The Cathedral of St. Nicholas is located at the Northern edge of the city, one of the last few man made structures you'll see before you reach the edge of the Sea of Trees. A large graying Gothic structure laid out in a Greek cross shape made from heavy stones with walls decorated by depictions of Biblical events, saints being tortured and ascending to heaven, and statues of gargoyles eternally watching over everyone by the cathedral's spires, it's run by an ever-changing line of priests, bishops, nuns, monks, and other men and women of the cloth from different religious orders. The cathedral itself existed for at least 1500 years and has stood the test of time, surviving earthquakes, famines, fires, and other natural and man-made disasters.
Any visitor or parishioner entering it would be amazed by the majestic beauty of the natural light shining through the intricately designed large stained glass windows placed high above the cathedral. Whenever the sun is high and shining down upon it, the interior of the cathedral would be filled by an array of colors: reds, oranges, blues mixing and illuminating everything in it. The whole building is supported by seven pillars on both sides with arches between each pillar. Its pews were made from fallen Oak trees that grew on the edge of the Sea of Trees, the only wood from the forest safe enough to harvest and process while still retaining some levels of magic. In the heart of the cathedral lies the holy altar, with a large gold-plated crucifix made from the same oak tree eternally placed on the farthest wall.
To the right of the magnificent Cathedral of St. Nicholas lies the Orphanage of St. Anthony of Padua with the cathedral's monastery behind it, which shared the same Gothic design and architecture with the cathedral. The whole complex is laid out in a triangle with a garden in the middle of the three, where the children from the orphanage and the priests and nuns and monks would relax and read their books. The garden also contained an elaborate and magnificent water fountain in the middle of it.
Since he was four years old, when his parents were consumed by an unfortunate house fire while trying to save his life, Tommy has lived in the orphanage along with the other orphans of the city. Though he doesn't remember what his parents looked like, he treated everyone in the orphanage and the monastery as if they’re his family. He was friendly to everyone, kids who were younger or older than him, monks, nuns, priests, and even to the parishioners who would go out of their way to visit the cathedral on the edge of the city to worship every Sunday.
Almost every month, he would be visited by the man who found him wandering around the city after the death of his parents and saved his life. He was a peculiar doctor who had proficiency in medical alchemy and magic and lived in the middle of the city. The doctor would always bring a box of Tommy's favorite chocolates that reminded him of his lost family. They would talk and play with the other kids. The doctor would also teach him some of the basics and rules of magic even though the clergymen discouraged him. Though he frequently visited, he never adopted Tommy, saying that Tommy would be much better off in the orphanage where he can actually be taken care of and educated more properly compared to staying in the chaos that is his home and clinic. But nevertheless, he expressed that, when the time comes, he would come back and finally take Tommy in as his apprentice. Their meetings would always end with the doctor rustling his black hair and walking into the sunset, both of them going back to their respective lives. Now that he's ten years old, he would exclaim that he would like to be like the doctor who helped anyone in need whenever anyone asked him what he wants to be when he grows up.
One Wednesday evening, while the children were all eating their dinners together in the dining hall, the head administrator of the orphanage stood up in front of everyone bringing a new girl along with him. She was small in stature, probably no older than nine years old. He held her hand, never letting her go. She clenched onto her white cane, holding it to her chest, and adjusted her shades. She held her head down. The other kids wouldn't stop looking at the new kid, murmuring to each other as to what's wrong with the new kid. Tommy was still munching his meal, too hungry and busy to look at anyone.
"Children, please listen!" the head administrator called to everyone. "Starting today, we will be joined by Suzie here in the orphanage. Please be good to her."
"H-hello everyone," she said almost in a whisper, barely even being heard by the front row.
"Please speak up louder, Suzie. The other kids can't hear you," the administrator whispered to her.
She complied. "H-hello everyone! I-I'm Suzie. N-nice to meet you all!" She shuffled behind the head administrator with knees shaking. The head administrator assured Suzie, caressing her back.
"She lost her mom a month ago. Suzie can’t see. She’s blind and needs her cane to help her move around. I'd like for you all to be understanding of Suzie and her condition." All of the children agreed.
After a few more minutes of explanation from the administrator, Suzie was escorted to an open seat among her peers. The only vacant seat available that the head administrator found for Suzie was besides Tommy, who never paid attention to Suzie's introduction. Noticing that the head administrator was behind him, Tommy immediately stopped from eating and wiped his mouth using his table napkin.
“Behave yourself, Tommy,” the head administrator said to him.
He observed the new girl beside him once the head administrator had left. The first thing that he noticed was how slow she used her utensils to pick up food and feed it to herself. He was so entranced as to how the blind girl ate that he almost forgot to finish his meal. When he was done with eating, he looked at the girl again and saw that she still wasn't done. It seems that she's one of the last few of the kids who still weren't done.
A nun noticed that Suzie was struggling with her meal. She walked to her position and knelt by her, asking if she can help her in eating.
“Thank you, Sister, but I can do it,” Suzie replied apologetically. The nun smiled and stood up.
“If you need any help, Tommy here can help you.” The nun placed a hand on the shoulder of the child. “Be a good big brother and guide Suzie, okay?” He nodded, watched as the sister walked away before turning his attention to the new kid. She was still tapping as to where the fork was when Tommy sneakily adjusted it a little so Suzie would be able to find it. A smile appeared on the girl’s face but soon faltered, leaving Tommy confused.
“You didn’t have to,” Suzie said in a whisper.
"W-who? M-me?" he asked. “I didn’t do anything!”
“I’m blind, not a dummy. Unlike you, big dum-dum.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
There was silence between them. He didn't say anything else after that. The only thing he did was to wait for her to finish. One by one, their peers finished their meals and went back to their rooms until the last people in there were the two of them.
Suzie broke the awkward stillness with her voice “Hey, Tommy?”
