WARNING!! -- this is old, and while recently updated with minor edits and the last of the chapters i never put up back in the day, it shall never be updated...enjoy it anyways!
...since a lot of you seem to keep doing so o-o ...
- Created By itsumademo
Chapter Twelve
The Catalyst
Chapter Twelve
“Jade…Jade…” My name continued to echo back at me while the world rocked and shook lightly. With subtle movements, my eyes eventually were open and wide.
I jerked straight up and looked around. Somehow I was on Orion’s back and in front of him the Immortal walked swiftly with reins in hand.
“I was so positive I had just been holding Orion’s reins and walking…I was just walking…” I held my finger to my lip, which I had already begun to chew on gently.
“You fell asleep while walking and nearly ran into a tree. I thought it best to allow you some peace after your prior ordeal.”
“Prior ordeal?” I blinked several times, trying to come up with something that could in anyway be considered an “ordeal.” Ehh, at least as of today…or yesterday.
“Yes, after falling from a forty foot tree trying to appease the appetite of this horse.”
I distinctly noticed his irate emphasis on the word horse, but chose to dwell on that later, as the more pressing matter of how he always seemed to know everything was yet again becoming problematic.
“How did you know about that?”
“When you have lived as long as I, you find information is far easier to acquire.”
I dropped my brow into a firm line, my arms crossed loosely against my chest. “You’re completely bypassing my question…” I leaned forward, an earnest expression on my face, “please, just answer me straight for once.”
His pace faltered for a split second, which I hardly would have noticed had I not been so intent on his graceful figure. I quickly deleted my mind’s content and went back to pursuing my original point. “So?”
He released a cursory sigh, “I had the pleasure of having Caleb literally trip into camp…though I must admit I was the one who tripped him.” A, rather strange to see, wry grin appeared at the corner of his half hidden mouth.
“Why?”
“He seemed to be stalking the area, so I merely took the opportunity.”
I could still hear the odd little smirk in his generally smooth, calm voice and while I would normally find his recent behavior childish, a part of me really wished I could have seen Caleb fall flat on his face.
While casually pondering how Caleb may have appeared, I found myself slipping back into a weary sleep.
“Do not sleep again, please.”
Mildly startled to hear the Immortal’s voice so sudden and close; I carefully turned to my left and saw him walking slowly beside Orion, reign still in hand. His expressions had returned to normal, though as he glanced towards my direction, there was a little hint of something different…nervousness?.
“We shall be in town very shortly. It would not be prudent if you were to sleep again.”
He returned to the front of our small procession, a confused and curious quirk spread to my brow and lips.
“Um, so, uh…should I pull my hood up then?”
“Yes, though we will stop on the outskirts of the gate. I would prefer it if Orion stayed there, our combined presence will be enough of a surprise.”
“Wait...why?”
He remained silent and though I hadn’t been with him long, I was quickly learning that he was likely never to answer. I had prepared to slump in my seat when Orion abruptly stopped. Looking up I saw an almost canopy-like haven which led to a large opening, where a few shuffling people could be seen back in the distance.
“Is that the town?” The question escaped more like an anxious exhale.
The Immortal’s head bobbed gently in response and without pause he began walking towards the door-less threshold, leaving the worn reins on the dusty path we had come upon.
“Hey?” I nearly jabbed my ankle into Orion’s muscular side when he nickered lightly, alerting me to the Immortal’s outstretched hand supposedly meaning that I was meant to stay.
“Tie up the horse out of direct sight, then come and meet me.”
“But how will I find you?”
“I won’t be far in. You’ll see me, I assure you.”
His long fingers gripped the lengthy hood at his back, swiftly maneuvering his hair beneath the fabric and the scooped opening came to rest elegantly atop his head. That unnervingly inhuman way of his to do…well, anything was certainly hard to not gawk at like an utter moron.
I slipped off Orion’s back, rather nicely I thought, though I could see a mocking glimmer in his eye that may have told differently. Yanking somewhat vengefully on the reins, in order to tug at his bridle, I started to pull him over to a berry and grass strewn flock of brush so that he could at least avoid the undoubtedly festering temptations of taunting others while we were away.
