Chapter Two: An Unusual Meeting - Part Two

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James watched the stranger incredulously. "Carnan. You're in the Carnan Sand Dunes."

The stranger continued to search the area with a mixture of wonder and confusion. His open-mouthed gaze accentuated his protruding upper front teeth.

"Unified Land of Medropon," James added, finding it an odd feeling to explain to someone else where they were. "Who are you?"

The Voarn composed himself. "My name is Evan Goodheart, of the Illan. I have been looking for you, for you are James Island, are you not? You must be. I have come seeking your help."

James's insides went cold. What in the Abyss? Another stranger from my past, right? With this ridiculous thought came the disturbing notion of a stranger claiming to know him, and the cold dead eyes of the beggar stared back at him once again.

"I'd say you got the wrong person," James said, careful of his words. He realised he echoed his earlier claim with the beggar, and the thought gave him pause. "You do. But..." But he had to take a chance. "Do you know me?"

"I do not," Evan admitted. "Though I have... been told of you. I must admit, you do not look much like a saviour in person."

James recoiled at the sourness, and absurdity of the Voarn's words. "Well, that's greatly kind of you. Though I'm partial to say that's because I ain't a saviour." Crazy person it is, then. This one's surely a moonbrain. The thought did not relax him.

"Impossible." Evan's eyes hardened. "I have been sent on a mission of great importance, requested by the great Thaenos and the Light Gods themselves, and they have named you, James Island, as my aid on this mission. A great many people depend on us." Evan took James in with a look. "You must be a formidable warrior, I would imagine."

"Mission?" Surely this boy was part of some practical joke. It seemed too ridiculous to even contemplate, and at once James could name a number of his colleagues who would have put the little Voarn up to the prank.

"I understand this would be hard to believe," Evan went on. "The Light Council has assured me you are the one to help. If you would just listen—"

"No, you listen." Enough was enough. "Who's put you up to this? Was it Pete? That swine." James strained a laugh, looking around as if embracing this failed joke. "Or Waterman? It was Waterman and Nevalle weren't it? As if the sink prank weren't enough. I knew the cooling fan was off."

"I do not know these people," the little Voarn said with a shake of his head. "I was told of your father and your search for him. It should have been..." He appeared confused at his own words, searching for the right ones. His head lowered, defeated.

Any thoughts of this being a joke now left James, and in its place was a disturbing puzzlement. The Voarn's words stirred an uncomfortable feeling within him. The feeling that he could very well be speaking the truth. But who was this stranger to speak of his father? The beggar man yesterday mentioned a father too.

"I am afraid I do not know much of what is entailed," Evan continued. "You may not appear the hero, though I have faith in the gods' judgement. I must admit I am not much of a guide myself, though perhaps once we find your father, if that is—"

"Stop!" James cried, waving a hand to hold back the onslaught of absurdity. "Stop. Just... just wait." For this stranger to come along and speak of something that should be so common to someone as their own father, something James had a discomforting ignorance of, had awoken an angry force within him. An anger that had boiled for two years. "Who are you?" he demanded, sitting forward now. "What you want from me? What you know of my father? Do you know me? Do you know me!?"

Evan appeared wounded, his shimmering eyes fear stricken.

James mastered himself, feeling like he had just scolded a small child for not knowing right from wrong. "I... I ain't getting you. But what... what do you want?"

"I apologise," Evan said. "I do not rightly understand all of this myself. There was only so much said to me in the room, and most of which I could not fully comprehend. I did not quite understand how I would proceed once I found you. But you must help me. My people depend on us. On me. Many thousands of people. Please, James," his voice broke. "I cannot do this without you." He bowed his head, his whole body shaking as he began to whimper.

James knew the sound. The Voarn's tears echoed what he often felt inside.

A sudden thought struck him, and his heart raced. He considered the possibility that Evan had arrived here, like he himself had done two years earlier. Could whatever had happened to him have happened again?

Although Evan had spoken of past events already; so he was not exactly like James had been. He may or may not have arrived here like James had two years earlier, but the Voarn was lost in an eerily similar way.

He now observed the Voarn with new eyes, studying his every movement, seeing a mirror of himself.

He considered his next question, almost too afraid of the answer. "How did you get here?"

Red-rimmed eyes looked up at him, and lowered again. "I do not know," was the defeated response.

An all-too-familiar shiver ran through James. Did it really happen again, then? Was this mountaintop some sort of mystical focal point that—what? Transported... created, people? Maybe James wasn't the first person this had happened to, and he was now looking at the latest person brought to this place.

He wondered how things could have differed if he had someone here when he had awoken. Perhaps if Tam had met him on this cliff edge, helped guide him into the city, saving him from those awful first seasons...

"What do you want from me?" he found himself asking.

Evan shook his head. He wiped the flowing tears, smearing his dirty face even more. "The way I see it, is we can guide each other, as we look for someone that can help us. Someone in your city, below. I was told of you and your search for your father, and that your search will aid my own mission."

James's insides twisted. Every time the Voarn spoke he unloaded a fresh headache on him. This strange kid spoke of his father like he was just in the next town. Someone who could be found with a search.

"I weren't looking for my father—not exactly," James explained. After a moment he decided to leave it at that.

He tried to read Evan's expression, wondering if the Voarn looked like he had done when he first found himself on this mountaintop. Now he was faced with someone who could possibly understand what it felt like to be so lost, someone who could truly know him more than anyone else. He couldn't turn his back on someone who was so clearly in desperate need of help; a kind of help only James could understand.

"You're heading into the city?" he finally asked.

A strong nod. "If that is our path, yes."

James wasn't sure he liked the wording of that statement. "I don't know anything about this mission of yours. But I can help you find your way."

A great smile spread across Evan's face. His pronounced upper teeth gleamed, reminding James a little of Helena Jositt. "You would have my eternal gratitude, James Island."

On his feet, James helped Evan up, finding his full stature even smaller than he first thought.

"We are destined for great things, you and I," Evan told him.

An uncomfortable laugh left James, the absurdity of the situation getting to him. He really didn't like the way the Voarn spoke.

"Let's start by getting off this mountain," James simply said.


*Seems like James is no longer alone. What do you think of the strange Evan Goodheart? Can he be trusted?*

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