Every night the nightmares came, they would appear in the form of white light taking away his dark abyss, hauling him to the visions of his past. He would be forced to relive the worst of his memories, the ones he wished to erase but could not. He would run and run but the ghosts of his past would haunt him, dragging him back, clawing at him until his body would be dripping in blood and his soul would be left shattered, broken.

That morning, when Tamer woke, he cursed at the heavens for the thousandth time. He sat up and blinked, compelling the slivers of his morbid dream to vanish from his consciousness. When he had been little, he would cower in horror, sobbing in some mangy alley, alone and afraid. No one had come to comfort him. No one had come to soothe away his fears, to hold his hand and tell him that everything would be okay.

Until he found me.

His mentor had pulled him from the streets, given him clothing and food, raised him like his own son. He had taught him to be brave and strong, to face his fears with the hardened heart of a soldier and to trust his own strength with the unshakable faith of a pious believer. Idris had saved him from his madness.

The sky was speckled with blues, pinks and reds and the twinkling stars were no longer noticeable. Wisps of white clouds shuffled in lazy motions, unwilling to wake up from their slumber. Tamer’s eyes darted to Clara’s pallet. The sheet lay abandoned, crumpled and flecked in leaves and twigs. Their mount was also missing.

Where was she? His first thoughts were the woman might have left him, refusing to take her responsibility as their saviour. Clara had to carry a huge burden, that she was to take care of a world she was unfamiliar with and as selfish as it may be, it would not be surprising if she ran away.

The frigid wind bit into his skin. Her backpack was still there, rested on the roots of a tree. She wouldn’t leave him, Tamer told himself. A pang of shame pulled at his conscience, making him regret his rushed assumptions.

After taking his weapons, he spun on his heels and stopped at the ledge of the river. The stream gushed and trickled, polishing the stones littered on the bank and bouncing the watsari flowers floating on the surface. His ears picked up the sound of water splashing, far louder than the natural sounds of the moving waters. Perhaps it was Clara or their firis, playing with the river. He followed the source of the sound, moving along the water-logged bank at a purposeful pace.

Tamer patted the leaves of salina mangroves, their hairy surfaces tickling his palms. An insect fluttered towards him, buzzing in his ear. The splashing sounds grew louder until he found Clara a few feet ahead, submerged by the river from waist downwards. Her back was turned to him, a flash of creamy skin visible as she scrubbed the back of her shoulder, her blue shirt sliding to her elbows.

He retreated to the trees, his jaws clenching. His pulse quickened and his tongue slid over his mouth.

Damn it, he thought.

He had not meant to intrude on her privacy. It had been an accident, a mistake. The image refused to fade away, replaying in his mind, tantalizing him with its beauty. He released a deep breath and scowled. Tamer turned away to retrace his steps.

“Are you in there?”

Caught unawares, he stood motionless. What would she think of him? His mind searched for a plausible explanation that would clear his name. He would resort to lying if he had to. No, it would be better to tell the truth. Tamer braved a glance behind him. Clara was fully dressed, her head was lowered and her back hunched low. Her arms were bent in such a manner as to depict she was holding something. She had found a fish, perhaps.

“Am I really his descendant? What powers did the Great Scribe mean?”

The gurgling of the stream persisted, the only response to her questions. Clara had not been speaking to him. She had been talking to her necklace, to Naaji’s entity. He sighed in relief and hurried back to their camp.

When the Great Scribe had told them she was Vanguard Naaji’s successor, Tamer couldn’t help but wonder at the unexpected outcome. Of all the people in Findora, Clara would have been the least of possible successors. A girl from Earth. One who was as clueless to their world as a newly born babe. From all the mystery surrounding the matter, one thing had been solved. Naaji’s entity must have taken the warrior to Earth, wiping him off the face of Aurion’s history. 

The army of Ghilan.

He could not understand why anyone would want to awaken the detestable creatures and bring Aurion to ruins. He let his eyes wander over the greenery and the gleaming river. If they failed, the lands would be corrupted by the Ghilan, stripped of its vitality and stolen of its prosperity.

A frown hardened his features. Placing a closed fist against his forehead in a Shimian vow, Tamer swore to protect Clara at all costs and prevent the seals from getting destroyed.

The firis was back at the camp, sniffing at his pallet. he brushed the fur on its shoulders and said, “Where have you been?”

The creature snorted and shook its black mane. Tamer summoned the pool of energy fastened to the ropes of his muscles and felt his blood tingle as he channelled that energy to his fingertips. His mind reached out to the creature’s, wadding through trails of basic instincts until he found coherent stream of thoughts.

