Legends of Clal
J. A. Holladay
Official Rewrite: August 19, 2022
Chapter 1 - The Stone
A glistening sapphire sky yielded to the fiery orange glow of the sunrise as Clal fixed his gaze on the horizon. His blond hair whipped against his rough skinned cheeks as he searched the onyx sea.
Squinting, his crystal blue eyes scanned, searching the Eastern sky. Clal bit his lower lip.
He stepped forward, looking down at the wet sand, his feet sinking slightly. Clal paused, then crouched low.
Leaning forward, he reached out and scooped some ocean water out of a wave that was reaching toward him. He watched the water drip onto the white sand letting the drops stream down and around his rough fingers and palm.
Clal rubbed the water between his fingers then looked again into the East.
Today, he thought, lips curling into a brief smile. For a moment, Clal reflected on what would soon take place as he imagined it with mystery and wonder. But, how could it already be, today? His smile faded as he rose to stand.
The wind blew and the leaves sang there song. Clal watched the sun as it climbed higher into the sky. The stars were fading fast.
Clal reached into the folds of his worn clothing and produced a small pouch. He scooped up a handful of sand and let it filter through his fingers. He extracted a pinch of sand then tossed it into his pouch. He continued to comb through the sand.
“Clal!” a girl’s voice echoed from over the hill directly behind him. “It’s time.”
He continued to forage around the area, first to where the grass was growing, then to a pile of odds and ends tossed ashore. He found a twig, a pebble, and a piece of a gray shell.
“Clal?” the voice came again.
Clal walked along the beach as his shadow upon the landscape began to form. He spotted another small shell nearby and added it to his stash.
In the midst of his searching Clal caught a glimpse of a red bird from the corner of his eye flying toward him. It darted past him then fell to the ground.
Clal leaned over and examined the place where the bird had landed. When he looked closer, it wasn’t a bird at all, but a mysterious red apple with one bite taken out of it.
Clal looked up and surved the scene. He saw no one among the edge of trees and shadows. He stood up then paused.
It only took a moment before Clal heard the distant sound of giggling behind a trembling small tree.
“Ansa!” Clal said as he stompped his foot in the sand, “I said I would be back in a minute. I’m just fin…”
Another apple flew through the air, this time almost colliding with Clal’s chest, a near miss if he hadn’t stepped aside.
The what once had been muffled giggling was now laughing.
“Alright. Alright. You’ve had your fun. Now…”
“Have I?” Ansa said, bounding from a tree. She wore a wide smile capped by two rosy cheeks on both ends. She was tall, slender, and her long sandy blond hair curled around her neck.
“Not as much fun as I’ll have racing you up ole’ Crescent-Keep and getting to the cart first, dear brother.”
Then Ansa added, patting her pocket, “And wait until I show you what I found a few nights ago when I went digging near the crescent hills.”
Clal’s jaw dropped. “Ansa, you shouldn’t keep secrets from me.” Clal thrust forward laughing. Ansa plunged into the forest ahead of him.
Clal watched Ansa reach the top first, look behind her, then lean forward and race down the other side still giggling. Clal came to the top, still determined to catch her. But, something caused him to catch his breath, and he whipped around and gazed into the East.
The sun had broken over the horizon and was steadily rising as he watched it. He had always wished upon the sky that the dragon of his dreams would emerge somewhere behind a cloud or between the sun’s golden rays and come to him; that it would carry him away to the places of valor, the places of yester-age that the songs were written about, places where he could show the world what no one really knew was deep inside of him.
Into the East.
Clal placed his hand on the place where his small pouch was layers beneath his clothes. He smiled as his fingers clenched the lump and nodded.
Clal spun around and sped down the other side of the mountain called Crescent-Keep, being the tallest peak that was surrounded by a crescent arrangement of hills below. Clal and Ansa had always thought is was like the keep of a castle, so one day long ago they named it such. They didn’t know it’s proper name. But, that didn’t matter. It was theirs, and always would be.
When Clal arrived at the cart that was near the two room cottage, he found a hunched-over-Ansa heaving in each breath as she leaned on the large wooden, wheel of the cart. Clal joined her as they both cuaght their breath.
The horse whinnied once then stomped its left hoof.