“Yeah? What’s up?” He perked up instantly, thinking that maybe the thing he did earlier, whatever that was, is long gone, forgotten, and forgiven. The boy watched as the other scrunched her face as if to strain her hearing.
“Are we the last ones here?”
“No.” He lied, not wanting to hurt her feelings but this also caused Suzie to frown even more.
“Don’t lie, I think we are. It’s too quiet.”
“Yeah,” the boy yielded. “We’re the last ones.”
“Oh, okay. Help?”
It was then that Tommy realized she was the type who appreciated the truth. Maybe people used to lie to her a lot? But for whatever reason, she preferred the truth no matter how painful it sounds. Tommy wished that everybody could be like that sometimes. Lying is pretty hard after all. “You’re weird.” he laughed, giving her a helping hand by describing what they were eating so Suzie at least knows what to expect.
When Suzie finally finished eating, Tommy picked up the plate and utensils for her.
"Thanks for waiting for me," Suzie said to Tommy as he was about to walk to the sink to wash the dishes. "Not a lot of people do that when I eat with them. I'm usually the last one left with a babysitter or something." There was a pout in her face.
"No problem," he replied while grinning. "I can wait for you to finish in every meal, if you want me to. Or sneakily move the spoon closer so you’d think you found it." Suzie snickered, smiling at the little inside joke they made. After the dishes were cleaned, Tommy assisted Suzie back to her quarters.
Tommy stayed up late that night. Sometimes, when his mind is racing and would not let him go to sleep, he would sneak out to the garden and look at the night sky, feeling the chilly night breeze touch his skin.
The stars were immaculate. When he was little, he thought that the stars were fireflies that were forever suspended in the sky. The doctor taught him that stars were actually big balls of gas burning millions and millions of miles away from our world. Using his index finger, he traced a few constellations that he was familiar with. He traced the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. He lied down on the grass and reached out to the night sky, wishing that he'll be able to escape the orphanage and travel the world. He stayed there until he finally felt drowsy and went back to his room.
The following day, Suzie mingled along with Tommy and his friends during their afternoon break after their classes. The kids circled around her and asked her questions: where she came from, why is she blind, how old is she, all of which she felt too shy to even answer properly. Feeling overwhelmed with the multitude of questions she was being asked, she shuffled behind Tommy and held him by the tail of his t-shirt.
"Okay guys, that's enough. I think she's had enough." Tommy stood proudly and shielded the new girl.
"’M sorry," Suzie whispered.
“Aw boo, you’re no fun Tommy! We were only asking.” One of the girls playfully stuck her tongue out and turned to Suzie. “Sorry if we were being pesky, Suzie. We didn’t mean to. Promise!”
Tommy turned around and faced Suzie, placing one of his hands on her shoulder. "You don't have to apologize. You'll be fine here. Everyone is nice to everyone.” All of the kids agreed, laughing a bit as some decided to play by the gardens while the others were plotting to pull a prank on the monastery. “And if anybody messes with you, me and the guys will protect you! You best believe me!" He flexed his right bicep and held the small bump with his left hand. Suzie couldn't help but smile when he heard him making flexing noises and showing off by saying, “Look at these muscles.”
“I can’t see them, so that means those aren’t real!”
Within the following days and weeks, Suzie was able to fit in with the rest of the children. Tommy's friends Jack, Kenny, Irene, Jericho, and Sam became her friends as well. They would study together usually in the library of the orphanage and play in the garden afterwards. Tommy would usually lead the gang during play time. On some lovely Saturdays, they would just lie down on the grass of the garden and feel the gentle breeze. Tommy would describe his surroundings to Suzie so that she can have an idea on what's going on during their downtime. His favorite thing to describe to her were the shapes of the clouds that pass them all by. Though he was having fun with everyone, Tommy couldn't stop feeling sad for Suzie and her affliction. Maybe the doctor can heal her eyesight, he thought. He must know some sort of spell or potion that can help her see.
One lazy Sunday afternoon, Tommy and Suzie were lying down on the grass while the rest of their friends were playing tag. As Tommy was looking at the sky and describing each cloud to Suzie, Suzie called his attention.
“What is it?” he asked. Tommy sat up properly.
Suzie tilted her head up towards the sky, as if she’s looking at the heavens. “I like it here. Better than the last one. Everyone is so nice, why?”
Tommy shrugged. “I don’t really know, I think maybe it’s because we’re only a few kids?”
”Thank you for being there for me. When I first got here, I—” A scream was heard in the distance followed by a high pitched cry. “Sister Mediatrix, help!” One of the sisters who were looking after the kids, screamed for the attention of Mother Superior all the while the rest of the children were crying. Panic was all over Suzie’s face while she furiously tugged onto the sleeve’s of Tommy’s shirt, begging to know what’s going on. But he couldn’t find the words to speak. He grabbed her hand, his cold clammy ones only made Suzie panic even more.
“Mark! Marky, no!” A girl named Annabell was held back by some of the nuns as they were all ushered back inside. Tommy couldn’t sleep that night. Not in a long while, the memory of Mark’s body being wheeled in on a stretcher with his body covered by a bloody white sheet would haunt him. And the worse part is, he was only a few feet away from the forest.
For at least a week, none of the kids were allowed to go out to the garden again and no one dared to. It was during this time Tommy told Suzie why everyone was kind, in his theory anyway. “I think it’s because we’re only a few kids here. Some of us get adopted while others…”
She patiently waited for Tommy to finish as he glanced out of the stained glass window and into the gardens. “They go to the forest?” The silence only confirmed things she didn’t need to ask any further. The heaviness of the conversation made the girl think of other things they could talk about.
“I was born blind, mommy said I was special.” Tommy eagerly shifted his attention to her. “It doesn’t bother me, not seeing. But my uncle told me on the day that mommy got into an accident that she wasn’t coming home and that he’ll protect me… I wish he just said that mommy died. I’ll cry, but he didn’t have to lie. He didn’t have to lie about protecting me either. No one wants to adopt a blind girl. I get it.” Suzie patted around until she had grabbed onto his shirt and shoved him. “So don’t lie to me too! I know you’re sad so be sad! Okay?”
