Fantasia Atreyu, the Greenskinned warrior of the Grassy Plains, rode his horse Artax back toward his village. Artax was the son of Atreyu's first horse, who had died in the Swamps of Sadness. Atreyu had raised the horse from a young colt, vowing to never let anything happen to his new friend. The horse had become a loyal companion, with the two having many adventures together over the last few years. As the two returned to his village, Atreyu patted Artax on the head gently. "Go feed and rest up, my friend. I won't be long." The horse nodded and headed for a feeding trough as a young boy came runnning up to Atreyu. Dakota had just turned 10 years old, with shoulder length blue hair and the same olive skin as his hero, Atreyu. "Atreyu! Atreyu! I'm going on my first hunt today! I got my first bow this morning!" "You will make a fine hunter, Dakota," Atreyu said as he patted the boy's shoulder. Like Atreyu, the boy had been orphaned not too long after his birth, and had been raised by the entire village. Atreyu in particular had been instrumental in helping him learn the ways of the people, teaching him how to use a bow and arrow, as well as riding a horse. "Do you think that after my hunt, we can start adventuring together?" Dakota asked hopefully. It had been his dream to ride along with his hero Atreyu, defending Fantasia for the Childlike Empress. "Perhaps, but first I must speak with Denali about a grave matter," Atreyu told him. "I wish you well with your first hunt, young one. And remember, a warrior only hunts because he is hungry, never for sport, and never, ever for vengeance." "I promise, Atreyu," the boy said as he ran off to gather his finest arrows. Atreyu reached the cottage of the village elder, Denali, the oldest and wisest man of the Greenskins. He was like a father to Atreyu, having taught the boy everything he knows. Atreyu calmly knocked as he entered, seeing the white haired old man sitting on the floor, meditating. "Welcome, Atreyu," Denali said, his eyes still closed. "I have been expecting you." "Then you know why I have come," Atreyu said as he sat down. "War is coming," Denali said softly. "And you are worried about your friend." "Is Bastian alive?" Atreyu asked. "Yes, but he has amnesia," Denali told him. "AURYN has been stolen from him. War will come to Fantasia if it is not retrieved before it ends up at its intended destination." "I wish to help Bastian, but how?" Atreyu asked. "Without AURYN to guide you, joining him at this point is not possible," Denali told him. "However, you may still help your friend by helping to restore his memory so that he can reclaim AURYN." "How, wise one?" Atreyu asked. "I will do anything." "The Waters of Remembrance," Denali told him. "You are bonded with Bastian, as every reader of the Neverending Story bonds with an inhabitant of Fantasia. What you experience, Bastian will experience, even though your memories are deep within his subconscious, as his are in yours." "The Waters of Remembrance will make me remember his life?" Atreyu asked. "And will make Bastian remember your life, the two of you will be even more connected," Danali said. "The waters will restore him once you have bathed in them. You must hurry, Atreyu, time runs short. AURYN is on its way to evil hands as we speak." "Thank you, wise one," Atreyu said as he stood up. "Be careful, Atreyu," Denali said. "You will receive every good memory that the both of you have ever experienced, but you will see the bad, as well, including the death of your parents. Remain strong as you relive old memories. There is one other thing: Using the waters comes with a high price. You will need to pay with something of deep sentimental value. It could be something as small as a necklace that was given to you with love, or it could be something as big as your soul. If you do use the waters, be sure that you are ready to pay the price for restoring your friend." "I will, Denali," Atreyu told him as he left. * It took several hours of riding through the plains, but Atreyu had finally arrived at a small wooded area, where the trees were all hunched over, forming a protective dome around something inside. There was no entrance in or out, just a large wooded dome. Atreyu dismounted from Artax and walked toward the trees. "I wish to use the Waters of Remembrance," Atreyu said. After a few seconds, one of the trees stood up straight, facing Atreyu with a sour look on her face. "What is your business here, child?" the tree asked in an old woman's voice. "A friend is in trouble, and only the waters can restore him," Atreyu said. "The fate of Fantasia, and every world, depends on him regaining his memory." "The Waters of Remembrance are not for your people, nor anyone else," the tree told him. "They are guarded for a reason. Go now, boy, and never return here." "Please!" Atreyu shouted. "Bastian is my best friend, if he fails, every world is going to be in grave