Vetev

This story is by Pete Koelbl and was part of our 2023 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

Cutting through the market, Wallace paused when he saw a familiar face, Abigail. The yellow tree-shaped emblem, with a yellow dashed line above it, stood out on his shirt. When he stepped toward her a tall man, with a large staff wrapped in faintly glowing yellow runes, blocked his path. The man was wearing the same Guardian uniform as Wallace, except his had a yellow square around the emblem.

“Hey twig. Where you going?” said the man.

“Lots of places. As soon as you sign off on my training, Guardian Master Hassen,” Wallace said.

“Mind yourself. You’re still just a sapling,” Hassen said.

“You said it yourself. I’m full of potential.”

“Whatever. We need to get to Alston’s Library. He summoned us.”

* * *
Hassen and Wallace entered the library. Sunlight shone through the windows, catching the dust hanging in the air.

“Lore Master Alston, you called for us?” Hassen said.

“Come! Come!” Alston said from a table in the back. “A new world tree has been found!”

“I thought those were wiped from our realm eons ago, during The Sundering War?” Wallace asked.

“A scout found this one in the elemental realm. I need the two of you to secure it,” Alston said.

“Just me and the twig? Seems risky,” Hassen said, grimacing.

“Everyone else is fighting Jenden and his forces in the south.” Alston said.

Hassen rolled his eyes, “The council should have executed him.”

“Be that as it may, it is imperative that you go and put up a Guardian Barrier. Before Jenden finds out,” Alston said.

“Is there a rift key to get there?” Hassen asked.

“I am entrusting you with our last elemental rift key. It is imprinted with the location of the tree. Do not break it or lose it!” Alston said.

“When do we leave?” Wallace asked.

“Immediately. Open the rift in the clearing on the other side of the forest. You don’t want to accidentally destroy the town,” Alston said.

* * *
Hassen and Wallace emerged from the rift along a tree line at the edge of a large field. It was full of strange golden flowers standing waist high. The huge world tree stood at the center. Wind swept over the flowers, causing them to undulate and hum melodically.

“Whoa. This place is crazy, even without the world tree,” Wallace said.

“Focus,” Hassen said, slipping the rift key into his side pocket.

“Don’t lose that. I don’t want to be stuck here forever.”

“Come on, we need to secure the tree.”

“Relax. Alston said Jenden was far away.”

“Don’t remind me that half-blood is alive.”

“Why don’t you like half-bloods?”

“Because we shouldn’t mix with lesser beings. Our superior titian blood grants us control of these staves and the aether fields. Those with crimson blood don’t understand us, or themselves really,” Hassen said.

“What do you mean by that?” Wallace raised a brow.

“They waste all their potential on vain pursuits, only progressing in how to better kill each other.”

“I don’t think they’re all bad.”

Hassen scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, we should be ruling them.”

Wallace grabbed Hassen’s shoulder and pointed at the tree, “Hey, is that Jenden and some of his exiles up in the tree?”

“Damn it. That filth always getting in my way. We need to act quickly,” Hassen said gritting his teeth.

“What’s the play?” Wallace asked.

“You need to distract them for a moment.”

“Seriously, I’m the bait.” Wallace gulped.

“Of course, twig. I’ll sneak around and take them out before they get a chance to react.”

“You better not leave me hanging.”

* * *
“Hey! What are you punks doing up in my tree?” Wallace shouts nervously toward the tree.

Jenden looked down toward him briefly and sighed. “Go take care of him, I need to finish this.”

The three men jumped down from the tree and charged toward Wallace, staves in hand. Half way to him there is a blinding golden flash. Two of the men were sent flying, leaving trails of smoke, in opposite directions. The third stopped and turned, just as Hassen struck him in the forehead with a sickening crunch. Hassen turned toward Jenden, Wallace came along side him. There was a purple flash and crack of thunder.

“What the hell was that?” Wallace said.

“Look, he has a branch from the tree. We need to end this,” Hassen said.

Jenden jumped from the tree and sprinted toward them at blazing speed. The runes in Hassen’s staff glowed a bright golden yellow. He lunged forward swinging his staff down at Jenden. Jenden raised the branch, blocking the staff, sending off golden and purple sparks. The branch shimmered and Hassen’s staff was violently repelled, sending Hassen crashing to the ground next to Wallace.

“How did you get that branch off?” Hassen asked.

“Since you fools showed up I smashed my rift key to sever it.”

Hassen furrowed his brow, “You’re not getting away.”

Jenden looked at the dirt under his finger nails, “I leveled the playing field you arrogant prick. You’re the one not getting away.”

Hassen leaned over to Wallace, “We need to get that branch before he destroys us all.”

“Okay, you get to be the bait now,” Wallace said, smirking.

Hassen rushed forward again, feigning an attack with his staff, then kicked Jenden in the stomach, knocking him back. Hassen swung his staff around and hit Jenden in the shoulder, causing him to drop the branch.

“Now!” Hassen said.

Wallace jumped forward and tackled Jenden, sending them falling to the ground. Wallace tightened his arms around Jenden, “Use the binding.”

Hassen grit his teeth and swung his staff down on Jenden’s neck.

Wallace jumped up. “What did you do?”

Jenden gurgled and grabbed at his throat as he turned blue.

Hassen stared expressionless at Jenden, “We couldn’t let him live.”

Wallace threw his hands out, “You just killed a defenseless man. You crushed his throat!”

“He was a half-blood,” Hassen said in a monotone voice.

“We’re all human, the color of our blood shouldn’t matter. What the hell is wrong with you?” Wallace asked.

Hassen looked up at Wallace, “Nothing is wrong with me. That untrained, half-blood almost bested me just by holding that branch.”

Hassen dropped his staff on the ground and kicked Jenden’s lifeless hand aside, picking up the branch.

“What are you doing, Hassen?” Wallace asked.

“With this power I could make things as they should be. Take over the council, enslave the crimsons and cull the half-bloods. Order the world and put everything in place,” Hassen said.

“You’ve gone insane. I won’t let you,” Wallace said, walking over to Hassen’s staff and picking it up.

Hassen slicked his hair back, “Oh Wallace, you had such promise. Such a waste.”

Wallace grit his teeth and tightened his grip on the staff, its runes began to glow golden yellow. He rushed forward swinging the staff down at Hassen. Hassen swung the branch with quick precision hitting Wallace in the stomach, sending him flying backward into the field.

Hassen slowly walked toward Wallace, “You see Wallace, no one can challenge this power. We could have been partners.”

Wallace lay on the ground breathing hard. He stretched for the staff but was unable to reach. Hassen walked up to him, resting the branch on his shoulder.

“I tell you what Wallace, after I kill you, I will grant all the crimsons near the temple a quick death,” Hassen said.

“No! I won’t let you.” Wallace lunged and grabbed the staff, swinging it at Hassen.

The staff hit Hassen’s side pocket and crushed the rift key in it.
“You fool, you’ve doomed…”

A rift enveloped Hassen. Most of the branch and part of his hand remained sticking out. The rift collapsed, chopping off 3 of his fingers and the bulk of the branch. Sending them crashing to the ground.

“You’re the fool Hassen.”

Wallace sat panting for a moment, then struggled to his feet, holding himself up with the Guardian staff. He eyed the branch on the ground alongside Hassen’s fingers and exhaled audibly.

“Abigail, forgive me.”