Chapter 10 - Having Tea With My Captives. Fun? Very.

Chapter 10 Having Tea With My Captives. Fun? Very.

The walk through Canopy Woods was not fun. At all. One thing about this forest was that it never stopped raining. Krale told her it was ruled over by Sage Eulalia, the Goddess of Shelter and Natural Disasters, Protector of Forest Creatures, also known as The Lightning Deity (Sydney didn’t understand why all Gods must have such grand names), so there was always either a cool, misty air around them, or a straight up thunderstorm rumbling above. It wasn’t the weather that Sydney disliked, though. She loved the rain and often went out to splash and sing in it, but when it was constantly being poured down on her during the whole half an hour walk to their destination, let’s just say she was tired and shivering down to her bones. Her sneakers were all wet and soaking and it felt like she was wearing sponges for shoes. It didn’t help, either, that the boy was constantly on guard, glancing back and forth from Sydney to the path before him like he was paranoid. His hand was always constantly going to the sheathed double scimitar on his back, and it honestly freaked Sydney out.

For the whole half hour, Sydney only managed to obtain two pieces of information from him. The first one was his name, which was Evan Green. Evan had taken off his gas mask the moment they had left the deserted area and entered Canopy Woods. He had dark, curly red hair and hazelnut brown skin, with freckles that danced along his nose and cheeks. His eyes were green, just like his last name, but before Sydney could see anything else, he flopped his hoodie on and marched onwards. Other than that, he didn’t say anything else during the trek, and only mentioned how their destination was ‘safe’ and that there was ‘nothing to be worried about’.

Sydney did not feel reassured. Plus, she was here as a prisoner. That couldn’t have been a good sign. 

They continued to walk onwards. Krale’s legs had given out along the way so Sydney had to carry him in her backpack instead. Ruthantasis kept getting distracted by all the different plants around them, and as much as Sydney wanted to enjoy the view like Ruthantasis was, her mind was elsewhere, wrapped up with concerned thoughts for her family. She hoped they were okay. The fire Goddess better not be hurting or torturing them. If she was, Sydney didn’t care if she was a Goddess, she would destroy her. The thought of the Goddess’s switching voice made her blood boil. My naughty, little thief. Sydney shook her head furiously, trying to get the horrible words out of her mind.

The trees around them had spikey, sage green leaves growing in circular waves, and in a way, they looked like umbrellas. They reminded Sydney a whole lot like sugar pines, but with many more leaves. She’d seen them once when the school took her class on a field trip. Sydney had been utterly disappointed when she sniffed at them and realised they didn’t actually smell like sugar. Still, the sugar-pine copies did little to shade them from the rainpour, and Sydney thought that if she was the Goddess of this place, she’d give all these trees an upgrade and turn them into actual umbrella-trees. Her mum would’ve loved to see this place, if only she was here with her right now. Sydney hugged her chest.

After a while, they came upon a thicket of trees that made way for a pebbled stone path. Evan walked along it and ducked under tree branches, finally disappearing into the thicket, making Sydney hold her breath. She looked down at Ruthantasis, who also had an unsure look in his eyes, but nodded, and Sydney nodded back at him. Together, they followed Evan through the stone pebbled path, where a humble log cabin greeted them on the other side. Sydney’s eyes widened as she gasped.

Unlike the other soggy places she’d been to in this forest, this spot felt protected and sacred. Even though the same misty feeling still hung in the air, a streak of sunlight shone through the tree leaves, showering them in bright, enchanting light. Small rainbows reflected off of it, and tiny little butterflies fluttered around the cabin, where an old man and an old lady sat on a garden bench, peacefully sipping tea. It felt like the trees were making way for that one log cabin, circling around it but not trespassing. There was an almost-transparent green circle that surrounded the place like a barrier, and on it Sydney could see little patterns of vines and flowers, curling and entwining around each other. Upon seeing this place, the whole forest resurrected. She suddenly didn’t mind her sneakers feeling like sponges, or how heavy her body felt. Her body felt refreshed and healed, and she was ready to take on any fire Goddess. Birds started chirping and Sydney could feel life all around her, making her smile.

