Saviors of Ysona Ch. 01

"Who are you, and where the hell are we?" Her accent reminded me of Penelope Cruz. Hot. I held my hands up and regarded her and her stick. Keeping a straight face as to not alarm her I did my best to maintain foreign relations.

"I am Josh. I have no idea where we are. I just woke up lying on the grass dressed in this ridiculous get up. Honestly, until I saw you, I thought I was in heaven or some such. Last thing I remember I was being run over by an SUV." She stared at me blank faced for several moments and I worried that she hadn't gotten all of what I said. I was about to try again when she spoke again.

"I was on bicycle coming from, how you say? The Library?" She quirked an eyebrow at me and when I slowly nodded she continued. "Large ...ah...autobús escolar...school bus, come and hit me while I cross the road. I remember going through the air but I never hit ground. I end up, as you say, lying in grass, staring at this new sky." She was still eyeing me distrustfully, but had lowered her staff slightly, now centering it on my chest. She still looked oddly comfortable with the weapon and from her physique and tone, I had little doubt that a solid thump could lay someone out cold.

I digested what she had said and nodded slowly. "So. Are we dead?" I asked no one in particular. She shook her head and dropped her staff to rest the butt on the ground.

"I am not knowing, Josh." I immediately liked the way she said my name. It was more Yosh, but not completely. She had a good grasp on the English language, but her J's needed refining. "Me llamo, ah...sorry." She shyly brushed an errant lock of hair from her eyes while looking down. She met my eyes and tried again. "My name is Elena Avella, I am from Palma, Espagña."

"Elena Avella." I experimented with slight roll of the ll's in her name that made her giggle slightly. The small noise she made, joyful mirth, sent a sensation up my spine and bade an odd reaction from me that I'd forgotten. I smiled. A real, genuine, I-am-happy smile. The attraction was evident as we stood beaming at one another, completely forgetting our odd situation and enjoying this sudden human interaction, even for the briefest of moments. Looking down at the grass at our feet once more, she broke the spell that had come over us momentarily.

"What you think we do now?" Elena asked quietly, looking around the empty glade. I shrugged expansively and followed her gaze. Taking a breath I began to answer when a small voice behind me made me whirl around. There stood a small girl, no more than six or seven, with shockingly white hair, pale skin, and creamy colored robes that flowed about her small limbs. It was her that had spoken, softly, but with force.

"There is only one thing you can do, Joshua and Elena of Earth. You must help me, help us, here in my world." She gestured with a small pale hand grandly about her, her pale blue eyes never leaving mine. I was conscious of Elena moving up alongside me now, gaining a better look at this small creature addressing us.

"Who are you? And where are we?" I managed to blurt out. My mind was whirling. She had said 'of Earth" and "my World." It was pretty clear that we weren't on our home turf anymore. But that was crazy impossible wasn't it?

"I have brought you from your world at the instant of your deaths here, to Ysona. Your new Home."

The sounds of the night surged all around us as the finality of what she had said sunk in. So we were taken from our world just as we died. Or almost died? Or were supposed to die? My head swam. Elena beside me echoed my thoughts with a choking sob. She began to fall to her knees to cry but I caught her on the way down, grabbing her about the shoulders and hugging her to me. There was comfort between us strangers as we knew we were somehow in this together. She cried into my shoulder quietly and I stared at the small ethereal child-like...thing...that had changed our lives forever.

Still meeting my gaze unwaveringly, the child spoke on. "As to who I am, I have forgotten my true name, but I am one with this world, in and of it. You may call me Ysona, for lack of better. As to why I brought you, I will try and explain, time is short. Dark forces threaten my world. It was prophesized that outsiders, a man and woman, would come to our aid in our time of need. You are not of this world, yet you are here now, and must help us, before it is too late."

I gaped at her and Elena sagged on my shoulder even more.

