusted after a short while.

             
“You may stand,” said Prince Maalm. “You have something to report with regards to the Omtars.”

             
“Yes your Majesty. There is a human girl there. She is much too young to be a recruit. How should I proceed?”

             
The Royals looked at each other in silence. They have the ability to communicate with each other telepathically. It only took a few seconds before they came to a decision.

             
“Bring her in,” said Princess Dhalis.

             
“She must be protected,” said Princess Aisha.

             
“Indeed she must. The Unknowns knows of her existence by now and will no doubt try to get her for themselves,” said Prince Antaw.

             
“You must go Gadik, and take five others with you. Get the girl and bring her here where we can guarantee her safety. Act quickly. For her sake, and for ours,” said Prince Gutav.

             
The Royals nodded their heads in unison. Gadik took this as a sign of dismissal and left the room. When he had gone, Prince Maalm spoke. “Brothers and sisters, it seems that the time has come and the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy is at hand. If she proves to be the girl we have been waiting for, then salvation will be ours. We must do what we can to protect her from the Unknowns.”

             
“It has been 50 years since the last war. No doubt their magic has grown and they have found even more ways to be treacherous. We must also consider that they may still be in possession of the Diamond of Astanfe,” said Prince Antaw.

             
The Royals once again nodded their heads in unison. Then altogether, they closed their eyes and relaxed their bodies. The door and windows in the room automatically locked themselves and bolted. The well-illuminated room instantly became dark and their glowing skin dimmed.

The Royals have gone to sleep.

***

Maria woke up again with a start.
What was that?
She heard a noise, like the sound of leaves moving.  She stayed still but moved her head around to see if anyone was there. She can see Meeka sleeping nearby, but aside from him, there was no one else in sight.

Maybe I’m just imagining things. 
She stayed still for a while longer. Soon after, she could see the sun rising so she decided to get up. She walked around to stretch her legs a bit and she heard her stomach make a funny sound.

Hmmm what is there to eat around here?
She examined the bushes to see if there were any fruits available. Last night the Omtars had been kind enough to feed her, with fruits and vegetables from the kingdom. She learned that they are vegetarians; their digestive system cannot handle meat products, as Luxa had explained to her. He had been very nice to Maria and quite accommodating, instructing the other Omtars to treat her with dignity and respect. Overall they seem to be a peaceful, civilized species.

She spotted some strawberry-like fruits from a nearby bush. Maria doesn’t remember eating one of those at last night’s dinner. She picked one out, smelled it and was about to take a bite from it when she heard someone yell: “No! Don’t eat that! Drop it!”

She turned around without biting the fruit and saw Meeka running towards her.

“Don’t eat that,” he said again, panting. “That is a Rootika. It’s poisonous. It can kill you within seconds.”

Maria dropped the fruit on the ground and looked at Meeka. “Thanks Meeka! You saved my life! But I am
starving
. Anything to eat around here?”

“Come, I’ll show you where we can pick some proper food.”

He walked further down, away from the tribe, as Maria followed.  They came to a small field, where an abundant amount of fruits and vegetables are growing from the ground.

“There you go! You’re hungry, eat!” Meeka motioned for Maria to go and pick at them to her heart’s content. She ran over and tried all kinds of colorful and delicious foods. She thought about her parents and she knew that if they could just try these, they would absolutely love it.  She felt a pang of sadness when she reminded herself of her family
.

Suddenly, without warning, a dark figure came out of nowhere and snatched her up. She was tossed over the shoulder and the figure started to run really fast.

“HELP!!!” Maria cried. “Meeka! Help me! Someone! Help me!” She continued to scream and struggle as the figure moved forward until they were soon out of the land of the Omtars. The figure moved too fast for the little Omtar’s legs to catch up.  Maria continued to struggle until the figure held a hand over her mouth and released a small amount of gassy substance that she inhaled.

She passed out instantly.

***

             
Gadik felt a sudden wave, a change in the air. He was not sure what it was or where it was coming from. Something – or someone – is using a powerful mask to hide the situation from the Bostavs. Sensing the need for urgency, Gadik picked the five that would accompany him to begin their journey to the land of the Omtars as quickly as possible.

             
Gadik was worried. What if the Unknowns had gotten hold of the girl first? Gadik, like all the other Bostavs, knew of the prophecy by heart. It said:

             
“When a girl younger than the age of choice stumbles upon the kingdom from beyond, the side she swears her allegiance to shall rule the kingdom til the end of time.”

             
According to those before him, who were told by those before them, the prophecy came from the first Royal, King Astanfe, the creator of all Hepoxia. He produced 10 children who became the ruling Royals. He created the Kingdom of Hepoxia and all the species within. He educated his children in the ways of the human world. To give them complete independence, he commissioned them to rule without any interference from him. He transformed his life force into a dagger with a diamond blade, known as the Diamond of Astanfe. This dagger is the only thing capable of killing the Royals.  Engraved on the dagger was the prophecy. Legend has it that King Astanfe, after turning himself into the dagger, hid himself deep in the forest, away from causing his children accidental harm. He then placed all the control ultimately in their hands; he will not be able to help who or how the dagger is used.

50 years ago, the era of what is now known in the kingdom as the Great War, a Meston of the South stumbled upon the dagger in the woods.  He gave it to one of the Royals, Prince Amir, who led a revolt to seize the power of the kingdom, backed by four of his brothers and sisters. The Mestons of the South joined his army while the Mestons of the North fought with the other side along with the ever-loyal Bostavs, the Omtars and the Doxpats – a small tribe of giant creatures who tend to sleep for months.

              After a long and exhausting war, Prince Amir’s army was defeated. In an effort to avoid capture, him and the other rebellious Royals attempted mass suicide by using the dagger on themselves. However, what happened to them was something they never anticipated; King Astanfe had placed a spell on the dagger preventing the Royals from taking their own lives and that of the lives of their brothers and sisters. Instead, they turned to creatures resembling human form; their skin lost the golden glow along with their telepathic abilities and invincibility. They became almost human and retreated in the darkness, deeper into the forest. Once again the Kingdom of Hepoxia enjoyed a lasting peace.

             
That is, until now.

             
As Gadik led his companions towards the land of the Omtars, they could feel the tension among the tribe getting stronger and stronger. Feeling the need to get there faster, Gadik commissioned his companions to drink the potion that they all carried around their waste. It would enable them to travel faster; the only downside of the potion however, is that it wears off within an hour after drinking it.

             
The potion worked its wonders and they were able to reach the Omtars quickly. When they got there, they found the little twigs all gathered around, murmuring, talking, and yelling, altogether in a bit of chaos. They sensed the Bostavs arrival and everyone quieted down. Their leader, Luxa, spoke up.

             
“The human girl. You have heard of her?”

             
“Yes,” replied Gadik. “Where is she?”

             
“She had been taken,” said Luxa, “Meeka was there when it happened.”

             
Meeka nervously stepped forward.

             
“We went to a small field, to pick some fruit to eat. And then, she was gone.”

              “Did you see who took her?”

             
“No sir. Well, yes. It was so fast. A figure in black and it was quick. I tried to run after them, but it was too fast.”

             
“Take me to the field.”

             
Meeka led the six Bostavs to the exact spot where she was taken.  There was no visible sign of any disturbance. The Bostavs went to different parts of the field in an effort to track whoever took the girl. One of them signaled to the others that he had picked a disturbance in the aura of the field, heading south.  Gadik turned to Meeka.