Echoes

By Ari Carruthers

About to leave for college, Seth is thrown into the magical world of Ziana. Ziana is a world filled with magic, sorcerers, monsters and demons. In Ziana, humans are separated into two alliances, based on hair color. People with dark hair are known as Aksu and people with light hair are known as Ensi. Seth meets Nikolai, an Ensi, and must help him defeat the Aksu King and Queen before Ziana is consumed by evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ari Carruthers
• Release date: Mar 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465760470

Book preview

Echoes

Ari Carruthers

Copyright 2011 Ari Carruthers

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

1

The attic contained many old things. Such old things held in this attic could bring about forgotten memories, dreams, and hopes. Antique knick-knacks, large pieces of furniture, a trunk filled with black and white photos that have since turned yellow, a life-size mannequin, and even maps of the old world. Most importantly, the attic contained some of Seth’s belongings; those belongings which he would take with him to college.

On this particular Sunday, Seth’s mother asked him to gather those items from the attic. He awoke that morning unsure about his future.

Hurry downstairs, Seth! Your breakfast is getting cold! his mother yelled up to him.

Coming, Mom! Seth replied.

He pulls a blue tee shirt over the black undershirt he was already wearing. Seth tucks in his ankh that dangles on a silver chain. He stares at himself in the mirror. About six foot two inches tall with an average build, Seth had not reached taller than five and a half feet until he was seventeen. Seth, neither a shy young man, nor particularly brazen, never really fit in at his high school. Not for a lack of trying, but rather he did not seem interesting to his fellow peers. He hoped to find someone he could connect with in college. He runs a comb through his straight black hair.

Seth heads downstairs, rubbing his brown eyes and yawning, to join his family for breakfast. His sister, Lynn, already outspoken at age thirteen, is at the dining room table eating away. Lynn looks older than thirteen and has long, black, curly hair.

She looks up at Seth, Hey Seth! How did you sleep last night?

Seth shrugs and explains that he was tossing and turning a bit yet feels well rested. Their parents sit down to eat a feast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

Seth’s father turns to Seth and says, Are you ready to leave for college, son? School starts in only a few weeks. You need to gather your items from the attic. Be very careful. Remember, the shafts in the back part of the attic are rotting away and the ones that are in good condition are widely spaced out! His father, a tall and large man, looks at Seth as he puts half a slice of bacon in his mouth.

Seth says, I will be ready when the time comes. They finish breakfast.

Seth runs up the steep staircase and opens the door that leads to the attic. The light is dim and Seth flips the light switch on but it does not have a working bulb. Knowing he will have to be careful with the shafts, he sighs and tries to organize through all the random boxes of items in the attic using the dim light available.

In the back corner of the attic, Seth sees a small, framed photo of his grandfather, Luis. Seth remembers his father speaking of him: Luis spent most of Seth’s father’s life away from home and absent. After graduating high school, Seth’s father left for college and said goodbye to Luis. Luis was only semi-conscious and muttered something inconsequential, seeming to not even acknowledge his son. This was the last time Luis was ever seen. Seth picks up the picture of his grandfather. Luis does not look like an interesting person; everything about him is average and dull.

Seth puts the picture down and continues through the attic. The attic has more clutter than he had remembered. He spots some of his boxes in the back of the attic and walks towards them.

As Seth nears his boxes, the faint smell of smoke distracts him. Concerned, he follows the scent to the back corner of the attic and as the grainy smell of smoke gets stronger, Seth actually begins to see smoke. He follows the trail of smoke and feels stones on the ground. Vines are growing along the walls beside him. He tries to make his way through the smoke, traveling further than the length of the attic. Without realizing it, Seth’s ankh begins to glow furiously. Seth can almost make out a light in the distance. He chases the light, as though in a trance.

The smoke overwhelms Seth. He starts coughing and slows his pace. He finds he has to stop walking. He looks behind him; he can see nothing but the thick, white smoke. A light breeze blows in the direction of the light and softly pushes him. He steps forward, unknowingly into an area of vast nothingness. Seth screams as his body gets hurled through a strange and dark space.

He eventually lands roughly on a grassy ground. Seth groans as he struggles to get up. He touches part of his forearm that got scraped. Looking at his surroundings, he is amazed. There are trees around him that are taller than skyscrapers and have an abundance of leaves. As Seth observes the area, he removes what is left of the blue shirt he was wearing since it became ripped to shreds during the fall. Seth’s black undershirt is unharmed, which pleases him since he is easily embarrassed; he blushes at the thought of being shirtless in public.

Walking uneasily towards a path, Seth pulls apart some leaves from a bush and catches his breathe. Everything about this place is exotic: not just the vegetation but the creatures too. On the ground near several trees, Seth witnesses a small insect, vaguely resembling a praying mantis, getting attacked by a small creature with six eyes, lobster-like claws and the legs of a spider. Before the insect could get eaten, a hoard of praying mantis insects, stampede into the surrounding area. The offensive creature is ingested in a matter of seconds.

