Chapter 1

By: Erik Brown

Leaves of many colors swirled about in a mad dance overhead in the windy weather. The grass swayed, submissive to nature's whims. Two youths, both wrapped up in coats and scarves to combat the mid-Autumn weather, were briskly walking on a path.

The path led to the top of a hill, a place they had been going to for some time now. There they could make their secret-plans. There they could play their games with the secret agents and the knights from long ago. Playing games and whiling away the time, time that to them, seemed almost infinite. Wizards, dragons, good and evil, there was nothing that their young minds couldn't imagine, couldn't make fun of something.

Beneath their garments and their skin, beat strong innocent hearts, free from the turmoils of their world. What an age to be, free from the worries and business of adulthood. Some of their peers had begun to grow bored of the toys and the games, and lamented their woes to one day be adults and be free from rules and such things. But these two knew better, they knew that adulthood brought responsibilities. And so they had told each other, that they would cherish any chance they could grasp. It only goes that both of them were birds, and as the creatures of the land know, birds are hopelessly lost in free thoughts and fancies. For they are some of the only ones that know of the air running over their faces, and the only true pleasures that life can offer.

Yet on only one of the boys, did wings stick out of his coat. Two bright red wings that he kept close to him to hold in heat. And while the other youth wished he had wings, wings the color of the sun like his feathers, he knew it was just as well, as he still retained that bird ideal to enjoy life.

The red bird said to his friend as they neared the crest of the hill, "Hey Rei."

"Yeah Te'ro." Rei replied, as he loosened his scarf and breathed out a small cloud of warm air, which in turn was quickly dispersed by the wind.

"I don't know, I was just thinking about something." Te'ro said, as his eyes wandered into the distance.

"Oh, like what," Rei asked, even though he knew that Te'ro was just going to talk about growing up and other boring stuff.

Te'ro scratched his head, underneath the wool cap he wore, "You know… you know how time just keeps flowing out of your hand. Like sand you know?"

"Not really."

"Mean you don't feel that way, that you're not in control of your life. Like we're just on a ride, that we've got no say in what's happening."

"Nah, best not to think about those things, but I've already told you that, Te'ro." Rei sighed, his friend had been acting like this for a few months now.

"Yeah, I guess so." Te'ro shook his head, than looked up towards the clouds, "Besides, even if that were true we still at least think we have a say in our life, don't we?"

Rei looked towards the city in the distance, "Sure."

The winds suddenly blew an icy gust at the two friends, stinging their eyes and making each boy put hands deep in the pockets of their coats.

Te'ro waited until the wind died down, "So, where are you and your family going for Fall holidays? Someplace warm right?"

"Definitely someplace with nicer weather than here." Rei's face brightened up, "Hey, what if I asked if I could take you. We're going to go to the woods down south for the week, it used to be my Great Grandfather's place."

Though a smile was on Te'ro's face, a frown was in his heart beneath his coat, "That would be great." Holiday's had never been big at Te'ro's house. His parents never even bothered to try to get together, no matter what the occasion. "I'll ask my Mom when I get home."

"All right, I'm sure my parents won't mind having you, but I'll have to call you later to let you know." Rei's parents had come to really like Te'ro, and at times they secretly wished that they had been able to raise Te'ro, instead of the Harthas.

For many years ago, just a few years after the Kiljrows, Rei's parents, had gotten married, they found a baby bird all alone in a basket, left to die. The newlyweds were soon expecting Rei, and they feared that raising two children at the same time might lead them to poverty. So they asked the Harthas if they would adopt the baby. The Harthas who had no children, did adopt him, promising to raise Te'ro as best they could. The Kiljrows had regretted it ever since.

Rei didn't know that bit of information though, and its doubtful that Te'ro had done anything but guess that. Not that it mattered in the least, for Te'ro was growing up just fine, and he and Rei had become such great friends as to almost be brothers.

For a moment they just stood there, than Te'ro said, "I should be going."

"Oh."

Te'ro turned towards the path and began walking towards it, "I need to be sure that I catch my Dad before he goes to bed."

"Oh yeah, we'll be leaving in a few days, so I guess it would be a good thing to have time to pack." Rei said to his friend, who had started walking down the hill.