Ysona took my silence as her cue to continue. "I realize this must be difficult for you to grasp, and it is not outside my cognition to understand that I have delivered quite a shock to both of you. You will need time and supplies to help you survive in this world, as it is very different from your own. Yet so very similar." She raised her arm and pointed across the clearing to a path. "Down that path is a small dwelling with food and other supplies. You must rest there and gather yourselves before heading to the village of Tarna, to the west, where you will ask for the Village Elder. She will be able to help guide you on your Journey and begin the process to discover your newfound powers." She paused and looked directly at me. "There are some things that I can help you with, but others you must overcome yourselves. Joshua, I am afraid your habits from your world is one of those things. You will have to come to grips with your addictions in the coming days. This place is one of healing and growth, but the pain will not be lessened, only the duration. Remember, you are strongest together, and you are one another's greatest hope."

With that final warning, she began to fade.

"Wait! Hang on just a damn minute here chick! Just what the fuck does all that mean? What are we supposed to do!?" I let go of Elena, who had ceased crying and was now staring at me, and began advancing on the now wisp like apparition of Ysona, the culprit who had brought this mess on me. Her form continued to fade and she was quickly becoming nothing more than a few smoky tendrils of light that were almost vanished from my sight. My rage burned inside of me like an inferno. My mind raced and I surged forward to try and clutch at the disappearing figure.

"You little bitch! Why couldn't you just let me die? I didn't ask for any of this shit! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE?!?!" I pounded the earth where the figure of Ysona had previously stood, errant tears of anger and frustration streaking down my face. I didn't want this. I didn't need a new place to learn to fit into. I didn't need new challenges to face. I didn't need new friends or powers or journeys. I just wanted to curl up in my bed, roll up in the blankets, and never wake up.

My sobs echoed mutely in the forest clearing. I felt rather than heard Elena standing behind me. I wiped the tears from my face before turning to her. She was looking down at the ground, but seemed much more composed than she previously had, and much more than I was now. She extended her hand and I accepted her help standing up. Slightly embarrassed for my behavior I couldn't meet her eyes as she looked up at me.

"She meant what, when she say - Como se dice? Addictions? What means this Yosua?" I grimaced two-fold at her questioning. Being called out as a junkie of sorts did nothing for my self-esteem. Secondly, she called me by my full name as Ysona had, only she still had too thick of an accent to pronounce it correctly. Looking at the darkening sky, I purposely ignored her line of questioning.

"It's getting dark. We'd better make for the shelter she mentioned. Elena nodded slowly, examining my face, her eyes questioning. It was beginning to be more difficult to see her clearly in the dark, the trees effectively blocked out any remaining glow from the already set sun, but I could tell I hadn't escaped questioning, only delayed it. With some haste we trotted down the path in search of the shelter Ysona mentioned.

The cabin, for that's what it looked like, was roughhewn from logs, had no windows, and a doorway covered only by a large animal skin. The cabin was placed on a small rise overlooking a small lake and stream, jutting out from the forest on the edge of a large valley. Facing to the west, it allowed Elena and me the chance to pull back the skin, which was an odd shade of black with red stripes, and examine the insides of the single room with what little remaining light we had.

It was simple accommodations, a small table, one chair, a rough cot that would barely fit one of us, but it did have a working fireplace and there was a rustic looking backpack with folded blankets on the cot, neatly folded as if put there by maid service. Elena, ever the intrepid adventurer as I would find out, immediately dove in the pack and began sorting through its contents laying items out on the table. There was flint and steel, a length of rope, some dried meat, cheese and bread, and what appeared to be two cloaks, both of similar green to our leather outfits, but made with a tough woven thread that was soft on the inside and seemed quite rough and water resistant on the outside.

Elena haltingly asked me if I would get some firewood, and not knowing what else to do, I ambled off to the woods, gathering an armload of dry wood and tripping over the unknown terrain in the darkness. As I made my way back, the forest continued its nightly song, and I paused listening, once again being transported back in time to my youth, before things were so complicated, before I was on an alien planet with a Spanish knockout, held hostage by some crazy six-year old wraith who... I shook my head and trudged back to the cabin, calling out for Elena in the darkness. Her dark shape emerged and helped me separate the wood and kindling into piles by the fireplace.

