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- Created By itsumademo
Chapter Eight
The Catalyst
Chapter Eight
“OH! Come on and move your lazy ass already!!”
I pulled with all my strength on the reins but Orion stood as though I were barely a bother to him. For the past two days Orion had appeared to be more than a pain, he was an arrogant, rude, unkind ass of a horse that seemed to be doing nothing more than making MY life worse. And he was bringing out the most awful tendencies in me.
“Ugh!” I threw down the reins and crossed my arms tightly across my chest. Jade eyes glaring coldly at scoffing blue ones. “What is your problem? Why can’t you simply come along?”
He snorted and stamped a hoof against the dirt and moss covered ground.
“Oh sorry! Please, go! Do whatever the hell it is you do while I just complacently wait here!” I tossed my arms in the air to further prove my point, albeit somewhat sarcastically.
He puffed again, with a pleased grin-like expression on his face. His hooves beat in a light trot as he headed into the woods.
“You know, I don’t actually plan to wait patiently!” I screamed into the unlucky trees and bushes that he had just walked into.
A nickering laugh echoed back at me.
I scoffed and sat down on a broken, old stump. A sudden thump hit the back of my head and a pebble fell beside my foot.
“Very mature, you damn horse!”
I kicked into the dirt and waited with ever growing irritation. I looked up into the trees and saw the familiar silhouette of the Immortal walking into the small clearing I had settled into.
“Where have you been!?”
A black brow rose at my question.
“You and Orion not getting along again?” He casually said as he slipped done to the earth with a lithely cross of his legs.
“My, how could you tell?” I mumbled under my breath, though I wasn’t entirely sure he couldn’t hear me when I did that. His abilities were still a mystery to me.
I sighed heavily. “I’m sorry; he has me a bit on edge.”
“I’ve noticed.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, whatever, were you able to find anything to eat?”
“There are a few deer grazing near this area.”
“And? You couldn’t bring one here?”
I straightened my posture as I waited for an answer.
“Deer are very rare here; I was not about to diminish their population simply to comply with your stomach.”
“Rare? That’s odd…in my world there are so many deer that once a year they are allowed to be hunted to keep the populace in check. Well…back home at least.” I leaned back onto my hands.
“Back home?”
“We moved to Ireland three years ago…but we had been living in Maine before that.”
“Ireland?”
“Yes, Ireland is a lovely place and I did like it there, but I missed home. Grandmother had suddenly insisted that we move and since my mother had agreed to take her in after my uncle suddenly went missing…she had to comply. Not that she wanted to pack up and move to a different country, but something in grandmother’s insistence was enough to convince her.”
“You’ve mentioned your grandmother before…Gweneviere. How is she?”
I sat up again at his question. I had been declining to bring up grandmother’s death with him, for some reason I felt I shouldn’t tell him quite yet. However, even though I had resided to lie, I still hesitated to answer.
“Jade? Are you alright?”
“Yes. Oh, uh, grandmother is fine. Doing well back home. She went on a trip not that long before I left, exploring somewhere in Asia…she didn’t specify where though.”
“Hmm.” He nodded with a knowing look. “She enjoyed exploring here as well.”
“Yes, she always has.”
A comforting feeling came over me whenever I thought back on memories with her.
A sudden hot rush of air hit the back of my head, knocking me from my happy thoughts and bringing me back to reality. Where a pain in the ass horse thought I followed its every whim.
“It seems Orion is back. And by the way he’s gritting his teeth in my ear; I would bet that he’s hungry too.” I pressed my lips together to control my annoyance.
“Fine then, why don’t you two go out and get something to eat?”
“Us!” Orion snorted in protest beside me.
“Yes, you two. Just look for some fruit for now, that should sustain you until I can find some meat tomorrow.”
I growled at the thought of food hunting with the damn picky horse.
“Fine. Come on, Orion.” I took hold of his bridle and pulled him forward until I had time to pick up the reins, which dragged along the ground.
After a relatively quiet walk Orion began making his bored clicking sound as I wrung the leather straps in my hands.
“Stop that.”
He scoffed with a small neigh.
“Why can’t you cooperate? At least help me search!”
He made a short snorting sound and then suddenly pulled at my cloak.
“What?”
He bobbed his head in the direction he had tugged where a large tree stood several yards away with large fruit looking objects growing from its branches.
“Good job.”
I made an attempt to rub his nose, though he pulled away and moved his head to look down at me with a large blue eye as I tried.
I scoffed. “Arrogant.”
I began walking to the tree, dropping Orion’s reins in the process.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Autumn called to me from back where I once stood.
“Autumn. Why are you here?”
“Watching out for you, of course. That silly Immortal never really pays enough attention.”
“What do you mean?” I stepped away from the tree and towards her; Orion choose to wait a few feet from her position.