Suddenly, Evan Green banged on the barrier, the transparent green sparking off of his fist, snapping Sydney out of her daydream. He had a wide grin on his face as he called out a name.

“Aedesh! Aedesh!” Evan shouted. Immediately, the old man in silky green robes looked their way, all calm and composed, but when he saw the red-headed boy and the sneaky, impish grin on his face, tea squirted out his nose.

Sydney tried not to laugh. She failed.

The old man coughed, trying to stay calm, while the old lady next to him guffawed and pointed a finger. Her laughter shook the trees, and Sydney couldn't help but assume they were siblings. The old lady had a similar silky-looking outfit on, but instead of robe pyjamas, hers looked more official, and there were jagged rips at the ends, as if it had been seared off by lightning. On her grey head she wore a dark green witch hat that was also ripped and charred at the rims. When she looked their way, her eyes were sharp and her smiling lips were thin. In a way, she reminded Sydney of her own grandma, except, even outside of the barrier, Sydney could feel the powerful aura she gave off, like she could strike her down with lightning at any given time if she wanted to.

The old man quickly rushed to them, the cup of tea in his hands bouncing up and down. He had his silver white hair tied up in a bun, secured by a golden hair pin that looked made of a gold encased tree branch. When he saw Evan’s excited face, he immediately paled.

“Evan Green, what did you do?” He looked warily at Sydney and Ruthantasis. Krale had even peeked out of her backpack to see what the ruckus was about.

“I brought you ‘something new’!” Evan said, smiling so hard as he went BANG! BANG! on the barrier once more. “Can you bring this thing down, now? I did what you told me to do!”

Horrified, the old man dissolved the barrier and the transparent green wall melted. Happily, Evan Green strolled in, headed towards the wooden bench the old lady was seated on. Now, she was laughing her heart out, tears in her eyes and all. Sydney blinked, confused. The old man then turned to Sydney and smiled at her apologetically.

“Just making sure, but he didn’t threaten you with a weapon, or point his double scimitar at you, or something, right?” he asked. The old man’s voice was gentle, but Sydney could tell it was barely subduing the anger he had hidden underneath it. Sydney thought it’d be best to tell the truth.

“He actually did…” she said.

“Oh.” The old man smiled at her, his eyes like tiny crescent moons, and it almost got swallowed up by his white face. “Excuse me for a moment.” Then, he turned away and shouted, “EVAN GREEN!”

Evan turned around and raised an eyebrow. “How else was I supposed to bring them here?”

The old lady guffawed, banging her fist on the wooden table, and Sydney thought she saw sparks of lightning flicker from her hands, but she must’ve been imagining it. The old man, though, seemed about ready to burst. Sydney was just surprised Evan was still listening in on their conversation at all.

“Oh my Gods, this boy is just too funny,” the old lady said in between laughs.

Evan squinted his eyes and glared at her. He raised his double scimitar. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you yet, you old lady. You’re the whole reason I was put in this situation in the first place!”

“Evan PUT THAT WEAPON DOWN!” cried the old man. Both of them ignored him.

The old lady laughed even harder. “Cut your old auntie some slack, will you, Evy? I was only trying to look out for you.”

“By locking me out from my own home with a barrier?” Evan fumed.

“To be fair, that was Aedesh’s barrier,” she argued.

“But it was your idea!” Evan grinded his teeth.

The old lady laughed. “Evy, we both know that with that stubborn head of yours, you’d never even step out of this space if it weren’t for Aedesh’s magic.”

Evan huffed. That must’ve been the truth, however messed up it was. Sydney looked from the old man (who must’ve been called Aedesh), to Evan and the old lady who was bickering back and forth. The old lady, by the way, was finding it very entertaining whereas Evan was on the brink of exploding. But, what surprised her the most was how much Evan was speaking. It honestly freaked her out and she didn’t know what to do with her ears. It felt illegal to listen in.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” the old man asked her.