Luckily, neither she nor I appeared to be strangers to camping, and soon we had stripped enough bark and starter and coaxed a small but cheery fire in the hearth. The warmth of it was undeniably heartening to both of us and we huddled in its light. Elena, I could tell, was tired, as she was blinking furiously at the flames and nodding every now and then, fighting sleep.

"Elena," I said quietly and she snapped her head in my direction. "Go lie down. I will stay awake and watch the fire." She seemed about to argue with me but eventually nodded and moved in the direction of the cot. I heard her rustling around getting comfortable and covered with a blanket before she went still. I assumed she was sleeping till her voice came from the darkness.

"Yosua?" I turned to look at her meeting her dark eyes as she lay on her side, head resting on one of the cloaks.

"Yes?"

"Why you didn't answer me before about your...problemas?" Her eyes searched mine, all sleep seeming to escape her. I sighed heavily and returned my gaze to the fire. I should probably be upfront with this woman. Unless there is a corner store here with booze and narcotics for sale, in a few hours or so I would be starting to feel pretty crummy. Twelve hours after that I was in for some pretty bad withdrawal symptoms. I clenched my jaw. I was afraid. Not of the pain, but of being so defenseless in this place. I would need her help in the next few days. Taking a deep breath I began to tell her about my addictions, the drinking, and the pain pills. I made no excuses, and she didn't ask my reasoning. We talked about our lives, in short, hesitant sentences, almost as if to assure ourselves of our own memories.

Elena was attending college and was in her third year studying to become a pharmacist. She loved the sea, dogs, cooking, and children though she had none. She told me of the camping in the mountains that she and her father used to do when she was in high school, and I told her of my similar experiences. She seemed very surprised and nearly exclaimed "No!" when I told her that I was nearly thirty, almost ten years her senior. I turned to her cocking an eyebrow.

"You...no look like thirty, Yosua." She said smiling at me from her blankets. I smiled back and then turned back to the fire. I became lost in its light, the dancing flames conjuring up images of my past. Haunting memories of happiness and love that I could only grasp at, never to hold again. Steady breathing behind me alerted me that Elena had fallen asleep, a cursory inspection affirming. Shivering slightly I turned back to the fire and hugged my knees to my chest and settled in for my first night on an alien planet.

The next few days to me were a blur. The very next morning I had started to sweat and shake while collecting more firewood and fresh water from the lake. These precursor symptoms were soon followed by intense vomiting and I vaguely remember passing out, Elena crouching over top of me shaking me and yelling in Spanish. Apparently though, she was able to get me inside the cabin and into the bed where she nursed me through the worst of my pains.

It was on the second day, late at night, in the worst of the DTs and feverish dreams, that I woke feeling a cool cloth being run over my head, neck, and chest, relieving some of the fire that was trying to burn holes through my body. The blonde on the other end of the cloth smiled gently at me and I cried out in joy at her face. My sweet Christine! I always knew I would see her again and feel her loving hands touch me once more. Then my wife's face disappeared, replaced by the worried dark eyes of Elena, her dark hair wreathing her face as she leant over me.

"Yosua? Are you awake? Who is Christine?" I stared at this stranger for several moments before I realized where I was. It hadn't been a dream. It was never a dream, yet it always was. She was still gone. I was still alone. I moaned in anguish and the tears flowed willingly. As I turned from Elena, the fires returning to my chest for new reasons, I reached for the blackness at the edges of my overwrought consciousness, and sank back into blessed oblivion.

