You ever have a day that's just... perfect? A day you can spend all your free time doing what you want, when you want, where you want? Well for me, that day was the day before I left for college. I don't remember what day it actually was - that kind of stuff doesn't really matter to me, I suppose. It never did before, so it certainly doesn’t now.
It was a beautiful day - the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and the water in the river was the perfect temperature to counter the broiling heat that poured down out of the blue. The slight breeze made small waves that lapped gently against the river bank. There couldn’t have been a better time to go for a swim, or a better place to swim in, so naturally that was exactly what I decided to do. I let out a blissful sigh as I drifted around in the clear liquid. I grew up on this river, knew every rock, every current, every bend. And unfortunately, I knew when the sun was going to disappear behind the trees. Holding back a groan of regret, I flipped over onto my stomach and began paddling toward the riverbank.
I scrambled up the rocky shore and winced, feeling the stones digging into my bare feet. My clothes lay not too far away, propped up against the old oak my friends and I would always jump off of. As I grabbed them, a strong wind picked up, sending a chill across my soaked skin. The wind seemed different, though - there was an almost musical quality to it, as if someone was playing a flute somewhere. I stood listening to it for a few moments until the oak's branches creaked suddenly, breaking me out of my trance.
Shaking my head to clear it, I pulled the waist of my jeans up and tugged my boots on. I slung my shirt over my shoulder and started making my way back to the ranch house, looking around as I walked the well-worn trail, thinking back to all the memories this place held for me. Hard to believe that in less than a day, I'd be leaving for who knows how long. I stopped for a moment and ran my thumb across the bark of a nearby elm where I had, long ago, rather unsuccessfully tried to carve my initials. If you looked at it from a distance, and squinted slightly, and tilted your head to the right, it almost could possibly be seen as an "A" and a "C". I smiled and headed onward, grinning even broader as I caught a whiff of Ma's county famous chili.
She was waiting for me on the porch, arms folded across her sauce-stained apron. "Thought you'd never come in from that river." She reprimanded.
"What, and miss settin' my tongue on fire just for some beans and meat? Wouldn't miss it for the world, Mom." I shot back. "I'm gonna go take Abby out one last time before dinner. Give me a shout when it's done?"
"Andy, how many times am I gonna have to tell you not to call me that? It sounds so... stuffy. And yes, that's fine." She had an exasperated look on her face, almost as if she didn't know why I was spending my last night at home with animals instead of family. Imagine that.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, let's make a deal. I won't call you Mom, you don't call me Andy."
She debated with herself for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. "Alright... Anders." I started on my way to the barn. "Don't stay out too long! It's getting dark and it looks like there's a storm coming in!" That caught my attention. A storm? But it was completely clear not ten minutes ago! I looked to the west and sure enough, heavy, dark storm clouds were billowing high into the sky, and moving east quickly. I shook it out of my thoughts and picked up the pace, complying with Ma's addition of "And put your shirt back on, you'll catch a cold".
The warm air of the barn was always a relief. The smell of hay, the sound of the horses, and the creaking of the old wood had seen me through many a storm I'd been foolish enough to get caught in. Taking a deep breath in, I turned to the first stall on the left and reached out to pet Abigail. The mare was still strong, even if she was getting on in years. Gently, I led her out and tossed her saddle on, strapping it firmly in position. I closed the barn doors, then hoisted myself into the seat, taking the reins in my free hand. Abby pranced slightly in place, eager to go. And I was more than eager to oblige.
Kicking my heels, we shot off in a glorious display of power and freedom - for about 30 seconds. Abby was not the youngest horse, after all. After that, she settled on a light canter as we entered the sparse woods. I rambled on for a while about my life, the ins and outs of my goodbyes to friends, the apprehension I had about actually entering college, or even going to a big city for the first time.
"I'm gonna miss you too, old girl... been with ya a while now, and... well..." I felt a wetness on my face and was surprised to note that I was crying. I patted her crest. "Let's go home now, girl."