“I wonder if there are vampires in this world. The Immortal sort of reminds me of…” I stopped mid-sentence while wrapping the leather straps around a large tree. Lightly scoffing I began to tie a very constricting knot. “I really have started to go crazy or something. Vampires don’t exist, they defy any possible logic! Then again…I haven’t seen the Immortal eat at all or actually sleep or bathe or drink…or…” I noticed outside my trailing verbal thought process that I had begun lightly stroking Orion’s head, from the tip of his soft ear to the strong bulging velvet cheeks at his muzzle. Oddly enough, he hadn’t bitten my hand or eaten my hair. His piercing blue eyes were in fact closed, and for a single fleeting moment, I believed that this absurd and obnoxious “horse” actually purred. Which I don't think is even possible.
I jerked back at the thought and action only to smack my head against the tall oak-like tree I had apparently been leaning against, the quite thoroughly tied knot in my free hand.
Sighing casually, I brushed off the ideas for later contemplation, as it was surely to invade my mind again. Pulling my hair over my shoulder I did my best to tuck it back behind the heavy cloak. It felt odd to have the equally heavy and smooth hood draped over my head, a bit of material drooping slightly over my forehead. Inwardly I wished I looked even a small portion as good as the Immortal did. However I knew it wasn’t so. The quickly brushing thought pushed against old wounds; I vehemently shook my head before taking a confident step forward.
“Ahhh, finally.” A smile danced on my face, my eyes pulling in a bit at the sun’s bright glare.
The area was actually rather bereft of people or anything really. It seemed to be one of those ignored edges of a town that only the lowest, creepiest, and most repugnant of citizens hung around. Out of the corner of my eye an old looking man stood with his long beard nearly touching the ground and a corny, eccentric grin beneath that hairy exterior. His fingers were all covered in what seemed to be thimbles and a rather large, pigeon-like bird was nesting on his haphazard scalp. Part of me wanted to go over and just stare at him for hours, but another was screaming ‘WARNING! WARNING! STRANGER DANGER!’ I managed to tear my eyes from the odd hobo creature and began to search for the Immortal’s deep blue cloak.
Not much further than a few yards from the opening I spotted his silken hair hanging along his back, apparently he took the opportunity to have his hood down in this shadow-ensconced area. Inhaling strongly, I headed to his side where I stopped and, with a sarcastic tone, spoke to him without even a glance towards his person. “Thanks ever so much for leaving me with a moron in the middle of nowhere; a nowhere I am stranger to.”
“I knew you would be fine.” His eyes also stayed away from my face. A part of me had wished he would acknowledge my existence along with his. I gently bit my lip when I saw an older man slowly step into my view. ‘My view’ being a mere six inches from my face.
His completely bald head and complexion was rather off-putting, considering he had to be well over 100 years old; I had never seen so many wrinkles on a human being before! It seemed unnatural.
I retracted from his uncomfortable stare and foul breath, though he managed to stay just as close somehow.
“Her eyes are odd.”
I blinked rapidly at his sudden statement.
The elderly man went back to his original place, in the shadow of the building we stood behind. Likely why I didn’t see him when I first came to the Immortal’s side.
“Her eyes are of little consequence. Is there anything that can be done?” The Immortal’s voice was soft but slightly urgent sounding. However, I had to admit I hadn’t the slightest idea what he was talking about.
“Perhaps, perhaps.” He stroked his narrow chin. “Let me see the wound.”
The Immortal abruptly grabbed my bandaged forearm and pulled up the sleeves, revealing the bloodied white dressing, now a bit frayed from my recent tree plunging activity. Gently but incredibly fast, the old man removed the wrappings, revealing a deep, bodily fluid dried gash from which purple, blue, and red spread out along my skin like a rabid disease seeking new prey. It looked far worse than the last time I saw it, and oddly I felt nothing to suggest it was any worse at all.
His large, bony fingers probed along my evidentially festering wound, while sudden nips and bites of pain would hit me, occasionally causing me to twitch in his hold. I could feel my face scrunch up at the sharp sensations.
The Immortal lightly squeezed my corresponding shoulder. I had momentarily been happy for the attempt at comfort until I saw the small man pull out a small, slender knife. I flinched back hastily but found myself met with the Immortal’s force of strength. My eyes followed as the blade made a careful incision into my discolored forearm, but from the wound, rather than crimson blood, a bubbly blue liquid seeped. Small burns began working their way through the ill flesh, the sharp bites of which sent my nerves in a frenzy beneath my skin. Writhing reflexively from the shock and pain, I jumped back, keeping my arm at a distance, and rammed into the Immortal who still kept me from running away.
“What the h-hell is happening!?” I inhaled sharply through my teeth as the pain started to subside.
