The Beast and The Brain.

It didn’t take long before the swamp finally came into view on the horizon. The moon was full and bright, and the air was thick and warm. From what I could tell the trees were large and thick and the earth was wet and soft. “So this is it?” I asked J as we soared closer and closer.

“That’s it.” She confirmed. Being on small rations had put her in an even sourer mood lately, and the fact that we were headed towards our possible death hadn’t helped either of us. “Head a little more east…” She pointed to my right and I swung my tail and tilted my wings so I turned towards where she was pointing. “Unfortunately we will have to walk once we reach the trees.” J told me, “The trees are too large and too thick for us to navigate from the sky. Once we’re inside there won’t be a patch of bare ground large enough for us to land.”
“I could always just break the trees and make room.” I snorted.

J scoffed. “And alert everyone to our presence? No thank you. There will be enough fowl things waiting for us in there without your help.”
“Fine…”

When we finally landed outside the trees both J and I were silent a moment as we listened and looked into the dark wood. Vines and moss covered the trees and zigzagged above the forest floor like tangled yarn. I took a sniff of air and scowled, it smelled dank and dark. I had a feeling that my feet wouldn’t be dry for a long time once we stepped inside. “We’re still a little ways off…” J murmured remaining on my back, “Make your way along the woods, but stay quiet, they might have patrols out.”

I nodded my head and started walking along side the woods. J remained on my back. I didn’t like the feeling of being a horse, but I also knew she was safer there than on her own two feet so I didn’t say anything. If it came down to it I could take off and be in the air within seconds. I walked about a mile before J tapped my shoulder and I stopped. “This is it.” She nodded and I looked at the woods, it looked exactly the same as everywhere else we had passed.

“You sure?” I asked as she slid off my back and undid her bag and ropes from my neck.

“Positive.” I didn’t argue further, I knew nothing about his place, so I had no choice but to take J’s word. After everything was of my back and pulled my power in until I shrunk. I didn’t tell J ahead of time, but I was going to remain in my Beast form for as long as possible.

“No.” She shook her head when she saw that I was remaining a small size.

“Yes.” I hissed between my long teeth. “I’m of more use this way.”

“No you’re wasting more energy that way and you’ll be louder with your tail and wings getting in the way. Turn back into a human Asher. Besides, as long as I’ve known this place there has never been patrols out this far along the border, no one comes here anyway so they keep their men closer to their hideout. If we are lucky we’ll get a good day or two of walking before we meet anyone or anything that can danger us.”

I blew out a hot breath of air through my nostrils and turned back into my human form. J nodded her approval, “Better.” She handed me my sword and I buckled it around my waist. “So what now, we trod through mud, water, and insects until we reach the center?”

“No.” J rolled her eyes and faced the forest, “We will be taking a path.” She took the first steps into the forest and I followed closely behind. After a few steps I turned around and the outside world was completely cut off from view. It was unsettling. I knew right away that I was going to dislike this place. The trees were larger than any I had seen and their roots were long and twisted like vines. It would take at least ten men to get their arms around some of the trunks. When I glanced up there was nothing but darkness, no stars, no moon, nothing but the underside of branches and leaves and moss. J didn’t seem bothered though, she stepped with confidence, like she had been here hundreds of times before and knew every branch and root. Then again, maybe she had been here a hundred times.

“Here we are.” J whispered as though she were afraid to disturb the forest, and I found that I whispered back as well.

“What?” She pointed to my eyes and I got the hint. I let my eyes change and the world around me lit up like it was the middle of the day. J pointed ahead and for the first time I saw the path that she spoke of. It was narrow, only wide enough for a horse to walk down single file. It was overgrown with grass, branches, and vines but it was there. On either side the edges gave way to the marshy water that flowed between the trees. The air was thick with humidity and my skin felt damp and sticky.

“I see it.” I told her.