The tears welled up on the girl’s eyes, but she tried her hardest to wipe them away and show how much she was angry. Tommy wasn’t able to hold back the tears and also started crying. She hugged him and he hugged back. For the first time in a long time, Tommy felt scared. This time, he wasn’t alone.
"Hey everybody!" Jack called his friends' attention while they were eating their lunches the following Tuesday. "Dare you guys to step a foot away from the forest for a buck!"
"You don’t have a buck, Jack." Kenny replied. Jack adjusted the position of his circular glasses.
"Says who?” Jack pulled out a bill from his pocket and everyone at their table stared in awe. There wasn’t a need for money but it was a nice thing to have inside the orphanage, like trading cards and sticker books.
Kenny crossed his arms. “Where did you get that, Jack? Stole from the donation box again?”
“HA! For your information, I helped the older kids in cleaning the monastery’s library the other day!” Satisfied with his answer everyone else went back to eating although the kid continued. “I also heard them talking about the forest and a book about it.”
Tommy paused eating and interjected. "A book? But, don’t we have that in our own library?"
Jack puffed once in confidence and crossed his arms. "Yeah, we have that. But get this, the one hidden has more information. Spells, enchantments, hidden locations and other mystical creatures that’s been removed. That’s what I heard though. After that, we just went back here."
"But why would anyone even leave that out? Isn't that a little bit irresponsible?" Irene asked, placing her fork down on her plate.
"Maybe there's something they didn't want us to know!" Jericho stood up and exclaimed. "Or maybe they're hiding the fact that it was actually written by aliens! Oooooooh!" He flailed his arms above his head and wiggled his fingers. Everyone laughed, except for Irene who was mildly annoyed by Jericho's antics and pulled him down to his seat.
"Why would they even write stuff about that place? There's nothing down there but trees and that mountain..." Sam asked while she played with her food.
“Explain Mark, Sam,” Jack said. “That place is too dangerous and you know it. There’s something in those woods.”
“M-maybe it’s the monsters…” Suzie interjected.
"Monsters. Really, Suzie?" Tommy asked, always skeptical about tales of monsters and otherworldly beings. He was expecting that Suzie would say a serial killer was actually behind it, but after seeing Mark he wasn’t so sure.
"I-I don’t know… My mommy used to tell me stories about scary monsters that lived in the forest. People used to be afraid of them, but after a guild managed to push them deep into hiding in the forest, people continued on living, almost forgetting about the scary beings.”
Nobody talked after Suzie finished her story. They all have heard of rumors about the forest but this is the first time that they were told about this detail. Everyone was silent, until Irene spoke up.
"What a bunch of baloney! Monsters in the forest? Really? That's just a story the grown ups would tell us to scare us into behaving. Judging from what I've been reading, they're probably just regular plants and animals, written down as if they're truly scary."
"Say whatever you want, Irene. All I know is that the forest is creepy," Kenny said. The other kids all silently agreed. They all moved on from the topic. Next thing they know, lunch was already over and they all had to go back to their classes.
Tommy tossed and turned in his bed that night. The mere thought of a secret book hidden in the monastery library kept him from having a good night's sleep. He was skeptical, of course, but for some reason, it’s as if he’s compelled to find it just to prove to them that it’s not real. He tried closing his eyes and counting sheep but before he even got to a number higher than the number four, his thoughts were already on the book.
His curiosity has finally gotten to him. "That's it," he whispered to himself. "I'm getting that book." He sat up and made sure that nobody else in his room was awake. He got down from the top of his bunk bed, tiptoed to his steamer trunk to get his flashlight, and stealthily left the room.
The first place he went to after getting out was Jack’s room a few rooms down the hall. The lights were already off and the moon was high. Tommy could feel his heart racing as he snuck to the room where Jack and Kenny were staying. He hurriedly knocked on the door.
“Jack! Jack! Wake up,” he said in a whisper, hoping that his friend would hear him. After a few minutes, the door opened and Jack was standing, rubbing his eyes trying to fight off the drowsiness but kept on losing.
“Yes, honey?” He hummed dreamily, thinking it was his imaginary girlfriend Amy looking for him. Tommy, too stunned, merely corrected him.
“No, it’s Tommy. Do you remember about the book we talked about at lunch? The one in the monastery library?”
The kid yawned, leaning his weight onto the door frame“Mmhhh Tommy? Book?” He asked, still going in and out of his dream state to even comprehend what was going on.
“Yes, Jack. The book the older kids told you about.”
Nodding, Jack stood still for a few seconds before replying “Tommy, I’m sleepy. Can I go back to bed now?”
“No, wait, Jack. Focus. I need more detail on how to find it. What was the book? What does it look like?”
“Too many questions, Jacky head hurt, wanna sleep...”
“What does it look like? I’ll get you your favorite chocolate bar if you give me info.”
“Chocky… bar….” Suddenly there were footsteps resonating in the hallway, Tommy then looked back at his sleepy friend lulling himself back.
“Jack please or… or… I’ll kiss Amy!”
Jack whined “Nooo… ‘M sorry, Tommy, sleepy. Restricted area… I think...”
“Oh Amy, you're so pretty I could just—” The footsteps were drawing nearer and nearer. “I could just kiss you!” He blurted out, feeling weird that he did that.
“Book! It’s old. Maybe a journal... I don’t know Tommy, I’m sorry I only wanted money. Please don’t steal Amy from me...” Jack was on the verge of tears, eyes closed and lips trembling.
“You got it. She’s all yours. Thanks for the info, buddy! Go back to sleep now.”
“Wait… going….you?”
“Uhhh, nowhere. Do you wanna come though?” Tommy said, even though he wasn’t really going to let Jack come with him on his heist.
