The First Part
The impact of the axe on the stump created a sound that echoed across the clearing. The man’s breathing was heavy from the amount of work he had put his body through. It was tough and not for the lighthearted or lazy; a type of person the man looked down upon. He would probably be the first to chastise someone for their decision not to work, truth be told. As a man of few words, he taught what lessons he could by action and by method. Words only got so far and more often than not words caused more trouble than they were worth.
The summer evening had been harsh on his body. Sweat poured down his shirtless chest; his jeans all but soaked and he having more than once to tighten his belt due to it slipping down. He never remembered a time when jeans would do that but, then again, he concluded that working as hard and as long as he had in such a climate must have contributed to something. Probably him losing weight. With a terrible sound he quickly cleared his throat, the lump of mucus and saliva being spit onto the ground.
As quickly as the thought to his weight had come, so too did it pass. His breathing now within a stable rhythm, the man turned around to gather the inclination of the sun. By his reckoning it was probably five o’clock in the evening; a good time to end the work day, if he was so inclined to. He grunted, moving his shoulders as he relieved the strain in his muscles. The man took a firm hold onto the axe handle, placing his boot on the stump for added leverage as he pulled upward. In a quick movement the axe was free and he swung it about, grabbing another log and placing it on the stump.
A few more minutes of work never hurt anybody.
* * *
Night had fallen. The days workload had been heavy on the man. The bath in his cold pond had relieved some of that pain, giving him enough strength to make it back to his cabin without collapsing from fatigue. He gathered himself at his small table, almost nodding off a few times before remembering what he was about to do. He quickly took a gander around his home, taking in all the one-roomed abode had to offer. A cast iron wood burning stove was in one corner, just across from the man; it having yet to be lit as it was summer and the nights were rather warm. Across from it was the man, sitting at the only chaired table within the small living quarters.
To the other side of the cabin was the dresser, bed, and pantry along with a small area for a washbowl to either clean himself or utensils. There were no pictures along the walls, only three windows; one near where his bed was, one along the wall separating the pantry and the stove, and one just behind where he presently sat. Nothing was out of place nor arranged in such a way as to arouse his suspicion; all except the small two-shelved bookstand that resided beside his bed. To this the man's interest presently focused, gaining him the motivation to stand and cross the twenty feet to acquire a thick black leather-bound book.
When the man once again sat in his chair, he exhaled softly, contently. He muttered a few words under his breath with closed eyes. He regarded the wording on the front of the thick tome, rubbing a hand across his well worn surface as he passed into a somber mood. This was one of the last pieces of his previous life that followed into his present. It was, and still would be presently, one of the most influential. He silently opened the book, regarding the words and verses within. After several minutes of reading the man began to struggle with staying awake. It wasn’t long before he nodded off into sleep.
* * *
The man groaned awake. His eyes fluttered open, fatigue having conquered his will to read the words of his favored tome. He felt its comforting surface within his hand, laying open as his fingers caressed the pages surface. The man raised himself up from the table, regarding the interior of his hearth in the dim light the moon provided. He stood to stretch, realizing that he must have slept longer than a few hours as he felt a few pops along his joints. He reached to slowly close the book left on the table; its wisdom would have to wait for another time. The bed called to him as a more comfortable solution to his desire to resume sleeping.
He would have made it to the bed had it not been for the open door. It was a sight that caused some confusion in him. The door opened outward, so sitting where he had been he would not have seen the outside. He tried to recall whether or not he had even shut it in the first place. Briefly he stood in the area lit by the cabin door before decided to pass outside. His bare feet met soft soil after another few steps. The pair of trousers he wore providing little comfort from the sudden chill in the air. His attention turned upward as he regarded the night sky for a few moments.
It was a beautiful sight. He recalled a few times during his early nights stargazing for hours on end. Somewhere along the way that nightly hobby had been forgotten, taken up by sleep needed for projects better accomplished during daylight. Perhaps it was good that he had fallen asleep as he had. He regarded the larger and more robust moon carefully, a smile forming upon his lips. When he looked down he froze in place. There was a form a few feet in front of him. It stood on four legs, having a mane as ethereal as the sky he had previously gazed at. It flowed with the breeze; its gentle illumination giving light to the two large cyan eyes gazing outward.
“It’s beautiful,” spoke the man. His words broke the silence that encompassed them, causing the new arrival to look upward, nodding its equine head.
“I suppose it is,” the new arrival agreed, her voice deep and feminine with a slight hesitation.
“It’s been a long time,” the man said after another moment's pause.
“I know,” the other replied, its eyes returning to the man. “We should talk.”
