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After the War
This is the story of Enael, a man born from a God, and his family trying to survive in a world that wants them dead. Enael and his family are on the run from poachers. They want to see the heads of the God-kin mounted above their fireplaces. And hunters ,who crave God-flesh more than anything else.
“Shh, be quiet, Issa”, Enael hissed at his daughter. “We don’t want them to hear us”.
Issa, a six-year old girl that had grown fairy wings that did not fly, giggled loudly. “But, papa, look”, she said, amused. Playing with a little bug that crawled over her fingers.
“You have to be quiet now, Issa”, her mother said. Issa admired her mother even more than she did her father. The beauty of her mother was beyond anything the girl had seen in others. She looked into her mother’s perfect green eyes, but they weren’t smiling. “I’m sorry, mama”, the girl said, bowing her head. She didn't like it when her mother's eyes did not smile.
“You always get us into trouble, Issa”, her brother said, poking her in the side. He had a rough look to him, even at only fourteen, he was already growing a few hairs on his chin. And he was nearly as tall as his father.
“You do too, Enalo”, Issa defended herself.
“Quiet now”, Enael told his two children, tapping each on the forehead. “They’re here”, he looked at his wife; “Isala”, he said, “I have to distract them .. somehow”, but he said it with such dread in his voice that it scared Isala to her core.
“What do you mean?”, she replied. 'Please don't say something stupid', she thought as she looked at the man she had loved for almost twenty years.
“Just .. just look after the children”, Enael replied. “I’ll be back soon enough”, he said. “And keep them quiet .. please”, and he ran off. Isala reached out but came an inch too short to grab her husband’s hand and beg him to stay. He was gone, into the darkness of the night. Leaving her with the children. And the responsibility to keep them safe.
A few seconds later loud banging could be heard. As if someone was smacking wood on rock. Then a shout. Isala couldn't make out the words, but she immediately recognised her husband’s voice. The group of hunters that were closing in on Isala, and the children' s location changed course. They got distracted by the noises and decided to march out and see where they were coming from. There were about six of them, Isala noticed. All dressed in the same brown leather with a hammer and coin emblazoned on their backs; the sigil of the House of Géad. Direct descendants of The Originals. Or so they claim. In truth, they stole the title of Originals from the first humanoids. The True Originals.
House Gèad was the wealthiest House on the continent. They employed nearly all common folk, most of which simply served as lambs on the battlefield. Gearn Géad, the former Head of the Family. Was the first to create currencies by creating coins from gold and silver. He acquired these minerals from the mines he had claimed through bloodshed. He had used this to increase his sway over the continent and establish himself, and his lineage. As the most powerful House for several generations.
Isala felt an intense sense of fear seeing that hammer and coin sigil. The Géads are not known for their understanding nature. Any skirmish with them, no matter how petty. Would always result in a bloodbath. Isala feared for her husband's life. But Enael did not give her a lot of time to contemplate every terrible outcome. Another ten minutes later, after all of the Géad hunters were gone from sight. Enael suddenly popped back up behind his wife and kids. Before Enala had even begun her, and the children’s, escape. Scaring his wife so much, her face turned white.
“See?”, he said, smiling a wide smile. “I told you everything would be alright?”, he then gave a confused look, “Why didn’t you escape though?”.
“You scared me, you .. I was worried”, Isala said, caressing her husband's face before hugging him. “I was waiting for them to be far enough to not see us, or hear us”. Enalo and Issa shouted “Papa!”, at the same time. Forcing their parents to unlock from their embrace. And shush their two young ones, quite loudly themselves.
“Let’s go, we can’t stay here”, Enael said. Looking over the bushes to see if the Géads were still busy looking for him.
“But where will we go?”, Isala asked.
“I was thinking about going to the Green Wizard”, Enael replied. His eyes seemed afraid to look at his wife, he knew her thoughts about magic. Ever since her own family had been tricked by hunters. They were promised safe passage. But were instead led to Slaughterhause. Overseen by House Adoìrs. A prison, of sorts. Though a place of torture would be a more accurate description. Isala's family never saw daylight again.