“No, thanks... I’m going back to bed. Bye Tommy, good luck. Bye Mr. Fischer.” Jack closed the door and went back to sleep.
The last line caught him off guard. Tommy turned around and to his relief, Mr. Fischer wasn’t even there. Creeped out by what Jack said and threatening to kiss his imaginary girlfriend, he ran off to his quest.
Because he would sometimes stay up late and wander around the complex in the middle of the night, he had to memorize the patterns and schedules of the night watchmen that guarded the whole place. He knew that Mr. Fischer was the guard on duty that Thursday night. Though he's often seen as a jolly old man whom Tommy had good conversations with before, Mr. Fischer can be extremely strict if he caught anyone taking a little stroll around the complex when it's already past the curfew. He had to be double careful.
From what he can remember, the library in question was located on the fourth floor of the monastery building, a place he hasn't fully explored yet. Children and visitors were usually kept from entering the monastery building so as to not disturb the monks who were praying and living there. Right now, the monks would be getting ready to end their midnight prayers while Mr. Fischer would be wandering around the grounds, making sure that no one else besides the monks was up.
Flashlight on hand, Tommy walked down the stairs from the third floor of the orphanage and into the garden. It was a beautiful night, the moon was about to enter its first quarter phase. On regular late night travels, he would sit down and just observe the moon right there and then. But this is not one of those nights. He had a book to find. He kept his flashlight off, deciding to open it once he's inside the library.
He found Mr. Fischer greeting the monks who were done with their midnight prayers. They had a quick chat before Mr. Fischer escorted them back to the monastery building. Tommy hid behind one of the bases of the cloister far from the cathedral, waiting for the perfect opportunity to move on. When they were all out of sight and Mr. Fischer entered the cathedral to turn off the lights, Tommy sneaked into the monastery building side, hiding behind the darkness to keep himself from being spotted by Mr. Fischer. He entered through a large and heavy wooden door.
The first thing that Tommy found after entering the monastery building was another garden. Though smaller than the one in the middle of the complex, it is nonetheless more beautiful. The grass was more maintained and it grew daffodils. But what's more noticeable was the fountain in the middle of it, a small white circular fountain with four cherubs each holding a large fish while standing on one leg placed on the north, south, east, and west of the fountain. In the middle stands a woman on top of a clump of rocks looking up to the sky while holding a large clam shell with both of her hands above her head where the water flowed down into the basin of the fountain. The water sparkled under the glow of the moonlight. Tommy couldn't help but walk up to the fountain and dip his hand into the water. The water was cold and clear. He could see his hand clearly on the water. After admiring the water and the fountain, Tommy pulled out his hand, wiped it dry on his t-shirt and shorts, and finally entered through the other door.
The first floor contains the offices, classrooms, and the dining hall while the second and third floor were the sleeping quarters of the holy men and women of the monastery. Tommy climbed up the stairs carefully, trying not to make a sound with his slippers. Most of the monks and the clergymen were already inside of their quarters.
The entrance to the library is located on the other side of the hallway. Every step he took made his heart pound faster and faster until he reached the door. There was a sentence carved above the door. ET QUI AUGET SCIENTIAM, AUGET DOLOREM. Tommy tried reading the words written there but he could not understand it. It looked alien to him. He felt uneasy just by standing there. He had the chance to turn around while he was in the fountain and he also had a chance to turn around when he was hiding from Mr. Fischer. But now that he's here only means that there is no turning around anymore. He had to steel himself. He held the silver doorknob and turned it, surprised to discover that it wasn’t actually locked.
He turned his flashlight and shone down the library's hallway. The monastery’s library had a maze of bookcases filled with books from end to end, with sections dedicated for different genres and topics. A section of bookcases to his left were dedicated to astronomy, while a part somewhere deep in the library was for World History. There were also desks and seats near the entrance where the monks would study their notes or books. The dusty library fascinated Tommy, almost to the point of forgetting as to what he was after in there.
He shook his head aggressively, bringing his senses back to him. "Focus, Tommy, focus! You're not here for sightseeing." Satisfied that his urge to aimlessly walk around the library was gone, he breathed in deep and started to look for the fabled book. The first place he went to was the section about magical places where he immediately found a copy of A Compendium for the Sea of Trees from the Notes of Hermes Trismegistus, Sorcerer and Alchemist, or A Compendium for the Sea of Trees for short. Tommy used his flashlight to illuminate the book.
The book, currently in its tenth edition, was originally written shortly before the founding of the cathedral and the monastery, even preceding the founding of their city, by an ancient sorcerer. There's an illustration of the author's portrait on the back cover of the book. Hermes Trismegistus was portrayed as a bearded and hooded man holding what appears to be a globe or some similar looking object while pointing at the sun and the moon beside him.
He noticed that there were some texts written in fine print just below the book's title, something that he never noticed before. Heavily Edited for Public Reading and Consumption by the Alchemy Guild of Doctors and Sorcerers. Underneath it is a small crest, a heater shield with a boiling cauldron and a Celtic cross in the middle and two dragons parallel to each other on both sides of the shield. Two laurel branches decorated the top of the shield while two doves decorated the bottom. "The Alchemy Guild," he whispered to himself in surprise. Tommy wondered whether the doctor is a part of it too or not. All that he can remember was that the crest was crossed out on the doctor’s copy.
The book basically functions as a field guide specifically and only for the mystical forest adjacent to them. Flipping through the pages, he found things that he already knew about from reading the copy in the orphanage's library and the doctor's copy, information about different locations, animals, and plants living in the forest. The doctor used to bring the book with him anywhere he went and Tommy would borrow it sometimes just because his copy had more notes and annotations scribbled on the edges of the page. The extra notes fascinated him even though he couldn't understand most of what's written down. Sadly, the doctor told him that he lost the copy the last time he went into the Sea of Trees.