At that moment, as I was tugging on the reins to turn homeward, something changed in the breeze - that is, there wasn't one. And it wasn't just that the wind had died down. All the animals were quiet as well - no chirping cicadas or crickets, no birdsong, nothing. The only sounds I could hear were my breathing and Abby's. She had stopped moving as well, ears perked up as if listening to something I couldn't hear. Her breathing became heavier. Suddenly, she threw her head to the right, snapping the reins out of my hands, and charged off the path and into the trees. It was all I could do to hang on as she trampled through the underbrush and weaved through the trees. I could feel the wind picking back up again as it blew flurries of leaves against my side, and over the din of crashing hooves, I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance. Once I regained control of myself, I lunged forward and grabbed the reins, giving a mighty pull. Abby whinnied and reared up tipping me out of the saddle and almost falling over herself. After a moment of teetering, Abigail's hooves touched ground again with a thud. She stood there, flanks heaving, as I picked myself up. When I looked at her, I saw her eyes, hard as flint, locked onto a spot in front of her. Wondering what could make her this way, I turned to see something impossible. The thin Texas trees, at a spot some fifty feet ahead, melted into a vibrant green forest, with all kinds of trees that never could be seen together in nature. Oak trees stood proud and tall next to the definitive Christmas tree shape of a Douglas Fir, which in turn neighbored thin palm trees bearing coconuts the size of watermelons. The foliage somehow spread and met overhead, creating a thick canopy through which little light peeked.
I cautiously approached the anomaly. The air was thick with the scent of pine resin and cedar, and from somewhere deeper within, a strange green glow and the same sound I heard back at the river, that flute, only much stronger. Just before I crossed the threshold of dry twigs and leaves to the lush grass on the other side, the rain began.
It didn't start gradually; one second, everything was completely dry, the next, it was as though the sky had split open. I could barely hear the music coming from the impossible forest through the pounding rain. I wasn't about to let myself be deterred by some rain, though - not when there was such a mystery in my own backyard. Undaunted, I strode forward. Once again, I was about to step into the anomaly when I was stopped - this time by a panicked whinny from Abigail. Whirling around, I saw a fleeing horse and a burnt, smoking tree (even though I had never heard any thunder). I also saw that I had no idea where I was, and I needed Abby if I was going to get out. I pulled my feet out of the mud with a loud slurping sound, doing my best to chase after the mare.
I sprinted through the trees, holding my arms up to guard my face. They weren't doing a very good job, though - branches were constantly slapping at my skin and breaking, sap mixing with the pouring sheets of rain. A large piece of bark sheared off of one of the trees in front of me, sending flecks of wood into my eyes. I was so busy cursing and rubbing my eyes that I completely failed to notice the large root jutting out of the ground. Naturally, my foot slammed right into it and I flopped into the wet ground. "God dammit," I swore as I pushed myself out of the muck. Well, shit. I’m never gonna find Abby now. “Hell,” I cried, throwing my hands up in frustration. “I might as well just walk in any god damned direction, ain’t gonna get home by standin’ here like one a’ these trees.” I sighed and shook my head. “All’m doin’ is gettin’ wetter.” Then a thought struck me. “Wait a minute… It’s not…” Slowly, I lifted my head to stare up at the completely clear deepening blue sky. It took a moment for that fact to sink in, but when it did, it hit hard.
“Where’n the Hell did it all go!? That’s not - that doesn’t just - I - I… WHAT!? I’ve never even -” I stopped myself and reined in my shock, as well as my accent.
“Alright, I can worry about the impossible weather and magic forest later, I’ve gotta get home - Ma’ll beat me blue if I don’t get home before dark.” I attempted a chuckle at my own weak joke, but I was still too surprised to put any real effort into it. “Still… How the Hell did it happen?” In my musings, I almost missed a low snort and a nuzzle on my shoulder. I barely heard it, and wasn’t even sure if I wasn't imagining things again or not, so it was a bit of a jump when I turned and came face to face with a horse. The brief surprise was quickly turned to elation when I saw Abby.
I couldn't keep a smile off my mud-encrusted face. “Oh, good girl! You really are a good girl, Abby!” I cooed to the mare, readjusting her tilted saddle and pulling myself up on her back. “Now let’s see if we can’t find our way back home, huh?”