"Yeah." Te'ro replied.

"See you."

"I'll call you."

Rei watched his friend for a while, and then he turned to the clouds, and worried, no, wondered, about the future.

…

As it turned out, Te'ro's parents really didn't care that he would be gone for the next four days, and as Rei had anticipated, his own parents were glad that Te'ro was coming with them. Rei had lied though, it wasn't going to be much warmer in the woods than at home. A little further inland, and only six hours away from home.

Six hours to an adult maybe, but to the two it couldn't be further away. For both of them, if it wasn't in sight, then it was out of reach. Te'ro was glad for that, away from his mother's watchful, though disdaining, gaze, and away from his incessantly depressing father.

"How's life been treating you Te'ro," Rei's father asked the young bird sitting behind him, as he looked at the child using the rearview mirror, "doing good in school, right?"

Te'ro smiled at Rei's father, "Of course Mr. Kiljrow, schools important to me."

"Hah, don't listen to him Dad, he doesn't pay attention or study, and he knows it," Rei narrowed his eyes, "And yet he still does better than me."

"You're the one who doesn't pay attention, always daydreaming. Why, I bet you're daydreaming right now."

Rei turned away from the window to look at his friend, "Yep."

…

They had left early in the morning, hours before the sun had come up, and so they were able to get to the cabin just after midday. The sun hung in the sky as Mr. Kiljrow parked the car on the side of the old building, and got out.

Mr. Kiljrow rummaged through the trunk and handed Rei and Te'ro their things, "You two go and drop your things off near the front door," he then turned and looked at the two birds, "After that you can scout around the cabin, just be careful."

"Okay Dad."

After dumping their things near the front door the two birds ran off towards the other side of the wood house. As they went, they studied the walls of the cabin, all of the walls were made out of logs, roughly done too, giving it a hearty and rustic look. Rei's Great-Grandfather had built it about a hundred years ago.

"What did you say his name was?" Te'ro asked as he looked into the cabin through a dusty window.

"Huh?" Rei put down the rock he was looking under, the kind with all of the bugs, "Oh, his name was Dedrik I think. Dedrik Kiljrow."

"Did he leave anything else behind, because this is kind of cool."

"We have some of his medals, they were passed on to my Dad from Dedrik. He had been given the medals for fighting in a war. My Dad told me a lot about him."

Te'ro jumped onto a fallen log, "Really, was he interesting?"

Rei jumped onto the opposite end, "Oh yeah, in his late years he went kind of nuts and they locked him up so he couldn't hurt himself. Something had happened during that war he was in.

"Whatever it was, he kept it hidden from his friends and family for a long time, though his wife had suspected something for awhile. A traumatic event had stayed with him from his fighting days, and haunted him until his death."

Te'ro shook his head, "Did he ever tell anyone what it was?"

"Nope, he carried it to his death, but he might have left some sort of writing or object that might tell the whole story. In fact I'm sure he did." Rei leapt off the log, landing on the grass.

Rei continued, "Otherwise he was known to be a kind and gentle bird, despite, and in spite of, the war that plagued his childhood."

Te'ro again shook his head and looked up at the mossy roof of the cabin, "Wouldn't it be a great privilege to meet him? There aren't any survivors of the war left. You know, there hasn't ever been another war quite like that one, be neat to hear about it from someone who experience it first hand."

"Yeah, I suppose it would." Rei bent and picked up a stick and faced Te'ro, who was still on the fallen log.

Rei leapt back onto the log and brandished the stick in his hand like a sword, he said to Te'ro, "Have at ye."

Te'ro dodged his friend's thrust, but slipped on the mossy bark and fell off of the log. Rei hardly had a chance to ask Te'ro if he was hurt, when his friend jumped onto the log with another stick. "You won't be rid of me that easily."

They faced each other, and steadied their make believe blades. "Mine sword is made from the finest metal from the core of the world, and it was tempered by heat of a living mountain," Rei taunted his opponent, in as deep a voice as he could muster.

"But a sword isn't everything my friend," Te'ro shot back, "For the ability I wield my blade with is, sad to say, a hundred times better than you shall ever attain to."