He kept on flipping the pages and there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary there. Disappointed, he placed the book back on the shelf and went on to look for another book. He shifted from book to book, trying to find any new information. Once he had already exhausted all of the books from that section of the library, he went to the section about magical creatures. Again, his searching resulted in gaining no new knowledge. He shifted from section to section, pulling and returning back the books he thought were the one. He lost track as to how long he was searching in the library.
And then, just when he was about to finally give up and go back to his room, he accidentally shone the light of his flashlight at the very end of the library. His gut feeling dictated him to walk towards the end of the hall where he found a section closed off by a plain hemp rope. The rope held a sign in the middle. “RESTRICTED SECTION: Access is only for the librarian on duty.”
Tommy shone a light on top of the door frame of the restricted section. On top of it is an engraving of runes and other magical symbols. He once told the doctor that he wanted to learn how to read them. The doctor forbade him from learning it, saying that he’s still too young to understand the runes and how to interpret it into other languages.
“I think the book’s in this part,” Tommy whispered to himself. He went under the rope and continued to look around.
The books in this section were noticeably different compared to the other books from the main part of the library. For one, most of the books here looked a lot older, with more signs of wear and tear on the spines and covers of the books. Some levels of the bookshelves were sealed up by heavy metal chains with heavy metal locks. A lot of the books had runic symbols written on the spine as well. Tommy walked up to a bookshelf and pulled out the first book he found. Flipping through the book, he discovered that the entire thing is written in runes, with illuminated illustrations drawn and written entirely by hand. Because he could not understand the book, he just placed it back to where he found it.
It probably took him another hour of searching before he finally yawned and stretched. His eyes were getting heavy and he needed to go back to his room before anybody discovered his empty bed. Disappointed, but not surprised, he sighed and was about to turn around when he noticed a book out of place in a bookshelf at the corner of the library that looks as if it were about to fall off and if one would try to push it in place, it would be too tight to fit in. Tommy walked towards the book. Getting in close, he could see that the book was old, just like the rest of the books in the collection. He pulled it out of its placement.
The book was heavy and the red leather cover was full of scratches, marks, and a slight discoloration due to its age. The brown spine contained no words to identify it. The book’s only identification were the embossed letters H and T on the lower right corner of the front cover. Tommy opened the front cover. “The Journal of Hermes Trismegistus” was handwritten on the first page. There were small ink blotches and splatter marks everywhere. The pages were deep-white with a slight hint of yellow that felt like velvet and made a slight rustle sound when turned.
I, Hermes Trismegistus, son of Herakleides, am here to recount my experiences with the Sea of Trees, a forest that mysteriously grew overnight by a village on the foot of a mountain, it began on the next right-hand page. “The Sea of Trees…” he whispered, reading the name of the forest. Convinced enough with his discovery, he carried under his armpit, turned off his flashlight, and planned his escape.
The main garden was visible from one of the windows of the monastery library. Looking out of the window and down the garden, he saw no roaming lights. Mr. Fischer was probably back in the guardhouse, reading a book or listening to the radio to keep him awake. Tommy took one more look on the cover and left the library, making sure to not make a sound when he closed the library door.
The lights were still off when he got back to his room. He returned the flashlight in his trunk and hid the book under his pillows. Mission success, he thought to himself. The last thing he heard before drifting to the land of dreams was the voice of Jericho mumbling something about being spoon fed by Irene, as if they were on a date in his dreams.
After getting his hands on the journal, Tommy would read it every night after he made sure that everyone of his roommates was already asleep. He slowly started to understand the contents as he read on, even though he still doesn’t believe it. He started taking down notes and cross referencing his discoveries with the copy of the Compendium from the orphanage’s library. He noticed the differences between the two books, the many other dark and terrifying creatures that were omitted for the Compendium, other hidden places both malevolent and benevolent, how to traverse the Sea of Trees, the equipment needed for the journey, and other important details. Hermes Trismegistus also stressed on the importance of salt and lanterns in his journal, saying that salt can destroy monsters such as the Things and other dark creatures while the lantern is used to navigate within the Sea of Trees.
One day, the doctor was finally able to visit him. He found Tommy lounging on the grass under a tree with his friends. It’s been a few months after Mark’s death and although there was slight reluctance from the monastery allowing the children out in the gardens, the majority had agreed to keeping the kids in close proximity, so as not to have another incident.
“Tommy!” he called out to him. Hearing a familiar voice, Tommy excitedly jumped up and ran to the doctor with open arms. The doctor hugged him tightly. The other kids followed him, Suzie just close behind holding onto Jericho’s hand.
"You look happy," the doctor said. He rustled Tommy’s hair and the boy gave him a large grin.
“Wait for us!” Jack exclaimed.
“Come on, Tommy! Don’t leave us behind,” Sam said once they were able to get to the two. The other kids panted until they were finally able to catch their breaths.
“Hello, Mister Doctor,” greeted Irene.
“You all have been good, kids?” They all nodded in agreement. The doctor rustled each of the kids’ hair. “And who might this be?” All of the kids turned their attention to Suzie who was placed iunder an unknowingly metaphorical spotlight. Jericho gave Suzie’s hand a light squeeze, signaling that the man was referring to her.
“Suzie!” She answered with every drop of glee in the tone of her greeting.
The smile from Tommy’s face dissipated, wondering if there was a way that the doctor could help. His eyes met with the doctor’s and maybe he understood what was going through Tommy’s mind.
Removing his hat, he shook the girl’s outstretched hand “Very charmed to meet you Suzie, I’m sure Tommy has been kind enough with you?”
A collection of ‘Ooooooh~’s erupted from his friends as an evident blush crept onto his cheeks, Irene had noticed the awkwardness and looked away. Maybe the doctor didn’t get what he was trying to convey.
“Tommy?” Jack asked. His friends were starting to get worried about his sudden mood change. He was never like this before and certainly not the blushy type. “TOMMY IS B—” Irene slapped a hand over her friend’s mouth, hushing him up.