Just then I heard a familiar, piercing whistle coming from somewhere off in the distance. I turned Abby in the direction of the sound and started forward, musing at the convenient timing. After a surprisingly short amount of time, I saw the faded red paint of the barn walls. Letting out a breath I didn't even know I’d been holding in, I spurred Abby on, coaxing one last burst of speed from the panting mare. When we got into the barn, I pulled off the saddle and blankets, patted Abigail on the back again, and took one last look around. I then closed and locked the door before sprinting toward the house, sending God a silent prayer that Ma wasn’t too mad at me for being late.
` Apparently, God either felt like laughing at me, or didn’t hear my plea, because standing on the front porch, looking angrier than a charging bull, was Ma in all her well-fed glory, with a wooden spoon in one hand and a fist in the other. I cringed. This was not going to be a fun night.
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“Get a good night’s sleep, you’ve got a long drive tomorrow. And don’t forget to brush your teeth!”
I rolled my eyes and smiled as I closed the door to the room I grew up in. Ma may have been a bit strict, and always a bit too eager with the spoon, spatula, or whatever other kitchen tool was at hand, but I loved her anyway. Thumping down on the bed, I let out a deep sigh, listening to the comforting click of the fan overhead. As I lay there in the dark, my mind started to drift. Unsurprisingly, the strange events of the day came to the forefront of my mind.
How did that even happen? What even happened? Did I just imagine the whole thing? No, no I'm sure I didn't, it isn't like I'm crazy. Thoughts like that spun around in my mind until I couldn't keep my eyes open any more. Even the wind blowing my window in wasn't able to keep me awake. Just before I finally drifted into a restless sleep, I heard light strains of music floating in on the breeze.
I was standing on an old dirt road. It seemed to stretch out for miles in front of me, and when I turned around, it seemed to go forever in that direction too. The sky was dark with roiling, flashing storm clouds. The tall grasses on either side of the path did not move, despite the strong wind I could feel on my back and hear whistling out of the sky. When I turned again, I was confronted with the entrance to a dense forest like the one I'd seen before.
This time, there was no stopping me. As soon as I set foot in the grove, the wind stopped. The sound of thunder was muted by the now familiar flute music drifting from deeper within. It was a lilting melody, and I could swear I recognized it. It was one of those tunes whose names lingered on the tip of your tongue, but were always just barely out of reach. I stepped forward slowly, taking each one slowly and deliberately. I was surprised to find myself trembling when I set my hand on the trunk of a pine to sturdy myself. When I pulled away, my hand was covered in sap. I grimaced and wiped it on the front of my jeans.
Suddenly, I was blinded by a green glow shooting in front of my face, stopping only inches from my nose. My eyes adjusted to the light, and I could make out the shape of the creature that was emitting the glow. It was a small, green - fairy, I suppose, is the best word for it. The petite woman wore a simple white dress and had small, translucent wings sprouting out of her back. She landed directly on my nose once she saw I had noticed her, forcing me to look at her cross-eyed. The fairy giggled upon seeing this and took flight once more, beckoning me with a pale green hand. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I chased after the speedy creature. She led me on a wild dash through the forest, always only just staying in sight, while the music constantly got louder. Though I couldn't slow down and risk losing the pixie, as there were many diverging paths in the mysterious forest, I could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes watching my movements, and every once in a while, a laugh could be heard.
After some time, the fairy’s flight slowed. She alighted upon a low branch at what appeared to be a dead end in the path. With no small deal of confusion, I approached her. She gestured for me to bend down to her level. I didn’t see any way to get out, so I got down. The nymph waved me even closer, and closer, until I was almost poking her with my nose. At that point, she reached down, grabbed my nose, and gave it a swift kiss before giggling, pointing off to the right, and flitting through the trees deeper into the woods.