“That tree’s fruit is poisonous…pretty but deadly.”
“Well, it wasn’t my find exactly.” I looked over at Orion and he spun around to have his butt staring back at me.
I narrowed my eyes. “Thank you, Autumn.” I moved to look at her again. “I’m glad you came to help. Would you point us to some non noxious fruit?”
“Sure I will.” She smiled pleasantly and turned her feet in the opposite direction and began walking off.
I followed, grabbing Orion’s bridle as I checked to make sure that he came along.
“Here, these berries are small but the flavor is good and they fill you up rather quickly.” I saw her reach out to a strange hairy looking bush of green and brownish red, bringing back with her some bright pink and yellow colored berries.
“I think the pink ones are sweeter, the yellow have more flavor though.” She picked several and set them in my hands.
“Um, can you flip open the satchel on Orion’s side?”
Autumn tossed back the leather cover so that I could drop all the fruit in safely.
I sighed happily. “Thanks for your help.”
“My pleasure.” She bowed, her brown hair tumbling over her shoulders.
I took hold of the reins again and turned to find Autumn gone.
A sharp tug on my cloak redirected my attention to Orion, who nudged as best as he could against the bag filled with berries.
“Alright…” I removed a few and held them out to him, he gently took them one by one from my hand, eating them away from me before bringing his head back to retrieve more.
Despite his definite faults, he was really very clean for a horse. Although the longer I spent my time with him the more I was beginning to wonder what sort of horse he was.
When we arrived back at the clearing, the Immortal was still sitting exactly where he was, though his black eyes were closed.
I walked past him quietly so that I didn’t wake him up, but as Orion headed by he snorted at the back of my head. My eyes opened wide and I spun around quickly to clamp my arms around his muzzle. He shook his head around to be released but I held fast.
“I’m not asleep; you don’t need to restrain him.”
I sighed in relief and let Orion go. He scoffed angrily at me and bit at my arm.
“Stop that Orion!” I swatted at him.
“Immortal, did you happen to find any water near here? I’d love a bath after all this walking.”
“There’s one in that direction, not far but enough so that you’ll feel comfortable.” His arm stretched in the opposite bearing of where Orion and I had just come from.
I smiled happily. “Finally! Thank you Immortal!” I started heading for the water, eager to clean myself of all the dirt and grime of the last two days.
“You smiled.”
I stopped my feet and looked back to the Immortal. “What?”
“You smiled. You haven’t smiled since we left. It’s nice.”
My face warmed a little as we looked at each other. I wasn’t sure how long we had been there, neither of us moving. Orion suddenly pushed against my shoulder. I blinked several times and narrowed my eyes.
“Ugh, Orion stop that!” I pushed against his head and began walking back for the water. His nickering laugh followed me as I went.
“Damn horse.”
At least the more I walked on the better I was able to maneuver through the trees. They seemed to be getting thinner once I spotted the clear water.
The small shore was nothing more than warm sand but the deeper edges were lined with large rocks and boulders and perhaps 20 or 30 feet across the surface a tall but beautiful waterfall dropped into the small lake.
The air surrounding the place was clean and fresh, not lined with dust and heavy with the scent of nature. I glanced around me just to be sure there was no one around and then I started loosening the ties and cords of my clothing and laid it upon one of the larger rocks near the water’s closest boundary.
I shivered briefly as the wind ran its breath across naked body, where small bumps came up onto my skin. I rubbed my arms quickly to warm up. I stepped up onto the stones and took a long deep breath before jumping into the spotless pool beneath.
The water shoved in opposition to me as I broke past the surface and I started to swim gracefully in the silent peace around me.
For a long while I let the waves guide me along in the deep, bluer the further down I went. Inside I was quite glad I had been forced to swim so often in the ocean with my mother…even though she knew I hated it greatly. Swimming and I never really mixed well.
I returned to the surface and took another breath after my long time beneath. I leaned my head back and brought my feet up with balance and floated on the exterior of the water.
“I wonder what town will be like. This place seems far more primitive than home…it may be like going back in time.” A giggle escaped me.
I moved my arms around me, propelling closer towards the waterfall. As I went it was gradually becoming more difficult to move, the water felt as though it were hardening and stopping me in place. I lifted my head but my legs and torso stayed in place, like I was lying on a bed. I struggled against whatever held me until slowly two blue tinted arms appeared by my waist on either side and wrapped themselves tightly.
“How dare you...” A wisp like female voice whispered in my ear.
“Who’s there? Who are you?” I tried to turn my head but as I did so the arms suddenly vanished, leaving color water pooled on my stomach. My body was free and I dropped into the water and looked around for the woman.
“Tsk tsk.” The voice clicked its tongue. “You…you things…”
“Hey! I’m not a thing! Who the hell are you?”