“Right, why don’t you go back to playing? I’ve got something I need to discuss with Father F—”
Tommy thrust his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. "You're a good doctor, right?"
The rest of his friends had gone back to the tree and were all huddling around, guessing what the two might’ve been talking about. The doctor grabbed Tommy by his shoulder and turned him around to face him, but the boy wouldn’t maintain eye contact with him. He knelt in front of him with a concerned look in his face.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Can you… make a blind person see?” Tommy asked him quietly. The doctor couldn’t understand what Tommy was up to.
“Well...”
Without waiting for any reply, Tommy sighed looking a little bit defeated. Behind the man’s mask however, a smile formed and had called out to the kids who all at once looked at their direction.
“Children, would you like to see a magic trick?”
Excitement buzzed around the kids while they tailed behind the doctor talking to a very nervous sister. “Now, now, I’m sure Father Francis wouldn’t mind if I use his office. He is expecting me after all.”
The nun blocked the doorway of the father’s office, placing her foot down. “You must speak to the administrator before you do anything arcane inside the monastery. Rules are rules!” She huffed and just when she thought the doctor was going straight to the office, he pulled a white handkerchief from his breast pocket and twirled it around the air until it had formed into a little dove, flying out of sight.
The kids were in awe at the spectacle while the woman sighed. “Fine, but if that messenger dove says no then I’ll make sure you will not be allowed to be near the church for two months!”
Sister stormed off, huffy from the debacle she had but overall seemed fine. When the doctor had stepped into the office everyone was expected to wait outside “I would be needing some assistance…” All of them cheered, scrambling inside the office. In a matter of minutes, everyone was able to clear the middle portion of the room and adorned the floor with a circle etched on them were runes and mystical symbols around it. In the middle of this grand circle was a chair.
“Tommy, if you would.” He nodded, leading Suzie to the chair. He began the procedure by wearing the appropriate gloves and lifting one of the girl’s eyelids. Using his right finger, he cast a weak light spell to shine down on her eye, a milky white iris with a far away look in them. He did the same to her other eye. The doctor asked if there were any lights that she saw. The girl shook her head in response.
“Right, I would be needing my spell book. If someone can gr— oh!” Irene handed him the book before he could even finish his sentence, shy eyes turned away from him. He thanked the child and told everyone to step out of the circle “Watch closely, alright?”
From the book he whispered a tiny incantation. He closed his eyes and soon began the diagnosis spell.
The air in the office began to chill, getting colder as their surroundings grew darker. A faint green light from the floor grew, erupting into flashes of green lightning, creeping in and out of the circle. They stared in awe, it was as if a storm was brewing, winds from the floor raged with such ferocity.
“Theia, Eir, Airmid, give me knowledge. Sethanis, pradoxis, oculus!” As soon as the doctor opened his arms and exclaimed the incantation, Suzie's head shot up and her eyes glowed. On her forehead was an eye symbol glowing, the green Eye of Providence. The boy looked at the doctor who had already opened his eyes that glow the same hue, adorning the same symbol on his forehead. A hand stretched out to his side while the other held out his spell book, the look of determination in the doctor’s face never broke character from Suzie's stunned entranced-like feature. Tommy could not believe the magic that the doctor was capable of doing. Sure, he has seen him perform basic magic and alchemy before but this is the first time that he saw the doctor perform one of his diagnoses.
Slowly, the kids realized that their feet were lifting from the ground, including the items in the room that weren't inside the circle. Irene hugged onto his arm, panic was now written all over their faces but Tommy dared to watch. In one swift motion while the outstretched hand of the doctor was now directed in front of his patient, snapping his finger. The sound echoed through the room, momentarily filling the void before all of it ended abruptly, with children landing on their feet, signaling that the diagnosis spell was over.
Tommy wondered to himself if he could ever reach the level of magical prowess as the doctor.
The doctor sighed deeply and opened his eyes. All the while the children erupted in cheers and amazed. Everyone except Irene and Suzie. “I’m afraid that only a miracle will cure your sight.”
“I know,” Suzie replied in a cheerful manner.
Silence filled the room again. Suzie’s reply stunned even the man himself but continued to tell her about the odd tummy ache and headache she’s been having for the past few days. Tommy had drowned that out, too distraught by the news. It was only when a greeting from Father Francis from the doorway did he snap out of it. The father held in his hand a white dove.
“My, my… you’ve made an awful mess in the office. Now to what business does our local doctor have with me?” he chuckled, letting the kids file out of the room and go back to their daily business of playing tag. Once they left, Father Francis playfully rolled his eyes. “Really, do you need all that glamor spell to run a diagnosis? Couldn’t you take a hair sample or blood like a normal doctor?”
“Well, to correct you, blood and hair are necessary for patients with unexplainable diseases. But the winds and lights? You’re forgetting my profession. I am, after all, an entertainer.” The doctor clapped his hands once and suddenly, the white dove returned into becoming a handkerchief. He laughed, sitting down in front of his old friend’s desk. “The children at least deserved a show.” Father Francis gave the handkerchief back to the doctor.
“...were an entertainer,” The priest corrected him.” Don’t think I wouldn’t know about your swift and… peaceful exit from the guild.”
“Hey, you try training under the guild’s watchful eye and tell me it wouldn’t be so hard not to leave in a grandiose way. After all, these are the same people who made a simple diagnosis spell look enchanting and complex. Scam, I tell you.”
“I wouldn’t. That’s why I entered priesthood, if you remember correctly,” he teased, bringing back old and cherished memories about their former lives as orphans of St. Anthony’s.
But while they both reminisce about the past, Tommy let his mind wander to other places. Mainly to solutions, taboo cures, or a book that contained odd answers and what lies within its forest. Night after night, he consulted with the journal trying to find a spell or a fruit or a plant, anything, that can help with this problem. He flipped through the pages over and over and over until finally, one night, he stumbled across an article about the Saint’s Fountain.