Sweetheart. That’s what her grandma always called her. Sydney swallowed the sudden rush of emotions travelling up her throat. She looked straight at the old man and answered, “Sydney Cohen.”

“How old are you?” he asked, welcoming her into his home.

“Thirteen.” Sydney thanked him and followed him in.

“Oh, you must be tired. You may call me Aedesh, or Sage Aedesh, whichever one you like.” He darted for the wooden bench and started picking the teacups up. “Come, let me brew you some tea. You may rest here for the night. We have an extra room in our cabin.”

The idea of a good night’s rest sounded too appealing to Sydney that she couldn’t refuse. Even though it was only midday, she felt like she had just run a twenty-mile marathon with everything that had happened. She took off her sneakers and placed them by the door. Aedesh slid the wooden door open and they stepped in. He led them through the narrow hallway and into the first room on the left.

“Please, take a seat. I’ll only take a while,” Aedesh said, gesturing to one of the silky green cushions on the floor. Then, the old sage disappeared into the kitchen, which was a few steps away from where Sydney was standing, separated from this room by an arch. Sydney took a seat. A low table was in the middle, and there were many picture frames on the wall, but the pictures inside didn’t look like photographs. They were made from stitched cloth so expertly sewn Sydney thought she could see the snapshots moving like memories on the wall. Evan was in all of them, but he looked much younger than he was now. Sydney and Ruthantasis took a seat on the cushions and Krale climbed out of her backpack, plopping himself down onto her lap. Sydney stared out the window.

From above the tips of the trees she could see the pink-ish orange sky. Everything felt too peaceful, especially when the whole world was on a countdown. If she didn’t return the maraca in seven days, the whole realm would melt, and everything she’d experience today, all the places she’d been to, would cease to exist. Sydney couldn’t let that happen, not when her mum still hasn’t seen any of it yet. Her gaze trailed down to the wooden bench and saw the old lady sitting there, staring out into the unknown with a wistful look on her face. Suddenly, she warped into a water droplet and zoomed up into the skies. Sydney blinked. She turned sharply to face Ruthantasis and Krale.

“Did she just turn into a water drople---AH!” she shouted, surprised to see Evan Green standing in the room. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“It was a raindrop, not a water droplet,” he corrected her. Sydney blinked.

“When did you get in here?” she asked him. His shoulders tensed.

“Oh, are you going to lock me out of my own house now, too?” He scoffed, crossing his arms.

“What? No, I never said that,” Sydney replied, taken aback.

“Evan, be nice to our guests!” Aedesh called from the kitchen.

Evan rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “You mean prisoners.”

“Not prisoners!” Sage Aedesh shouted.

Sydney didn’t know how Sage Aedesh could hear from all the way there. Suddenly, Ruthantasis stood up from his cushion, and, without saying a word, marched out the room. Sydney was instantly on guard.

“Ruth? Where are you---”

The front door slid shut.

Sydney got up from her seat, ready to go check up on the sandwich, newfound resentment for this so-called Evan Green bubbling up her throat, just when Krale put a hand on her arm and Sydney looked down.

“Let me handle this,” he said. There was a serious gleam in his eyes Sydney never thought she’d see, but even so, she can’t let Krale be the one who went. She didn’t need him chastising Ruth about something else when he’s obviously upset and uncomfortable.

As if reading her thoughts, Krale assured her, “I won’t tell him off! I promise, my old bones are too tired for that right now. It’s way past my nap time.”

Sydney bit her lip, but since Krale didn’t back down, she took a seat on the cushion again and let the old salad bowl out the door. The wooden door slid shut once more, leaving Sydney to wonder about what happened. She hoped Ruth was okay. Sydney glared up at Evan Green, who was leaning against the wall.