“We can’t, Ena”, Isala told her husband. “We’ll put the kids in even more danger. They’re hunting magic users and God-kin. We’d be a buffet to them”.
“There’s no other option”, Enael argued. “It’s the only way we can secure ourselves. They’re whisking people up, to safety”, he said, he sounded so hopeful that Isala felt some of it seep into her.
“Who is though?”, she asked her husband. If she'd let him. He would be with his head in the clouds every minute of every day.
“The Gods, Isa, The Gods!”, he said, almost ecstatic. “They’ve come back for us, to save us”.
“Us too, papa?”, Enalo asked.
“Yes, my boy. All of us, anyone with magic and God-blood”, Enael replied.
“And we must go to the green wizard for this?”, Isala asked. "We can not ask another for aid?".
“I know how you feel, darling”, Enael began, but before he continued, Isala interrupted him.
“This is not about my family”, she straightened her back and stood strong. "I can not let my children, òùr children, suffer the same fate as they have. This is about protecting the kids, Ena”.
“I know, my love. I know”, Enael replied to the love of his life. “But that is what I’m trying to do as well. Don’t you think we’ll be safer if we’re far away from here? Far from all of this destruction, greed and murder? Far from the Géads, Adoìrs, Fìachs and Cògas clans?”, he asked, but more loudly and angrily than he had intended. Isala flinched a little. “I’m sorry”, Enael said, taking his wife’s tender hand; “I love you”, he told her, kissing her hand apologetically.
“And I you, my love”, she spoke softly, whispering it almost, as if it was just their little secret. Her green eyes got lost in his bright blue ones.
“We should move. There’s no telling when another round of guards will show up”, Enael looked into his wife’s eyes; “You know we must, don’t you? You understand why we must, right?” He asked her, spotting a hint of fear in her eyes that quickly changed to a mother’s determination.
“Let’s go see your Green Wizard”, she answered.
“Where does the wizard live, papa?”, Issa asked her father, pulling on his pants. They had been walking for quite a while already. “Papa?”, the six-year old repeated, impatiently.
Enael hunched over to pick up his daughter. Then put her on his right shoulder and pointed towards a forest still many miles away. With trees so big, it seemed as if the green wonder laid just around the corner. “In The Forest of Fathach”, he said, as the family of four walked towards the forest. “Legend says that giants live in The Forest of Fathach. And that even the animals there are gigantified”, Enael said, waving his hands to mystify Issa.
“What’s.. what’s djaaj djaaj djifjied, papa?”, Issa asked.
“Gigantified is when animals become sooooo big. That you look like a tiny little pixie mouse to them”, Enael replied, smiling.
“I want a djadjadjifiej pixie mouse like that, papa”, Issa said. “Can I? Can I? Please?”, she begged. Enael merely smiled at his six-year old daughter, who was the spitting image of her mother. Except for her eyes, she had her father’s sneaky dark blue eyes.
The trees looked even more impressive from up close. Enael had to gasp at their magnificence and how small it made him feel. ‘What if the stories about the giants are actually true?’, he thought. ‘They don’t eat humans .. right?’, he asked himself in thought.
“What’s wrong?”, Isala asked, seeing the worried look upon her husband’s face.
“It’s nothing”, he replied. “Don’t worry”, he smiled. His face was pale.
“What are you doing?”, Isala said, mockingly. “You know you can not trick me, husband”, she said, sure of herself. “I know you, Enael Sturm”.
Enael smiled at his wife, ever playful. “I was just thinking”, he said.
“Yes?”, she asked, batting her eyes. "About me, I wager", she smiled.
Enael leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. So the children would not hear. “What if the legends about the giants are actually real?”, he asked his wife“. Do you think they eat people?”, he gulped loudly in her ear.
“That is where your mind was?”, Isala asked, surprised.
“It was”, Enael replied, rather bluntly. “I thought you knew me?”, he jested.
“So did I”, she scoffed at him.
Enael chuckled. “So?”, he asked.