The two young birds began their duel, with childish and amateur parries and thrusts. Two sticks flying through the air only to crash into another, sending little bits of wood into the air. A jab here and a jab there, Rei hardly knew it, but his friend was actually sizing up Rei's ability and his weaknesses!

Rei began to follow a pattern, oblivious that Te'ro was making good a plan. Jab, the stick went just shy of Te'ro's midsection, Rei meant no harm from the attack, his stick going scant fast enough to bruise. There was his opening, Te'ro grabbed Rei's right hand, the one he had been swinging the stick with, and without thinking Te'ro punched his friend face with his left.

Both the friends stared in disbelief, as a small bit of blood trickled out of Rei's left nostril, rolling down his beak and into his mouth. In that instant Rei let out a startled yelp, which alerted his parents.

"Are you all right!" Te'ro worriedly asked his friend, "Oh what have I done," He lamented.

"Rei! Te'ro! What's going on?" Mr. Kiljrow was soon around the side of the house, almost quicker than his voice, which continued to ring in the empty wood.

Rei just stood there, more dazed than hurt or injured. Some tears rolled down his cheeks, only because the blow had sent acute pain through his sinuses. This only worried Te'ro more, as Mr. Kiljrow's father pulled Rei to him.

"Are you alright son?" Rei asked his son, harsh at first but he quickly realized everything was all right, "You're not hurt are you?"

Rei shook his head, "Wha, no, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry Rei, really I am."

Mr. Kiljrow put his arm around his sons shoulder, and he said to Te'ro "Rei will be okay, he's just a little shook up."

Te'ro followed the two as they headed towards the cabin's door, Mr. Kiljrow spoke to the two, "Lets go on inside, get you two some hot cocoa, that ought to make everything better," then he said into his sons ear, "If you two ever do something like that again, try not to fall for the same trick twice."

Soon all four were in the cabin, with logs burning on the hearth, and injury remedying warm drinks in hand.

…

For some years after the death of its maker the cabin had lain desolate, collecting dust, and becoming a retreat for spiders and cobwebs. It was Rei's sensible grandmother who had decided to rent it out, being that it was an excellent piece of property, with a prime fishing spot not far off.

So fortunately it was adequately furnished, at least for sleeping arrangements. Mr. Kiljrow realized the night they arrived that the cabin was lacking several, albeit small, supplies. There was a town only about a half-hour away, so Rei's Dad decided to take the opportunity in the morning, and stock up in town.

Rei and Te'ro pleaded to go with him, and Mrs. Kiljrow wasn't going to be left alone at the cabin. So they all piled back into the car again, and drove off for the town.

Shortly they arrived at the little antiquated town. For the grownups it was a view into the past, into, perhaps, simpler times and happy childhoods. It was quite different for the boys, they saw it as an adventure in itself, as if the town were a treasure map, stained dirty brown, with torn edges, and the design on it lead only to excitement.

As soon as the car was parked, the family piled out. As Mr. Kiljrow was on his way to a small store, Mrs. Kiljrow took the boys for a walk. There was a small park over a ways, and the ancient monoliths of metal, slides and jungles gyms, which lay forever immobile in the ground, beckoned the two birds. Or at least it should have. Rei saw a sign out of the corner of his eye, and he did a double take to make sure he didn't imagine it.

He nudged Te'ro in the ribs and pointed it out to him. They both saw it, a sign all black, propped up on the corner of the sidewalk just a little bit ahead of them. The magical thing was what it said, for painted clearly on it in white letters, were the words 'Treasure Shop', followed by an arrow pointing down the side-street. It was something that clearly fascinated the two boys, as being how young boys are, believed in the fantastical things. Things like the strong possibility of finding buried pirate treasure, despite being hundreds of miles inland.

"Mom," Rei happily asked, "Can we go to the Treasure Shop?"

Mrs. Kiljrow laughed inside, looking inward at the young girl she used to be, knowing that if she were a child, she too would want to go. She immediately knew, that it was at its best, probably an antique store, but considering the town, more possibly a junk store. "Yes Rei, we can go to the Treasure shop."

The boys hurried her along until they were inside the store. Soon they were adjusting their eyes in the poorly-lit store, trying to spy gold doubloons or jeweled swords. Suffice to say they were disappointed to see mounds of old junk, things that had lost their magic long ago, now much too faded and worn to be of any worth.