Blue colored hair bobbed to the surface in front of me and soon the same lightly blue tinted skin of a forehead appeared and soon a lovely face followed. Yellow, spotted eyes glared at me.
“Why are YOU here!? How the hell are YOU!?” Her voice was uncomfortably soothing as she yelled with fire in her tone.
“I’m just bathing. It’s been a long journey and there are more days ahead, I am simply trying to relax.”
“Bathing? Relaxing?” She growled.
“Yes. But I do apologize; I didn’t realize someone lived here. If I had I wouldn’t have come.” I spoke slowly, holding back the anger this bizarre woman instilled in me.
“HA!” She scoffed. “Liar.”
“I’m not lying! I have never been here before; I was merely taking a bath!”
The water began the heat up as her feral eyes glared down on me and her body started rising up from the waters. She stood upon the surface, her skin entirely tinted blue and naked with long bluish green hair draping to her feet. In some places there were fin-looking appendages protruding from her limbs and yellow and black colored lines and spots painted parts of her skin.
I couldn’t find anything to say to her and soon the water began spinning and bubbling, the heat getting like boiling water.
“You females….things…creatures unworthy of them. You die and you die, you damn extinct woman…when you’re gone you should stay DEAD!” Her voice reached a scream and abruptly my legs were seized and yanked down.
I had no time to breathe and the longer I tried not to let go the more I felt the tightening of my chest wrench at my body. I struggled as hard as I could against the arms holding me but the pressure of the depth beat against me even harder.
My eyes blurred, I could feel unconsciousness weighing down. The last bits of air from my lungs escaped and I felt boiling waters rush in burning my nose and lungs. In the seconds before I drifted away I thought I felt hands wrap onto my torso and in my final living thought I imagined it to be the Immortal saving me from death.
Chapter Seven
The Catalyst
Chapter Seven
I clasped the handle of my grandmother’s bedroom door and quickly twisted the knob, anxious and excited flutters dancing in my stomach. The chance to explore the cities outside this tower and forest was driving me on, perhaps causing me to be a bit jumpy. Seeing as once I entered the room and saw Caleb lying on the bed, my body seemed to leap in itself.
“What are you doing here!?”
Even from the threshold I could make out his wry smirk, as he calmly flexed his foot with an impatient rhythm. Despite my irritated question, he continued his same movements as though I hadn’t even appeared.
I narrowed my eyes at him and with firmly placed steps I walked over to the bedside.
“Caleb, why are you here?”
“Jade…” his closed eyes opened suddenly, flooding violet into my view “…did you know, that piece of clothing is rather thin in the sun’s light?” Purple slid over to look at me.
I felt strong flares of heat all over my face at the idea of Caleb being able to see my underwear. I crossed my arms tightly across my chest. “It’s not supposed to be worn this way…I was in a hurry this morning.” I kept my face turned from his, while I tried to control the blush tinting my cheeks.
As I felt the heat subsiding, I dropped my arms and quickly turned back to face Caleb. I opened my mouth to speak but instead of words I found my lips molded against Caleb’s and the warmth I had pushed away came rushing back with more force. He hands moved to my hips and tried to gently pull me down with him, but I pushed myself off from the kiss and stepped back to turn away.
“So touchy.” He chuckled behind me.
I scoffed. “I wouldn’t be so…touchy...if you would stop being such a pervert!”
He laughed again and with a light tap I heard his shoes fall against the floorboards. I tightly bit the inside of my lip and spun around to face him with my hands resting with irritation on my hips.
“Yes, yes. I apologize.” His smile glistened; he was trying to turn on the charm. A strong, seemingly innocent hand was then held out to me. “Peace?”
I raised a brow at the gesture and stepped forward. I lifted my hand to his but just as we went to grasp one another I moved my hand in orbit around his and as quickly as I could I flicked his forehead playfully.
I grinned at his shocked expression. “There doesn’t seem to be any peace with you.” A small giggle escaped at my own comment.
I sighed with exhaustion at the events prior. “Anyway, you should get going now. I have to finish getting ready.”
“Ready? For what?” He questioned as I shooed him to the open balcony.
“The Immortal is finally bringing me to one of the cities so that I can get some food and other quite needed supplies.”
“HA, that will certainly be a show.”
“Why?” I paused at the rails as Caleb stood lithely atop them.
A bright violet eye looked at me from the side. “You’ll find out soon enough.” He jumped from the rails with that damn smirk playing on his features.
I watched him land gently on the brown land surrounding the tower’s walls. “A show? Why would it be that interesting to see us in town?”
It’s not that the idea didn’t seem a bit peculiar, as the Immortal is a legend. A great person, shrouded in mystery. “But…” I stopped my movements as the doors of the balcony shut with a light thump. “What on earth does Caleb mean?”