“So, what?”, Isala replied, her eyes locked on Enalo and Issa, who had run a little ahead of their parents.
“So, what do you think? About the..”, Enael looked ahead to see if the children were out of hearing range, “..about the giants”, he whispered. Just to be on the safe side.
“Well, if there are any, chances are that we’ll hear them, right?”, Isala shrugged. “They shake the ground as they walk, right? At least, I would assume that they do. Being as large as they are. I find it hard to believe that they would be able to sneak up on us”, Isala said. “And if we come across any, we could simply hide in the bushes, they’re bigger than us”, she giggled. Pointing at a bush that towered over the family of four.
“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”, Enael sulked.
“Oh, honey”, Isala said, smiling. “They’re just legends. Giants haven’t been seen since the days of The Originals, the True Originals. And even of those Giants there is no proof they have ever really existed”.
“There’s other creatures who lived during the times of the Originals. And they’re still alive today”, Enael replied, defensively. “Like the little colourful furballs who eat bad emotions that Issa loves so much".
Isala touched Enael’s cheek with her right hand. “I’ll protect you”, she said.
“You mock me again”, her husband replied.
“No, no. I’m serious”, she said, smiling. “I shall protect you from all the wicked monsters in the forest, Enael Strum”, she winked.
Enael sighed, “Let us put this topic to rest”, he said. Isala touched his cheek again and gave him a kiss on the lips.
“Yes, let’s”, she replied. She turned her head to check on the children. The two had disappeared from her line of sight. “The kids”, she said, panicked. “The kids are gone, where are the kids?”.
Enael moved instantly. In only two seconds flat he had moved all the way to the base of the next tree. Isala had her husband in her sights, and watched his body relax and raise his thumb. Isala felt herself relax instantly and ran towards her husband.
Enalo and Issa were sitting against the tree, they had found a small creature. It was wounded.
“Papa, look”, Issa said, excitedly.
“It’s hurt, papa”, Enalo said with worried eyes, cradling the creature in his arms.
“What is it, papa? What is it?”, Issa asked, trying to pet the wounded animal.
“Don’t touch it, leave it alone!”, Enalo shouted, shielding the creature from his younger sister.
“Calm down, calm down, both of you”, Enael commanded. He crouched down to take a better look at the creature. He had never seen anything like it before. It had soft shiny red and black fur with dots all over in different colours. It had a long body and a fluffy tail, and bright blue eyes that made it seem intelligent.
“What is it, papa?”, Issa asked again, ever impatient.
“I have no idea”, Enael said. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it before”, he said, just as Isala arrived.
“What are you two doing now?”, she asked, out of breath. “What is that?”, she asked when she noticed the creature in Enalo's arms.
“It’s hurt, mama", Enalo said. “We have to help it”.
“We will, Ennie. We will”, Isala said, caressing her son’s head. She felt so proud of her eight-year old. “Let me see”, she removed her scarf and laid it on the ground. “Put it here”, she told Enalo, he very carefully, and softly, placed the animal on his mother’s scarf.
Isala checked the small creature. It had a small wound on its right hind leg, which seemed to be broken. “Go find me a strong stick”, she told Enalo. “Its leg is broken, we can at least make it a splint”, she said. “Though, I can’t do anything about this bleeding”.
“What about the Green Wizard, mama?”, Issa asked.
“That’s brilliant, baby girls!" Enael said proudly. "We should make haste and find the wizard". Enael plucked his daughter up from his shoulder, as if she were a piece of decoration. And put her with her feet back on the ground, then crouched down. "You know. Legend says that if you knock on a hollow tree and whisper for help in the tree, that hè will find you”.
"Really?" Issa asked her father. Her eyes sparkling.
“So, we need a hollow tree?”, Isala asked her husband. She was ready to believe anything. Especially if it meant protecting her children from heartache. Losing this surprisingly adorable creature would hurt her precious babies too much. “Let’s find one”, she said. “Issa, you go with your papa. Enalo, you come with me. If you find something, shout for the others, and don’t go too far”, she said.