Calming heat was flowing through my shoulders, which were held in the Immortal’s firm grasp. He must have been removing my pain all this time. I wanted to thank him, although I was a little more disturbed about why my arm seemed to no longer be an arm.
The thin man came out of the building’s shadow while cleaning his blade. “The poison is far more potent than I would have expected.” His stern brown eyes turned to my own, “you’re lucky you had two magic wielding Immortals with you, girl.”
My brain hardly registered his reference to me as ‘girl’, a title I would generally be rather peeved by, and instead my eyes vaguely gazed over the man, then turned to the ground, wrapped deep in thought. Before I had a chance to return to reality and voice anything, my arm was being re-bandaged with clean white dressings. Once the ends were tied, blue and red fluids had already begun to seep through the fabric. I had wanted to examine it myself but my sleeve was quickly pulled down for me.
I thrust a puzzled glare at the Immortal, but his attention was already with the elderly gentleman again. My ears were more curious than my eyes at the moment, so I also came back to the grouping.
“I can have the mage prepared by late this evening, after the festival has begun. We needn’t attract any extra attention towards you two. Although…” he paused briefly, “there is a chance you’ll be far less recognized seeing as a few years back a new tradition was initiated.”
“And what’s that?” My voice flowed out on its own.
“Ah, wearing blackened hair pieces, girlie. True, they are mostly crude and noticeable but it’s a good cover. Yes, I had nearly forgotten about it.”
My brow quirked both at his returned, slightly altered and more annoying, reference of ‘girlie’ along with the very idea of them not knowing what a wig was. “You mean wigs?”
The Immortal waved off my comment when the man looked at me with confusion.
“That is all good.” He replied to the old stranger. “My friend here needed to acquire a few things in town as it is, so time shouldn’t be an issue. Please have your apprentice find me when you are ready.”
They each nodded to the other and the thin, old creature slipped into the blackness.
“He’s agile for such an elderly man.” I placed my hands to my hips as I watched him vanish.
“Jade.”
“Hmm?” I turned to face him.
“Here is some money, please do not cause any trouble. The villagers should be setting up for the festival about now, so you will not likely bring attention to yourself.”
My lips pursed at his accusation. “I won’t cause trouble.”
He appeared to roll his eyes, but on coming lanterns caused the area to glimmer oddly, so I may have imagined it. Maybe.
I lightly shrugged beneath my cloak and went to head into town, leaving the Immortal at my back. Some part of me had simply assumed he would be joining me while I shopped, except that was really a silly idea. He wouldn’t show himself in such a way just for me.
People had started hustling about all over; this festival looked to be a big deal. It sort of reminded me of a carnival with those myriad stalls and vendors, the little shows and acts going on every which way you looked. I giggled as a playfully disguised group danced around a few small children who kept trying to steal their well-painted masks.
At times I thought I caught eyes on me, watching the stranger covered with a deep green cloak. I tried to make sure my face remained hidden from view, while still attempting to watch the festivities.
In a less busy area of town, an odd but enticing store caused me to stop my wanderings. The front window was littered with several different objects, all rare looking and odd or unique and beautiful, and although I likely couldn’t afford anything, I wanted to explore it.
The place wasn’t huge, but decent and simply covered with all sorts of things from food to weapons and clothing to furniture. I ran interested fingers gently along the cool steel of a sword as I passed an aisle. Luckily no one else had ventured in, however I also couldn’t spot a clerk, not that I was overly upset to be alone to search on by myself, undisturbed. I enjoyed being on my own; it was familiar.
Fidgeting clumsily with a large blade, I thought I heard someone in the store. Embarrassed to be caught, I hurriedly replaced the sword as best as I could and slyly checked the front area only to find no one at all.
“Strange.”
I returned to my sporadic pursuing, this time glancing in awe at the intricate jewelry beneath a glass cover near the back of the shop. A sudden gasp sounded from near where I was, along with a piece of furniture falling over. My heartbeat quickened, curiosity and worry churned inside me as I took a few steps towards the owner’s door at the back wall. I reached out with uncertainty for the handle, when it pulled open on its own and a young, attractive, sandy haired man stepped out, straightening his shirt as he went.
“Oh I’m so sorry...I-I was just..uhh…” I had begun backing up and, without noticing the man’s warning, fell into a large container of furs.
“Are you alright miss?!” His hand reached in to help me out, and I hesitantly accepted. As I was pulled up I felt my hood slip from my head.