danger, I must save him at any cost!" "At any cost?" the tree asked, now curious. "What are you willing to pay for restoring the boy's memories, Greenskin?" "I have nothing to offer, I only come with the shirt on my back," Atreyu told them. "Is that it?" the tree asked. "My boots were lovingly hand crafted just for me, from the sturdiest animal hide, and they do mean a lot," Atreyu said as he thought about it. The young warrior had very little of sentimental value. His boots, as well as his bow and arrows were the only possessions he truly valued since they were all crafted with love from his fellow villagers. "The only other thing I carry is the love in my heart." The tree just rejoined the others to ask them what they thought. Seconds later, the tree returned to him. "Very well, boy, the offer is acceptable. The shirt off of your back, as well as the love in your heart. We will take both as payment." "You want my love?" Atreyu asked. "What will that do to me?" "It will make you cold and unfeeling towards the world," the tree told him. "You will never know true happiness, and will ultimately push all you care about away. But you did say you were willing to pay any price, did you not?" Atreyu thought for a moment. The lives of everyone he cared about were at stake. If war came to Fantasia, people he loved could die. His peaceful village could end up slaughtered. And if Bastian went into a fight without his own memories of love, he could be killed as well. "I agree to the price," Atreyu said as he stared at the ground. "Very well, Greenskin, bathe in the Waters of Remembrance, and we shall collect your love upon the retrieval of your friend's memories," the tree told him. The trees parted just enough for Atreyu to walk through, where a large crystal blue lake awaited him. Atreyu quickly shed his clothes as he stepped into the water until he was chest deep. He took a deep breath and put his head under the water, as the waters started to quickly affect his mind, taking him all the way back to his birth, nearly sixteen years ago. * "He is perfect," Atreyu's mother, Maiara, said as she held the newborn in her arms. "He is foretold to do many great things," Danali said as he looked at Atreyu's parents. "I have consulted with the spirits of the ancient ones. He will be our people's greatest champion when he matures." "A great warrior needs a great name," Atreyu's father, Takoda, said. "He will be known as Atreyu. He will be raised with love and compassion so that he may someday return that love to those around him." * It wasn't too longer after Atreyu's birth that his parents had been killed in a Purple Buffalo stampede. It wasn't known how the stampede had begun, or who caused it, but Danali had his suspicions. The witch Xayide had also known of Atreyu's future, and had attempted to kill the hild before he became a nuisance for her. Fortunately for the child, he had been spared from death by his mother, who had sacrificed her life to get him to safety before being crushed to death herself. "Poor Atreyu," Ujarak, the village's greatest hunter, said as he held baby Atreyu in his arms. "His is without family now. What will become of him?" "No one in this village is ever without family," Denali told him. "The boy will be raised by all of us. Each of us must take a role in making sure Atreyu is loved and brought up in the ways of our people. Ujarak, you will teach the boy to hunt; Tuparrnaq will teach him the ways of harvesting in the fields; I will teach him to read and educate him in the traditions of our people. Everyone will take a role in his upbringing." * From that day forward, Atreyu had become the son of the whole village. Danali was correct in that everyone would have a role in his upbringing. Since the time he was old enough to walk, Atreyu had learned the trades of everyone who made the village run smoothly. It took several years to get things down correctly, but eventually Atreyu had learned blacksmithing; baking; farming; sewing; midwifing; and the thing he was best at, hunting. Ujarak had never been known for his compassion towards others, even his wife and daughter were never that close to him, but he had treated Atreyu as his own son and made sure he knew the rules for hunting. "Only for food. Never for sport, and never for vengeance," seven year old Atreyu said as he held his first bow, which had been custom made for him. "You'll make a fine hunter," Ujarak told him as his daughter brought them some freshly baked bread and fresh water from the well. "Mother thought you two would get hungry," Aylen said as she set the basket down. She was Atreyu's age, with long, flowing pink hair. "Hello, Atreyu," "Hello, Aylen," Atreyu blushed. He really liked her, but with spending time with everyone in the village, he had little time to be with her currently. "Thank you for the food." She reached into the basket and handed him a loaf of bread, their hands