“Ginger, you old thing.” Ansa stood walking to the horse and patting her on the shoulder. “We’re leaving soon, silly.” Ansa rubbered her gray mane then scratched between her ears.
The cart was filled with countless barrels, almost to capacity, except for a small space in the back. The wheels were taller than the wooden planked sides of the cart and there was just enough room for one or two small people to sit and guide the cart on a small wooden platform in the front.
“Well?,” Aerol said, stepping from the entry of the cottage, “I believe it’s time to go. There’s enough sunlight now.”
Clal’s older brother walked past Ansa, adjusted the horse’s gear, then climbed up and sat with reins in hand.
“Mina,” he said, turning his head to the right. “Come, Mina. Or I’ll let Ansa sit by me.”
A small child about ten years of age darted from the cottage and plopped herself beside him in a blur. She wrapped her arm around Turl’s elbow then looked up at him. Turl smiled and winked at her.
Clal and Ansa approached Aerol who was now joined by Willa.
“Uncle, how will you ever manage without us?” Ansa said, cocking her head to one side and putting her fist on her hip.
“Ansa, I don’t think we will.” He said, pinching her nose and smiling. “Hurry back, you two, but only when you’ve completed the time we’ve contracted for you to be there.”
Ansa gave Aerol a squeeze. She looked up at his tanned, round face and smiled. She then hugged Willa who was now teary eyed.
Clal only looked into the eyes of the most wonderful people he knew. He didn’t know what to say. It was a moment he never thought was come, but now, was almost over.
Willa chuckled and stepped forward putting her hand on his shoulder, “Now, Clal, my child,” She said, “You’re going off to those adventures you’ve always wanted to go on.” She held his face with her palm. “You’ll see.”
“Yes,” he said, “But...this feels different.”
She pulled him close. “Yes.” She said as she held him. “And remember, Clal, find your path.” She pulled him away so she could look into his eyes. “Find your path, Clal, then find the courage to live it.”
Willa smiled, and the light in her eyes told him much more than she had said.
“Well Willa,” Aerol reached out for her arm, “they’re sixteen now, these twins, and they’re on their way if you can believe that.” Aerol shook his head. “Time, it moves so swiftly somehow,” he said, scratching the side of his chin.
“Thank you so much, aunt and uncle, for all you’ve done for Ansa and I.” Clal said half smiling. “We are who we are because of the both of you.”
“You are who you are because of what you have chosen to be,” Willa smiled, her chestnut hair gently waving in the wind.
“Yes, thank you.” Ansa added. “And we’ll be back the very day we finish.”
“Yes,” Clal smiled, “the very day!”
Ansa turned to Clal with her mouth open wide. “That’s what I said, the very day. What’s wrong with that? It is possible.”
“Nothing,” Clal smiled as he walked toward the wagon, “It’s just that, what if we want to sleep first, then wake up in the morning and leave for home? Or, what if it takes longer than a day, or suppose…”
“We’ll miss you both,” Ansa said to Aerol and Willa, colliding with Clal. They both fell into the cart and started to laugh.
Ansa sat up, “And don’t mind Clal, he doesn’t know what he’s saying half the time,” she said, pushing him back down. “I’ll be sure he doesn’t get himself into any trouble.” She turned to Clal waving her finger at him as he sat halfway up now displaying a dirt smudged face.
Aerol huffed, then held his breath, then let out a loud laugh, “I’m not sure that’s possible. It might take a small army to accomplish such a task.”
Clal frowned then folded his arms. He shook his head then started laughing again.
“Alright, Turl, get going now. You don’t want to be late. Adventus season yields quite a crowd,” Aerol said looking at Willa, “Stay busy!”
“And take care of each other. Stay together.” Willa said, raising her arm and waving. “We don’t want what happened last year to happen again.”
Mina turned around and smiled at her mother while Willa smiled back, wagging her finger in Mina’s direction.
“Okay father.” Turl and Mina waved as the cart began to creak forward.
“Bye, Momma!” Mina said.
As the cart rolled down the thoroughfare Clal watched Aerol and Willa who were frozen in time, embarrassing each other as they watched him. There was no possible way for Clal to have been prepared for what came the moment the cart pulled him around the first corner and out of sight of the world he always knew. He didn’t know when he'd be back, what would happen from now until then, and it didn’t quite feel the same as in years past when they traveled to Eldan Vyum as long as he could remember.
