Out of the Mountain (2 page)

“It is but one possibility and we can do nothing to prevent what is to come,” he said as they all turned to go back into their rooms and reflect, as per usual. I let out a frustrated wail as Master Liung ushered me back into my room and tears started falling down my face. My anger always seemed to send a signal straight to my tear ducts.

“You must keep calm, Vivienne.”

“How can I possibly keep calm after what I just saw?” I cried, and he shushed me before pulling me into a hug and patting my back. None of the other monks ever did things like this, but sometimes Master Liung would comfort me. I pulled away from him, still angry.

“How could you be OK with this?” I yelped as I paced my room in agitation. He sat in the chair and watched me quietly for a moment. The village of Velia was a small community; I knew everyone at least in passing. None of them deserved such a grisly fate.

“Vivienne. There is much you do not know about who you are and where you are from. We have seen things, and we have done what we thought was best in order to protect you as best as we could. Up until this point, you have unwittingly protected the people of Velia just by being here with us. The wards are breaking already, and your protection here is coming to an end.”

“What wards?” I asked finally sinking to sit on the bed. I put my head in my hands and prayed for answers to come. Master Liung slowly stood and shuffled to the door.

I was preparing for another round of tears when he reached out his hand and said, “Follow me.”

We hurried through the stone halls as quietly as possible. My heart was beating out of my chest as I followed Master Liung to the farthest room in the long hall. I could hardly contain my excitement as we neared the one room I had never been allowed access to in all my time here. He opened the door, and I followed eagerly as we walked into the room full of scrolls. I breathed in the smell of old paper and ink as he searched through the stacks. The room was large; symbols were carved into the walls, and I knew that they were there to keep out anyone who wasn’t supposed to be there. Master Liung had allowed me in, and that in itself was forbidden.

He plucked a scroll up and walked over to me, hesitating only a moment before handing it over. I unrolled the scroll and read aloud.

Born of both royal lines, brothers three will be divine.

Light, dark, and shrouded in gray, possessing magic of every array.

Fighting, falling, revenge, and strife, a king will fail to keep his life.

An infant that is blood-bound to lion, will be the one that we rely on.

No longer hidden in the mountain, power released like a rushing fountain.

Uncontrolled, wild, and untamed, evil will try to force its reign.

Friends and allies armed with light will drive the darkness from the night.

Royal once is royal again, and staff will glow brightly from within.

I looked up at him confused, and he nodded, taking the scroll and putting it back onto the stack.

“What does that even mean? What brothers? What baby?”

“All will be revealed in time,” Master Liung replied before ushering me out into the hall again. I let out a loud sigh trying to keep my patience. The masters often spoke in riddles. It was nearly impossible to make sense of any of it.

“You can’t expect me to just forget what I saw and try to figure out your riddles, Master Liung,” I protested to his back as he began walking to the stairs that would lead farther down into the mountain.

All the masters chose that moment to exit their rooms and follow him. It was eerie to watch them all, who looked so much alike, in synchronization. I followed them into the main cavern as they sat around our table. Lit only by gas lamps, the room held an eerie glow. I could tell they were talking with their minds again, and I slammed my hand down hard on the wooden surface. I tried to hide the hiss that escaped as the sting went through my hand and barely managed to do so before I had all eyes on me.

“What is going on?” I demanded.

“Sit,” Master Tatsu ordered loudly, and I did. If any of the monks could have been accused of having even an inkling of a temper, it was Master Tatsu.

“OK, but talk with your mouths so I can hear too,” I replied defiantly.

“The full moon is not until the end of this month,” Master Smok said, quickly filling the silence.

“Yes, and what else falls at the end of this month?” Master Arach asked, eyes on me. He always wanted me to draw my own conclusions.

“My birthday,” I replied reluctantly.

“Yes, it seems that is true,” Master Rong agreed quietly.

“We must send her before she is exposed.” Master Drache frowned.

“She was not to leave until after the wards fell,” Master Ajddhra complained.