He immediately released his grasp and took a step back, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Seeing his gaze grow, the realization I was no longer shrouded from view as I was supposed to be at all times, jerked me straight and I quickly groped for the hood, yanking it down over my hair and features. “I-I-I…um, I’m sorry for spying, I-I was just, uhh” I exhaled nervously. “Please excuse me!” I turned to dash out of the small store, but before I made a step my wrist was captured.
“Wait, please.” His eyes looked far more nervous then I felt, nevertheless his grip was unyielding and strong. “What are you?”
I blinked several times, pondering over an answer to such an odd question, gradually allowing my rapid breathing to calm.
“I uhh, I don’t really know how to answer something like that,” my internal monologue blurted mid-response, “uhm, I-I’m a human…I think?”
The young man released his grip and shook his head in confusion. “You…think?”
My relinquished arm drew up to my chest, where I held it with my other hand. “Uh, yeah. I’m sort of new here.”
“Well,” he puffed a sigh, still puzzled fingers scratched lightly at the scruff of his neck. “Hi then, I guess. I’m Kaiden, this is my father’s shop, and I’m in charge during the festival.”
“Oh, um, hello Kaiden.” I let a small smile slip onto my face.
He released a long breath, ran all those fidgety fingers through his rather tussled hair, and then finally dropped a hand to the small counter to his right.
“So, madam, is there something I can get for you?”
I looked him over cautiously, but his demeanor was fairly calm and easy, not at all threatening. My posture straightened and I lowered my arms, carefully I pulled up the hood a bit back to where I had originally had it placed and could see better.
“Um, my name is Jade. I was looking for several things actually.”
“Jade? Interesting sort of name. Well, we have any and every thing here, just tell me what you are looking for and I can help you find it.” He let a kind, welcoming grin spread across his lightly angular features.
A similar smile danced on my own face in reply. “Then I suggest we get started.”
Chapter Eleven
The Catalyst
Chapter Eleven
My butt hurt, my torso screamed, and my arm wanted to simply fall off.
“Immortal…can’t we please, please, take a break now?” My voice came out quiet and whiney, “It’s been almost five hours, I need to rest and eat something.” I rubbed my face onto Caleb’s coat, which sat in a messy bundle on my lap.
He stopped and sighed heavily.
“Alright.”
Orion slowed his pace and suddenly bucked me off; as I became airborne I gripped Caleb’s jacket tightly to my chest as if it could somehow save me from the inevitably painful landing. A large twisting flutter grew in my gut and spread to all edges of my limbs, even blurring my vision as it flooded my head.
The Immortal’s black hair blew around beside me, and his strong hands and arms gripped me unexpectedly, I hadn’t even begun to fall back to the earth. In the instant he caught me I glued my hands to his cloak and shirt.
“Don’t you dare drop me.” I barely exhaled, while I tried to gather oxygen back into my lungs…Orion, you ASS!
He slowly sat me down against a large tree.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m f—” My lip dropped from my words as my eyes entangled themselves with the Immortal’s.
There wasn’t ever a time I had found such softness in pure black eyes…I was simply thrown from reality. In the slightest of seconds my fingers edged towards his handsome face, but Orion’s blustered snicker jerked us back.
I scowled at him while his grinning eyes looked back. The Immortal stood up and unpacked a small bag, which most likely had the last of the berries. He looked into it and narrowed his eyes; he abruptly rammed a fist into Orion’s thigh forcing the large horse back and onto the ground. He angrily ground his teeth and writhed around until he stood up tall, attempting to tower over the Immortal, although he only reached about a foot higher.
Seeing them so firmly grounded and erect made me realize that I was much smaller.
“This makes me feel insignificant.”
Both guys moved an eye over to me, one black and one blue.
I inhaled to speak but instead dropped my head onto my knees, for some reason my head was still swimming.
“Jade, you and Orion go out and find something to eat.”
“What about you?”
“I’m just going to get some rest.”
He turned from Orion and dropped down beside me, although with perfect execution. I had to rock myself just in order to balance with the tree so that I could stand.
I looked back at him before I walked off, but the Immortal’s eyes were already shut tight and his head turned down. I lightly bit my lip in thought, but then spun around to follow Orion through the sporadic trees.
Orion was unsettlingly quiet as we walked in near silence. Luckily the farther we went the greener the forest became, creating a somewhat more comfortable atmosphere to walk in.
“Orion, do you even know where any food is?”
His piercing blue eye looked back at me briefly then rolled away, followed by a quick snort and a headshake, his weirdly long auburn hair flapped in my face.