There…food…

Physical contact was not necessary though it served to strengthen his telepathic connection. Animals could communicate through gestures and sounds and their language was infinitely different from those of mortals. It could range from the most complex of sentences to the simplest of words. When he used his gift, Tamer could understand them. They could always sense his presence when he dug into their minds but most animals interpreted his mental signals as those from one of their own and showed no hostility.

Leave…

The firis stomped its hoof and neighed. Standing back, he stopped the flow of energy, cutting off the mental link. “Patience, my friend. We will depart soon.”

Leaves crunched as Clara stepped out of the trees. He greeted her with a stiff nod before averting his attention to their mount. The scene at the river flittered in his mind, teasing him. She was just so…lovely.

Oblivious to what had happened, Clara picked up her bag and tied it to the saddle. The firis blew its nose and pawed its foot in impatience, wanting to begin the journey.

“How far are we from Ibisa Mountains?” she asked.

Tamer strolled to the river bank, easing his muscles, steering his attention to her question. “We have to cross the Plains of Yurei then journey to Alikaf Forest. Tomorrow, we’ll follow the river to Ibisa Mountains.”

She thumped her fingers against the firis’ platings. “Right. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Ripples weaved through the surface as Tamer pressed his hands into the water, distorting his reflection into crooked shapes. He spent the next few minutes cleaning up. By the time the sun’s rays had hurtled the lazy clouds out of the eastern horizon, they were off to the plains.

The day’s ride was uneventful and although the road twisted, turned and meandered, their firis did not stop until he pulled the reins so that they could have a lunch break of twenty minutes. He guessed their food rationings would be depleted by the following day. 

They sat on the side of the road. A thick strip of grass cushioned the ground and a sturdy boulder slanted to the side provided a shade against the midday heat. Clara crossed her legs and took small bites from her bread, the glassy look in her emerald eyes a hint that her mind was far away.

 “Do you miss your family?” he asked, seeking to squelch the silence, to see that shadowed look in her eyes gone.

She blinked, her mouth parting in surprise. “I miss them. I bet Josephine is whipping Timothy with that dusty broom of hers for letting me escape.” Grinning, she straightened her legs. “Sweet Josephine has a fiery temper. Best be out her way when she’s angry.”

Amusement played in his face. “Why did you escape from home?”

“I wanted to become a lady traveller, an adventurer. Timothy helped me escape and then I boarded the ship to San Cielo. You know the rest of it.”

He nodded.

The last vestiges of Clara’s grin were gone as she said, “I should have listened to Father. All he ever wanted was to keep me safe but I defied him. Now I am stuck in Findora.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Do you think by preventing the army of Ghilan from rising, Naaji’s entity will let me go home?”

“I suppose it will. It brought you here for a purpose and it is only right that it grants you your wish once you fulfil your role,” he replied.

“What if I fail? What if we all fail?”

A puff of wind shrilled, hefting the grains of sand into the air and depositing them on to their boots. The sun shifted ever so slightly and the heat intensified.

He took a swig from his bottle, moistening his dry throat. “We won’t.”

When their lunch break had passed, they rode through a rich expanse of trees. From the gaps in the foliage, Tamer sighted a white ribbon snaking along fertile soils—a tributary to the great Wrayth River. Watsari flowers bloomed on the crooks of branches and the groves in the trunks, their cerulean petals a stark contrast to the sheaves of greens and browns.

“Hold on. We have to go faster,” he said to Clara.

He commanded the firis to increase its speed. They had to cross the plains before dusk. It would be impregnable once darkness conquered the day. He fought over the decision to warn her of what lay ahead but thought against it.

Pollen grains swarmed in the air like snowflakes tumbling from the sky, sticking to his hair and clothes. When Clara spoke to him, he could scarcely hear her voice through the sounds of heavy galloping steps.

“What about your family? Do you miss them?” she repeated.

The trees were now sparse and the view of the stream was less obscured. Threads of hanging vines stirred in the breeze and the air was sprinkled with a subtle fragrance.

“Tamer?”

He gritted his teeth and felt the muscles in his jaws grow stiff with pain. “Dead.”

Clara tilted her head in his direction, a resigned tone in her voice. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It was a long time ago.”

A white blanket of fog glistened ahead of them, gliding around the edges of the forest. The dirt road wandered into the white veil, swallowed by the cloud of condensed moisture. The air grew colder, caressing his skin with its frosty touch.

“What is this place?” Clara asked.

Tamer stopped the creature, sensing its anxiety. “The Plains of Yurei. We’ll walk from here.”

They dismounted and went into the plains. A pitiable cry rent its way out of the firis’ mouth. He spoke to it in low calming tones, encouraging it to move forward. Tamer walked close to the creature, using its heat to keep himself warm from the dropping temperatures. His breath came out in white puffs of mist and his black hair was swept back as a cold draft ushered them into the cursed plains.