“Yes, and they are already falling. The enemy will find her within a day’s time when they do!” Master Zmeu replied.

“Wait. Send me where?” I yelped, admittedly a little excited by the prospect. I would love the chance to get out of this mountain, to travel and see the world . . . I had planned to do just that when I turned twenty at the end of this month. Two decades of living meant that you were finally fit to make it on your own. You were then magically deemed an adult and completely responsible for yourself and your actions overnight. I had always planned to make my great escape then, but what if those creatures found me?

“What do they want with me?” I asked, my voice hitching up a few octaves in fear at the memory of blood dripping from long fangs.

“All will be revealed in time,” they said in unison, and without even a moment of hesitation, I slammed my head down on the table.

If I heard that one . . . more . . . time . . .

“Vivienne,” Master Liung rebuked me. I looked up to see concern in his eyes.

“We will make arrangements for her to travel and begin her quest. There is no need to draw the Shade here to these innocent people. The ward is already breaking around her; I can feel her magic pooling,” Master Tatsu said firmly.

“What quest? What magic?” I yelled in disbelief. They had never mentioned wards or magic before this. Why were these “Shades,” as Master Tatsu had called them, coming for me? Surely this was some kind of sick joke.

“You must understand, child, you will not be without protection. They will not find you if you leave now before the ward on your magic completely falls. You must make it safely to your destination before then, or you will shine like a beacon to your enemies when it does,” Master Tatsu said. I was so confused. They were throwing too much new information at me to process.

“What destination? What enemies?” I cried. I was getting nowhere with them.

“For now we must confer and plan, and you must rest, Vivienne.”

I tried to object, but the monks entered meditative states, and I knew I wasn’t getting answers. I had wasted more than enough of my life as a child trying to force answers from them, and I knew when to leave well enough alone. That didn’t stop me from hurrying back and trying to reenter the scroll room.

“Of course.” I sighed when the door wouldn’t allow me entrance. It was worth a try.

I paced the floor of my small room for a long time, thinking of what was to come and of everything I was about to leave behind. I had been segregated from the people of Velia as of late, but not completely separated. I had acquaintances and people I would consider friends from my childhood. Master Liung sought out one woman in particular when I went through the first stages of puberty. Kenja Patel had five daughters of her own and had taken to me kindly, explaining all I needed to know about womanhood. I would be eternally grateful to that woman, because there were just some things even the all-knowing monks of the mountain weren’t capable of explaining.

Kenja’s youngest daughter, Tori, was only a few months older than me, and we became fast friends. I sought her out every time the monks brought me to town, and the bond we grew was genuine. However, as I grew older and they saw male attention finding me more often, they began keeping me more separate. The girls my age were only interested in talking about the boys, and the boys were only interested in talking to the girls. Tori was particularly boy-crazy, and I was convinced I was above such silliness, but the more I fought in teenage rebellion the tighter their reins became, and I learned quickly to follow the rules. The monks were good men, but strict. At almost twenty, I was more than ready for my first taste of real freedom. I just wasn’t sure I wanted that freedom to be marred by the fear that was currently churning in my gut.

***

The weeks before my birthday passed quickly as we made plans for my departure. The word of my imminent exit spread as the monks tried to gather my necessities, and the people of Velia threw me a going-away party that brought tears to my eyes. I was reunited with childhood friends if only for a night, and as I said farewell to the people, I knew I was doing the right thing by leaving. Kenja was going to be a grandmother; her oldest daughter was with child, and they were ecstatic. My stomach dropped when I saw who the father was: the very same man who had been in the clutches of the Shade in the monks’ premonition. I congratulated them, and when Tori made me promise to keep in touch, I felt the first tinges of loss in my heart. I had to ensure their safety. The future I had seen would not be the one that came to be.

The monks didn’t give me much information, even though I was relentless in asking for it. They had sent word, and I was to have a guide retrieve me and take me somewhere safe. They would not tell me specifics of my destination, for whatever reason, and believe me, the monks always had their reasons. I was both excited and afraid, the emotions warring in my head constantly.