“I’ll take that as a no then.” I sighed.
I was despondently kicking at a few patches of grass when my hood was nipped off my head.
“What?” I glanced up, expecting to find smirking horse eyes, but instead I caught him staring straight up into an adjacent tree’s canopy.
I quirked my brow at his odd behavior, “what is it?”
He blustered anxiously and stomped his hooves against the ground.
I shifted my view up towards the treetop and came across what Orion was so desperately wanting. Hanging from strong, healthy limbs were large and beautifully red apples. They seemed to be calling us to them. We probably looked like drooling pets in wait of a treat.
His snicker pulled me from my fantasies of a full stomach and I looked over to his begging round eyes. His soft nose nudged against my own and a gentler, almost purr-like whine came from between his lips.
I ran my hand along his forehead. “Alright, alright,” I smiled lightly, “let’s grab some fruit then.”
He purposefully licked my entire face, just to annoy me I was sure. Thankfully he was so oddly hygienic for a horse I didn’t have to worry about smelling like rotten hay, or something equally disgusting.
My cape fell completely onto my back as I lifted my arms to take hold of the tree while I found a solid foothold. With a swift inhale I pulled myself up and grabbed onto the larger section of the split trunk and yet again heaved my way up until I was more horizontal then vertical and could take a breather.
From about ten or so feet below, Orion whinnied with restless excitement…which wasn’t really edging me on in any way towards the near twenty, or maybe it was more like thirty, feet to go. My breath was a bit shaky from the strenuous climb, however just the thought of sinking my teeth into a juicy sweet apple was too tempting to give up. I hoisted my dress up further and stretched my leg as high as I could lift it and then lengthened myself out again. I managed to get a strong rhythm in place; the closer the canopy edge approached, the faster I moved.
When I reached the top, slightly less sturdy branches, I began my task of fruit removal. As I looked down to Orion I saw he had collected a large bunch of ripped up dirt, grass, and piles of dead leaves. He was a clever horse…sometimes.
I twisted the apples delicately until they unhitched from the tree limbs and dropped them down, each landing onto the makeshift bedding. I had gotten about fifteen or so apples off the tree when my arms began getting thoroughly exhausted from not only constantly removing the apples, but also holding me to the branch like glue. Every shifted movement I made scraped my hands and arms against the rough bark. Despite my growing desire for something other than berries, I felt the painful sting of my bandaged arm begin to grow as I held tighter to the tree.
“I think that’s all I’m going to grab for now.” I exhaled.
From my perch I could already see Orion nipping at the food I had risked life and limb for.
“You’d better not eat any before I get down there!” My shout wasn’t as forceful as I would have hoped but I could hear his responding snort, alleviating one of my several stress-ridden thoughts. “I can’t have you eating everything before I even touch ground.” I muttered softly to myself.
It hadn’t really occurred to me when I first began my climb that coming down was going to be an entirely different experience. A thoroughly impossible one so it seemed; most especially while wearing a dress and cloak.
“How the hell am I going to get back down from an almost forty foot tree?”
Gradually, I edged down the bark about a foot or so, but as I pulled back I felt my foot slip against a lose piece of bark. Before I even began drifting off the branch’s edging I could feel the flutters of falling dance through my gut, similar to when Orion bucked me off him, but on a whole new level. My nails clawed at the limb out of instinct, raking along for a few seconds until I lost touch of the scratchy tree altogether.
I gasped suddenly.
It was almost surreal seeing the tree fly further and further away, knowing that the earth was coming up just as fast to greet me. Painfully.
My body curled as close together as I could and, tightly, I shut my eyes in preparation for impact.
“OHF!” I jolted sharply from the force, not from hitting bottom but being hit head on.
I peeked from beneath my closed eyelids as I felt the wind come to a stop and the world was in one place again. I uncurled quickly out of shock and my head instantly collided with a firm chin.
“Ow…” Gripping my aching skull I started to register that a pair of sturdy arms was holding me. Familiar arms, in fact.
I turned my face up to see my rescuer and found violet eyes against gentle, though playful, features.
“Caleb!?”
“You really are annoyingly accident prone, aren’t you?” he laughed at me.
My eyes narrowed and I pouted my lips in frustration while still rubbing my scalp.
“What are you doing here? Have you been following me still?” I struggled to be released from his hold but he didn’t seem too keen on abiding. “You have a hard head, you know that?”