Bewildered by the turn of events, I looked in the direction she had pointed, and was astonished to find a path where there had been none before. I took it. As I walked along the leafy corridor, the music got exponentially louder, to a point where it was nearly deafening. I could see sunlight shining through at the end of the path, and my heart began to beat faster. This was it. I was finally going to see what was calling me to this place, what had been trying to get me there all this time. I picked up the pace and quickly reached the end of the path. I stepped out into the open and saw…
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I was awoken by a blinding light. Blearily blinking my eyes open, I glared at the small window that allowed the offending shaft of sun through. “Curse you, foul, life-giving demon.” I mumbled and flipped over, burying my face back into my pillow. The welcoming darkness provided a brief peace from the evils of the day. It may have been slightly undermined by my shaking mattress, but other than that, it was all good. I dropped a hand over the edge of the bed, where it was met by a cold, wet nose, prompting me to give the enthusiastic border collie a rub on the head.
Suddenly, the furry noggin retracted, filling me with terror. “No, no NO KIP, NO PLEA-” The sentence was cut off abruptly as Kip launched himself on to the bed, driving the air from my lungs. “Every… Single… Morning.” I groaned, pushing Kip off before he could stick his tongue in my ear. Not even bothering to put pants on over my boxers, I stumbled down the hallway to the kitchen, where Ma was waiting to greet me with a towering stack of pancakes.
I took the plate and the fork that was offered along with it, grabbing the syrup off the counter before groggily making my way to the table. The pancakes were soon drenched in maple flavoring, and I dug in with as much gusto as possible for someone who was woken up at way-too-early o’ clock. “You should really stop sending Kip to do your dirty work, Ma.”
“Aw, he doesn’t mind, do you boy?” She knelt down and fed him a strip of bacon in what she must’ve thought was a discreet manner.
“Well, they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I shrugged and continued shoveling the fluffy material into my mouth.
Ma frowned in confusion. “But Kip’s not even four yet.” Realization struck and very clearly spread across her face. “You know mister, you’re lucky you’re leaving today, or you’d be grounded for that.”
“Ground Pa instead, if you have to ground someone.” I swallowed the last bite and, now more awake from the sugar being absorbed into my body, I looked around and asked, “Where is Pa, anyway?”
“Oh, he’s out back feedin’ the horses. You know how he gets - you used to be the same way, ya know. God only knows how many times I found you out in the barn, brushing Abby and crying ‘cause ya didn’t want us to find out ya got in a fight at school or somethin’.” Her voice suddenly became full of emotion. “He’s really gonna miss you, ya know. So will I, when it comes down to it.”
“Oh, Ma.” I looked at her and saw something I’d never seen before: my mother was crying. “Oh… Ma…”
“Come here, ya damn fool of a boy.” She pulled me into a tight embrace, then whispered in my ear. “You’re the best son a mother could ask for, Andy.” I decided to let this use of my nickname slide due to her emotional state. The name definitely didn’t make me remember my childhood, all the years spent getting bandaged up from falling when I was learning to ride a horse, or being consoled when Lauren Mabry said no when I asked her to the 6th grade dance, and it most certainly did not make me burst into tears of my own.
Well, maybe a little bit.
“I’m gonna miss you too, Ma,” I choked out past the lump in my throat. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to come an’ visit all the time, and I’ll write you letters every day.”
She pulled back, hands on my shoulders and a stern look on her face. “Don’t you dare, Anders Roy Cavaille. Don’t you dare spend all your time at college worryin’ about some old lady back in the country somewhere. You worry about yourself, or I swear, as the Lord is my witness, I will come up there and smack your ass into the next decade.”
I smiled sadly. “Alright Ma, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Now,” she started, already getting back down to business. “You’d better get dressed and go. There might be traffic, and you’ve got a long way to drive today. You don’t want to have to stay in one of those roadside motels, I hear they’ve got all kinds of shady characters in those places: drug dealers, prostitutes, and - Oh, I just don’t want you to get hurt, Anders.” I had rolled my eyes, but I thought she hadn’t seen. I always forgot how perceptive she was. “Well,” she sighed, “If you aren’t going to listen to me, there’s no point in tryin’ to tell you again. Now go on, git.”
Ma shooed me out the door, and I only barely managed to keep her from starting the car for me. It hurt quite a bit to drive out the gate for the last time for who knew how long. It felt as if I was starting a new chapter in my life - everything was going to be different from this day on. After the car ride, of course, but how bad could that be?
