The Eden Series: The Complete Collection (7 page)

“Good morning,” he heard a woman say. He turned to the right. The woman from his dreams came walking out of the darkness of the woods. “I wondered when you were finally going to wake up,” she commented, smiling.

“Wh … Where am I?” he asked, backing up. Looking down, he realized he wore only his boxers and a T-shirt, making his face heat up in embarrassment.

“You are in my home, in Eden.”
I must still be dreaming,
he thought to himself. He lifted his hand and smacked his face as hard as he could. The woman watched him curiously, but didn’t say a word while he tried to wake up. Nothing worked. He looked around again, not knowing what to make of his situation.

“Are you finished?” the woman asked, finally breaking the painful silence.

“Diana, was it?”

“Yes,” she replied, smiling.

“Well, Diana, I just woke up in some stranger’s house, which appears to be located in the middle of some godforsaken forest, not to mention that I’m now standing here in front of you in only my underwear, and I am fifteen years old with no idea where my family is. So, no, I’m not finished yet. I am clearly dreaming, and I need to find a way to wake myself up before I go completely insane.”

All the while the witch stood watching him silently. He began to circle the clearing, cursing and kicking at the ground. “Aiden, please be still,” she yelled out finally. “Your behaviour is completely undignified. If you would just come inside my cabin, I will explain everything to you, although this time you must listen to me!”

Aiden stopped where he was, and turned to look at her. He didn’t want to go back inside there with this crazy lady, but the forest around them scared him even more. He wasn’t good with directions, and would almost inevitably get lost. “Fine,” he said stubbornly.

The ground was littered with large rocks, half buried in the earth, and half sticking out, so he kept finding himself tripping over them and almost falling on his face. As he stumbled back toward her, he heard a sound behind him that sounded almost like an animal. He turned to look, and fell back on his ass in fright. His throat tightened up so much that he couldn’t even scream out loud. There was a massive-looking warthog just outside of the clearing. Its hair was dark, matted looking, and his eyes were large and yellow. He was baring his teeth as his breath came out in short, loud puffs. They were large and sharp-looking, and Aiden could only but imagine what it would feel like to be bitten by them. He tried to back away from the animal by crawling backward toward the house.

“Don’t worry,” Diana called out calmly. “He cannot enter.”

Aiden stopped where he was and looked over his shoulder at her. She stood by the front door, looking at the thing as if it were a mere bird. “What do you mean, it cannot enter?” he asked in a high-pitched tone.

“He cannot enter the clearing—it is protected by my magic. It is only spying on us.”

“Sp … spying on us?” Before she spoke again, Aiden watched as she held out her hand and said a few words. Then a beam of light shot out of her palm and struck the beast before it could take off. The animal was dead instantly. Aiden still sat on the ground in shock, as he looked over at the animal, waiting to see if it would get up again.

“You killed it!” he accused.

“I’m sorry—I didn’t realize you felt sentimental toward the creature. Shall I bring it back, so that it can run off to the north and tell them that I have brought you here?”

A chill ran up his spine. He looked back at her to see if she was joking. She stood by the door, her mouth tight in anger. Not a joke, he concluded. Spinning around, she walked into the house, leaving him outside alone with the dead animal. Looking around the clearing, he knew this was not Ontario anymore. Nowhere that he knew looked like this, and they certainly did not have animals like that where he was from. The idea of a separate universe was completely ridiculous—he was smarter than that—but if that were really true, how did one explain all this? The trees were real, as were the smells, the sounds, the rocks where he sat. How could something seem so real, but be a dream? Could it all mean that there was some truth to what this woman said? All the arguments went back and forth in his head. This was a dream … She was a figment of his imagination … Nothing like this could exist. There were always mysterious things about their lives, and everything here undoubtedly felt real, so maybe it was. His own mind couldn’t make a decision. Would he be a fool to believe it all? Perhaps if he knew more, Aiden concluded, maybe that would help him decide. He quickly got up and followed her in.

“Please explain to me what is happening,” he said desperately.