***

The week of my birthday I was packed and dressed in my new, sturdier clothes as the monks escorted me through the valley before dawn. I wore thick, rough-hewn pants and boots in a shade of brown that matched the dirt under my feet. My shirt was a pale green, a thin material that might as well have been a tunic. The monks had made these clothes themselves, a gift for my journey. Although not at all stylish, I treasured them even more for it.

“The ward around you will not break before your birthday, so fear not. You will make it to safety well before then as long as you stick to your path. Do not stray, Vivienne. It is important that you get there in time.” Master Liung smiled kindly to take the edge off his warning. I was going to miss him. I would miss them all, really.

“When will I see you again?” I asked sadly.

“All will be revealed in time,” he joked, and I cracked a smile. The monks’ token answer for any question that they weren’t allowed to answer. That was one thing I wasn’t going to miss at all.

Each of the monks bid me farewell, and Master Tatsu gave me my pack, which was filled with supplies, and instructions to climb past the next mountain and find a safe place to wait. Whoever the monks contacted was sending a man named Rowan to lead me to my destination. I felt as if I was in some kind of nonsensical dream. I had spent my entire life sheltered and hidden away, and now they were going to send me off on my own to traipse through unknown territory? I had not spent a single night outside of their mountain, and now they expected me to climb one on my own. It was ludicrous. When Master Liung was the only one left, I allowed myself to cry. I saw tears in his eyes as well and pulled him into a hug.

“I still can’t believe any of this is really happening.”

“If there was any other way, we would have found it.”

“Thanks for everything, Master Liung.”

“Thank you as well, Vivienne. You do not understand the treasure you were to us,” he replied, slipping something into my hand.

“What is this?” I asked, sniffling and taking a closer look. It was a dragon coin the size of my thumbnail, attached to a thin leather cord. I could feel the power radiating off it.

“A necklace,” he said wryly as I slipped it on. This was odd, and I knew it was more than that. The monks didn’t give material gifts without purpose.

“What is it really?” I asked suspiciously.

“It is a favor. If you are ever in dire need of help, put the coin under your tongue and say my name. I will hear your call. It will come at great cost, so please use it wisely,” he said seriously, and I had no doubt it was true.

“Thank you, Master Liung,” I said again, and he patted my back and turned me to face the mountain.

“Now you must begin your journey, and time is of the essence. I have seen much, and though you may doubt your own strength, I have no such reservations,” he said solemnly as he turned and walked away. I squared my shoulders and then took my first steps toward the unknown.

***

I climbed until it was too dark to see, finally thankful for all the conditioning Master Tatsu had put me through. My endurance was high, and I kept a quick pace, only allowing my mind to focus on what was directly in front of me. One foot in front of the other and repeat. The rocky mountain was a fierce opponent that required all of my attention to keep myself on my feet. I had slipped and fallen on the rocks more than once as I climbed, and my knees were aching from the uneven impacts.

When it was near dusk I happened upon a small cave. It was shallow and seemed safe enough, so I decided to stop for the night. I doubted I would find a better place to rest than this. I dropped my pack at the opening and set to clearing a spot for myself in the small space. When darkness finally fell I ate a small meal from my pack and gazed up at the stars. As always I was enchanted by their beauty, and I breathed a little easier. It was a comforting thought to me that no matter where I was, the stars that looked down on me and the constellations I sought would be the same. Sure, there might be changes in their visibility and position as the months rolled by, but when I found them again, it was like looking at an old friend. Reliable, that’s what the stars were. I laid on my back, using my pack as a pillow, and rested uneasily until daylight found me again.

I groaned loudly as I stretched in an attempt to get some of the kinks out of my back. I was exhausted already from little sleep, but I knew I had no choice but to continue on. My stomach growled angrily at me even as I munched on the granola from my pack. I was used to eating much more than this in the mornings.