She nodded. “This is a lesser known trail, and hardly used because it’s so narrow. I stumbled upon it in my early years and I kept it mostly to myself. With any luck it will still be unthought-of and hidden. But while we are here we should keep quiet and talk as little as possible. If we must we can communicate with our minds, but I don’t want to leave ourselves exposed to any other Brains that might be out there. Keep your ears and eyes open, and if I tell you to do something, do it. This forest is old and dangerous for those who don’t know its secrets. But I won’t lead you astray.” She touched my arm and I nodded my confirmation. She nodded her head back and then I let go of my power. I would need my strength for when we actually ran into trouble, for now, I had to trust J.

It took a while. But my eyes began to adjust to the darkness. It wasn’t as black as I had originally thought, but I still depended more on my ears than my eyes. There were many noises and at first I had jumped and tensed at every one of them until J finally slapped me mentally and told me to stop being such a girl. Apparently I was making her nerves jump every time I did it. I apologized and to help me, she would then name the sounds that we were hearing before I had time to ask. When a large splash came from somewhere in the water to our right J gently entered my mind and told me it was simply a devil horned bull frog, and not to worry about it. She even accompanied the name with a small mental picture of a huge frog with spikes above its eyes.

There were many bird sounds that I was unfamiliar with as well. J explained that some of the louder flocks of calls were colored bird called parrots. She also showed me a mental picture and I remembered seeing those birds on display when I had gone with my father to city as a boy. It was interesting to find that this was the birds’ real home.

I became more accustomed to the sounds, and at times I would try to recall the names and correctly guess what I was hearing, sometimes I got it, but more often than not it was another animal that was similar but different. When we finally stopped for a small break J handed me the water skin and let me drink. She had filled it up with fresh water from a river a few miles before reached the swamp. Apparently the water here wasn’t good to drink unless it had been boiled first. So we were on a limited supply of water and food, but J assured me that there were plenty of things in this forest that we could survive on.

It was only when the sun started to rise that I finally realized something. Watching J navigate this path she was different. Her shoulders were more relaxed and she didn’t scan her eyes every three seconds like she normally did. She was relaxed here, she was comfortable, because, I realized, for whatever reasons, this was her home. I didn’t voice my discovery; J probably would have denied it and pushed me in the water accompanied with a bloody lip. But I knew because the evidence was right before my eyes. J knew this forest, and she was content beneath its think canopy.

~ ~ ~ ~

When mid morning came we found a small island to rest safely. J preferred to travel when it was dark, where things were less likely to notice us. We shared sips from our water supply and J handed my some dried meat. We both laid down with our heads against the moss and chewed while we watched the birds fly around above our heads.

“I don’t like this place.” I stated plainly, swallowing the last of our food.

“Why not?” I shrugged, and licked my lips. They were slightly dry, but I didn’t want to ask for more water. We were trying to ration it.

“I can’t see the sky…I feel, trapped.”

J stared at the trees and the vines. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I love it here.” She admitted simply. “The smell, the heat, the canopy, all of it, I love it.”

“Why?” I had a feeling that I knew the answer. I had figured it out last night.

“This is my home. When I was chased out of the village I grew up in, I was homeless. No one wanted someone like me around them, I was an outcast. Where ever I went doors were slammed into my face and I was left to starve on the street, but when I found out about this place, that there were others like me with a place to live safely.” J shook her head. “It sounded like heaven.” She opened her eyes and turned her head to look me in the eyes, “This place was where I was accepted, safe. You may not be able to see the sky or the world around you, but that means the world can’t see you either. And besides,” J smiled, “This place is alive. It may seem creepy, and damp, but this place is teaming with life. There are herbs here that don’t grow anywhere else that can cure illnesses, and the animals here…most of them are beautiful and cannot live outside this swamp. This place can protect you, if you know how to live in it.”

I shrugged, “I still can’t see the sky.”

J rolled her eyes then rolled to her side so her back was facing me, “Good night Asher.” She said stiffly.

I smiled. “Good night J.”

When I woke up, J was gone and I had to pee. I think it was because of the constant sound of bubbling water around the tree roots. I bit the inside of my cheek and walked a little way away from the camp, being careful to keep on the path or at least to a point where I could see it. Once I felt that I wasn’t being watched I relieved myself.