“I don’t like this,” Clara said, pulling the edge of his sleeve.

A translucent figure shone in the distance, hovering between swirling lumps of fog. He draped his arm over Clara’s shoulder, giving her a gentle push. More figures appeared in the fog, their outlines glowing in faint lights, their eyes sunken and blackened. He saw several humans gathering around them, a trio of Zamari watching them with icy interest, a gigantic centipede flying above, a pair of firis pawing their feet and a swarm of insects spinning in dizzying circles, all pale and wraithlike.  

“Don’t stop walking. Don’t look back or sideways. Just head straight,” he said. “You’ll lose your sense of direction if you stare or stop for too long.”

Clara shuddered and leant against him, keeping as much distance as she could from the otherworldly beings encircling them. “Ghosts! Why didn’t you warn me before we arrived?”

He glowered at the pale spectres as they drew closer. He could tell by their gaping mouths that they were screaming but not a sound came out of their mouths. “They won’t touch us. The dead cannot harm the living.”

Clara released a shaky breath. “I can’t see the path, Tamer.”

“I know but we have to keep moving. The fog used to be aether, the source of magic. It’s tainted with the spirits of the dead so all that’s left of it is a cold miasma.”

“What happened here? There are so many of them.”

He hurried his stride, dragging Clara and the firis with him. “Many years ago, these plains were full of life and vigour but the army of Ghilan marched in and destroyed everything. These ghosts are the ancient inhabitants who suffered their cruelty. Now they are lost spirits, stuck in this world for all eternity, unable to rest.”

He flinched as Clara tightened her grip, her nails digging into his forearm. “The tale of Ghilans was forgotten but no one dared to tame these lands. This is the Domain of the Dead.”

A giant snake soared into the air, twisting its body from side to side like a dancer gyrating to the tune of the wind. The firis whinnied and with a mental pull, Tamer pressured it to trudge along. Once it was high above the whirling vapours, the spirit snake plummeted to the ground. Its head dropped first, its mouth pulling back to reveal a set of sharp transparent fangs. It went straight through him and squeezed into the chinks in the wall of ghosts behind them.

An eerie feeling ran through Tamer’s veins. It felt as if a faint electric current had passed through his body, chilling his blood. The sensation was unpleasant but not painful. A shoal of floating fish flickered before his eyes. They swam into him, freeing themselves from his back. A human ghost slammed itself at his knees and a Zamari threw his staff into his stomach.

“You said they won’t touch us,” Clara said, her voice rising above the cries of the firis. “They are attacking you!”

Tamer hissed, the uncomfortable sensation irritating his nerves. He extracted one of his scimitars and rammed the blade into the head of a cloaked figure. The creature crinkled and shrunk, its glowing outlines dying out in the mist. Another spectre took its place and another one spat out grey blobs in his direction.

He sensed fear oozing out of his four-legged companion and when the firis shoved its shoulder into his side, he tripped. Clara held him back, her feet sliding across the ground as she kept him steady with all her strength. The creature took off into the mist, leaving them to face the living dead on their own.

Clara swung out her arms, her face an embodiment of revulsion as the apparitions assembled around Tamer. “Get back! Go away!”

They never did. Even as they ran, the humans and other races threw rocks, sticks and spears at him and the ghostly animals attacked him with their teeth and claws. He slashed and sliced, scattering them, chasing them away but they came back to him in droves. For a moment, Tamer was reminded of the nightmares that had plagued him for as long as he had lived and the desperation that had always accompanied such dreams shook his resolve.

Sinister laughter resonated in his ears. Pain set aflame his ribs and nausea writhed in his throat. A hammering force repeatedly struck his heart as if something threatened to break free.

Stop it. You can't.

The world tilted in confusing circles, the ghosts transforming into sheets of white. Deep laughter mocked him, the same one he had heard when he was a child.

“Tamer, your eyes—”

The ache in his ribs surged in flames of fury and the walls in his heart quavered. Tamer clutched his chest with his hands, the scimitar slipping from his grasp. Spirits slammed into him, taking advantage of his pain.

 “No, leave him alone!”

Black spots blotted his view, competing with the spinning masses of white. His legs gave way, his lungs searing in agony each time he breathed. He felt Clara’s hands on his face but he pried them away.

“Don’t touch me,” he said through gritted teeth.

Voices yelled in his mind, spewing curses at him. Through the strips of black and white, Tamer saw Clara picking up his scimitar and standing in front of him.

“Get away from him. All of you.”

Blinding light blurred his vision and his eyelids slammed shut on their own. When he opened them, all of the spirits had dispersed. And there she was, the weapon held aloft in her hand, the blade radiant in flames brighter than any fire he had ever laid eyes upon.