THE OUTCAST
Five years ago I was shot in Gregory Ridge, just south of the quaint mining town of Curtsville. The man that pulled the trigger was Timothy Sanders. We had fought in the war together, Timothy and I. It was this camaraderie that had gave us the inspiration to go about our adventure. We knew each other, understood each other and, I once believed, trusted each other. Two young, fresh veterans who had managed to come across what was possibly the find of the century. It was only natural we explore where the talisman would lead us to.
Once or twice we became lost in the wilderness. Despite this, on the eve of our seventh month, we arrived. Broken and nearly starved, the talisman had led us to rim of large waterfall. After an exhaustive search of the area we found nothing else but a large boulder with ancient carvings on it. Neither of us knew what language it was in, and we got into an argument over the purpose of our trek. The next thing I knew, Timothy pulled out his gun and shot me. He threw the talisman down at me after I hit the ground and left me for dead.
I remember reaching for the talisman, holding it tightly in my hands. My eyes drifted towards the boulder and for the briefest moment I believed I could read the inscription. I don’t remember what it spelled out anymore, just that after I saw it something clicked in my mind. Almost like everything made a twisted kind of sense. The journey, the hardship, and finally the pointless and unforeseen betrayal.
The next few moments were the last I remember of my previous life. I felt the talisman begin to warm in my hands; my body tingling with a sensation alien to me. I figured this was what dying felt like. My eyes gazed upward and I recall how strange it was that the day had gone by so quickly. The most beautiful full moon I had ever recall gazing upon met my watery gaze. I remember it growing brighter as I felt myself drifting off into the endless sleep.
“You’ve done well for yourself,” Luna observed.
I gave a slow nod, pouring the hot water into the cups I had placed on the table. The Lunar Princess watched as I dabbed a tea bag into both, replacing the tea kettle on the iron stove before joining her. We both waited as our drinks steeped, Luna using her telekinesis to continue to dab her tea bag. She smiled at me when she noticed I looked her way, I smiled back. The atmosphere was relaxed, tranquil.
She motioned her head to the side, looking briefly to the outside world from the window. “I noticed you started on your shed a little early.”
It was an attempt to encourage me to talk. I thought about simply nodding. “Yea,” I allowed myself to blurt, deciding against holding my tongue.
For the next few moments we sat in silence. It wasn’t everyday I had visitors, especially from the Princess. I thought about mentioning the fact that she hadn’t come by in several months. I then remembered it was myself who withdrew from her. I felt a pain rise in the center of my chest, realizing that I was still doing the same thing that drove her away in the first place. I cleared my throat. “You look good,” I said while motioning with my head towards her flowing mane.
Her eyes darted to mine, a smile crossing her equine lips. “Thank you,” she said softly. She hadn’t been expecting that. Her eyes then landed towards the black tome on the table. Her smile didn’t fade. “I see you didn’t get rid of your book.” Her eyes shifted back to mine.
I gave a slow nod, taking a quick glance towards my tea before returning it towards her. “Keeps me going I suppose,” I said as I grabbed my cup, taking a long sip. “Mmm....still as fresh as the day you gave them to me.”
I saw a slight flush to her sapphire coated cheek. “Yes, well, I didn’t think you’d still have any after...”
“It’s alright,” I said reassuringly. “What happened is done and over with. You’ve done more than enough to make up for it.”
“I know, but still.”
I nodded slowly, taking another sip. It really hadn’t been her fault. It was amazing that she would even consider herself in the wrong. I let the silence linger a little longer than it should have, giving a sigh as I reached across the small table to gently place a hand on her hoof. I saw her smile again. I smiled in return. Her eyes started to gain a hypnotic quality to them, catching mine before I could look away. I felt compelled to stare into them.
Then the moment was gone.
I heard her clear her throat as she shyly looked away, her eyes drifting out the window. I slid my hand back and followed her gaze. Outside, despite the brilliance of the lunar light, I could make out the twinkles of thousands of stars. Some brighter, some dimmer. One caught my attention, it’s shine and size easily disquinishible from the rest. I had no doubt that Luna’s attention was on the same star.
I didn’t realize, at first, that I was breathing. When I did feel my chest rise and fall, I became aware that I was still alive. It was sporadic at first; my thoughts jumbled and my mind tortured by the most intense headache. As I continued to breathe however, I began to think more clearly, to remember what had happened before. When I opened my eyes the same majestic visage of the moon greeted them. I was sure that by some miracle I had survived.
I lay there for several, countless moments as I gathered my strength. I felt weak, like I had lost a lot of blood. I remember sitting up with some effort on my part, feeling my body down for the wound which should've been my demise. My first surprise came in not finding any indication of such; my second in realization that I was not, in fact, anywhere near Gregory Ridge.