When I got back to our little island, J still wasn’t back. I put my hands on my hips and looked around. She might have gone to the bathroom too, but she should have been back by now. I looked up to the canopy, but I couldn’t tell how long I had been sleeping for. The forest seemed to be getting darker, but it was hard to tell, it was always dim. I decided to look for her, but to leave the stuff behind. That way she would know I hadn’t left her completely. I debated to call out to her with my mind, but decided that it might foolish, there might be others Brains around I wouldn’t know it. Instead I closed my eyes a moment and focus and let my powers enhance my vision and sense of smell. Instantly the world turned to colors, but I tuned all but J’s sent out and followed it.

At first there was a pretty straight path, a place where I assumed J had used the bathroom. But then there didn’t seem to be any sort of logic to her direction. I had to climb over twisted roots and a few times I nearly fell into the water, but J had warned me about ground that could swallow a man, so I kept my feet on solid earth and tree roots. Then I caught a glimpse of her through the trees, so I let my power go and walked to where I had seen her.

“J?” I called softly. A branch wiped back into my face when I tried to move it. For a few seconds my eyes were full of tears and I cursed. “J!” I yelled frustrated. I broke the branch and stepped next to J. She grabbed a handful of my tunic and pulled me roughly against the tree and pushed herself against me her hand flew over my mouth. I went silent instantly.

“Shut up you moron!” Her thoughts collided with mine and I noticed very clearly that her heart was racing in my ears and she was panicked. I was about to ask what was wrong, when I heard a great loud moan rise from somewhere close in the forest. It was not human. I swallowed and J’s hand slipped from my mouth, my eyes scanned the forest but nothing was moving.

“What’s going on?” I tried to keep my thoughts calm and collective, but it was hard, seeing how the light was fading quickly and I didn’t like this forest to begin with.

“Oh nothing, until you decided to wake up the Ahgamord with your loud cursing.” I could tell J wanted to punch me or kick me in the sweet spot, but she wasn’t moving a muscle and neither was I. I decided this wasn’t a good time to be naive and asked the question that instantly popped into my head.

“What’s a Ahgamord?” J closed her eyes. I think she might have hit her head against the tree repeatedly if our lives hadn’t been in danger. Instead she sent me a mental image. At first I didn’t understand the picture she was showing me all I saw was a pile of small boulders, but then the boulders moved and joined together, and all at once, there was a monster. J’s image dissolved and my mouth opened in silent astonishment. What the crap is that? I looked around for what J had showed me, but I didn’t see any rocks.

“Can we make a run for it? Can’t you find out where it is and disable it with your power? Should I turn?” I asked J frantically, another moan rippled through the forest followed by a violent vibration that shook me to the bone.

“Are you a complete idiot? The man that made this swamp, the one whose power allowed him to move the earth made these things. They aren’t living, there just a bunch of rocks. They don’t have brains, and you won’t be able to get the drop on them in these woods. We need to keep quiet and pray it doesn’t find us. Like I said, they don’t have any brains so it will soon forget that we were ever here…we just need to stay quiet.”

Another vibration, I felt it through the ground and through the trees. This thing had to be huge. I took a breath through my nose. Where was it? Another vibration and then something hurled into the water a few feet away, splashing J and I with fowl smelling swamp water. It was warm and it slid down my back. I gritted my teeth and eyed J. She shook her head. Another bolder, this time it hit the tree above our heads and rebounded into the water. I looked at J again and clenched my fists. Another bolder flew and this time I pushed J to the ground, it hit the tree right where my head had been.

“Run!” I yelled grabbing J and pushed her in the opposite direction. I didn’t look back. There was a loud moan from the Aghamord and another bolder flew above our heads. Luckily the thing didn’t have very good aim. The forest shook and the animals scurried away. J led the way and I kept my eyes on her back. There was another load moan, it sounded like the thing was angry. But luckily the boulders stopped coming. When we finally made it back to our little island we smelled of swamp and we were breathing heavily. “Did we lose it?” I asked J and looked around.