Sydney didn’t know how to feel about him. She didn’t like him much, that was for sure. She couldn’t read his expressions very well, either, and his whole aloof-emo-boy persona isn’t making the best impression on her. Still, she couldn’t find it in her to outright hate him. Evan Green might think he’s presenting himself as the cool, composed, I-know-everything guy, but from his subtle occasional fidgets and the way he was always always on guard, Sydney could tell he was conflicted. It was as if he was scared of even the littlest things, like it could suddenly jump out at him and hurt him at any given time. Maybe that was why he always had that gigantic double scimitar hung on his back, and why even with the smallest sounds, his first instinct was to grab his weapon. It was as if his body was programmed to always be in fight or flight response, and that must suck. If Sydney was wary of everyone around her all the time, she didn’t think she’d be able to even walk down the streets. Sydney caught herself in the middle of analysing someone new just from a couple experiences, and chastised herself for it. Why did her mind always do that?

Finally, Sage Aedesh came out from the kitchen and placed a tea set on the low table. Sydney flinched when she saw the cylindrical cups. They were the very same types her grandpa favoured back at home.

“Thank you,” Sydney told him, trying to hide the mix of emotions that came flooding through her. The sage nodded kindly in response. He took the seat opposite of her. 

“Where did your little Food friends go?” he asked, pouring Sydney and himself some tea. The heat of the drink made Sydney’s cold body tingle with warmth, and the scent reminded her of the forest outside. Maybe the tea is made of the tree’s leaves…? She wondered. The old sage handed her a cylindrical cup and she gratefully took it, gently blowing on the surface.

“I think Ruth got a little upset,” she answered, taking a careful sip. Immediately, she could feel the colour return to her cheeks. It tasted just like the tea they always had back at home. Sydney and her family practically drank tea instead of water, and the memories came flooding back to her, her shoulders tensing. It must’ve shown on her face since the old sage’s face crumbled. Even Evan Green was pulled out of his thoughts and stared at her with a question in his eyes. Sydney thought of shooting him another glare, but it didn’t seem like the appropriate time. She really would’ve loved to tackle him onto the ground for pointing a weapon at her throat on multiple occasions.

“What’s the matter, child?” Aedesh asked, and Sydney forced herself to stare at the light green liquid in her cup. She knew that if she looked up and saw that face, it would remind her too much of her sweet grandpa. Sydney took a deep breath in and squared her shoulders. Her grip on her cylindrical teacup tightened.

“I need to get to the Volcanic Realm. Will you help me?” she said.

The old sage raised an eyebrow. “Why do you need to go there?”

Sydney didn’t know what to say. Was she supposed to go ‘Oh yeah, the Goddess of fire captured my whole family and threatened to melt the whole realm because of one stupid mistake’? That didn’t seem appropriate. And, why would Sage Aedesh believe her? Things were so peaceful here, and it certainly didn’t feel like the world would end in seven days. Plus, she was only a kid. Younger than broody mister Green over there. Why would anyone take her seriously?

And, also, how could she know the old man could be trusted? She’d seen too many movies and read too many books to just go telling the whole world about her quest. It just didn’t seem like a sensible decision.

Sensing her hesitation, the old sage nodded his head and took a sip of his tea. He then lifted his gaze and regarded her with some sort of newfound respect that honestly made Sydney uncomfortable. “I admire your perceptiveness, Sydney Cohen. Your eyes offer you true insight on the world.” He put down his teacup. “You might not think of me as trustworthy yet, but I assure you, I only want to help. I would hate to see the world end.” The old sage took another sip of tea, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on Sydney’s chest.

He knows? Sydney asked herself, panicked. How does he know? Suddenly, her backpack gained a couple more kilograms. Sydney tried to remain calm. Maybe it’s just a figure of speech. Sydney told herself.

Yeah, that’s probably it.

“I only have your best interests in mind, Sydney. A child like you shouldn’t have to carry such a heavy burden,” Sage Aedesh said. Sydney thought she saw him glance at her backpack, and suddenly she felt protective of the maraca in it, even though it had seared her favourite tote bag and all three of her grandma's trash bags this morning.

“I can’t help but want to shield you from danger, is all.” The sage shrugged. “I used to be the God of Nature and Protection, afterall.”

Sydney’s mouth dropped.

“You were the WHAT---?!”

Author's Note

written: Dec 2024