I remember standing then, swaying from the weakness and dizziness that lingered slightly. My surroundings had changed drastically. I could no longer hear the distant rumble of the waterfall nor see any indication of a boulder with strange markings. In fact I could not notice any significant landscape distinctions for miles; I having found myself in center of a flat, grassy, hilly landscape that seemed to stretch for miles.
Strange as these changes were, the most important and telling lay in the sky above me. Whilst the first larger moon seemed similar, the second redder moon did not. I knew without a doubt that I was no longer on Old Terra anymore.
“Do you think they know I’m still alive?”
The question I asked, I knew, stung Luna greatly. When I looked to her, I could see that her facial expression was pained. Her eyes started to drift from the sky over in my direction, her mouth opening as if to reply. In the next instant, she sighed, closing them and only reopening upon gazing back in the starry sky.
“You mean-” I watched as Luna brought a hoof to her mouth; watery eyes gazing into mine. Her voice was soft, shaken. “You mean they haven’t found you yet?”
“No” was all I could reply. I could no longer stand to gaze into her expression, my eyes darting downwards as I clasped both hands around my cup. I dared another brief sip of the warm liquid before resuming my new composure. I told her enough times I never blamed her, that she had done everything within her power to get me back. My eyes drifted towards the glint of light from the metal container underneath my bed, then looking back to Luna. “Let’s go outside, I need some fresh air.”
She simply nodded, sliding off her posterior onto her four legs as I stood on my two. I allowed her to be first upon our exit of my wilderness home, I gently closed the door after. The night was wonderfully bright from the local stars reflection off the primary moon. To the west and just rising off the horizon was its darker, smaller twin, it’s surface reflected back an eerie orange glow that played dynamically with its larger counterpart on nights they were close together. My attention, however, remained on the other, brighter star in the distance.
“I wish I could see it from here,” I said. I heard Luna sit beside me. She didn’t say anything in response, so I continued. “I’ve always wondered what your planet looked like, if all the stories everyone has told me amount to the truth.” I chuckled, “I have no doubt they do, it’s just so...out there, you know?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Someday soon, hopefully.”
I felt a slight touch of pain at hearing that, but I knew the cause of her hesitation was justified. My work here was precarious and time consuming. If she took me, even for a mere day, everything that we both worked so hard to better would be lost. In that regard, I as much served her as I served the memory of my last service. I understood perfectly well the consequences and responsibilities of tough choices, so I had never complained about my situation. Though tonight had seen me allowing myself a slip of that discipline. I was in the very least happy she hadn’t taken it the wrong way.
“Why did you come back?” she asked.
When I first met Luna, I hadn’t been surprised by what she was. Old Terra had long since spread its influence to the stars, meeting and commingling with various alien lifeforms. It was the tightrope walk of not wanting to start an interstellar war that forced us into neutrality and acceptance, to hide our feelings and judgments and cast a sense of tolerance and authority. It was with this same training that I stared down the Princess of the Night herself, greeting her and consequently collapsing out of pure exhaustion.
Only two words were exchanged between our persons in that first meeting. She had said hello, and I responded in kind. My vision blurred then, I collapsing as my lack of food and water finally doing me in. It was by her actions alone that I lived to survive a third time, she coming during the days to tend to me while even visiting me in my dreams. She found me “curious” and “interesting”, declaring me a species unknown to her planets inhabitants. It wasn’t until she found the Talisman that things changed between us.
She told me the real purpose behind the talisman, how she had created it to find the one who could best serve her most private of objectives. As I explained my story to her, it suddenly became clear why Timothy had reacted as such. For a time I would have nothing to do with Luna; I finding my on this strange, new world and eventually starting to build the frontiers cabin I would come to live in. Then she came back, and things once again changed between us. This time for the better.
She made a proposition to me. In return for a few quests I should undertake, she would do everything in her power to attract the attention of my people. I began my undertaking out of necessity. I ended it with conviction and a sense of moral obligation. Somewhere between the point of the end of my first task and the end of the last, I had gained a belief that what I was doing was right; that it was necessary for me to continue. At the same time I found myself doing something else. I was falling in love.
For the third time I could remember in my life I was left speechless. My thoughts halted as her question bounced off every corner of my conscious mind. Memories of my journey from where it all began to present day flooded my mind. The choices, the decisions and the consequences all seemed to coalesce into some sort of jumble of emotions I couldn’t immediately recognize. Then, as a few recent memories passed through my minds eye, I knew the answer. I turned towards her, looking down at her as I smiled.
“For you,” I responded.
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This is actually interesting.
2637972
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