Chapter Two #2
He checked his watch. It was half past four, only a couple of hours until sunrise.
He shivered. The church was surprisingly chilly, likely due to the thick stone walls and arched windows filled with brightly coloured stained glass.
The temperature outside had been around eight degrees, but in here, it couldn’t be more than six.
He pulled his coat closer and continued his exploration.
It was a typical kirk, he mused, neat, serene, with rows of pews ready for occupants, and the altar and raised pulpit up ahead.
There was a small room on the left-hand side, its door closed and no sound of life beyond. He walked over and tapped on the wood.
“Hello? Anyone home?” He hadn’t actually expected a reply, so when a melodic, distinctly male voice answered, he was taken aback.
“Who are you? Are my fellows all right?”
Connor sighed in relief. Here was someone else who could give him answers. “I’m a local here in the valley. I’ve already met one of your people, a young woman called Luciana. She’s worried about everyone, so my friends and I said we’d walk the village and make sure everyone was okay.”
He waited a moment, and when there was no reply, he rapped again. “May I come in and talk to you, please? I think we’re both looking for answers.”
There was a short silence before the person called out, “Yes, come in. Perhaps you can tell me what is going on, because only Dien knows.”
Connor opened the door and stepped inside. Whatever he’d been prepared to see, it wasn’t the being standing in front of him.
A slim youth, probably no more than twenty, with long, white-blond hair and startlingly green eyes observed him keenly. He was dressed in a shimmering, pale green robe, bare feet poking out from beneath its hem.
“Hello,” Connor said. “My name is Connor Brannigan, and I own the land your village is on. My friends and I came to see if you needed help and to get some answers about where you all came from.”
The young man chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Connor Brannigan. My name is Xiathen, and I am the village Mystic. I woke only a few minutes ago to find myself somewhere I never expected to be. Perhaps it is you who will be giving me answers.”
Connor nodded, looking around the room curiously.
“Are you a priest? Is this your church?” he asked, running a hand over the only piece of furniture in the room, an old wooden desk at least ten feet long, braced with clawed feet at its base.
The room itself was open-plan with no seats, no podium, and no stained-glass windows.
There were only wide openings covered with dark cloth.
Nothing traditional. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a deeply spiritual place.
In the corner stood a high, curving wicker screen, obviously concealing something behind it, judging by the clothing strewn messily across the top.
Xiathen laughed. “I do not know what a church is, but I can tell you what this place is. This is the village Athenaeum. It houses all the books of knowledge we have acquired and serves as a devotional place for people to convene with their deities.”
Connor frowned. “But there are no books.” He felt he was making no progress with the task he had set himself. “Where hard evidence is concerned, I’m drawing a blank.”
Xiathen waved a hand around. “I can assure you they are here. Perhaps you are not looking hard enough.” He stepped forward, invading Connor’s personal space, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply.
Connor moved back a step.
“You are no ordinary individual,” Xiathen murmured. “You have the aura of a warrior and the scent of a protector.” He smiled widely. “Then we shall get on quite well, for I too am a protector. I protect the townspeople and our way of life.”
Connor cleared his throat. “We can get to know each other better later. Speaking of which, where the hell do you come from? There was a fierce storm, some fancy lights, and then suddenly, a whole village appeared on my doorstep that hadn’t been here yesterday. Can you explain that?”
Xiathen’s face darkened, his previous friendly demeanour vanishing in an instant. “I can’t. What did Luciana tell you?”
“That one minute everyone was asleep or going about their business, there was a storm, and the next, she woke up here. On my land,” he stressed, “in the middle of the Highlands of Scotland.”
Xiathen frowned. “I have not heard of this place. Our world is called Utharia, and we dwell in the Desert Realm, which…” He moved over to the window and drew back the cloth, his face paling as he looked out.
“Looks nothing like our home.” Despite his consternation, a faint smile appeared.
“It looks rather beautiful. Is it always this green?”
He turned back to Connor, who shrugged. “Mainly,” he replied. “But before we get into any sightseeing, I think we need to meet up with the others, see who else is awake, and perhaps then we can make some sense of all this together. Are you up for that?”
Xiathen looked perplexed. “We need to go up? Where to?”
Connor sighed. “Never mind. It’s what we call a figure of speech. If you agree, let’s assemble the others. In here would be as good a place as any, unless we meet in the pub. I could do with a stiff drink.”
“Pub?”
Connor looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. “Let me call the others in here, and we can go from there.”
“Go where? You wish to leave already?” Xiathen’s brow furrowed.
Give me strength. Connor ignored the last question, resolving to keep his speech free of jargon and slang to avoid an aneurysm, and walked back out the library door.
He saw Fraser standing by Luciana’s house with a few people scattered around, looking confused and scared. From the bottom of the cobbled road, Max and Adrian were coming up, surrounded by a crowd.
Connor squinted. Was Adrian carrying a small child on his shoulders? Was that appropriate?
He waved at Fraser and called out, “When everyone gets back, let them know to come in here so we can gather information. Seems like no one really knows what’s going on.”
Fraser nodded, and Connor turned back to Xiathen. “Is there anywhere we can get these people something to drink or eat? I’m sure a lot of them could use some sustenance.”
Xiathen nodded. “If the innkeeper is with him, she can organise something. The Dry Pig always has plenty to offer.”
Connor rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension in them as he waited for the townspeople to assemble.
Perhaps I’ll have more luck with the rest of them.