The search was short, very short. So short that Isala was startled when Issa was shouting for her. She thought danger had come, ‘Please, don’t be giants’, she caught herself thinking.
“Mama, mama!”, Issa continued shouting from just three trees further down. Which was quite a brisk walk. Every tree’s trunk Isala had seen was wider than any house she had ever seen. And she had seen a lot of houses..
“Mama, we found him, we found him!”, Isala’s body relaxed instantly.
“We’re coming over!”, she shouted back. When Isala and Enalo had walked up to the second tree, they saw a glimpse of a rather short man. He was even shorter than Issa. The man was dressed in brown and green. And had a bushy orange beard and long messy orange hair, both had green flower buds in them. As soon as he caught a glimpse of the Green Wizard, Enalo ran towards him. He was still cradling the wounded animal in his arms, draped in his mother’s scarf. And fell to his knees in front of the small green man.
“Please, help her”, Enalo begged.
“Hmm?”, the little green man said, puffing smoke from a pipe he quickly tucked away in his beard. The smoke had a skunky smell to it. “What’s this?”, the Green Wizard asked.
“I found her like this, she’s hurt”, Enalo answered.
“She is a he”, the Green Wizard said playfully. “And he is quite the rare find. He does not belong in our time. I shall help you, Little one”, the wizard whispered in the creature's ear. He then snapped his fingers above the little unknown animal and just like that, it popped up. Happy and healthy. It rubbed its head against the wizard’s beard, purring loudly. Though, it distinctly sounded like laughter.
Enalo could barely believe his eyes, completely at a loss for words. He could merely sit there, mouth wide open.
“Mama, mama. He fixed the thingy”, Issa shouted happily when Isala had joined her family.
"Oh, how lovely, my darling", Isala told her daughter. "Thank you, Green Wizard", Isala told the little green man.
"Oh, no. No, no. There is no need for thanks", the green wizard smiled. He seemed to blush. Though it was barely visible in his red beard and hair. The wizard took off his hat and played with it a little. "Tis my duty, after all. And you may call me Green", he smiled a crooked yellow smile.
Issa noticed the Green Wizard’s ears when the wizard had pulled down his hat. Large and pointy. Larger and pointier than any she had ever seen. Issa tried her best to touch them. But the tiny old wizard slapped her hand away at each attempt. “Look at his ears, mama”, the girl giggled. “They’re funny”. She tried to grab the Green Wizard’s long and pointy ears yet again.
“I’ve told you to stop doing that”, the wizard said. Slapping the six year old's hand away for the tenth time.
“Issa, come now. We’ve talked about this already”, Enael said. Pulling his daughter away from the little green wizard. "You can't just do this to people".
“But, papa, I want to play with him”, she said, letting her lip hang.
“I know. But he doesn’t want to play with you”, Enael said. “He’s an old .. uhm.. man?”, Enael scratched the back of his head. “Just let the man be in peace, we’re here to ask for his help. Not to terrorize him”.
“Papa, can we keep it?” Enalo suddenly asked his father. He was hugging the healed creature. Enael wanted to reply. But before he could the wizard snapped his fingers again. And the creature floated out of Enalo's arms and towards the Green Wizard.
“As I’ve said”, the wizard said, his index finger stretched out. “This one does not belong here”, he snapped his fingers again and with a loud pop the creature had disappeared. “Now, what is it that I might do for you fine folk?”, the Green Wizard smiled.
“What did you do to it!?”, Enalo screamed.
“Why, I’ve sent it back home. Of course”, the little green-ish man replied.
“Home?”, Enalo asked, suspiciously.
“Yes. Back to his time. Where he will be very happy to have returned to. For this one has an important figure to meet, and three others”, Green smiled. “Now”, he turned his attention back to Enael and Isala. “What was it again that I could do for you? Have you told me yet? I must’ve not heard you. Go on. Go on. Tell me your wish”, he said playfully.
“We.. we’ve heard that you .. that you help our kind”, Enael said. “We’ve heard that you give safe passage to those in need. That you whisk them away to the White City”, Enael pulled down the flap of leather he wore for a hat and revealed his ears. Not nearly as pointy as those of the Green Wizard. But not at all rounded like those of a human. Enael gestured to his family to do the same, and they all revealed their ears.