I shook my head and ran my hands swiftly against my face. “Stop worrying. I better just get ready… I’m sure the Immortal will already be waiting.”
I moved over to the side of the bed and grabbed the rest of my clothing. I slipped into the outer half and laced the second set of ribbons in the back of my dress as well as the cords for my sleeves. I did like the dress, especially since grandmother had made it for me for my 17th birthday last year. “I do really need some more cloth in order to create some of my own though; I can’t continue to wear the same thing every day.” I smoothed out the fabrics and pulled my shoes on as I headed toward the door.
“Shoot…” I looked at the blackness and tried to remember the way to the crossroads at the Immortal’s hallway.
“Lost?”
The Immortal’s voice came from beside me and I punched at his chest for startling me. “Why do you do that?”
As he walked from the doorway, leading me through the dark, I saw his shoulders shrug briefly. “Because I can.”
“UGH!” I growled at him but followed his figure through the corridors until we again passed by the long hallway leading to his large, antique bedroom. For a moment I caught myself wandering towards it again with brimming curiosity but stopped after a hard smack in the face from running into the Immortal’s back. “OW!”
I heard his voice echo a laugh at my ignorance. “You did that one purpose.”
“Perhaps.”
I scoffed at his arrogance. Luckily once we reached the last staircase I knew we were close to getting outside and into the light. A smile slide onto my face at the memory of warm sunlight gracing my skin again.
“Step back a bit, the doors send in a rush of air when opened.”
I looked at the two large double doors I had opened when I first arrived. “I don’t remember that?”
“You weren’t on this side of the doors.”
I shrugged with a careless sigh and stepped away from the exit. There were times I could make out subtle shadows of the Immortal as he stood by the doorway. A sudden bright red colored light illuminated the hall for a second at most and quietly settled in the area between the Immortal’s hand and the doors.
“What’s that?” I stepped closer, but he didn’t reply.
The doors pulled open bringing with them a huge gust of winds that sucked into the lobby like a vacuum. I shielded my face but through the slit of my arms I saw the Immortal standing perfectly still while the air rushed past him blowing his long black hair and clothes.
When the current died down I stood up and moved over to where the Immortal was standing. “Immortal?”
He blinked a few times, as though he were regaining his senses. His black eyes turned to me. “Yes?”
“Uh, are you alright?” I resisted the urge to place my hand on his arm as a form of comfort.
“Of course. Come on, we have a stop to make before we begin heading out.”
I pulled back in confusion. “A stop?”
“Yes, there is something we must retrieve before making the journey.”
“Journey? How long will it take to get there exactly?”
“With your pace, it will be around five days.”
“Five days!? Wait, my pace…what is that supposed to mean?”
I ran up to continue walking beside him as we began crossing the barren grounds surrounding the tower. He watched me with a humored expression. “Normally I could reach the city within a day and a half, but with you it will take longer.
Although since you are more athletic than a normal human I cut down the general eight day hike to five.”
“Eight!? Just how large is this forest anyway?”
“Quite enormous, but I have never invested time in discerning the approximate length.”
“Oh well, can’t imagine you’d ever take the trouble too.”
I crossed my arms and kept silent for the nearly 40 minute walk into the woods until a large brick like building started to appear in the trees.
“What’s that?”
“A stable, Autumn takes care of it for me.”
“A stable…you have horses here?”
“Sure, horses are needed at times, and you’ll definitely need one.”
“And why’s that?”
“Would you rather carry everything you get in town?”
“Well…no.”
“Then you’ll be needing a horse. There are several in the stalls, however I have a specific one in mind for you.”
“Oh…what kind of horse?”
“I have no idea; I have no expertise on horses. Autumn may know.”
“Right, Autumn.” I slowed my pace in thought as we reached a side door for the stable. “How do you know her again?”
We stepped into the large and very clean stable where a few small grunts and whinnies escaped from the alerted horses. He declined to answer and walked down the hay laid path between the stalls. His feet stopped in front of one of the larger containers.
I jogged over to the wooden door, though I wasn’t quite tall enough to see over it, the thing was very large. “Geez, just how big is this horse?”
A large bang against the door startled me and I stepped back. “The blockade isn’t necessarily for height or girth…rather temper.”
“You’re going to give me, a fairly inexperienced rider, a temperamental and somewhat large horse…let me guess, a male?”
“Yes.” He removed the three sets of chain restraints from the door.
“Wait just a second young man, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”
Autumn’s young and annoyed voice erupted from the opened side door of the stable.
The Immortal dropped his hands.
“Autumn, why are you here?” I moved from behind the Immortal and walked towards her.
“Ah, Jade. I see you found your way just fine.” She smiled happily and then turned back her angry glare on the Immortal.
“You know that he is not a tame creature, and this last year has not lowered that in the least.”
