Zan’s Story

Zan was in his thirties when he entered the land of magic for the first time. Among his peers, he was known as a famous explorer of new and uncharted lands. He had sailed both seas on either side of the continent and saw many sights that no one except those with him would believe. So it was no surprise that when Zan heard rumors about the land of magic, he decided that he must explore it for himself.

Entering the land of magic had been a challenge all its own, and he had nearly lost his life trying to cross the ice barrier. The oppressive force of the ice cloud pushed him to the ground, suffocating him with its force. Zan tried to back up from his horrible mistake, but his body would not cooperate.

Just when he had given up hope, a small animal resembling a white, three-tailed fox nuzzled up beside him to investigate. Its presence created a small shield from the pressure around the man's head, and Zan greedily gasped for air.

With the fox's permission, the man scooped up the creature into his arms. Although the storm raged on, somehow the magical creature now shielded him from the effects. Zan was beyond relieved. He crested the ice barrier and descended below the clouds.

The sight before him made his jaw drop. The closer he got to the lush ground, the more beautiful the land of magic became. When he stepped off the ice barrier, the snowy fox leapt from his hands back to its icy home.

"Thank you," the man said to his new animal friend. The fox bowed its nose as the three tails fluttered overhead like a furry fan. Then, without warning, the fox vanished as if it were never there.

After getting over his astonishment, Zan chuckled. "It seems I am in the right place! I wonder what other fantastical things I shall encounter."

With all the enthusiasm of a faun in a field of clover, Zan marched through the forest jotting down sketches of all the plants and animals he found. The task quickly became overwhelming, and Zan finally settled on just recording the wildlife for the time being. He saw a rabbit with antlers, a turtle with a snake neck and tail, and at one point he could have sworn that he saw a tree move. But it was the land of magic, so anything was possible, right?

As he went deeper and deeper into the woods, he began to feel that someone was watching him. Although he did not feel any hostility from the creature, the sensation was still unnerving. The man ran his fingers through his dark hair as he got an idea. "What is this?!" he said dramatically as he bumped his forehead with his palm. He had no idea if the creature could understand him, but at least he was sure they would be paying attention now. "It is a flower!"

The man picked the large pick bloom and sniffed it deeply. The fragrance was quite pleasant. Out of the corner of his eye, Zan saw something shift to his left. The creature had given away its position when it thought he was distracted. The man smiled and decided to continue with his ridiculousness.

"Hm, what shall I do with such a lovely flower? Shall I put it on my head?" Zan stuck the large flower on his head like a hat. The creature nearby giggled. The man was encouraged. He marched around in a circle. "Yes, I think is look quite dashing!"

The creature laughed again, sounding like the tinkling of bells. Seeing his opportunity, Zan lunged at a bush containing the source of the laughter and came up with a startled child. The boy's skin was golden and his ears pointy, but he looked human in most other regards. Zan looked as awestruck as the boy.

"Hello," the man said at last as he released the child. The boy did not answer, and Zan figured that he might not understand. He tried again, using his hands while speaking. "Where…is…your….mother?" Zan made a motion like someone rocking a baby and then put his hands on his heart.

The child's face lit up, and he slipped his hand inside the man's before dragging him quickly through the woods. They reached a clearing where the child made them stop as he spread his arms wide and close his eyes.

The veil of a protective barrier was torn open and Zan gasped as he could see the deadly invisible wall, which he could have easily run into without proper guidance. The child brought him through unharmed and urged him onward. Eventually they entered a city of towering tree-like buildings where more golden-skinned creatures walked the streets.

As each took notice of the child and man, they stopped and stared, but did not attack. Zan took this as a positive sign. Finally the child stopped in front of a building twice as large as the others and knocked feverishly at the door. He was admitted along with the man amid screams and hugging.

The golden-skinned creatures all spoke quickly and in words Zan did not understand. He gathered that the oldest of the ladies was scolding the boy for something while also showering him with kisses. Two of the younger ladies were trying to calm the situation and the others, who seemed to be servants in uniforms, were brining things to check on the boy's health. It seemed like none of them realized the man was there. He waited awkwardly as he watched.

Finally the child was tired of their attention, and he pulled away from all of them. Speaking quickly, the boy yelled at all of them and motioned to Zan. The man could clearly understand only one word: "Human!"

All previous activity ceased as everyone finally noticed the stranger in their home. The boy gave a quick explanation where the word 'human' was repeated many times. The three ladies of the house listened intently. Then the eldest of the females came and hugged Zan tightly. The man was at a loss for what had happened.

"Thank you for bringing my son home to me," the lady spoke carefully in human speak so that Zan could understand. It was obvious that this was not her first language by how she overenunciated the vowels.

"But ma'am," Zan argued. "I did not bring him here. He brought me."

The older lady released the dark-haired man. "You do not understand. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lady Yakira. Welcome to my home. My little elven son, Majid, was angry at me and decided to run away. Somehow you have found him and convinced him to come home. We owe you a great debt." The woman bowed and the others around her followed her lead.

'Elves!' Zan thought with wonder.

"I needed to show you that I found a human!" Majid insisted. He took hold of Zan's hand and dragged him to the two younger elves. "You would never have believed me otherwise. Look! Here he is plain as day....Wait you are a man, right?" Majid asked in human-speak. It seemed the boy had been holding out on him before. His words were even clearer than his mother.

"I can assure you that I am a man, and not a woman, if that is what you are asking. My name is Zan," he chuckled. The man did not notice that his deep chuckle caused one of the elve's ears to burn red. She quickly averted her gaze.

"A man! A real man!" Majid shouted with glee. "We will have to take him to meet the King and Queen!"

"I am sure they are aware of our new friend," Yakira said with a bright smile. "They will be very interested to meet you and find out how you entered our land. Are you a Favored of the Fates?"

"A what?" Zan had heard of the Fates, but his knowledge was limited.

"Nevermind." Yakima shook her head.

"Mother!" One of the girls interrupted with an anxious glance.

Yakira laughed loudly. Her laugh was musical like her son. "Of course, how rude of me. I did not introduce my daughters. May I present my oldest, Lady Bukuri."

An elf appearing to be around twenty-three in human years curtsied with a confident smile. Her her white-blond hair and purple eyes made her a beauty by any standard, and she was at least a head taller than Zan. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I hope to learn more about your world. I have always wanted to see how humans live first-hand."

"It is nice to meet you," Zan responded easily.

"May I ask a question?" Bukuri gave a winsome smile. Zan nodded, curious what she would ask. "Do all humans wear flowers as hats or are you unique in your fashion choices?"

The man closed his eyes tightly in embarrassment. He had forgotten about the silly flower on his head. Zan removed it slowly. "I brought it as a gift for my lovely hostess. Thank you for the reminder." He suavely handed the flower to Lady Yakira. She graciously took the gift.

"Thank you. Please forgive my daughter's forward nature," Yakira apologized. They turned their attention to the final she-elf. "Lastly, may I present my second daughter, Lady Lanassa."

The girl, who appeared to be around twenty-two in human years, smiled shyly. Beyond her green eyes and wild red hair, she looked very much like her older sister. But Zan did not seem to notice the resemblance. He was instantly lost in those gorgeous emerald eyes.

"Welcome to our home, good sir," the lovely she-elf cooed.

"Lady Lanassa," Zan said barely above a whisper. Instinctively, he reached forward and kissed the lady's hand. "I am very pleased to meet you."