Farm of Mysteries (23)

“Do either of you see fruit trees in those fields?” Sert asked quietly. He glanced around the farmland in feigned casualness.

“No grooves like I remember from that youth.” I returned. I began studying the land as I gathered some of our gear. Meli had closed her eyes while collecting our supplies.

“I do not feel any form of fruit trees anywhere upon the grounds of this farm.” she reported in a whisper. The boy spoken to earlier returned from the house with two older boys. They started hauling the baskets of fruits and vegetables back into the house in silence. “I sense many linked caverns under the farm with vegetation but cannot tell what it is.” she whispered as the boys disappeared into the house. “Nothing but grass upon the surface of this place.” she added during their next absence.

“Sert?” I asked under my breath. Sert remained silently peering around the farmstead. “Anything else amiss for you?” I added quietly. He continued searching the land with his eyes in silence for a few more minutes.

“The smell and tracks of herd animals but no visible pens for the herds.” he replied. Meli and I had loaded most of the gear between us while Sert still glanced around the farm.

“A farm that has invisible plants and animals?” I retorted. I looked from one to the other touching their mind to find the seeds of curiosity forming. “I believe we fix the cart and depart as quickly as we can before being embroiled in a mystery we do not have the time for.” I half ordered at them. Their unconvinced slow nod was all I received before we started walking toward the barn.

The cart we found was damaged exactly as stated with nothing else wrong with it. The tools that lined the wall ranged from the repair tools we needed to most of the farming tools plus a selection of blacksmithing supplies and tools. Sert searched around the outside of the barn while I searched the inside finding no forge nor anvil to use these tools with.

“We can add an invisible forge to the list of thing missing here.” Sert commented upon his return. He moved to the side of the cart to see how easy it could be lifted and blocked to enable us to fix the axle and wheel. Sert lifted the side of the cart with one hand looking shocked as I watched him.

“It looks like a mix of rowan and oak which is odd enough from the trees we have seen so far.” I murmured. I examined the cart closely seeing it as normal which should weight much more than Sertian could lift single handed. I slowly lifted the other side of the cart suspending it easily between the two of us. “Definitely not what it appears to be.” I muttered truly confused.

“The new shaft and wheel is by the other wall.” Meli stated. She gather the parts easily as they too weighed much less than what they appeared. “Whatever this cart is made from, I have never seen nor heard the likes of it on Atlantis.” she remarked. She placed the parts in front of the carts that we still held aloft.

I lowered my side of the cart signalling Sert to flip his end toward me. In moments we had the cart turned over easing the work needed to repair the axle and replace the broken wheel. It was child's play removing the broken wheel and sliding the bent axle from its housings. While Sert placed the new axle in position, I examined the bent axle as I removed the unbroken wheel.

“The axle was bent and not broken like the wheel.” I muttered. I passed the undamaged wheel to Sert. “Odd that the wheel would break without shattering the axle.” I continued. I examine the broken wheel seeing the wood mix going fully through it flawlessly. Meli joined me examining the broken wheel.

“Both to my eyes and my earth sense they are solid and could not have broken easily.” she admitted confused. “And the axle should have snapped normally with this type of damage to the wheel.” she added pensively.

“It's ready to be back on its wheels.” Sert informed us. I moved to one side and once again we had the cart turn back properly with barely any effort. We gathered around the broken parts still perplexed by this oddity.

“Can we try between the two of us to straighten the axle?” I asked Sert. He nodded before retrieving a pair of sawhorses. I laid the axle with the bend upward upon the sawhorses. With one hand to hold it from rotating and the other on the bend, both Sert and myself pressed down with our full force to no avail. The axle remain bent and unyielding to us.

I moved to collect the broken wheel signalling both Sert and Meli to hold the axle solidly in place on the sawhorses. As they held firmly to the axle, I struck at it with the broken wheel at my full human force. The bend did not budge nor did the surface mar from the blow. I examined the wheel in my hand while my companions marvelled at the strength of the wooden looking axle. No new cracks or lines had appeared on the broken wheel from the impact. I sense the same question forming in my friends' mind as formed in mine: what unbelievable force had the farmer faced to cause this damage to the resilient cart?

“Do we walk away or investigate these little mysteries?” I asked softly. Meli and Sert remained silently pondering what they had seen as in their minds ideas formed. I could read from their thought that they wanted to look deeper into this mysterious farm we had chanced upon. The cart itself defied all Atlantian technology, magic, and the combination of both to their knowledge. “For Atlantis?” I hazarded with a smirk. They smiled at me as they nodded their vigorous agreement. This is when my senses felt the unseen watcher near us.

“If we hurry at this, can we still make it to our pick up point?” Sert commented. I had stiffened and began casting my gaze around the room using my full mind in the search.