The car ride was absolutely terrible. For about the first half hour, I hummed along to Toby Keith and Johnny Cash, but the radio naturally stopped working after that. The entire time, I was driving underneath the oppressive cloud cover… that only seemed to hover over me. I could see the edge of the clouds, about 100 years ahead of me and behind me, and I never saw another car on the road. To top it all off, in a long, empty stretch of road bordered on each side by trees, my truck broke down.
“Shit.” I cursed, stepping out of the old Ford. Nobody else was in sight, either direction down the road, and when I pulled out my cell to try and call for help, I didn’t have a signal. I rested my head in my hand. “Jesus Christ. This couldn’t get worse.” Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. It was a sort of creaking sound, like someone opened a gate that had been rusted shut. I did not expect what I saw when I turned around.
My car, instead of being a whole - if beaten up - pickup truck, was now a rusted heap of metal, ivy crawling in and out of the windows and around the tires. A small bird perched on the windowsill, head tilted at the strange man gaping in confusion at the car. The I lifted my gaze up. Beyond the truck lay a field of tall golden grass. The wind began to pick up, but the grass refused to move. A chill ran down my spine. This couldn’t be a coincidence. Apprehensively, I turned around again, briefly catching a glimpse of, where a clean, painted asphalt road had been before, a dirt trail that seemed to stretch on for miles. On the opposite side of the former highway lay another field of non-moving grass. I continued turning, already knowing what I was going to see. I wasn’t disappointed. At this point, finding the strange forest in front of me was hardly surprising.
Almost in a trance, I walked forward into the forest. I set my hand against a pine tree and found it covered in sap. The glowing sprite appeared and flitted through the trees, leading me to my destination. I entered the light covered grove. The music cut off abruptly, and a friendly voice came from the figure who had been dancing about in the center, on a small hill.
“Ah, dear boy! You’ve finally made it!” The speaker bounded over to me, a large grin on his face.
I struggled for words. “You have goat legs.” I said stupidly.
He rolled his vividly green eyes. “Yes, I do. I suppose that next, you’ll be noticing my horns.” He ran a slim hand over the curling horns sprouting from his flaming red hair. “Let’s skip the introductions, shall we? I’m afraid we’re rather short on time.” His accent was hard to pin down - I couldn’t decide if it was Irish or British or something else that I didn't know. “The name’s Pan, lad. Well, my Greek name is Pan, anyway. I’ve been called other things, too. The Gaelic called me Cernunnos - I rather liked them, I don’t mind saying -, I was named Herne by the Brits, I even spent a brief stint with the Norse as Loki.” He appeared lost in thought. “I never get any credit for that one, though. I wonder why.”
I was, understandably taken aback, both by this “Pan” character’s appearance and enthusiastic speech. “Uh…” I stammered out.
He seemed to suddenly remember that I was there. “Oh, of course, I’m sorry. Right, you must be wondering why I have brought you here. Well,” He gestured with a set of pan pipes he was holding, “there’s actually a very good reason for that.” Pan approached me, and it suddenly struck me how tall he was. His voice became suddenly serious. “I have been watching you for quite some time now. I saw you grow up, living with the forests and animals instead of fighting against it. Your family has been this way for quite some time, both sides. You, lad, are perhaps the greatest hope I have.”
The last statement piqued my interest enough to force me out of my bewilderment. “Wait… greatest hope for what?”
He seemed confused. “What? Do you truly not know?” I shook my head. “Lad, I am the god of the wild. And in case you weren’t aware, the wild is dying. Forests are being demolished to make way for human “progress”. The animals that call the forests home are dying out. People now care less and less about nature; the planet itself is slowly being suffocated, and I don’t have the power to stop it.” His head drooped in sorrow.
“Well, that’s sad and all, but what does that have to do with me? I mean,” I laughed nervously, “I can’t stop that, I’m barely an adult.”