Disturbed, Seth leaves the area in search of a way out of the forest or of someone who will help him. While walking, he sees a scaly creature on all fours with horns but lacking eyes. It is the size and the build of a pug. The creature seems to stare at Seth. As he backs up to leave, the creature shrieks and charges at him. Seth runs away as fast as possible. He is running so frantically that he does not notice the cuts and bruises he is gaining on his body from the wilderness. The creature is getting faster but Seth sees a path of escape. As he runs through the narrow path, which is formed by rocks and tree trunks, the creature is unable to fit. Seth laughs with joy and nearly sobs at the same time.

He is still running and promptly stomps on a netted trap on the forest floor. Dangling in the air, Seth yells in surprise.

He hears footsteps approaching the trap and Seth calls out, Is someone there? Please help me! I don’t belong here!

Seth then sees a young man walking up to him. He has short, light blonde hair that barely hangs above his green eyes and solemn expression. He is wearing brown pants that seem to be made of leather and a roughly stitched together brown top. The reflection of the sun on his sword blinds Seth as the man walks toward him, green eyes shining.

2

Why are you here, Aksu? the young man speaks.

His voice is soft and gentle yet serious. He speaks to Seth while jabbing him with the handle of his sword.

What is your motive? Did Isis send you? Answer me! He spits on the ground and glares.

Seth yells, I don’t know what you are talking about! I don’t even know where I am! Please don’t kill me! Seth begins crying.

The young man responds, Well, you certainly don’t sound like any assassin I have ever heard.

He pauses, Unless this is a new tactic. Oh well, I suppose I will have to take my chances.

He cuts Seth down and Seth falls hard on the ground. His sword makes a crisp sound as it is put back in its sheath.

You sure are lucky it was me who captured you. Many others would have gutted you rather than asked any questions. I am Nikolai, son of Agamemnon and Nuala of Ziana. Who are you? Nikolai asks.

Seth, peeling himself off the ground, chokes, My name is Seth.

How did you get here?

I am not sure. One moment I was in my attic and the next thing I know, I saw smoke and somehow traveled here. Seth explains.

This cannot be possible. The queen has all the portals that are left. He ponders for a moment. Well, it can’t be helped. Times have been tough ever since the overthrow fifty years ago. You never know who you can trust!

Seth looks confused and Nikolai stares at Seth. He studies his face and his facial expressions. Nikolai feels a strong vibe from Seth but cannot decide if the vibe is a positive or negative one. Seth looks away; he was never much for staring contests.

Nikolai looks up to the sky as he explains that this land is divided up into groups of people based on hair color, which coincides with their race. Hair color is only a good way to judge character when time is short and when considering a human.

There are, apparently, many different creatures that exist in Ziana. Those who have black hair are known as the Aksu and most of them serve under the evil King, Loki, and Queen, Isis, for purposes of conquering the entire land. Those who have gold or yellow hair, such as Nikolai, are known as the Ensi. Most Ensi people serve under the King, Agamemnon, and Queen, Nuala, with a common goal of peace and tranquility. Half-bloods also exist. Half-bloods are those who have either brown or red hair. Seemingly straightforward, territories/allies cannot simply be determined by hair color. People switch alliances often, therefore it is hard to trust anyone.

Nikolai continues to speak as he begins walking; Seth hurries to catch up. Walking through the forest, about four steps ahead of Seth, Nikolai grabs what looks like a hybrid form of a blueberry and an orange from a tree and bites into it. Seeing the fruit’s juice gush out of Nikolai’s mouth, Seth’s stomach starts to growl and he realizes he is hungry. Nikolai hears this and reaches up a different tree that bears the same fruit, grabs a piece of fruit and throws it to Seth. Seth barely catches the fruit in time before it hits his face. He had underestimated how hard Nikolai threw it. Seth bites into the fruit and is instantly amazed. This fruit tasted like nothing he had ever tasted before. The flavor seemed to constantly change from bitter to sweet. In next to no time, Seth feels revived and his hunger pangs have vanished.

Seth studies Nikolai. His sword is held in a sheath that lays on his back on top of a shield. He also carries a satchel that appears to be nearly empty. Even though Seth is a little bit taller, it was plain to see that Nikolai is stronger and his body more toned. His boots are fashioned from an animal hide. Seth looks down at his own feet and realizes how thankful he is that he put shoes on before going to the attic.

Although no longer following a path, Nikolai appears to know his way around as he confidently marches through the foliage and pushes his way past trees.

Seth feels as though he has been staring and decides to say, What exactly happened here?

Nikolai spits out the core of the fruit he had been sucking on and lets out a long sigh.

The Aksu gained control of the land and destroyed anyone who fought against them. They slaughtered entire families, took prisoners, and burned down towns. They took my mother prisoner and murdered my father. I have been desperately searching for my sister, Leighton, so we can rescue our mother.