“Yes.” I interjected hard. I motioned Meli to scan the area around us as I was doing. I gather from Sert omitting the name of our destination that he too felt something was unsafe here. We turned slowly until all of us were focused toward the back of the barn where hay was piled loosely. From Meli's mind I could see the small bundle of life hidden there while my own senses told my it was intelligent as it tried hiding from my mental touch.

“You may as well come out and greet us properly.” Meli suggested gently. “We will not harm you if you behave.” she added more forcibly. Sert's hand had slide as she spoke to his sword hilt ready to draw his blade and strike at the creature if it attacked or tried to run. I stood with my arms at my side calmly.

“She speaks truly little one.” I stated directly.

The small ball of half fur and half feathers pulled itself from the hay cautiously. It hopped and skittered across the earth floor of the barn to stop just out of our reach. Brilliant green eyes sparkled as they opened to peer at us from the fur covering what should be its face. A thrilling series of giggling chirps escaped it as it peered at us. A line of sullen red formed above and between its emerald eyes. It open very slowly to reveal a deep set dark red third eye that rolled independently from the other two as it focused on each of us in turn to end resting on me.

“Filled with stars and darkness you are.” it stated. The high pitched musical lilted words trickled from the small bundle of fur and feathers. My mind stiffened as I glared down at this creature while hidden memories whispered words of caution. “No offence meant, Great Lord.” it returned verbally and mentally at me. It felt as if it cowered while the dull red eye focused harder at me.

“What are you?” Meli asked gently. Her question drew the third eye from me giving me a chance to fortify my mental defensive and regain composure.

“Atlantian light elves you two are but what is he?” it asked quickly. I sense it was a game to see what they knew of me. “Nothing I have ever seen before.” it added in a curious lie. It remained focused on Meli and Sert ignoring me as I prepared to face it mentally if needed.

“He is the Envoy of the Ones On High to Atlantis and the world.” she answered him patiently. “But it does not tell us what you are little one.” she reminded it calmly.

“Ones On High?” it marvelled. “This explains why he looks like night sky.” it chirped gleefully. It fell into a peal of chirping giggles for a few minutes. “Me is Ken.” it finally replied. “Only Ken left since others ran away when the Fallen Ones arrived here.” it added. My head snapped to stare down at the creature. Its third eye swivelled to meet my gaze like drawn by a magnet.

“What did you call them?” I asked in a slow menacing voice.

“Fallen Ones, the last race that will ever exist.” it answered happily. “But you already know this to be their true name oh faithful son of Lights' creation.” it added without fear. A soft smile covered my face at his words while I looked down upon him.

“They call themselves by many names but as a group are known as humans.” I explained to the Ken calmly. “Do not call me or them that in front of others, please?” I added mentally to the creature.

“You Kestrel, you Sertian, and you Mekiliean.” it chirped. It had turned to face each as it gave them their name before returning to me. “But you have many other names Great Lord Genin.” it added quickly.

“Yes Ken, my list of names is very long because I have been here for a very long time.” I responded with a small chuckle.

“Longer than time itself since she is not truly born yet.” it returned with a chirping giggle. With a quick mental dash I made the comment disappear from my friends' minds. “Not nice to do, but I understand why you must.” it purred in my mind.

“Thank you for your understanding.” I replied mentally to it.

“I go back and hide now, humans returning.” it stated quickly. It shot back like a blur to disappear into the hay as the farmer and son opened the doors of the barn.

“As I had said, the repairs were easy but I did not have the time to do them myself.” the farmer announced. He and his son stood bracketing the double doors. “Anything you will not need for the night can remain in the cart safely.” he added with a broad smile.

“We have been curious since this wood is much lighter than it appears while still being very strong.” I commented. I moved toward the farmer with Sert at my side when he did not answer. They stood blank faced as if they had not heard me speaking. “What is this wagon made of?” I asked softly.

“Oak I believe, but not really sure since the man that sold it to us left town after selling them.” the farmer answered after a moment. “Why?” he interjected. He looked passed me toward the cart worried. “Is something else wrong with it?” he added. I touched his mind to verify his words.

“No, but it seems too light to be oak.” I hazarded. He shrugged as he muttered under his breath. I spied into the memory of the cart salesman who sold his product very cheap. The man had insisted he purchase this cart and not one of the others he was selling. No other oddities appeared from this seemingly normal seller to me as I reviewed the memory closely. I withdrew from his mind as secretly as I had entered it.

“I do not remember us having a bushel of mixed fresh fruits and vegetables.” Sert commented. It earned him a signal to ignore it from me as the farmer's son loaded it into the repaired cart's load.

“Best we hurry to the table for supper.” the farmer warned us. He smiled and nodded to us before leading us back to the farmhouse. This was not special to me since it is a very old Roman and Greek custom to open their hearths and home to strangers but it was odd for me playing the father figure to these farm folks.