“He’s not for me Autumn.”
“You can’t possibly be suggesting that Jade ride him, he’s far to wild and angry.”
“She doesn’t have to ride him; he shall be for transporting goods only.”
“And what makes you think he’ll comply with that so willingly?”
“Uh, well…” The Immortal looked away from Autumn. I had never seen him at a loss for words like that, especially in front of one so young.
“You think that he’ll miraculously take to her and calm down?”
“Actually, yes.”
“How reckless… can’t you ever do something that doesn’t endanger lives?”
“Don’t worry Autumn; I’m sure things will be fine. And if not, it’s only a few days.”
“Right…more like ten…” I mumbled under my breath.
Autumn placed a small hand in my own; it shocked me that she was so suddenly next to us and not shouting by the threshold. “It’ll be fine Jade, the trip should be a nice change from the tower.” Her innocent smile glowed up at me.
“Uh, thanks.”
The Immortal pulled open the stall door, I stepped back mostly from the tugs from Autumn. She left my side and went into the pen with Immortal, the loud bangs and neighs increased.
I moved around the edge of the wooden door and abruptly came face to face with a perfectly pure white horse with the bluest eyes I have ever seen. Warm air rushed from his nostrils at my sudden appearance, as though he scoffed at me.
I stepped into the stall and stood next to Autumn. “Those are blue eyes, horses don’t have blue eyes…they have black eyes, maybe brown…not blue…”
Autumn nodded at my confusion. “Yes, he does. Beautiful aren’t they.”
I moved closer to him, his coat was whiter than anything I’d seen but his mane and tail were a warm brown or almost deep auburn. I reached out to touch him, but the Immortal stopped my progress.
“Don’t trust him simply because he’s quiet for a moment.”
“But he seems fine, just nervous…a little agitated.”
“Jade, don’t trust him. He’s killed before.”
“He’s a horse, Immortal.”
“And being kicked by a horse can kill you.”
I sighed with irritation. “If you are so against him, then why bring him with us?”
“Because, he needs some air. We have had him in this stable for a year now and he needs to move around.”
“A year!? Gosh, why can’t you just let him out once in a while?”
“He was found wandering in Talen over a year ago and Autumn brought him here. He was confused, ill, and severely injured. He has been recuperating in this stable since.”
“I wonder what happened to him.”
“We don’t know really, nor have we tried much to discover it.”
“How come?”
“He simply won’t let us.” Autumn mentioned as she started leaving the stall.
I watched her leave the stable to go back into the woods of the forest.
“Immortal, when shall we get going?” He handed me a deep green cloak, I took it gently and found that it was rather heavy but also thin in its own way. “What’s this for?”
“Warmth and also to keep yourself hidden, once we enter town you’re make sure that you never remove the cloak.”
I wrapped it around my shoulders and fastened the few buckles at the front. “Why not?”
“People here aren’t accustomed to new comers. Especially ones that look like you.”
“Look like me? Why should my appearance matter?”
“The inhabitants of this world are generally fairly plain in appearance. You would stand out greatly and draw unwanted attention. Just make sure to keep your head covered.”
“Uh, alright.”
The Immortal finished getting the horse ready to leave and before we left the stall he placed the reins in my hands. “You’ll lead him. If he stops for whatever reason let him go and wait until he returns.”
“Sure, but why?”
“Food, bathing, bathroom…anything really that he needs he does on his own.”
“He’s a horse though.”
“I know.”
We walked out of the stable slowly and began our journey through Talen.
“Oh, what’s his name?” I had nearly forgotten to ask with all the insanity going on.
“Orion.”
Chapter One
The Catalyst
Chapter One
I casually repositioned myself on my bed when I realized that I had been staring at the small emerald lined box for over an hour.
Gradually I opened the soft cover and exposed the perfectly clear gem shaped similarly to a needle nestled in a black onyx ring which closed in around it in peculiar designs. I gently removed the piece of jewelry and examined it closely beneath the lamp beside me. Every turn reflected the sudden rainbow of colors produced by the apparent prism within the onyx setting.
I slipped the smooth stones onto my ring finger and again observed its appearance in the light.
“Hmm…” I cocked my head curiously. I had never really been too fond of jewelry other than the simple rosary-like necklace I wore to ward off my cousin’s curse; I shivered reflexively from the memory. However there was something special about this ring.
I solemnly remembered my grandmother’s story, the true one at least. She said she had slit her wrists in an attempt to kill herself. When she fell, her right hand landed palm down onto the old wooden flooring of her kitchen and the longer she laid there the more her blood seeped through the cracks in the wood.
“For some reason the ring and its box were directly beneath the boards her blood was spilt on. Every time a drop slipped down to the hidden area containing the ring it seemed attracted to the gem. She remembered that just before her final breath the ring had become full, turning a deep scarlet, causing it to emit a slow pulse. Her flat hand had begun glowing in reaction to the rhythm and just a second later she looked as if she simply flashed out of existence, not a single drop of blood was left where she once lay.