Nikolai stops walking and sits on a tree trunk, "When our kingdom was invaded, there was so much death. It was as though I could feel Death sitting next to me, and even she was weeping for all the unnecessary work that was to be done. I ran to my family and I found my father in a battle with Silas, the Aksu Queen’s Sorcerer. My mother was fighting Isis and desperately trying to hold off her magic.

Leighton and I were killing shadow soldiers when I heard my father cry out. We went to him to help but it was too late. He was gone and Isis had already reached in and taken his soul. We managed to escape but my mother was taken prisoner and has been locked up for all these fifty years." Nikolai finishes.

He stands up, sees Seth wipe a tear from his eye, and frowns, No sense crying about it. Now, stop this. I need to gather supplies in the next town. You are welcome to join me if you want.

Seth looks at Nikolai and sniffs, I will go with you. I wouldn’t know what else to do anyway.

Nikolai nods and continues walking.

Seth stares down at the ground and thinks about the suffering Nikolai must have been going through all this time. He feels unprepared for the future in this place and desperately wants to help but knows he cannot. He is not a skilled fighter and certainly does not believe in magic.

Nikolai stops walking and yells, You have to stick with me if you want to survive out here!

Seth, his train of thought disrupted, runs over to catch up. There are many more questions Seth has for Nikolai but he does not want to bother him. After walking for some time, Seth decides he has walked in silence long enough. He opens his mouth to speak but suddenly stops walking.

Seth starts to make a sound when Nikolai quietly shushes him. Seth frowns and then feels a rumbling beneath his feet. There is a large vibration traveling through the ground. Nikolai is looking to their right at the trees and watches the leaves shake violently. The noise increases as a hoard of boars stampede through the forest. They are foaming at the mouth and squealing with such a high frequency, it hurts Seth’s ears. The boars cover such a large area of the forest that had they continued walking, they would have been trampled. Seth cringes, covers his ears, and falls to his knees. The boars finish passing by and Nikolai offers Seth a hand.

He helps him up and laughs, You certainly aren’t from here. Their squeal would not have affected a normal Aksu or Ensi the way it did you.

Seth regains his composure and dusts himself off.

Come on, let’s keep going. Don’t worry, we are close enough that there should not be anymore stampedes but if there are, I’ll be sure to warn you sooner. Nikolai chuckles.

3

As they travel deeper into the forest, Seth notices some smoke just beyond an area riddled with hills. A dirt path has been made from people continuously traveling in the area. Nikolai and Seth follow the pathway in silence for quite some time. The red sun begins to set and Seth’s fear of the unknown environment and creatures of the forest starts to grow.

So when do you think we will get to the town? Seth breaks the silence, as they climb a steep hill and he gasps for air.

Nikolai makes a face and says, Ishan is just down this pathway. We have not traveled far, Seth. If you insist on joining me on my journey, you must improve your stamina as well as patience.

From the top of the hill, Seth can see an abundance of life and activity. The town consists of numerous cottages, some crudely built buildings, and people of all ages and hair colors.

Do they accept Aksu people here? Seth asked.

Well, alliances have changed and some Dark Ones have come to our side as well as Light Ones have gone the other way. They will trust you as long as I vouch for you. Stay close as we enter Ishan. Nikolai replied.

Nikolai continues walking towards the town while Seth remains standing atop the hill, speechless. He begins recollecting the experience so far. He was amazed with the animals, the forest, everything. If this were a dream, he thought, he was not sure if he really wanted to leave, at least not until he saw what other wonders were in store. It seems like it would be a nice place to exist, that is, if the takeover had not happened. If the Aksu King and Queen were so evil, Seth thought, then how could even a single patch of happiness, such as this town, remain in an evil land? Seth runs down to catch up to Nikolai.

Upon entering the town, Seth figures it would be easy to blend in with such a diverse set of people. Back home, he would never consider a group of people with simply a difference in hair color to be diverse. He can see Aksus as well as Ensis with many different shades of skin. Suddenly, Seth feels a sharp pain in his back. He reaches around to touch his back and feels something spiky, about the size of a tennis ball, stuck to him. It is hanging on by the skin it has punctured. He yells and pulls the ball out.

Nikolai looks over and says, Hey, whoever is throwing burr balls, leave Seth alone! He is harmless and he is with me!

Some children laugh as they run past them. Seth can see the pouch they have is filled with the balls. He rubs his back. Somehow, he is bleeding only slightly and is mostly just bruised.

Wait here for me while I gather supplies. We will be staying the night. Nikolai gestures towards a small building that looks like a pub.

Seth enters the building and inside is a brightly lit room with several places to sit. Seth takes a seat along the bar and sits on a stool. Many people are gathered, telling stories. He is served a drink and is told it is complimentary since Seth is with Nikolai. The drink is served in what looks like