She slapped me with her hand, it wasn’t hard but she still hit me on the cheek. “You’re an idiot.” She breathed. “We would have been fine…why are you always…so…rash?”

“Are you kidding me…? That boulder would have smashed my head in!” I waved my arm out.

“An improvement I’m sure…” She stood up and so did I.

“Very funny.” We both paused.

“Did you hear that?” J asked. I nodded my head. “Move. Now.” We ran, we didn’t even pick up our stuff, I followed after J as if I were her very shadow. Another noise, I prayed it wasn’t what I thought, but soon, it was louder, and I knew we had to get out of here. There were shouts. Human shouts. They knew someone was here.

“J.”

“I know.” We ran, we didn’t stay on the trail, instead we hit the swamp. We ran through the water, mostly it was only knee high but there were slippery rocks and hidden roots. The shouts were behind us, and then they also came from the right. J paused a moment and we both listened, “This way.” She headed left. The shouts were getting louder, and then through the trees I spotted the flash of torches. “J.”

“I know!” She hissed, “Just stay close!”

We ran hard and pushed ourselves forward. The shouts grew louder and the longer we ran, the more I realized that the shouts were started to close off our escapes. J stumbled into an area of flat rocks and small waterfalls from the streams. J stopped and looked around. The shouts were coming from everywhere, and the torches, they kept flashing between the trees. We were trapped.

“I’m changing, if it comes to a fight I want to be ready.” J turned and grabbed my forearm and I paused.

“No. Asher you have to listen to me.” My mouth dropped slightly. There were tears in J’s eyes. “Please listen. You have to get out of here Asher. You don’t stand a chance against these men. You must leave, turn and fly, get out of here. Because if they catch you then they will kill you and…” Her grip tightened on my arm, “I wouldn’t be able to handle that…please…you’ve got to get out of here.”

“J…” She pushed me,

“Leave! Get out of here!”

“I won’t leave you. We can take these guys J.”

“No we can’t Asher.” She looked me in the eyes finally, she didn’t even try to hide the tears, “I never expected us to get through this Asher. I knew they would get us, but…I won’t let them have you. Please Asher, fly and never come back. Fly to the other side of the world, break whatever bond that the Wisdom said we have and make a new life for yourself.”

It hit me then. What J was saying. She never actually expected us to get through this swamp undetected. She knew this place was too well guarded. It was her plan all along to give herself up, to let whoever was chasing her catch her, and I didn’t even notice. “But J.”

She slapped me again, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Damn it Asher, I’m begging you to leave. Do this for me. Please save yourself and get out of here.”

I couldn’t leave her…could I? The torch lights were flashing between the trees and the shouts of the men were growing louder, but we had time. We could still escape. But that wasn’t what J wanted. She didn’t want to escape; she confided in me and told me once that she didn’t want to run for the rest of her life. Maybe this was her resolve; if she couldn’t run then she would come home. She was my friend, more than my friend, she was my partner. And this is what she wanted, I could feel it.

“J…”

“Go Asher.”

I took a few steps back and nodded my head. Ok J, I’ll do this for you because that’s what partners do. But nothing came out, even though I wanted to say it, I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t form in my mouth. Instead, I let restraint go. “Damn it J.” I stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders. My lips met hers hard, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore, not what I felt for J or what she would think of me. Only that I was kissing her because that’s what I needed to do, because it was what I wanted to do, because she needed to understand that I loved her.

When I pulled away I turned and let go of my power. I turned as large as I could and let all my power loose. And when I finished I turned and looked at J, I was afraid of what I might see. She probably wanted to slap me again, but I figured I could take it better as a dragon. I dropped my nose so we were eye to eye. Finally she moved, her hand reach out and touched the tip of my nose and she smiled.
“Idiot.”

That was the last word J spoke to me before I lunged into the air, breaking trees and branches before shooting into the sky.