He walked at a slow pace towards Orion who, from the looks of it, hadn’t taken one eye off the nest of apples. I frowned at his obliviousness. “Ass.”
Caleb raised a brow at my mumbled curse then giggled softly. “I suppose I deserve that.”
“Hmm? Oh, no no! I didn’t mean you, I meant Orion…not you, no, sorry.” I shook my hands furiously, my eyes a little wide with embarrassment. Though, in retrospect, he may have kind of deserved it actually.
He glanced over at the large white horse and then back down at me.
“What on earth were you even doing?”
“Well I was hungry and so the Immortal— Hey, hold on, I’m going to be asking the questions here and besides you never answered my first ones!”
He sighed but nodded.
“So, what are you doing here?” I crossed my arms, however with some difficulty while still in the cradle of Caleb’s limbs.
“I had to come back and get my coat of course.” He grinned.
We stopped beside Orion and Caleb let me down easily, and then placed his hands on his hips, still wearing his classic smirk.
“Really?” I cocked my head a bit with my brow furrowed in disbelief at his excuse. “You just happened to be here so that you could get your coat back?”
Orion had started spitting and nipping angrily at Caleb, who seemed unfazed by the horse’s attempts to scare him away. He began pounding at the dirt and preparing a stance to charge.
I smacked my hand onto his nose, while my other hand slowly rubbed my temples in soothing circles. “I’m hungry, tired, injured, confused, lived through death and then near death,” my tone increasing in volume as I listed, “and almost every other emotion possible right now. I can’t be referee to a duel among a boundary-less moron and an oblivious ass.”
A deep breath filled my lungs and slowly calmed me down. I looked up and went over to the saddle where I grabbed Caleb’s coat.
“Here, if you intend to keep it then don’t give it to someone.” I was a little sad to lose the piece of clothing; it had kept a faint scent of Caleb on it, which eased me somewhat. Though I couldn’t really put my finger on why.
He took it from my hand and swiftly slipped into the fabric with more poise than I could ever hope to have. He pulled up the collar and inhaled deeply. “Ahh, it smells like you.”
I ruffled my features in confusion. “I smell?” My voice mumbled half-heartedly. I threw my hands over my mouth in reaction to my thought blurt.
Caleb’s strong, memorable laughter rang through my ears. He’d definitely heard me.
“You’re so funny sometimes,” he tapped my nose with his index finger and grinned.
I had crossed my eyes to follow his poking finger then shook my head.
“Yes yes, I’m a riot.” I began pushing Caleb off into the woods. “Now go back home, or wherever the hell it is you come from all the time.”
He chuckled mildly but moved out of the clearing. “See you later, beautiful!”
I scoffed at his sarcastic farewell, but as I turned back a small smile danced on my features.
Orion looked at me with an odd, pathetic giving expression but quickly changed in order to begin begging for apples. I ruffled his mane and reached down to grab one. His eyes grew wide and he let out a small, eager whiney.
I glanced at his blue gaze then took a large bite out of the fruit in front of him, savoring every bit of the juicy flavor while he watched.
He snorted with irritation, nipping at my shoulder.
“Fine, here.” I held it out in my hand and Orion practically inhaled it from my palm.
“Yuck…” Wet, dripping saliva stuck to my limb, courtesy of Orion. I swiftly rubbed it against the blankets beneath the saddle. “You’re so sanitation conscious for a horse…couldn’t you be a bit more well-mannered?” Mumbled annoyance slipped from my mouth.
He simply ignored that anything was heard and continued nudging at my back for more.
“No, nope. No more for you.” I pushed his nose back from me and went to begin collecting the apples.
There were unfortunately so few places to put them. I managed to get a nice majority into varying saddlebags and a few into my hood as it hung against my back. The remaining ones I held in my arms.
“Come on, let’s get back to the Immortal, we’re probably going to be heading into town today.” I smiled happily at the idea, “I actually sort of miss normal humans.”
Orion snorted at my comment.
The trees behind us rustled lightly. I turned my head quickly at the sound, my brow furrowing in confusion, “Caleb?” No answer came and I shrugged, taking a bite of an apple as I went back to walking, my opposite hand defying my own words and handing another apple to my four-legged companion. “Must just be me.”
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, callous 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 colored 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 thin black brow rose at my question.
“You and Orion not getting along again?” He casually said as he slipped down 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 in this world, 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 in order to keep the populace in check. Well, back home at least.” I leaned onto my hands, my elbows pushing into my thighs.
“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, I guess.”