I was in and out of consciousness for what must have been days before I awoke feeling more like myself than I had in years. I swung my legs slowly out of the bed and flexed my toes on the cool floor. Looking around I saw Elena curled up on the floor with the cloaks as a pillow. I felt a pang of guilt as I looked to the bed that I had monopolized during my withdrawals. I looked to Elena again, a new sense of gratitude and trust for a women building inside me, something else that I hadn't felt in many years. "How long have I been out? Why do I feel so fucking good?! It must be this place, I vaguely remember Ysona saying something about healing powers...FUCK I'm hungry!" I looked at Elena again and decided not to wake her just yet. I rummaged about in the pack and found some hard bread and dried meat.

The bread was normal fare, but the meat was like nothing I'd ever tasted. It was like beef jerky in texture, as I had expected travel food to be, but the flavor was so intense and filled with spices and flavors I'd not expected. I chewed my way through my portions and then wistfully looked about for more. I shook my head and decided not to push my stomach or our supplies. I found the gourd-like container we'd used for water and drank my fill of the fresh stream water. It was luke-warm but still sweet and clean. My senses run amok. I felt refreshed and energized, almost like I'd used to when I worked out on the regular. I stretched my limbs languidly and then looked at the sleeping form of the Spanish woman on the floor.

I felt something. I was thankful. She had been kind to me, though she had no real reason to do so. I searched inside myself as I continued to look down at her. She meant nothing to me. Just another chick. Probably just waiting till I start to get used to her before she left me, alone, on an alien planet. Best for both of us that I just leave now. I set about packing some rudimentary things for myself, furtively glancing at Elena now and then. She still slept soundly. Her hair had fallen into her face as she slept, and even though our predicament was pretty weird and confusing, she slept with the tiniest of smiles. I found myself staring, and I realized I was smiling. 'Fuck! What the hell dude! Snap out of that bull shit right fucking now!' I scolded myself.

I set about packing again, but flustered, I dropped the gourd as I tried to stuff it in my pack. It clattered to the floor, spilling most of its contents. I cursed inwardly and looked to Elena. Her eyes opened and she sat up alarmed at the noise. She saw me and immediately relaxed.

"Yosua, are you feeling better?" I shivered at the sound of her pronunciation of my name and the smile that accompanied it. I cringed inwardly when I realized that I liked it. I buried that down quickly and began nodding. Play it cool bro.

"Yes, Elena, I am feeling much better thanks to you!" I gave her a tight smile and she smiled back sleepily, all alarm from her features disappearing. She lay her head back down on her make-shift pillow and began dozing again, but I could tell she was still semi awake. Her breathing was steady but deeper than that of someone fully asleep. I found myself staring at her exposed neckline and strong collarbone. She licked her lips and my attention was drawn to them. Full and lush, I could only imagine how soft they would be as they brushed mine. Her eyes fluttered open and met mine. Embarrassed I turned away immediately and muttered something about getting more water.

I grabbed the water gourd and ducked out into the morning sunlight. All the way down to the water's edge I cursed at myself and my situation. I filled up the gourd and made my way back up the small trail to the cabin, kicking at anything that got in my way. It would seem that my revitalization had hit a pot hole and my foul mood came spiraling back in. As I walked back up to the cabin I took one last fit of rage out on an unsuspecting bush, then regained my composure, walking calmly over to the cabin. As I reached the skin in the doorway, I cleared my throat and ducked through.

Elena looked over to me with a small smile, and gratefully took the water from me as I gruffly thrust it in her direction. She must have picked up on my mood and we made very little small talk as we packed our things. She did verify that I was ready to travel already and made several remarks about waiting till I was fully healed. Eventually I made it clear in no uncertain terms that I couldn't just sit around anymore. It was time to go. Grimly I resigned myself to making the most of the time I had with Elena, and, I assured myself, she wouldn't get a chance to ditch me, I would ditch her well before. I will always be better off on my own. She can keep her silly smiles and beautiful eyes. God I need a drink.

Shouldering a pack each, Elena with her walking staff, we set out to the west, the sun at our backs.