I stared blankly at the wall before me, and then took a quick look at the ring resting comfortably on my finger. Sighing, I mumbled quietly to myself. “I suppose I could try…it couldn’t hurt.”
I quietly pulled off my bed and walked over to my bookshelf; resting neatly on top was a medium sized chest carved from wood and intricately painted in various warm shades of green. The clasp slipped open easily and I carefully opened the top. Deep within the several objects filled with past memories was a small clean steal dagger my uncle had given me before he disappeared.
Once I had replaced the chest I moved to the center of my bedroom and kneeled to the floor. My natural inclination toward strange and possibly dangerous things caused my nerves to flutter anxiously as I steadied the dagger above my left palm. I tried to keep my breathing calm as I prepared to start and in my head counted 1…2…3…cut!
The initial feeling was strange, but not bad. However almost immediately after that the pain hit me, the cries of millions of nerves struck my body and I instinctively clutched my hand tightly making a strong fist in an attempt to dull the pain.
I bit my lip hard and released my grasp. The cut was much deeper than I had intended and the flow of blood was very strong, spilling onto the floor in small pools of red. My body began feeling a little heavy and I seemed to be slowly rocking my head in a gentle, rhythmic circle.
I took a deep breath and balanced myself as best as I could. Despite my attempts to control my body I continued to feel the same as I felt the blood dripping away from my existence, like an hourglass leaking it’s sand and slowly my ripped hand began to throb angrily as though it were being refused oxygen.
“Darn.” I exhaled, “I think…I cut..the veins…in..my…hand.” I took a few more deep breaths while weakly holding my wrist, trying almost in vain, to slow the blood flow. “I’m…going to pass..out soon…”
The strange feeling of constriction and pain continued to increase its overwhelming hold on me; in an effort to cease the confusion I quickly jabbed the odd ring deep into the flooded abrasion and then slapped my hand on the floor. I nearly slipped in the blood covering the surface combined with the clotting layer on my hand but I caught myself awkwardly just as the fabled red glow traced along each stained finger. I watched the light until suddenly the world turned black.
Large shadowy figures were everywhere, it was so very dark my eyes ignored my hopes that they’d adjust. Being practically blind I began running my hand in opposition to the ground I sat on, soft dirt, small rocks, and little clumps of grass and moss rubbed against my fingers.
I quirked my brow slightly. “…Is this the place?” I thought out loud.
I leaned forward and used my hands to help push myself up. A sudden sharp pain swept up through my calf, causing me to topple over and catch myself alongside a hard mass.
“OW!” My voice echoed eerily through the blackness before me.
With an unseen but definitely annoyed expression on my face I pulled away from the object and rubbed my hand along my now sore back. Using my other hand I reached backward for the thing I had run into and found a rough, bumpy, moss covered tree. The tree wasn’t very big and upon further inspection I found that I had just nearly missed a broken, protruding branch which was covered in sticky sap. I quickly pulled my hand away from the substance and wiped it against the trunk and a little on my most likely filthy dress.
I continued to feel around and found only more foliage. “This must be the forest grandmother talked of.”
I stumbled briefly in the dark against a rock lying in my hidden path; thankfully a tree broke my fall. “If this is the wood, it’s not quite how grandmother described. She said it had been strangely bright with animals rustling all around her. I don’t hear anything.” I stopped my blind groping and looked about at the deaf air around me. “I know she mentioned something about silence once? What was that?” I tapped my lip as I thought of the little poem she told me a long time ago. “Oh yes. When creatures hide with silence surrounding, be wary, for evil is waiting in the shadows.”
My hearts beat sped up and my eyes observed the black anxiously as I remembered how terrified she was about that little poem. I suddenly felt my hand grasping the metal cross of my necklace.
“Help me Daela.” I heard my voice whisper.
The sound of my deceased cousin’s name seemed to echo back to me, spreading though the hidden trees like light reflected off metal. Beneath my hold the tree shook abruptly, knocking me backwards. Daela’s name still fluttered to my ears in the dark; a warm wisp of air ran across my neck.
“Gweneviere?”
I jerked slightly at the sound of my grandmother’s name, even though the darkness prevented me from seeing anything.
“Who’s there?” My voice echoed once again. “How do you know my grandmother?” Once the words of my second question passed over my lips I noticed there was no chime of echoes but more of a dull, flat nothing similar to talking at a wall.
“Grandmother?” The mysterious voice said clearly as though it were right before my face.
Abruptly bright light broke out around me, startling my eyes, and I reactively brought up my arms to shield my face. A small, soft hand lightly touched my arms, urging me to put them down. I blinked my eyes a few times before they adjusted and settled on an attractive child, no more than six or seven years old. I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by a delicate albeit demanding voice.