“You’ve mentioned your grandmother before…Guinevere. 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 resigned 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.” I waved my hand around in an attempt to further prove the truth of my statement.
“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 it’s 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.
“Then why don’t the two of you 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 huge 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 sighed. “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 chose 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.” Then moved to look at her again. “I’m glad you came to help. Would you point us to some non lethal fruit?”
“Sure I will.” She smiled pleasantly, 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 the fruit one by one from my hand, eating 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,” his arm stretched in the opposite bearing of where Orion and I had just come from, “not far, but enough so that you’ll feel comfortable.”
I smiled cheerfully. “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 towards the water. His nickering laugh followed me as I went.
“Stupid horse.”
The more I walked on the better I was able to maneuver through the trees, and 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, 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 in the area and then I started loosening the ties and cords of my clothing, laying it all upon one of the larger rocks near the water’s closest edge.
I shivered briefly as the wind ran its breath across my naked body, where small bumps came up onto my skin. I rubbed my arms quickly to warm up. Slowly I stepped up onto the stones and took a long deep breath before jumping into the spotless pool beneath.
The water pushed against me as I broke past the surface and started to swim gracefully in the silent peace that surrounded me.
For a long while I let the waves guide me along in the deep, getting 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 extensive 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 my body, 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, 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 water pooled on my stomach. My body was free and I dropped into the water, looking 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?”
Cerulean colored hair bobbed to the surface in front of me and soon the lightly blue tinted skin of a forehead appeared and sure enough a lovely face followed. Yellow, spotted eyes glared at me.
“Why are YOU here!? How the hell ARE you here!?” 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’ve never been here before; I was merely taking a bath!”
The water began to 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 highlighted blue and naked with long bluish green hair draping down to her feet. In some places there were fin-looking appendages protruding from her limbs, 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 was set in motion, 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 sensed 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?” His gaze slid over to look at me.
I felt strong flares of heat all over my face, and then all through my body, 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-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 once pushed away came rushing back with more force. His hands moved to my hips and tried to gently pull me down with him, but, a little against some part of my wishes, I broke 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…a…”I groped about for a word, my mind still kind of jumbled. Then, with an irritated groan, “...a depraved, egotistical creep!”
He laughed again, a little louder than before, 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 on my hips.
“Yes, yes. I apologize.” His smile glistened; he was clearly 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. Slowly, 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 in mocking triumph at his shocked expression. “There doesn’t seem to be any peace with you.” A small giggle escaped at my own comment. I then sighed with exhaustion as the events prior returned to the forefront of my mind. “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 bringing me to one of the cities so that I can finally get some food…and other quite needed supplies as well.” I tacked on that last part, remembering where I was and that I only showed up with the clothes on my back.
“HA, that will certainly be a show.”
“Why?” I paused at the rails as Caleb stood nimbly 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 stupid 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; 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?”
After a few seconds 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 should try and get some more cloth in order to create some of my own, I miss making clothes. Not to mention I simply 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 swatted 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 inquisitive tenacity, 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.” I grumbled.
“Perhaps it is you doing this on purpose.”
I scoffed at his response. Luckily once we reached the last staircase I knew we were close to getting outside and into the light. A smile slid onto my face at the memory of warm sunlight gracing my skin again.
“Step back a bit, the doors send in a strong 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 held up 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 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 to continue walking beside him as we began crossing the barren grounds surrounding the tower.
“Normally I could reach the city within two days time, 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 size.”
“No, can’t imagine you’d ever take the trouble to.” I derisively mumbled as my arms crossed.
We 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 youthful and angry 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 heated 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 too wild and furious.”
“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 due to the tugs from Autumn. She left my side and went into the pen with the 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 purposely kicked by a horse can kill you.”
I sighed with frustration. “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, heading back into 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 to 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.” I tugged at the buckle as I mumbled, “don’t really know whether that’s a compliment or an insult.”
The Immortal seemed to ignore me and simply finished getting the horse ready to leave, and just 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…essentially anything 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 tilted 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 wrist in an attempt to kill herself. When she fell, her injured limb landed 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 must have 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. Well, to try, not…not literally.”
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 steady as I prepared to start and in my head counted: 1…2…3…cut!
The initial feeling was strange, but not bad. Nevertheless, 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.
Biting my lip hard, I released my grasp. The cut was much deeper than I had intended, the wound reaching from the center of my hand to the top, thin skin of my wrist. 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.
Slowly, 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.