The Saint’s Fountain is one of the locations in the Sea of Trees that wasn’t included in the final version of the Compendium. It is also, according to the author, one of the hardest places to find in the Sea of Trees. The book states that the Saint’s Fountain is a mystical fountain found deep within the Sea of Trees and can only be found by those with good intentions. It is a fountain that may grant one wish per day if one would pray by it. It is also one of the safest places to be in besides the Mother Tree, a talking gargantuan tree said to be the heart of the entire Sea of Trees and could tell a traveller’s future. The journal had no illustration of the Saint’s Fountain.
It is then I realize that no words can describe the majestic beauty and the serenity of the Saint’s Fountain. I have tried many times to sketch it by word or by illustration. Nothing can compare to the garden I had witnessed. Not even the replica made to celebrate its existence.
Tommy remembered what the doctor said to all of them. It would take a miracle to cure Suzie’s sight. He had a feeling that it was time he told all of his friends the truth and about this discovery.
The following day, during their lunch break, Tommy told all of his friends to meet him in his room at four o’clock pm, knowing that all of the other kids would be out playing or in their classrooms. Confused, Jack, Kenny, Irene, Jericho, Sam, and Suzie all sneaked into Tommy’s room in time anyway.
“Okay, Tommy,” Sam said once she closed and locked the door behind her, as per Tommy’s request. “What is it that you wanted to show us?”
Tommy cleared his throat before speaking, placing two boxes of chocolates in front of Jack. “Deal’s a deal buddy. Thanks for keeping it a secret for this long.”
“Is it Christmas already?” Jack excitedly opened the box and plopped a piece in his mouth, humming at the rich creamy chocolatey taste. He smiled from ear to ear as he chewed to confection.
“What? No, I owe you this because of..”
“Of?” Jack’s question was left hanging as Tommy stood by his bed’s side of the room, near to where his pillow was placed.
“Guys, keep this quiet and to yourselves only. You’re the only people that I’m going to show you this thing.”
“Come on, Tommy. Spill the beans already,” Kenny said in anticipation. He crossed his arms.
“Well, remember when Jack told us that rumor about the book in the monastery’s library?” Everybody agreed but Jack realized where the conversation was leading up to before anyone else.
“Wait…You didn’t sneak into the monastery building, did you?!”
“THAT WASN’T A DREAM?!” Jack exclaimed, and everyone’s focus was now on the pair.
“About Amy? Yeah, sorry buddy. That really happened.” Tommy placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder to try to console him.
“Great..” He covered his face in shame. “Now everyone knows I have an imaginary girlfriend…”
Sam rolled her eyes “Everyone knows you have an imaginary girlfriend. Who even kisses their pillow these days?” Both Jericho and Jack said hey. Their flushed faces telling them that they actually kiss their pillows.
“Kissing your pillow is practice for the real thing!”
Kenny laughed at Jericho “So, Irene tastes like stuffing and feathers then—”
Irene was blushing like crazy, ready to retaliate at her friends, when Tommy interrupted with the loudest dog whistle he can make. Their conversation died down, and they looked at Tommy whose face was tinged in pink.
Tommy paused, then nodded at their earlier question, much to their surprise. “And… I found this…” He dug his hand under his pillow and pulled out the journal. He placed the journal on the floor between the circle they did. They all crouched, except for Tommy and Suzie who was sitting on the lower bunk.
“How did you find this?” Irene asked. Jericho was poking the cover with his finger. Irene slapped his hand to make him stop.
“It wasn’t really sealed up. I found it in the restricted section…”
“DUDE! WHAT ELSE DID YOU SEE?” Jack suddenly exclaimed. “Did… did it have any adult books in there?”
“Eeeeeew!” Sam and Irene smacked Jack on the arm for that comment.
“A lot of the books in the restricted section were about magic and other mystical stuff. ”
Tommy sat down beside Suzie and opened the book, revealing the contents to his friends. “The rumors were right. A lot of the info in this journal can’t be found in the Compendium. I believe the Alchemy Guild is hiding something…”
With that comment, Irene shifted uneasily in her seat quietly protesting about reading any further by giving Tommy angry and worried glances. The kids observed the peculiar handwriting of Hermes Trismegistus, the fascinating illustrations of the plants and creatures, and other stuff written down.
“Tommy...” Irene called, but it was muffled over Jericho’s question about what the guild could possibly be hiding.
“I don’t know yet but check this one out.” Tommy leaned in forward, reached for the journal and flipped it to the entry of the Saint’s Fountain. All of the kids read the contents of the page.
“The Saint’s Fountain…” Kenny read out loud.
“If what this book says is true, we have to go in there and wish for Suzie to be able to see!” Tommy said in excitement and stood up. “It’ll be easy, I’ve already planned things out—”
“Tommy!” Irene interjected and stood up. “Listen, I followed you and your antics since the first time we’ve met but this is probably the craziest and stupidest idea you’ve ever had.”
Jack spoke up in defense of Irene. “Yeah… it’s too dangerous, man! We could get lost! There are monsters in there!”
“...Irene’s right, Tommy,” Suzie clutched onto her friend’s hand. There was a hint of worry in her expression. “No way I’m letting you in there. I told you before I don’t mi—”
“But I do mind!” He spoke up. “It’s no fair you can’t do the things we can, Suzie. Don’t you wanna see?”
She did, more than anything in the world, but her protest got caught up in her throat as her lips quivered. Temptation was only an arm’s reach although at what cost?
“Not if I can’t be friends with someone who's dead!” Irene screamed, shaking with anger. Her tears were about to fall. She stood up and shoved Tommy “You’re so stupid and selfish!”
The room fell silent, her hiccups and sobs filled the room until Irene had enough and stormed off with the rest of the group following one by one. The only ones left in the room were Tommy and Suzie. He lingered for a moment, watching Suzie cry. “I ruined everything, didn’t I?”
