From Right to Left: A Travelers Story
My first story on here :) I chose bats as my animal. Enjoy :)
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We are not alone in this world of ours. Some would believe while others would deny such a fact, but I assure you my friend, this is true. This world is not on another planet, nor across the galaxy.
Rather, this was a world was not in either or physical reaches or spiritual ones. This world was in a different space far from humans, but inhabited by almost human-like creatures. Almost.
They called themselves bats, and it was not hard to see why. They had large wings and long tails, with claws and fangs. Their ears were almost vampric-like and on the side of their heads. Their skin varied from each side.
The left side of the world was a varying artic territory. Some areas had mountains that kissed the clouds while others were long forests where there was seldom a whisper. There cities, towns and villages were built on flat tundra land near frozen rivers, near the forests or in sea ports at the lands edge where the cold, merciless ocean began.
In the winter the outdoors were plagued by piercing winds and blizzards. In the summer there was little more than a chill and children would often run around without their parkas.
The bats here had very pale blue skin and their tails had a tuft of hair at the end. There skin was a bit rough, if not scaled, to withstand the icy cold.
The right side of the world was a very earthy land. There were mountains, as on the left side, and while they may not have been snow topped, they also kissed the clouds. The other lands were long plains dotted with rivers, hills and hot springs. The bats here lived on their planes, near their rivers or at their own ocean edges where a friendlier ocean carried their ships to ports on the left side or right.
The summers were very windy while the winters were mild.
The bats here had very pale grey skin and their tails were split up to about a half-inch from the end. Their skin was more leathery.
However; this strange land was not only just left and right, but also a center.
Most often, the bats of the left and right stayed on their birth sides, for it was just how it was done. But not all the bats wanted to. For those; they lived on the middle.
The middle was some of the most beautiful, but deadly land in their world. At one moment you could be in a small village market and the next you were being picked apart by shadows in the caves.
Freak winter storms would turn deserts into frozen sand while a summer heat wave would flood rivers in winter. In this area the seasons were not in balance, nor were the other creatures that lived there. That is why many would stay on their own side; it was so dangerous to intermingle.
One thing the lands had in common, however, was the dark. The mornings were very dim and the nights pitch black. The bats had excellent night vision; a bit different than the bats familiar to us.
Many bats born on the left would die there without ever seeing, in person, someone from the right.
Faith, however, was not one of those people.
Faith was a young bat in her early 20's and native of the right side. Her eyes were narrow, light grey and her hair was auburn. By nature she was a traveler. Her father was a trader who often took his boat and crew to trade with the left side. Before he died at sea (during the Great Storm IV) when she was a toddler, her mother would tell her she even made a few trips to the icy side with her father and crew. Faith herself always pitied she never remembered.
But now; now was a new time. Spring was just starting on the right side and Faith was ready.
"...Faith?" her mother gently said her daughters name and knocked on Faith's bedroom door.
Faith took a moment from packing her things and looked at her mother.
"I'm not staying," Faith said sternly, but with a smile.
Faith's mother was a woman of middle age with a few crows' feet and maybe a laugh line or two. With no other children, she was almost always focused on the well being of her daughter. She expected to one day see her get married, start a family; but when he daughter talked about this trip... she was stunned!
"Why don't we talk?" her mother asked.
"We had all winter to talk, Mother," Faith said as she stuffed a few more loose items into her bag, "I would have told you my plan but you didn't want to hear it. So..."
There was a long pause before Faith asked her mother if she thought there would be parkas for sale upon reaching the left side.
"Faith...!" the mother bat snapped, "This is crazy. Why would you do this? And more so, why not just sail? You'd be there in no time and-"
"I don't want to sail with Daddy's old crew. I want to see the world... really see it."
"You don't know what's out there or how to go," her mother said strongly.
"That's what you think," Faith said mischievously.
Lee was a strange one. Well; not strange, but honest. He was always honest to the point of being brutal. Very rarely did he sugarcoat the truth. But even with his no-nonsense attitude he felt things very strongly. When he was happy, he was ecstatic. When he was sad, he was depressed.
Being from the left side, his skin was a very pale blue, while his eyes were very dark blue and his hair was brown. What a contrast.
He had received a letter about a month ago from Faith. She needed a guide to help her to the left side and back (if she didn't stay, that is).
You see, Lee's father was a business man of sorts. He had a little league of trading ships on the left side. His father received the letter when an old friend and crew member of Faith's father gave him the letter that she wrote asking if he knew anyone who could guide her. Cue Lee.
Lee was on the next boat to the right side to serve as guide as soon as Faith's promised payment came via a trader from her own side. Lee was then shipped off and was then looking for Faith's house down in the sea village where he landed.
As he walked down the streets looking for the house described in the letter, Lee pondered some things. He knew he was a capable guide, he would never lie to himself, but he wondered how well he could travel with another. True; his father and him traveled through the middle lands to hunt and trade with some villages, but he was with his father. He never needed to do anything but follow and take note of how to navigate. This was different. He was nervous; but on the same note excited.
He could feel his heart beating through his chest when he found her house. Slowly, he walked to the door and knocked on it. His first was so tightly balled his claws nearly pierced his palm.
"Just a moment!" called a young female's voice from inside.
Lee made sure his white tunic shirt wasn't tucked into his pants just in time for the door to open.
Lee smiled at the young bat who greeted him. Instantly; she put out her hand to shake and welcomed him inside. 'Maybe this will be good...' thought Lee as he came in and sat at a small kitchen table.
Faith was talking too fast and too much for Lee to really ask any questions.
"Faith, let the boy speak," Faith's mother said as she slowly walked into the kitchen, carrying Faith's bag.
Lee smiled at the elder woman and simply introduced himself and how he planned things to go.
"It's a pretty long way to the left side... but we can manage. I've made the trip a few times before and we should be fine. It will take the time, but the locals are very helpful."
"Let's go!" exclaimed Faith.
Faith's mother patted her daughters shoulder and gave her daughter the bag. The bag was full of clothes and made of a brown cloth.
Faith took her bag and stood up, tightening the belt over her long tunic that reached her knees.
"Good-bye, Mother," Faith said as she kissed her mother and went to leave.
Lee was about to turn and follow Faith when the woman grabbed his arm, looked right into his eyes. She said, "Young man, my daughter is all I have left and I don't want her to go. Please... make sure she comes home."
Lee assured the woman with confidence he would bring Faith home after their great adventure.
But first they had to start their adventure. Once outside, Faith began asking question after question about what the left side was like. Lee couldn't help but smile as he told his traveling companion all he knew about his home land. He had a good feeling. A very good feeling.