Golden Chestnuts

Fritz and Fael stood on the cliff over the sea as the sun set. When it touched the water there was a blinding flash and a thick fog rolled in out of nowhere. Fael noticed a pathway of basalt pillars rising to the edge of the cliff in front of them.

"Come let's follow this and see where it goes," Fael cried out to Fritz, as he stepped out onto the basalt path. Fritz frowned as his friend left him standing on the cliff. Though Fael had run off, Fritz knew he couldn't let his friend go off on his own. So Fritz ran after Fael before he lost him in the fog.

When Fritz caught up to Fael, he found him hanging off the edge of the pathway. Fael was slipping when Fritz thrust his right arm down to grab his friend. He caught Fael's wrist as Fael lost his grip on the basalt. As Fritz planted his feet on the uneven pathway, he hauled Fael back to solid ground.

"Fael this is madness. We should turn back before one of us gets seriously hurt." Fael shook his head. Then he continued down the path. Fritz, shaking his head in defeat followed Fael.

They traveled all night. As the sun rose behind them they saw a wall blocking their way. Fael sprinted toward the wall and jumped reaching for the top. He missed and dropped back to the base. Fritz walked up, offering Fael a hand. Fael accepted the assist and managed to get to the top of the wall. Laying on his belly he extended his hand down to Fritz. Fritz, taking Fael's hand, noticed a series of hand and footholds spaced along the wall. As Fael pulled him up, Fritz used the footholds to climb the wall.

With Fritz atop the wall, Fael turned to look over the other side. "I can see a great tree covered in huge golden chestnuts. Come on we are almost there." Fritz opened his mouth, but before any owrds could come out he watched Fael jump from the wall. Fritz made his way down using the hand and footholds. Upon reaching the bottom he saw Fael, sitting on the ground cradling his ankle, tears streaming down his face. Fritz ripped his tunic into strips, and wrapped Fael's ankle.

"Fael, we can't go on. We need to go back and have a healer look at your ankle." Fael responded with a shake of his head and began to rise to his feet. "We go on, the island is there. Look." As he spoke, Fael hobbled toward the island once more. Fritz looked behind, the way clear to return home. Turning back he noticed Fael was about to step onto the island. Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, Fritz once again trailed after his friend.

As Fael's foot touched the island, they heard the cry of a raptor. Fritz glanced at the sky to see a bird large enough to haul off a giant with ease, diving towards his friend oblivious friend. Even if Fael had been aware of the danger he was in he couldn't move quickly enough to avoid the raptor. Fritz bolted to the island, shoved Fael into a bush as he fell. Fritz rolled away from where Fael had been standing mere moments before the raptors claws gouged the ground. What was left of Fritz's tunic was torn, a piece of fabric dangled from the raptor's claws as it returned to the sky.

As they rose to their feet, they could smell the aroma of baked bread and venison wafting on the breeze. Following the scent, they arrived at a small hut where a beautiful young woman sat. A haunch of venison roasting over a fire and a small loaf of bread baking on stone. The young woman gestured to the two men, offering them a seat beside her. Both men heard and felt their stomachs growl in hunger. She offered them both a portion of her meal. Fael gladly accepted, while Fritz, who noticed there was not enough food for all of them, asked only for some water. The woman handed him a cup of water, while she and Fael began eating. Fael took a slice of the venison and placed it on his share of the bread. The moment he bit into it the venison became sand and the bread turned into a rock. Fritz drinking the water found himself satiated. The woman, hut, and fire vanished.

Fael turned to his friend, his mouth bleeding and teeth broken or missing. Fritz used the last of his water to help his friend. "How? How did you know it wasn't safe?" Fael looked angry at his friend for not warning him of the danger. "My friend, I didn't. I saw there was not enough food for all of us. You needed the food more than I." Fael's eyes narrowed in anger. "You have no idea what I need. You are a coward who keeps saying we should turn back. I don't need your help. If you want to turn back, then do so. I am going to keep going." With those words Fael threw the cup onto the sand in front of Fritz and headed inland. Fritz sat for a moment, considering whether he should leave or follow his friend, when he heard Fael call out for help. Rising to his feet Fritz went in search of Fael.

Fritz worked his way through a tangle of bushes and stopped. Fael was in the middle of a clearing, up to his waist in sand, and sinking. He looked around an found some vines that looked strong. Climbing the largest tree he could find he reached the vines and noticed he was out on a limb and directly over his friend. Laying flat on the branch, he lowered the vines down to Fael. Fael grabbed the vines as he sank a little more. "Don't move, it only makes you sink faster." Fael stilled. Fritz pulled on the vines but they wouldn't move. Climbing down to a lower limb with the vines still dangling over the upper limb Fritz hauled on the vines raising Fael out of the quicksand. Once Fael was free Fritz told him to lay flat and hold onto the vines. Frtiz made his way down the tree and to the other side of the clearing, skirting the quicksand, and dragged Fael over the quicksand to him.