“No you didn’t,” Tommy said. He sat down and tried to comfort his friend but was only met with a stern no. All he wanted was for Suzie to finally live a normal life and it seemed like this fountain is the only way for that dream to finally happen.
“I…” Tommy said.
“No, Tommy. I said I don’t mind…” Suzie wiped her tears and stood by herself. “I’m going to Irene to apologize.” Tommy said nothing in reply and just assisted Suzie out of the room and into Irene’s room where the voices of their friends can be heard. Tommy opened and closed the door for Suzie, without even showing his presence to his friends.
Tommy didn’t leave his room for the whole afternoon, mostly because of the fight that they had earlier. Shame filled him throughout his body. His thoughts were only on the Saint’s Fountain, still determined to find it. Maybe he was a fool, he thought to himself. But this is the only way he knew how to help Suzie.
Because Jericho is his roommate, he was the first of his friends to talk to him. “Hey, you okay, pal?” he asked Tommy when he entered the room that night. It was already time for all of them to go to bed. He found his friend curled up in a fetal position on his bed with his back turned to him. He tried shaking Tommy but he didn’t budge.
“Yeah… I’m fine,” Tommy replied in a somber and soft tone. Jericho sighed in relief.
“Irene said she wasn’t angry at you. It’s just that she’s really worried, you know? Don’t think about it too much… ”
No response from Tommy.
“Just please, don’t go anywhere. It would break their hearts if they knew that something bad happened to you. Everybody will be worried about you.”
Again, no response. Their other two roommates entered the room and greeted Jericho. When asked if Tommy was fine, he only said that his friend was having a bad stomach ache and that’s why he’s curled up like that. One of his roommates turned off the lights for them. Jericho just gave Tommy a friendly pat and a light shake on his arm.
“You gotta apologize tomorrow, okay? G’night, man.”
“Good night, Jericho,” he replied. Jericho smiled and laid down on the bottom bunk of the bed.
Once midnight had struck and all of his roommates were already deep in their slumber, Tommy pulled out the book from under his pillow and got down from the bed. He stuffed it in his backpack along with a few snacks and his canteen full of water for sustenance. “I’m sorry, man…” he whispered to his friend before sneaking out of the room.
The first place he went to was the utility closet where Mr. Fischer hides a spare lantern and a box of matches. He then went to the kitchen to get a bottle of salt for defense. He was ready, he thought to himself.
He was walking in the garden on his way out of the complex when he encountered Irene sitting on the fountain. “You really are an idiot,” she said and stood up to face him. She clenched her fists.
“Irene? What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I just thought that maybe you’re still up to something stupid and I decided to wait for you here. Guess I was right after all…”
“I’m really sorry about earlier, Irene, I really do. But I have to find the Saint’s Fountain.” Irene walked up to him in an angry stride and shoved him. She looked down to the grass beneath her feet.
Her voice was unsteady and cracking. She continued. “My parents were a part of the guild. I don’t know what happened but they did something stupid and now I’m here…”
“Irene…”
“Don’t go. If the Sea of Trees won’t get you, they will. They always know...” He held her shoulders and lightly pushed her away to give them a little bit of space.
“I have to go....”
Irene smiled a little bit, accepting defeat, and wiped her tears. She walked a few steps backwards and reached for the back of her neck with both of her hands to unclasp the necklace that she was wearing.
“At least have this,” she said and then threw the necklace to Tommy. He caught it and studied the necklace’s features. It had a steel chain necklace while the pendant was a gold coin with a hole pierced through on the top to let the chain of the necklace pass through. In the middle was the Alchemy Guild’s crest engraved with runic and magical symbols around it.
“What’s this?” Tommy asked.
“It’s the last thing my parents left for me. I got it when they brought me here. I don’t really know what it does but you’ll be needing that more than I will.”
He wore it around his neck and held onto the coin pendant. “I’ll return this to you when I get back. I promise.”
She didn’t say anything else. She looked away as Tommy ran past her. She lingered there for a few minutes, the chillness of the night made the girl clung onto her pajamas for warmth. Not another minute had passed before she quickly ran inside, there was work to be done after all, now that Tommy had ran away from home.
Before he went out of the main door, Tommy decided to make a detour and visit the cathedral first, just so he can get at least one chance to pray. Since the orphanage’s entrance to the cathedral was always open, he easily got inside. The moonlight reflected through the stained glass. Though not as bright, it still made a magnificent reflection, mixing the dim colors on the floor. The air was still and quiet inside the cathedral. Tommy positioned himself on the middle row and gently pulled down the kneeler. He knelt down and clasped his hands. He prayed for protection for his adventure, his friends’ safety, and for his mission to be successful so that Suzie will be able to see. He ended his prayer and finally left the orphanage.
For the first time since he first got into the orphanage, Tommy was on the road. He walked and passed by the small cemetery near the cathedral. He always wondered as to why there was a cemetery near his home. Based on what he has read from the journal, the souls of good people that were buried near the forest is already enough to keep the creatures away. A barrier is only additional protection. Maybe the people of the past heeded the advice of Hermes Trismegistus, he wondered.
After a few minutes of walking, Tommy has finally reached the end of the road where the Sea of Trees begins. He lit his lantern using the matches that he got and pulled out the journal from his backpack. He flipped through the pages until he got to the part where the journal is giving instructions as to how one can lift the barrier of the Sea of Trees. He lifted his arm and opened a palm towards the invisible barrier and spoke the incantation.
The section of the barrier where he was facing started to glow yellow and revealed a hole where Tommy can pass through. “No turning back now, Tommy.” he whispered to himself. He lifted the lantern and illuminated his path. He walked and walked and walked until he was no longer in sight. The barrier closed right behind him.
A raven perched on top of the cathedral’s cross. It cawed out into the night.