touching as Atreyu took it. He blushed even more as he stared at the ground. * As Atreyu grew older, so did his responsibilities in the village. He didn't have to split his time between vocations as much, although he did love taking the odd day off to bake. Soon, Atreyu had quickly become the village's second top hunter next to Ujarak, although an injury had caused the older man to not be able to do as much physical work. A storm two years ago had knocked a tree over, and would have crushed several people had Ujarak not summoned every ounce of strength to keep it pushed up enough to let them escape, hurting his back in the process. "The day is coming soon, Atreyu," Ujarak told the boy. "You will be the village's top food gatherer, and next to Denali, the person this village looks to for survival." "I'm not as strong as you, Ujarak," Atreyu said. "Nor as brave." "You are stronger and braver than you give yourself credit for," the man told him. "On your next birthday, you will be a man, and you will be allowed to choose your mate soon after." Atreyu looked out into the field, where Aylen was helping with the harvest. "Take good care of her, Atreyu," Ujarak told him. "And be sure to produce many strong grandchildren for us." "Ujarak, please," Atreyu blushed, wondering if she would indeed have him when he was allowed to choose. There was another suitor for her hand. Apenimon was Atreyu and Aylen's age, and all three of them had been close since an early age. But while Atreyu had many responsibilities in the village, Apenimon was the baker's son, who had taught both of his friends how to make better food than anyone else. But the sad fact was that both boys loved Aylen, and only one of them could have her. * It was the day that the boys of the village who were turning 13 to choose their mates. It was a yearly tradition, and a strict one. Those who did not choose their mates on this day would not be allowed to marry, or reproduce when they were old enough, as was the law of the ancient spirits. Atreyu got up early, got cleaned up and headed out to the field to pick the finest flowers to he could ask Aylen for her hand as soon as she left her cottage. As Atreyu was out in the field, just after dawn, looking for the finest flowers, a bird flew overhead. It was a small, multi-colored bird, whose colors changed every few seconds. It landed on Atreyu's wrist and cooed softly. "The Childlike Empress has summoned me immediately?" Atreyu asked, hearing the bird's message very clearly in his mind. "No, not today. Today is the day that-" The bird cooed again, louder in his head before flying away, having told him that it wasn't a request. The bird flew away, headed back toward the palace as Atreyu just looked back toward his village. * After leaving a message with Denali, Atreyu rode toward the palace of the Childlike Empress, wondering why she had to choose today to summon him. As it turned out, today would be the day that Atreyu would be sent on the greatest quest of his young life. The one where he would suffer the loss of his beloved horse, Artax; where he would fight the Nothing and help cure the Childlike Empress of her illness; and where he would meet the greatest friend he would ever know, Bastian Balthazar Bux, the hero of Fantasia. But that's a tale you should already know... * It would be days before Atreyu returned to the village, a hero to Fantasia and his people, as they had already heard the tales of his heroics. Unfortunately, traditions could not be broken, as the first thing that Atreyu saw when he returned to the village upon the back of Falkor the Luck Dragon was his beloved Aylen, holding hands with his best friend. After Falkor had left to have more adventures of his own, Atreyu choked back the tears and calmly approached Aylen and Apenimon. He reached out his hand to shake his best friend's hand. "Take good care of her," Atreyu said. "I know she will be in good hands." "Atreyu, you need to know... I would have chosen him regardless," Aylen said to the young warrior. "You are brave, and strong, but... you are the Childlike Empresss' champion now. You will now be summoned to leave the village for adventures on a moment's notice. Adventures that I, or a child we would have, could never join you on. I wish you to find love, Atreyu. A love that can follow you to the ends of Fantasia." Atreyu just nodded as he headed back to the cottage he shared with the other orphaned children of the village, which at the moment was just him and Dakota, who was also beginning his vocation training. "I suppose you wish to hear the tales of my adventure," Atreyu said to the boy as he sat down on his cot. "Maybe later," Dakota said as he stared through a hole in the roof into the night sky. "I'm counting stars. Want to count, too? I always find the biggest one to make a wish on." Atreyu just smiled as he lay next to the boy and stared up into the sky, silently counting the