“Who are you?!” bold, golden eyes were fixed on my own. Waving wildly in half curls were long thick locks of completely brown hair, nearly the exact same color as the dirt and trees I know saw clearly around me. Her golden glare narrowed at my silence. “Who are you!?” she demanded again.
“Oh, uh sorry, I’m Jade.” I grinned politely but continued sitting quietly beneath the young girl’s gaze.
“Jade?” She lowered her brow questioningly, “How do you know Gweneviere?” Her tone suggested she was confused by my answer.
“Gweneviere is my grandmother. I’m the only one of thirteen grandchildren who enjoys being with her.”
“Grandmother? Grandchildren? Gweneviere never had children.” The girl gracefully crossed her legs and sat down across from me like we were about to have some long conversation. Since she no longer protested so forcefully I assumed she wanted me to elaborate.
“She did eventually. Ten children, six boys and five girls, however her first two boys-twins actually- they were born at an entirely different time period then the other eight but they have been missing for several decades. And since obviously she never told anyone but me about her life here, none of her other children have any idea about their older brothers or their mother’s past.
Unfortunately most of her children dislike grandmother, so they never come to visit or allow any of their children too. There was one son who cared for her and one daughter who tolerates her, that would be my mother. I had also been rather close with my uncle, he was like another father to me but he went missing after my fourteenth birthday, three years ago.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” The girl shook her hands angrily, “I don’t understand. I thought Gweneviere left because she never wanted a family or children?” The girl seemed to be unintentionally leaning toward me with intense curiosity in her eyes.
“Oh um, no…is that why you thought she left?”
The girl nodded anxiously.
“No, she told me that she was heading for this wood to tell someone something, I would imagine you, I think it was to mention that she may be pregnant.” The girl inclined forward a little more and opened her small mouth to speak but I held my index finger to her lips. “Anyway, she was running though the trees and suddenly the setting just changed and she was on a rain drenched cobblestone road in the late 1700’s, around 1798 or ’99 I think. Grandmother told me she researched for many years but was never able to figure out why she went back or why she could no longer return.”
The girl had a large smile drawn across her face.
“What?” I cocked my head.
She ignored my question and leapt up happily, her long hair bouncing about her face and shoulders. “Hello Jade, granddaughter of Gweneviere, I am Autumn the druid of Talen Forest,” she spread her arms around smiling proudly. “It is a great pleasure to meet you.” She held out a small hand and although I was wary, I took her invitation; she swiftly yanked me off the ground. I attempted to pull my hand away but Autumn held fast.
“The Catalyst suits you well.” I watched the rainbow effect reflect on Autumn’s young face, I had almost completely forgotten about the ring on my finger and the cut on my hand. My arm moved to show me my once mortally wounded palm, a long silvery taut scar lay where the bloody chaos once was.
“Don’t worry, the scar will go away a little more in an hour.”
“Only a little?”
“Yeah, the first wound you ever get when you come here stays with you as a scar forever, but all the others completely heal when you arrive in Talen.”
“Hmm.” I ran the tip of my finger along the smooth protrusion on my skin.
“Well, now that we’ve been introduced it’s time that you got going!”
“Wha—” she turned me around as I protested and pointed a finger directly ahead of me.
“Just go straight, heading for the shadows. That’s where it’ll be.” I felt her give me a gentle nudge forward.
“Wait, it’s where what will be?”
“You’ll see.” Her voice whispered across my ear as she had done the first time we met.
“Autumn?” I swung around, moving my hair and dress along with me; she was nowhere to be seen. I inhaled deeply and returned to face the gradually darkening shadows. “Ok, I guess it’s off to… somewhere.”
Once I started walking I yet again felt the sharp pain in my calf, it was less now but still not good enough to walk well or quickly. I gasped through clenched teeth and continued on, limping along with the help of sporadic trees. After about an hour, the sky had nearly fallen into the blackness I once sat in and the bright Talen Forest still shown faintly behind me. The further I went the fewer the trees became but then about fifteen feet away an odd, large tower stood on the ground, the area around the edifice was far spreading and barren of all nature. Once I finally managed to get out into the clearing, I was better able to view the structure hidden within Talen Forest.
“Wow, that’s a very tall building.” I craned my neck so that I would be able to view the peak of the tower.
Large rectangular bricks wrapped themselves around the cylinder with perhaps three large windows set into the stone, two of which had balconies with black iron railing warped into a strange mess of designs. As I limped in a daze around the side I found a vibrant green ivy growing from nowhere up the wall and slightly tangled with a railing. The leaves stemming from the vine were large and soft with small veins of blue emanating from beneath its thin skin. I gently slit through the stem of one leaf and carefully tucked it into the bosom of my dress, as I had no pockets. The plants appendage was warm against my chest, calming my racing mind which eased some of my discomfort with my now clotted calf abrasion.