Pan gave a mysterious half smile. “No, you cannot stop it. Not yet, anyway. There is a competition of sorts coming up. From what I’ve heard, it’s called the “Chess Game of the Gods”. Any god wishing to claim power for,” he waved his hand dismissively, “whatever reasons they may have, may put forth a champion of their own. These champions are sent to the battlefield, and the god whose piece is the last one standing wins. If you wish to help me to save your planet, then be my champion. I have no time to find another - you are my last hope.” He stuck out a hand. “So what do you say?”
I may not have understood exactly what this competition entailed, but I definitely saw what I should do. I grinned and met his hand with my own. “Pan, you have yourself a deal.”
He gave an audible sigh, looking very relieved. “Oh, that’s a blessing, for sure. Alright, you’ll need to know a few things about the battlefield. First off-” A sudden clap of thunder ripped through the air. Startled, I looked around and saw the foliage shearing off of the branches. A tall palm tree was struck by lightning and caught fire. “Oh, bloody hell. We have to make this fast, Dyeus is breaking through the sanctuary; it won’t last much longer.”
“Who’s Dyeus?”
“God of lightning, don’t worry about it, we have more important things to discuss. Now, the natural inhabitants of the battlefield - you’ve got cynogriffins, alicorns, and dragons - oh, what is it now?” I’d given a choking cough at the mention of the word dragons.
“Wait, dragons? Y’all mean like actual -”
“Actual, fire-breathing dragons, yes, keep up. I don’t have time to repeat myself. So, clearly you know about dragons. Cynogriffins - well, I don’t have enough time to explain. Let me show you, instead." Pan reached out a hand and pressed one long finger to my forehead. My vision faded and a new world sprang up in my mind's eye.
Everything I saw was lush and green, and somehow more vibrant than before. The colors seemed brighter, the sounds clearer, the scents sharper. Overhead, a trail of light split the sky. Underneath the light, a dark shape soared through the air, then landed by me. it was a wolf, like you'd see in any old place, except for the pure white feathered wings that sprouted from its back. Suddenly it growled, spun around, and flapped its wings once, soaring into the sky with tremendous speed.
The scene blurred and shifted and was replaced by a mountain cave. Thick black smoke curled out of the mouth of the cave, inside of which lay a massive head. The head rose and spoke a few strange words, followed by a blast of force.
The image changed once more, to a strange creature standing in an opulent throne room. The thing sort of looked like a horse - with some major differences. First of all, its eyes were massive, taking up nearly 3/4 of its face. Its muzzle was much shorter than that of a normal horse as well, with a patch of darker hair surrounding it, almost like a beard. The horse, for lack of a better word, also had a strange symbol painted on its flank. I couldn't make out what it was from this angle, but it looked rather intricate.
The real kicker, though, what really pointed out that this creature was not a horse, had to be the long, spiral horn and feathered wings that it possessed. The creature's horn glowed, and across the room, a pile of stones each the size of a watermelon flew high into the air. Two smaller creatures, pink and dark blue respectively, cheered for the larger one. If the big one was a horse, then what would the smaller ones be? Something told me that the smaller ones were female, so would they be fillies?
These creatures, these… alicorns, Pan’s voice whispered. These alicorns were fascinating. I felt like I could stare at them for hours - the regal way the larger held itself, the powerful wings, the elegant horn, it was all so amazing!
Okay, that’s enough of that, loverboy. You’ve got a job to do.
My vision snapped back to my body. Pan was standing there with an impatient look on his face. “Sorry lad, but if I don’t have the time to explain to you what a cynogriffin is, what makes you think I can wait for you to fight your cowboy instincts to fawn over every horse you see? In any case, it’s time for you to go!”
Throughout the speech, Pan had been making intricate movements with his fingers, all ten of which now pointed directly at me. I felt myself dissolving bit by bit. You’d expect it to hurt, but it surprisingly did not.
My consciousness stayed around just long enough to see Pan’s eyes widen in horror. “I almost forgot to tell you! When you get there, you won’t -” He cut off and jerked his head upward, then vanished, just before a bolt of lightning struck exactly where he had been standing. My vision went first brown, then a deep forest green, and finally black. I stood in the darkness for a few moments, and just when I was about to give up hope that I hadn’t been tricked and simply killed, I arrived in another world.