A small feeling started to grow within him as he watched Ansa settled down, close her eyes, and slip into a much needed slumber. The sun reached higher into the autumn sky as they rolled along.
The trees reminded him of the ocean everytime the wind blew, his ocean, his sea and the waves upon the shore. It was all so close, just a climb away across the Crescent-Keep pass. But now…
Clal watched Ansa’s slow breathing as she leaned against one of the wooden barrels. And we’ve never been apart, Ansa and I, Clal thought.
He thought about this year when they thought they would lose the crop from the early freeze and how Mina tried to talk Willa into keeping the pig that showed up one day. And his stash of drift wood and things that he’d collected over the years. And Turl, he was so different now after his journey to the North, last winter.
Clal turned to steal a peak at Turl leading Ginger along the road. Then he looked away. We used to be so close, Clal thought. He didn’t understand it.
A long while passed as Clal thought in silence. Turl and Mina were conversing but Clal couldn’t hear what they were saying. The cart continued to inch forward and soon the top of Crescend-Keep was lost to Clal’s view.
The sunlight was shining on Ansa’s face now who was beginning to stir. She turned over and nestled back into her fetal position. Clal saw Ansa whince and open one eye. She looked straight forward for a moment then gapsed. She padded her thighs then her hips hurridly.
“Oh, there.” She said. Ansa sat straight up. “Clal, come here.” She waved him over as Clal scooted closer.
“Now,” she said, scooting away from Clal slightly, “You must promise me, Clal Winden, to listen to me,” She watched Clal, “Clal, promise me that you’ll listen. I have a lot to tell you.” She smiled, pulling a pouch out of her pocket. “Agreed?”
“What do you mean?” Clal said scratching his head.
“Remember?” She whispered, “I told you that I had something to show you?”
Clal’s eyes widened.
“Promise.”
Clal looked her in the eyes then smiled and nodded. “I promise, Ansa.” Ansa had never talked to him quite like that before. She held him spell bound both by her well known art of suspense and by her suspicion of Clal.
Ansa looked up at Turl and Mina who were in quiet conversation. Mina giggled and Turl chuckled as he continued to drive the cart along. Ansa looked back at Clal, waved for him to come closer then untied the pouch.
They sat, huddled over Ansa’s cupped hand in front of her as she turned the pouch over. A smooth, blue stone slipped from within the pouch and rested in the center of her palm. Its shape was perfectly round, and though it was flat it still held a measure of thickness as the edges were perfectly tapered. The surface with smooth like glass and the blue was pure and untainted by any flecks of discolored stone. There was no other stone like this in Lyrune that they’d ever known and when Clal looked into the stone itself, it seemed as though he could peer into the very depths of eternity.
“Clal,” Ansa started. “It was not two nights ago that I found this stone. I had been digging for some of those ginger roots as I often do this time of year.”
Clal continued to eye the stone. “May I see it?” he said. His curiosity had got the better of him as this stone lay before them.
“Yes,” Ansa shot a glance at him, “But, listen first, remember.”
“Right.”
“I was digging, it was late, but the moon was full. The light hit the ground just right, then something in the ground caught my attention. I leaned over, scraped the dirt away and found this, this stone.”
“But Clal,” her face now grave, “the moment I held it in my hand,” she paused.
“Yes, Ansa,” Clal looked at her, “I’m listening,” he said smiling wide.
“Well,” Ansa swalled, “perhaps you should hold it now…here,”
Ansa placed the stone in the middle of Clal’s palm. Clal lifted the stone up to the light of the sun and held it there trying to look through it. He squinted with one eye open and examined what he might find in the center of the stone. He thought he spied a dot, a small, lighter colored blue dot in the center.
He lowered his hand and placed the stone back in the center of his palm. Both Ansa and Clal were looking down at the stone when Ansa gasped. Clal’s eyes got wider as the stone began to change.
What was once a small dot a moment ago was now a growing glow pulsing ever so slightly. It began to fill the stone and reached its edges.
“Oh…uh…Ansa?” Clal said, looking at her. “What’s it doing?”
Ansa shook her head and reached for the stone. She held it up, level to her line of sight. But, by then the light within was gone and the stone had now returned to its original condition.
“Clal, look.” She held it out in front of him.
“It’s…gone,” he said.