Old records lay in a box over in one corner, glasses and cups were left in reckless abandon among a multitude of shelves and cabinets. Stacks of chairs, worn out appliances, and thousands of books laid haphazardly on shelves, all served to make it all the more disappointing.

Perhaps there was one magical thing there, the greatest antiquity of them all, the one with the most stories yet to tell. It was the one that stood behind a still-older register. The shopkeeper, who ran the so-called 'Treasure Shop', was an elderly old gray turtle, with his thick spectacles, and the ornate cane he carried, Rei fancied him as like a wizard. And he watched quietly, as the three birds perused over his collection of forgotten treasures. As Rei walked by him, the aging turtle slowly leaned towards the gold bird and his ancient voice said, "I can see it in your eyes young one, and I know what you are looking for."

While this warmed that young ones heart, it did nothing for Te'ro when Rei told him. Both Te'ro and Mrs. Kiljrow, who had come in expecting at least something worthwhile, were both thoroughly disenchanted.

"Come on children, your Father should be done by now." Mrs. Kiljrow said as she took the two birds by their hands.

Te'ro was ready to leave, but Rei was not, "No wait, I think I saw something." Rei saw the shopkeeper wink at him out of the corner of his eye, "We'll be out in a couple minutes."

"Okay, but don't take too long." As she left Rei dragged his friend over to the turtle.

The old one straightened his spectacles, coughed, and tapped his cane on the floorboards a few times, than said, "Good morning young ones, you can call me Val'Gain, and this is my treasure store. What do you think of it?"

Te'ro snapped at Val'Gain, "It's lousy."

Rei glared at his friend, "Don't be rude."

"But you're friend has a point, for surely even you were disappointed by the artifacts within these four walls."

The young bird looked away from Val'Gain, as the turtle continued to speak, "For everything that is made by hand, has a bit of its creator's heart within it, and as long as his creations live on, then the creator never really dies.

"But not the things here, these things were all built in great smoke-churning factories, built by laboring creatures who cared not for what they were making. And so these pieces of metal, and the pulp of trees, never even knew magic or life. Not like real treasure at all. Real Treasure Shops have long been gone, and now treasure is only in the eye of the beholder. Only you can make something into treasure, for where your treasure is, so there is your heart."

"That’s great," Te'ro said, as he rolled his eyes. "Come on Rei, there's nothing here."

Rei shook free of his friends grip, "Wait!" Then he turned to Val'Gain, "Then there's really nothing here that we might treasure?"

Val'Gain sighed deeply, and he shuddered as if some deep pain gripped him, "I have something," another long sigh, "that you may want."

The turtle rang up the till, and then proceeded to take the antique tray out. Setting the quite empty till aside, he reached inside the ancient register and brought forth an old browned piece of cloth. He looked at Rei, "Do you know what this is?"

As the Rei took it, and held the piece of cloth in his hands, he began to shake, "Is this a-a, treasure map?"

Val'Gain turned to look at Te'ro with querying eyes, and asked, "Is it?"

The red bird stared into the turtle's eyes for a few seconds. Rei watched them as they stood as if in a trance. After a few breathless moments, Te'ro turned to look at the map. All emotion had seemingly drained from the bird, as he said in a cold dry voice, "Why yes, yes it is."

"And you know what you must do?" Val'Gain asked as Te'ro took the map from Rei's frozen hands.

"Yes, I do." And Te'ro rolled up the map and put it in his pocket. He then turned and walked out of the store.

Rei watched his friend, then turned to look at the turtle, and asked in a meek voice, "What is going on?"

Rei looked into the old eyes, seeing the twin cobalt irises. And Rei looked still further, as the color seemed to vanish, and two figures appeared, and fought each other in a frenzied battle. Rei wanted to stay there and watch, but a voice was calling him.

The voice was talking to Rei, it was Val'Gain, "Bird with feathers that burn as bright as the sun, I have now told you what you must do, I have pressed the information deep inside your heart, and it shall come to the surface when it is needed. But whatever comes about, you must always hold on to what you believe, Rei, and you must always be strong."

And Rei could hear the old turtle talking, he tried to anyway, but he felt like he was a million miles away.