Fael rising to his feet hugged Fritz, "Thanks, I thought I was done for." Fritz shrugged, "I am glad I could help, you are friend." Fael looked over Fritz shoulder and could see the tree laden with chestnuts on the other side of a wall. Come we are almost there just past that wall. There has to be a entrance close by." Fael let his arms fall to his sides as he headed to the wall and began to walk around it looking for a gate. Fritz followed, he knew his friend would need him again before they could reach the tree. He didn't know how he knew that, only that it seemed to follow the pattern. Fael called out for Fritz to hurry, he had found the entrance. Fritz, upon reaching the opening in the wall recognized it was the entrance to a maze. Placing his right hand on the wall he grabbed Fael with is left and began through the maze following the right hand wall. As the seemed to get close to the center Fael broke free from Fritz and ran down a left hand turn, leaving his friend alone in the maze. Fritz, though worried about his friend, continued following the wall he had been following since the beginning. He exited the maze into dim sunlight as the sun touched the horizon turning the sky a vibrant hyacinth. He couldn't see Fael and realized he would have to back-track to find him. Once Fritz had found Fael they returned to the exit.

They entered a garden filled with majestic statues and beautiful flower beds. Before them were two paths that seemed to lead to the great tree in the center of the garden. On the ground beside the entrance to the paths from the gardens were large standing stones the first bore the words:     The second read:  

Fritz approached the standing stones and examined them. He felt this was a test of those who wished to get to the tree. After considering the words on the stones he announced, "These are riddles." Fael looked at Fritz and said "Well they both lead to the tree so what does it matter?" Fritz pondered the riddles carefully before he made his choice. Looking around he noticed Fael was not there anymore. Fearing his friend had chosen the wrong path, but hoping he hadn't, Fritz chose the path whose answer to the riddle was closest to his heart. about half way down the path he came face to face with himself blocking the path. His alter ego smiled before speaking. "It is time to face the truth of who you really are." Fritz looked confused. "I am the same person who started this adventure. But I need to know something, where is Fael? Is he safe?" "Your friend has followed his heart as you have. He is facing a similar challenge. This test is not one you can help him with." Fritz scowled, as his heart raced in panic over the safety of his oldest friend. "Since I cannot help him nor he me, I accept your challenge. Show me who I truly am, for if I need to face this truth before I can find him again. I will do so." His image shifted in front of him showing a person he had not accepted. Not because he couldn't accept, but because he was afraid to accept it. He watched as his kindness was rejected, yet he remained steadfast. He witnessed his clothing and body shift from male to female. He was immersed in the truth of who he truly was. Not a simple farmer and family man as he had portrayed himself, but a kind hearted lady whose wisdom and understanding had led others to be more acceptable of differences. Fritz fell to his knees, soft sobs escaping his lips as tears rolled down his cheeks. He cried as he began accepting his own truth. Rising to his feet he opened his arms to gather his alter ego into himself. As he embraced her, he saw he was at the base of the tree and surrounded by golden chestnuts.

Meanwhile down the other path, Fael faced a version of himself. As he tried to go around his alter ego, it mirrored his motions remaining directly in his path. "You are not real," Fael yelled in frustration. "Oh but I am. I am the bearer of the truth you have buried deep down because you fear to face me. Even now you refuse to accept the truth. I am here to show you who you truly are. You cannot pass until you face it." Fael scowled and tried to push himself out of the way. Fael didn't move. "The truth is heavier than you wish it to be." As the words left his mouth, Fael's alter ego began to change. His features became harder and his eyes cruel. Fael watched as he lashed out as Fritz for caring and wishing the him the best. He perceived how his heart had hardened towards others in his search for power and money. He witnessed how his cruel words and actions affected those around him, and the fact that he didn't care. To him the only thing that mattered was personal gratification at the expense of others. Fael could feel his anger rising during this display. "Why should I care. No one has been there for me when I needed them, only when they needed something from me." The cold eyes of his other self bore into him. "Really? Fritz helped you back onto the path when you fell. He boosted you up the wall. He risked his own life to save you from the raptor. He chose to let you have the food when it was offered. He got you out of the quicksand. He guided you through the maze even though he had found the exit he came back for you. At any of those times what did he ask for in return? What did he want for himself from you? NOTHING. He wanted nothing in return but to see you safe. Every time he showed concern for your wellbeing from the moment you stepped onto the pathway, YOU shoved his concern away or got angry. Do you believe you are WORTHY of reaching the treasure you seek?" Fael raised his fist to strike. The moment their flesh met Fael felt his body turning to stone. His final physical act was to open his palms to the sky in supplication. Fael's mind was still active within his stone prison.

Fritz sat down with her back against the tree and waited for Fael. She fell asleep, sheltered in the roots and shadow of the tree. She was roused by the light of the sun touching her face. Rising to her feet, she looked around, hoping to see Fael. What she saw was a statue that reminded her of her friend, with his hands open to the sky. Fritz leaned her head on the statue, tears running down her cheeks to drop onto the chest of the statue. "Oh Fael, I am so sorry I failed you. Why couldn't I have been a better friend?" As she stood there crying against the statue she thought she heard a reply, "Fritz you didn't fail me. I failed you. I should have listened when you spoke truth to me. I was greedy and self-centered, now I pay for my crimes. I do not deny my punishment seems harsh yet it is nothing compared to the pain I have caused those close to me, those who cared. Go home and live in peace." Fritz stepped back from the statue and dropped the chestnut she'd held in her hand. Turning away from her friend she made her way to the beach. As she stepped onto the path she found herself back on the cliff with the sun shining down on her.