FALLING

PREFACE

The weather was a bad omen. The black nights enveloped the sky, darkening the landscape, coloring it with a grayish, gloomy sensation; but at the same time, full of uncertainty and despair. They'd hear thunder in the distance and from time to time, the sky would light up with lightning, causing both of them to shiver. They waited for the moon to rise, at least that way they'd have a little more light and perhaps, hope.

Eireen ran alongside Rohan, having to make more of an effort to keep up with her brother's long strides. From time to time he slowed down and waited for Eireen to be by his side again, they didn't want to lose sight of each other. Gallem'd been very clear in his instructions, they'd to run through the forest surrounding Bazel until they reached the town. When they got there, maybe they'd get help. Finally they were the children of the emperor, that must've had some relevance, even if they were strangers to the bazelians.

The forest that surrounded Bazel was called Nuani, which meant "the wide hug" or "the great consolation". It wasn't just a simple forest, the trees were so tall that they're actually walking between just wide trunks and wood. The floor was of white earth, which according to Reuben Zitshem's book "A seeker's binnacle", meant that they were entering an enchanted area, and of course Nuani was an area full of magic.

The first challenge for any intruder was the change in pressure, the rise was so abrupt that their lungs took time to get used to the change and it was difficult to inhale air. Which, at first, caused them extreme dizziness and the inability to run. That was the main reason for it, not being able to run in the Nuani territories and get caught in the traps, since the forest was a trap in its entirety. It was full of loopers, which were almost impossible to avoid, and once you got in one of them, you would never see the sunrise again.

Their father had warned them about the loopers and about Nuani. He'd been there the day the Bazelians made a deal with King Quiran of Gorath to cast a spell on the forest. The gorans were sorcerers, and they did not hesitate to use their gifts to protect the bazelians. However, the loopers had been the cause of the loss of hundreds of Eikyak soldiers, which greatly annoyed the emperor. That was the main reason why when Rohan entered the imperial army he'd received the training to avoid loopers and be able to cross Nuani without problem, although he had never had the need. That was the first time he would do it on his own.

Rohan took a deep breath, letting the acrid scent guide him. He had been taught to track his course with the stars, but thanks to the approaching storm, he had to discard that strategy. The air began to feel more and more dense, they were not far from finding a looper, they had to be careful.

The two siblings stopped when they spotted a fallen log, covered in black moss and a few walking insects. It didn't look welcoming but they needed a pause to think about their next move.

Eireen took advantage of the moment to tie up her hair, even though it wasn't hot, her neck was sweating and her cheeks were red. She was panting hard, it had been a long time since she had run so much in such a short time. She wished she had a second just to stop and realize what had happened: they had left their parents and they had abandoned their kingdom, their home, their people. At that time they had become fugitives and could not return.

Eireen wondered if they would ever reign in Zakhá again, it was all she knew, it was all she had ever wanted. The sole purpose that had been instilled in her since the day of her birth had been destroyed like paper in fire. The legacy of their family would end with them, they could only trust that their parents were still alive.

But there was no time to cry, and no time to die, they had to move on. For if there was still a chance for them to save Knajhan, they had to first survive that night on Nuani.

Eireen was not stupid, she knew perfectly well that Nuani was a dangerous place and that she totally depended on her brother to be able to cross without getting caught in a looper, but she didn't want to mention it. She knew the pressure on Rohan's shoulders was already great enough to stress him more.

Rohan began to speak to himself, stammering a few words in Zath, the mother tongue of Zakhá, one of the oldest in existence. Only the truly illustrious and the wisest of the kingdom knew and practiced it. Their mother, Empress Naanfi, used to sing to them in Zath when Eireen and her brother were little. Eireen still remembered some of those lullabies.

But it was obvious that Rohan wasn't singing.

He looked at Eireen. They both shared the same innocence and concern.

"Now what?" Eireen asked. "Shall we continue to Bazel?"

Rohan was surprised that his sister didn't hesitate to go ahead. He was afraid for both of them, he wanted to return to his parents and his friends. But if they got to Bazel they could meet up with Beck and Anika, and that would reassure them.

"If we continue, we will enter the densest part of the forest. We will be between loopers, and there will be no time to hesitate. So for now, let's take a couple of seconds to catch our breath. We have run a lot since we left the castle."

He coughed, he could feel a big lump in his throat. He was tired, he missed his home.

Eireen nodded and sat down on the white earth. She didn't like the look of the rotten log either. She caressed her numb legs, putting pressure on the places where they hurt the most. The soles of her feet tingled and her calves throbbed. She began to miss the humid marine lands, vast in water and freshness. She would give anything for a bit of the breeze that blew from her bedroom window.

She turned to see his brother, he was looking at his surroundings. He had also sat on the ground, drawing little circles and lines with the tip of his index finger. Eireen thought it meant to be some kind of map or strategy from the old war codices of the emperor's army, obviously written by the commanders. Seeing that her brother knew what he was doing, she allowed herself to relax her shoulders a bit. Now she was playing a role not only as heir to the throne, but as a guardian. It had only been a couple of days since the ceremony, and she still felt that she had a lot to learn before undertaking any duties as a member of Knajhan's circle. However, it was a position any child of a nobleman easily found itself in, threatened.

After a couple of minutes, another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, reminding them to move, as a sign of destiny, telling them to continue on their way.

Rohan got up from the ground, brushed off the whitish particles and offered his hand to help Eireen to her feet. She snorted, it was starting to get comfortable on the ground. Stopping and procrastinating her chaotic mental situation was comforting.

"Are you ready?" asked her brother.

She nodded once.

He took a deep breath, taking will, he was just as scared as she was.

"Well, this is what we'll do..." his brother began to explain, when a tremor shook the ground where they were standing, filling both faces with terror.