“I’ve been trying to do that all morning. Sit down while I make you some food; then I will explain everything.”

Aiden sat on the old sofa as Diana worked quickly in the kitchen, making him something to eat. He was somewhat afraid to see what it was going to be, imagining that it would be boiled frogs, or baked rats. The cabin was weird, and after witnessing what she just did, he could only but believe that Diana really was some sort of witch. It was odd to think that, since he didn’t actually believe in witches, but any other explanation escaped him at that moment.

“Here you go,” she said, bringing over a small plate that had steam rising from it. He braced himself, anticipating the contents. “Scrambled eggs and bacon.” He let out a sigh of relief, which immediately made her chuckle. “What did you think I was making for you?”

He smiled sheepishly before stuffing his face with the food. His stomach was completely empty, and the warm food was welcoming.

He could see Diana watching him eat. She seemed pleased to see him relax for the first time since they met. “I’ll explain everything to you while you eat,” she started. He nodded his head in response, and continued to eat.

“Some years ago there was a High King named Elrond, who was loved by everyone in Eden. He was a just King, and very compassionate. Under his rule there was peace in the land of Eden.”

“He was the King of this whole place?” Aiden asked between bites.

Shaking her head, she corrected him. “No, the High King rules the Capital, located in central Eden. There are some smaller villages outside of the city walls that are also under his authority, but that is as far as it extends. Parts beyond the borders are ruled by the leaders located in those areas. There are the Riders in the west. The Chief of that tribe is named Hawk, and their lands are separated by the Glacier River and thick forests. That river runs all around central Eden, separating it from the other regions. The north is ruled by a man named Brutus the Red. His authority extends throughout the mountains and the villages on the base. The Glacier River runs down from his mountain. The Sand People in the east are separated by the Giants’ Hills.”

“Why are they called that?” he interrupted again.

“There is folklore in Eden that suggests there are giants buried under the hills. Apparently, they did not exist before, until the giants became extinct, so many believe they were buried there, and thus the hills were created.”

Aiden choked on the mouthful of food he had been swallowing. “Giants? Like, real
giants
?”

Diana laughed at him. “There are many creatures here, which you probably thought to be found only in stories. As I said, they no longer roam our lands.”

“That’s comforting,” he mumbled.

“Shall I continue?” He nodded. “The lands on the other side of the hills are, as you might have guessed, all sand. The city there is made of low mud homes, and heavily guarded. Not many people go there, finding the conditions hard to sustain. The people there are very talented swordsmen, and they excel in their knowledge of poisons and magic. A great sorcerer who once ruled their land is named Aziz; he now resides in the mountains with Brutus. The man who rules the Sand People now is named Hakim, a very wise man. The river runs in front of the hills and continues down to the sea to the south. The sea there is called the Sea of Truth. Many people who seek our God and Goddess go there, and stories tell of the two coming to people who give themselves to the waves.”

Aiden had stopped eating momentarily, finding himself interested in the tales she spun. “So what you’re suggesting is that people go there to kill themselves?”

“I suppose, but here in Eden we don’t fear death quite like the people in your land. Death is just another journey for us—it is where we are finally with our God and Goddess.”

“Right,” he said sceptically.

“I’ll continue.” She smiled, ignoring his cynicism. “In the sea is an island. The people there are called the Sun People. They worship the God of wine, a figure not recognized throughout the rest of Eden. They are a wild group of individuals, their people filling their lives with drink, love, and recklessness. The leader there is named Markus, a man devoted to overindulgence. Although each region in Eden has its own leader, they all look up to the High King of the Capital, and therefore followed Elrond’s authority to an extent. It was a sad time in Eden when he passed, leaving every region in Eden mourning for his loss. Not only had we all lost a great leader amongst us, but now the lands were open to war, the hand that had held our peace now taken away from us.”