While I continued my observation I came across a large door. “It looks relatively heavy and impregnable, most likely steel or some other form of iron. I wonder why? It’s not very probable that whoever lives here comes across many robbers.” I cocked my head and noticed the handle, it was vertical iron and just as warped as the railing along the balconies edges.
“AHHHHHH!” A muffled female shriek echoed in the clearing.
“Where’d that come from? The only possible place is this tower.” Although the voice was obviously expressing pain, I reached for the large handle and pulled. Dust, dirt, and small rocks drifted from the top of the door molding, it had evidently not been opened in several decades or centuries even. Luckily as I strained to open the door, not one rusted cry came from the hinges. I heaved a sigh of relief, just in case there was a murderer or psychotic torturing fiend lurking in the tower and so I then carefully shut the heavy door behind me.
The inside was even darker than the clearing until my eyes adjusted and I noticed a small amount of patchy clear, blue light drifting in from most likely the three windows.
“I don’t recall seeing the moon while I was outside?” I shrugged my shoulders and began to look around. I quickly found that the room was enormous and quite empty, with polished black marble floors and smooth ebony banisters lining the two elegant spiral staircases on opposite sides of the room.
A sudden vibrating creak sounded from above me.
“That’s right, I had almost forgotten about the scream I heard. Maybe I shouldn’t go on.” I had my head tilted slightly in thought and my upper lip pushed out over my lower one.
The excitement began increasing its force and fast paced adrenaline advanced its once steady flow through my veins; my thoughts raced quickly with all I could imagine and something clicked in my brain. “It seems my curiosity has gotten the better of my fears.” I bit my lip lightly and then stepped toward the left stair but before my foot even touched the first step I felt the blue, clear light envelope me. It was strangely warm, like walking into the sun’s rays. I looked up to find the source of the light and found that the blue only seemed to continue toward a black nothingness. The light was similar to the source less vines that grew on the outer walls of the evidently huge tower.
I turned my head away and focused on the dark stair that twined before me. Another shrill creak rattled the wood of the banisters and pulsed eerie vibrations through the tips of my fingers. I stepped onto the smooth step again and began to lift myself up. The blue light dulled bit by bit and the further up I went the deeper I headed into darkness and consequentially toward a possible life threatening danger.
When I finally reached a continuation of a stair I assumed I had reached the top level, although I could not see to be sure. As my eyes adjusted to the pure black around me, I noticed a ray of white light emanating from most likely a crack in the floor. I made my way over to the hole rather slowly, groping about with my hands straight ahead of me. I kept feeling the general paranoid thoughts like I were about to hit a wall or fall down a never ending pit.
The hole in the wood flooring, or so it appeared to be, was not very large but did give me a view of two peoples in a brighter room though dimmed in several areas. It appeared to be a man speaking to a woman tied to a wall coming up out of the floor. “A wall in the middle of the floor?” I whispered without thinking. I quickly covered my mouth; hopefully they had not heard me.
For a brief moment I thought I saw the woman’s disturbingly bright pink eyes twinkle excitedly in my direction but I must have only imagined it. Her eyes were very vivid.
She suddenly screamed violently toward the man who leapt back with anger on his face, at least that’s what it looked like. I didn’t really have the best view from where I was. She definitely glanced at me this time and her eyes seemed to glow before she winked quickly at me. I pulled back my curious eye in confusion and concern. However, an almost immediate cracking sound erupted from beneath my body. Before I knew it the floor had given way and I felt myself falling a good twenty feet down but was caught lightly in the air and then set down on the broken rubble. There was a sudden flare of pain from my most likely injured calf; no doubt falling through a ceiling didn’t help matter much.
Everything was blurry for a few seconds due to the abrupt change of light and startling fall but once I could see clearly I saw untainted black eyes staring back at me. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what his expression was, but I assumed it wasn’t a good one. We continued to stare at one another, though I kept my gaze for mere uncertainty of what could happen if I turned away.
A few long black hairs draped down over his shoulder which caught my attention, making a good excuse to stop looking so intently at him. He seemed to begin the attempts of forming a word when the woman abruptly rammed into him, knocking a chunk out of an arch molding and breaking several small objects.
Many more loud bangs came from the room openly connected to the one I had landed in. A bit of the separating wall beside me began to crack and dribble pieces of what looked like dry wall but smelt completely different. I leaned forward to touch the strange substance but the wall unexpectedly ruptured and collided with my head. The peculiar scent hit me along with a painfully nauseous dizziness, I felt my eyes roll against my eyelids with small patches and blurs of moving light and then I drifted into unconsciousness.
End