“Damn.” I exhaled, “I think…I cut..the veins... but...but I wouldn’t have thought that…I would pass out so soon…I-I never would have pegged myself for…squeamish…” I took a few more deep breaths while weakly holding my wrist, trying in a near futile attempt to slow the blood. “I’m…going to pass..out…”
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 onto 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 along 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 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.
Continuing to feel around, which gleaned only more evidence of foliage, I mumbled to myself, “This must be the forest grandmother talked of.”
I stumbled briefly in the dark against a rock lying in my hidden path; thankfully another tree broke my fall. “If this is the woods, 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. “What was that thing about silence in a woods?” I tapped my lip as I thought. “If-if you don’t hear anything, that’s when you should worry…because…animals scatter when they sense danger...”
My heartbeat sped up and my eyes observed the black anxiously. 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. “Guinevere?”
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 spoke 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, perhaps, eight 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 now 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 Guinevere?” Her tone suggested she was confused by my answer.
“Guinevere is my grandmother. I’m the only one of thirteen grandchildren who enjoys being with her.” I chuckled a little awkwardly.
“Grandmother? Grandchildren? Guinevere 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 a few centuries. 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.” I paused, realizing I had kind of babbled off, but she remained watching me, as though waiting still. So I continued, “Uhm, unfortunately most of her children dislike her, so they never come to visit.” I looked off, thinking, “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…” my gaze lowered sadly, “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 Guinevere 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 forest 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. “She said was running through the trees when suddenly the setting just changed and she was on a rain drenched cobblestone road in the late 1700’s,” I quirked my lips in thought, “I think around 1798 or ’99. Grandmother told me she researched for many years, but was never able to figure out why she went back or why she could never return.”
Surprisingly, the girl had a large smile drawn across her face.
“What?” I tilted my head.
She ignored my question and leapt up happily, her long hair bouncing about her face and shoulders. “Hello Jade, granddaughter of Guinevere, I am Autumn, the druid of Talen Forest,” she spread her arms around smiling proudly.
The gesture leads me to notice she had a vine twisting around and going into parts of her left arm. I didn’t have much time to observe it though, since she continued her exaggerated introduction.
“It is a great pleasure to meet you.” She held out a small hand and, although I was wary, I took her invitation; the second our hands met 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 as the rainbow effect reflected onto Autumn’s young face.
In all the chaos I had almost completely forgotten about the ring on my finger and the cut on my hand. I pulled my arm away from her at last in order to see my once mortally wounded limb; a long, pale, somewhat silvery taut scar lay where the bloody slit 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 once you arrive in Talen.”
“Hmm.” I ran the tip of my finger along the smooth, slight 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.
“W-wait, that’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, but she was nowhere to be seen. Taking a deep breath, I 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 had lessened now but still not good enough to walk well or quickly. I gasped through clenched teeth and continued, 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 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. For some reason, I felt rather compelled to hold and take one of the hypnotic leaves. Gently, I 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 wounded calf.
While I continued my observation I came across a large door. “That looks relatively heavy and impregnable, maybe 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.
My heart skipped a beat as I gasped, “holy crap…w-where’d that come from?” I gazed up the tall structure, “the only possible place is this tower.”
Although the voice was obviously expressing pain from who knows what lurking inside, 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 waiting 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, pure blue light drifting in from most likely one of, if not all of, the three windows.
“I didn’t see the moon while I was outside?” After a moment 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, one on each side of the room.
A sudden vibrating creak sounded from above me.
“Eheh…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 as I looked cautiously up into the ceiling’s abyss.
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, good and bad, and something clicked in my brain. “Urg…” I groaned, “It seems my curiosity has gotten the better of my fears.” I bit my lip lightly and then stepped toward the left staircase, 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 discovered that the blue only seemed to continue toward that black nothingness above me. The light was similar to the source-less vines that grew on the outer walls of the evidently huge tower.
Turning my head away, I again 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 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 possibly life threatening danger.
When I finally reached the continuation of a stair I assumed I had reached the top level, although I couldn’t actually see to be sure. As my eyes adjusted to the pure black around me, I noticed a ray of white light emanating from what was 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 of sudden blindness, 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 it was 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, but my hand quickly smacked over my mouth. Hopefully they hadn’t 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 briefly 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, however, before hitting the ground, I was caught lightly in the air and then set down on the broken rubble. There was a sudden flare of pain from my injured calf; no doubt falling through a ceiling didn’t help matters 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 and 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 when 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