<<< writer’s group cut off if 2500 words >>>
Ansa, eyeing Clal, gently caught hold of Clal’s hand, turned it over and set the stone upon his palm again. Clal pushed the stone toward her but she pushed it back.
Clal looked at her then down at the stone and pulled it back, closer to his chest.
They sat for a long while, staring at the stone as the cart swayed and bumped along the dusty road. Once again, the glow of the stone grew from the center then out, casting a soft blue glow upon Clal and Ansa’s faces.
Clal looked at Ansa then back at the stone. Ansa began to smile. She reached out to touch the smooth surface of the stone when the cart stopped abruptly.
“Time to water ole’ Ginger.” Turl said. “Come on, Mina. She’s slowing down and we still have a few hours left before arriving at Eldan Vyum.”
Clal stuffed the stone into his pocket. He sat there on the edge of the cart in a daze.
Ansa pulled his arm, “Come on! Follow me.” She said.
They both slid down from the back of the cart and slipped into the forest.
Turl and Mina had unhitched Ginger and were leading her to the stream nearby. Ansa stopped for a moment near a tree, squinted, then pulled Clal deeper into the forest.
“Come, Clal!”
“Where are we going?”
“I want to have another look,” her voice trailed behind her as she hurried further now moving upstream.
They arrived at the river bank which was overgrown with grass and moss. A few large builders cut the slow moving water as it flowed past. Birds were singing above as the wind pushed the trees back and forth.
Ansa led him to a fallen tree where they both sat. Clal pulled out the stone which was glowing already. He held it out.
“Ansa,” he said looking deep into the stone, “I don’t know what this means. How is this even happening?”
Ansa shook her head. “I don’t know.” She leaned forward and examined the stone. “I don’t understand.”
Clal stood up, then looked around him. Ansa sat on the log as he started to approach the side of the river.
“Clal?” she whispered. “Clal, what are you going to do?”
“I have an idea.” He said.
“You don’t know…”
He leaned over closer to the water, “I wonder what would happen…”
He pinched the stone between his fingers then dipped the glowing stone into the water.
Like lightning, the water flashed from one side of the river bank to the other. Clal pulled the stone away from the water and instinctively thrust the stone back into his pocket.
“Clal, Ansa?” they heard Turl’s voice in the distance. “Did you see the lightning? I think we should be moving along our way.”
Clal shot off into the woods.
“Clal!” Ansa yelled following him into a thick of trees.
What just happened? Things were getting more strange by the moment. This stone…Clal shook his head and touched the stone in his pocket again.
He ran to the cart then jumped in. Was now resting his chin in his palm.
Of all the stories he’d been told, of dragons and elves and swords and heroes, he’d never heard of glowing stones. And to think that when Ansa held it…
“Clal,” Ansa whispered as she climbed into the back of the cart and leaned in close to him. “I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything. It’s one of those rare stones that are just…rare.” She shrugged her shoulders.
Clal’s jaw dropped. He looked at Ansa and blinked several times, “Rare?”
“All set?” Turl said a moment later.
They both nodded in tandem and the cart lurched forward.
When the cart started moving again Clal returned to his own thoughts. He leaned his head back and rested it upon one of the large barrels. This was what he needed, silence for a while. The stone had brought upon him an overwhelming amount of curiosity, but also uncertainty. The clip-clopping of the horse’s hooves on the wooden planks of the bridge that spanned the river echoed against the trees. Clal placed his hand on the stone in his pocket and closed his eyes.
He breathed deeply, listening to the creaking of the wheels. The cart rocked back and forth as Clal imagined the rolling waves of the sea back home. The sounds of the forest slipped away.
* * *
He was crouching near the edge of the shore again. The sky was dark and there were only a few stars in the sky. There was no sunrise. Clal leaned closer to a small wave crashing against the land. He reached out and touched the water.
The wave immediately froze and the ocean water filled with light. Then there was a voice.
“Remember, the hand of star, moon, and sun,” Clal heard the voice from the water as the light pulsed beneath it. “...will guide the people back to their home. Acting as three, with purpose as one…”
“As one…as one…Eldan…Eldan…”
Clal opened his eyes. How long had he been sleeping? Dusk was approaching. Ansa was leaning over him.
“Clal, Eldan Vyum.” She said smiling. “We’re here.”