stars, which would become a favorite pasttime for the two over the next few years. Even though Atreyu had lost the chance for love, he would go on to have many more adventures in Fantasia, some with Bastian, and some with other friends he would make along the way. But those are stories for another time... * Atreyu gasped as he came above water, his blue hair soaking wet as he brushed it out of his eyes. As he remembered his own past, he instantly started seeing the memories of his friend Bastian. He could see every memory as clear as day. Bastian's first day of school; his mother teaching him how to swim before her death, which would prompt Bastian's fear of water later in life; Atreyu could see Bastian learning to ride a bike, and later a skateboard; Bastian's first boy/girl party where Bastian got his first kiss on the cheek from a girl he admired; He could taste Bastian's first taste of ice cream, and the sour taste of his first brussel sprout. Atreyu could see every moment of Bastian's nearly 16 years of life. Every joy, every heartache, every laugh, and every tear. He now felt closer to the boy than he ever had. As Atreyu climbed out of the Waters of Remembrance, crawling along the ground as his mind adjusted to having two sets of memories. As he felt his mind reconfiguring itself, he fell onto his stomach and passed out. * It was hours later as Atreyu began to open his eyes, seeing the faces of the trees that made up the dome staring down at him. He had rolled over onto his back, and found that he had dried off while he slept. He quickly reached for his boots and pants, finding his shirt was missing. He looked around and saw his sleeveless shirt up in one of the trees, having been embedded into the bark. "What is that for?" Atreyu asked weakly. "A symbol," the lead tree said to him. "Of what you have given so that you may save your friend. We must now collect the other thing you promised. We must take the love in your heart." "If you take my love, will I not turn into a horrible creature like the witch Xayide, or worse, the Nothing?" Atreyu asked as he pulled on his boots. "Perhaps," the tree said. "But then again, having no love may turn you into a stronger warrior." "No, having no love will make me weaker, for I will have no compassion," Atreyu told them. "I will be no better than the evil creatures who seek to destroy Fantasia. What if this forces me to fight my best friend Bastian? If he dies, all is lost." "The boy is wise," the tree said to her companions as they all agreed. "Usually the more human creatures do not have such wisdom among them. This one appears to be special." "Let me keep my love, I beg of you," Atreyu said as he looked around. "I'll give you anything else." "Very well," the tree said. "You may keep your love, but remember, there is a price to be paid for using the Waters of Remembrance. Someone shall pay that price, Atreyu of the Greenskins. A price for everything. You have kept the love in your heart, something that you may one day soon regret." * It was later than night when Atreyu returned to the village, too tired to think. He just wanted to sleep, for he had a long day of journeying tomorrow. He was to begin the rallying of the inhabitants of Fantasia in case of war, and Falkor would be there early. As he headed into the village, something didn't seem right. There was smoke coming from the center of the village. Atreyu raced toward the cause of the smoke, seeing a smoking crater where he shared a cottage with Dakota. "What happened?" Atreyu asked with fear in his voice. "Where's Dakota?" "A falling star," Ajarak said to Atreyu said. "It just... came from out of nowhere. I'm sorry, Atreyu. Dakota's gone." Atreyu fell to his knees, crying over the little brother who had been in the cottage. "You may keep your love, but remember, there is a price to be paid for using the Waters of Remembrance. Someone shall pay that price, Atreyu of the Greenskins." Atreyu looked up as he remembered the words of the tree people, whispering to himself. "I did this." * It took half the night as Atreyu raced back toward the Waters of Remembrance. He quickly dismounted and ran toward the trees. "Bring him back!" Atreyu shouted, his voice breaking as he screamed. He tossed off his boots and kicked them toward the trees. "I'm the one who used the waters! I should have been the one to have to pay for using them! Take my boots! Take all my clothes! Take my love, and my soul! Take everything that I am if you must!! Just take whatever you want from me! Let me pay the price!" "You have already paid the price," the tree told him as it turned around, with Atreyu's sleeveless shirt embedded in it. Only now it had been covered in the blood of a small child. "A price for everything, Atreyu of the Greenskins. A price for everything." Next: Road to the Oz War!
0 Comments
|
By Tobias ChristopherAuthor, luckdragon trainer Archives
November 2019
Categories |