“Oh. Oh, no. No, no no”, the Green Wizard said. “Not to the White City, no”, he said. “The magic supporting that door has all but been destroyed. To go there is to lock yourselves up for all of eternity. No, I send people to a new place, found by one of your own, one of the Demi-Gods. They’ve called it Demi-Earth. Our kind lives there in peace”, the Green Wizard said. “It’s a place with even more magic than here”.
“Why don’t you live there, if I might ask”, Enael asked.
“Because it is my purpose to stay here and wait”, the Green Wizard said, nonchalantly.
“Wait?”, Enael asked, confused. “For what?”.
“Not for what, but for who”, the Green Wizard said, almost amused.
“Okay, then. For who?”, Enael shrugged.
“Yes, that ìs the question”. The wizard pulled out the pipe from within his beard again and lit it with his pinky finger. He inhaled deeply and then blew out his skunky smelling smoke.
“So, you don’t know?”, Enael said. Clearing the thick white smoke that had made the little green man disappear.
“No”, the Green Wizard’s voice replied amused from within the smoke. “But I will once I meet them, I’m sure of it”, he said. “I’m not too worried”. Enael could just barely see the Green Wizard give a nonchalant shrug with his shoulders.
“No, you certainly don’t seem to be”, Enael said, starting to question the sanity of this wizard.
“So, what are you anyway?”, Issa asked.
“Issa!”, Isala shouted, shocked. “Behave!”.
“It’s quite alright”, the Green Wizard said, his eyes glazing. “Once upon a time. A great villain kidnapped a beautiful princess. But no one came to save the princess”, the Green Wizard said, immediately mesmerizing Issa.
“No one?”, she gasped.
“No, no one”, the Green Wizard replied.
“Then what happened?”, Issa asked, her eyes widening.
“Well”, the Green Wizard began. “They fell in love".
"No!", Issa gasped.
"Yes", Green smiled. "Even though they were of two different species. The great villain fell in love with the princess. No one had paid them any attention. That was, until the duo announced their wedding. Soon the whole world opposed their union”, he fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes saddened. “Well, long story short. That is definitely not how I was born. Now let’s send you all off to your new home”, he spoke quickly, but with a smirk curled around the edges of his lips. But he spoke so quickly, he left no room for anyone else to say but even a word. The Green Wizard grinned, bearing a few sharp yellowed teeth. He tapped his nose and with a poof, the family of Enael had disappeared and was sent off to their new home.
“Oof”, the Green Wizard sighed. “That was a close one”, he said to himself. “Almost told them about mom and dad, and before you know it, Ì’m the one they’ll be hunting down”, he sighed. “You gotta be smarter about this, Relùq Tianse. You gotta be smarter about this, Relùq”. The Green Wizard emptied his pipe, refilled it and lit it with his index finger this time. “Gotta be smarter about this”, he mumbled to himself as he exhaled.
Enael and his family had found themselves on Demi-Earth. Where they were welcomed by another tiny little bearded man. This one’s beard was gray and white with red strings running through them. His head was hiding under a red woolen hat. But Enael quickly noticed that it was bald. He wore a red robe and had a bright red nose.
“I’m Red”, he said. “Welcome to Demi-Earth”, he gestured at the landscape around them. A vast and empty grassfield. The family was standing next to the only tree in a wide area. It had served as their doorway. “I’ll be taking you to the witch now”, Red said. “Oh, and whatever you do; don’t deny her requests. You’ll come to regret it, that you will”, Red chuckled.
“Witch!?”, Isala said with disgust and disbelief. She grabbed her husband’s arm; “I never agreed to that, Ena”.
“I know, my love. I know”, Enael turned to the little red wizard. “Why are you taking us to see a witch?”.
“Because”, the red wizard grinned. He lifted his right hand and readied himself to snap his fingers. Enael pleaded “No, wai..”. But with a pop, the family of 4 had disappeared.
Off to see the witch.