Aiden finished eating, wondering when she was going to explain where he fit into all this. It surprised him how easily he found himself believing her, but there was something about Diana that made him trust her. In addition to the fact that he was clearly somewhere besides home, the information she was explaining to him seemed too complex for her to just make up. She also didn’t seem quite so crazy now—not like she had the night before. His mind was still in shock, but he found it slowly bending toward acceptance. Maybe it was just that he
wanted
to believe her. Was it wrong to want to believe there was actually more to this world, than one’s own boring life?

He sat and listened intently as she wove a story of a younger son’s discord and betrayal of his family. Now a war threatened them, all because of those events ten years earlier.

“What is the King’s army?” he asked when she made a quick mention of it.

“It is exactly as it sounds. The High King has an army, known to be the best in the land. Boys in the Capital are required to join on their fifteenth birthday, and they are put through rigorous training. If they complete the training by their eighteenth birthday, they become one of the King’s men; if not, they are forced to choose another path in life.”

“Look, I’m sorry to hear about all your troubles,” he began. “I just don’t understand why you’ve brought me here. Where do
I
fit into all of this?”

She got up from her seat and slowly walked over to the wood stove. They sat in silence momentarily before she began again.

“There is a great man here in the Capital named Alistair. He is the High Priest, a devoted follower of both our God and Goddess. He is not a man of magic like Aziz is, but he does have some inner sight, which allows him to see things only the higher powers may choose to show him. They came to him the same night Elrond died, and warned him of the threat Callum’s new alliance would bring to Eden. They told him to bring the other tribes together, and create a strong force in Eden to oppose the north. However, they warned him that even with the combination of the Riders, the eastern Swordsmen, the Archers from the south, and the King’s army, it wouldn’t be enough. There would be a great warrior from another world that he would need to cross over and bring to Eden, a person who would bring us victory in our time of great need.”

With each word, Aiden could feel himself growing more and more pale. She wasn’t actually suggesting what he thought she was, was she? His mind swirled, wondering if this was some elaborate joke after all.

“I’m assuming then that you need my help finding this man?” Aiden asked hopefully.

She smiled down at him as if he were a small child. Her face was so gentle and pretty, it made his palms sweat.

“Aiden,
you
are that warrior. Alistair saw your face, and told me exactly where to find you.”

He got up from his chair and backed up against the door. “There has to be some mistake. I am no warrior,” he argued.

Diana walked toward him, grabbing both his hands in hers. “I know how absurd this must all sound—” she started.

“There’s an understatement,” he interrupted. “Are you even looking at me? I’m only
fifteen
, and I’m not experienced in any type of fighting. You are insane to think I’d be anything but a burden to you.”

“Aiden, you must believe in yourself. The men will train you; I will train you. We will all help you reach your potential, and you will be a great warrior.” Aiden shook his head as she spoke. Her grip tightened. “We
need
you! I cannot stress to you how dire our situation is. Alistair said you would be ready when you turned fifteen, and that now was the time you should come.”

Panic started to set in, and his breathing started to come out in short gasps. “I can’t do this, Diana. I’m not the one.” He took his hands away from hers and walked outside. The fresh air helped calm his attack, and his breathing slowly returned to normal. “I’ll get myself killed,” he said, feeling her presence behind him. “I can’t risk that; it would kill my parents.” His thoughts went back to them and Eddie, and he knew he couldn’t take such a risk.

“This is not your world, Aiden,” she replied. “You cannot die here.” He turned in surprise, raising his eyebrows.

“I can’t?”

“No, not here. That is why our God and Goddess told us to get someone from your world. You’re the only thing that will rival their creatures. They won’t be able to kill you like they can us. Don’t you see? This is why you are so special; this is why you must help us.”

According to Diana, the time he spent in Eden wouldn’t affect the time back at home. When he returned it would still be night, and no one would have noticed he was missing. This made him feel better. Thinking about how his mother would react when she went to get him up, and he was gone made him sick. Nothing made sense to him thus far, but he was trying to be a good sport about it. That afternoon they went outside to begin his training. Apparently, someone would come for him in three days, and Diana wanted to teach him the basics before he went to the city. The men in the army were the best of the best, and Aiden guessed she wanted to limit his embarrassment as much as she could.