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 Nine
The Catalyst
Chapter Nine
Silence. Nothing but silence; I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard, smelled, tasted, breathed, moved nothing…
The world seemed to have been sucked away from me.
For a few brief moments I felt life tingle into my fingers and in those small instances it was as if a vacuum was pulling on my body in every direction. At least it seemed like my body. I couldn’t really tell.
Sudden pulsing, flaming sensations began feeling their way across every awakening appendage and then abruptly a strong convulsion shot through me. At that moment, I noticed my full self, like I were looking down on my own body and saw every vein, organ, and breath that formed who I was. But afterward it was as though I fell away, back into a blackness where I began to simply fade from existence.
Yet another tremor jumped through me and I saw more, felt more of who I was. Except this time I could see my face; I looked almost sad and a little afraid…and for some reason, wet.
A stronger, exceptionally startling and painful spasm hit me again. My chest and throat began stinging, like sharp knives running along the walls, and in my side an aching, tight knot began to form, growing with each diminishing second that passed.
Once more, I jolted before I noticed a familiar rhythm trying to calm my body, though the sharp knot at my side continued to grow in strength.
The darkness that had pulled at me fell across my eyes again. But instead of feeling its nothingness, I felt contained with several individual beats moving around inside my increasingly warming shell.
Gradually though, everything began to quiet down, eventually all that stayed was a calm thumping and slightly ragged, agonizing breaths. Breaths? Air? …Lungs? I was taking small gasps and the more I dwelled, the sooner I noticed the tingling again, this time all over my body.
Body…I was in my body and breathing.
A warm waft of air abruptly swept across the right side of my face, curling against my ear. It was almost like a trigger went off in my brain and suddenly a swift rush of air passed through my mouth and seemed to run its claws along my raw throat as it continued on to unbearably bundle and whirl in my chest.
The additional fire added to the aches I already endured caused my eyes to rip open and abruptly floods that once clenched my gut now came pouring out. I heaved the water from my lungs, coughing sharply.
A cool breeze made me shiver; I saw sandy, wet dirt through blurry eyes covering the ground I leaned on. I ran the back of my hand across my tear covered face and sat up as best as I could to sit back on the sand.
As I looked directly ahead, I found deep violet eyes staring back at me. For one moment, I felt as though a stranger were before me, the emotion that was held there seemed so foreign. Until a crude smirk replaced it, and I could see Caleb kneeling above me. Almost like a bizarre frontal hovering.
He then pulled back and stood up straight, moving to grab a long thick coat that draped across a rock not far from where I sat. Caleb leaned down and handed me what I presumed was his coat, but he was gentler than I would have expected.
The fabric was heavy and as I took hold of it I found that I could feel the smooth, worn cloth against my shivering skin, all my skin.
My face flamed.
Though my memories were terribly fuzzy, I was realizing that I was entirely naked.
Caleb smirked again at my embarrassed expression but gentlemanly turned his back to me, so I took the hint and swiftly pulled on the thick jacket, wrapping it around my body as tightly as possible.
“What happened?”
I had expected my voice to be loud, but instead that fierce noise was a rasping whisper, which forcefully racked against my body. I grasped at my throat and more aches began creeping their way back to me.
A throbbing pain was now eating away at my side. I tried to stand, but quickly fell back to the sandy ground and landed on my opposite side, while losing grip on the coat that surrounded me.
I reflexively tried to hold my upper torso, but I found that only hurt even more. Trying as best as I could to keep decent, I moved the fabric back to view where my soreness was coming from.
A large black, purple, and even red colored bruise spread over my entire ribcage and sternum. I looked like a truck ran me down or a tree fell on me.
“You moron…” I heaved a little, “…you broke my ribs, didn’t you?”
I awkwardly turned my face up to Caleb while exceptionally gently probing my injured chest.
“I did.”
I glared at him, though it surely appeared more as a pathetic, crippled idiot lying naked in the sand with a poor excuse for any form of expression dancing across my face. Slowly, I released a tiredly indignant and wounded sigh.
Caleb looked down at me like I were stupid. Which, in this instance, I wasn’t entirely sure I could deny.
“Jade.” His voice was low and soft.
He very gently came over and moved me to sit up against another large boulder; he even tightened the jacket I quite loosely wore.
I bit my lip hard as I continued to shiver, partially from the cold and still being somewhat wet but also from the throbbing pain wracking my body. I had just about gotten situated in my sand cushioned seat, when Caleb unexpectedly sat beside me. He slid his arms beneath my legs and across my back and then swiftly pulled me into the cradle of his lap.
My eyes were open wide; I parted my lips to speak and then stopped. When my brain finally caught up to my mouth, I tried to speak again but Caleb slipped a warm finger onto my lips.
“It’s just to keep you warm; your body temperature is severely low.”
I blinked noticeably several times while staring at my arms which rested on his even warmer chest.
“What happened, Caleb?”
A sour, black nothingness started to curl up in my stomach and the longer Caleb stayed silent with his small, deep breaths rising and falling against me, the more I became aware of it.
“You died, Jade.”
My still sore breaths caught in my throat and the dark feeling that swelled inside me spread into everything. Terrifying and yet solemn memories came rushing back to me.
Water coming in from everywhere, I couldn’t see; my body hurt and ripped at me. I wanted to scream and to cry but nothing managed to escape. Tears slipped down my cheeks. And then old memories I had nearly forgotten came back to me as well. A black room, quiet whispers of my cousin speaking to someone I couldn’t see, and then everything was covered in red. No screaming, no crying, black and red splattered everywhere.
It had caused the same terrified pit that flooded me now.
I dug my fingers into Caleb. “…How long?”
“Nearly two hours.”
I bit my lip harder than before and abruptly metallic slivers dripped into my mouth and onto my chin and neck.
My hands wiped across my jaw and eyes almost of their own accord. For some reason Daela’s visage was covering every inch of my thoughts. Her smiling face before that night, that night I didn’t remember and further tainting that memory was another smile I could but couldn’t really see.
I inhaled sharply a few times and leaned my head onto Caleb’s chest; he let me rest even though my blood and tears stained his thin green shirt. As my breaths started to finally calm I looked out over the water I had been in not that long ago and familiar boiling bubbles spun around on the surface.
Curiously, I watched them grow in intensity, and, out of a tangled mix of interest and fear, I clutched Caleb closer and even burrowed my face into his sweet scented shirt with one eye still watching. The water practically exploded and a shrill female voice echoed across the forest. The small, angry yellow eyes and flowing blue-green hair appeared as the water fell back into its pool. She hissed at Caleb and I.
Oddly, I felt him sigh in annoyance. “You did that on purpose.”
I tilted my face up at him with a confused look, but found him to be looking away from me.
Suddenly he started to move, but instead of setting me aside so that he could get up, he simply stood, shifting me from his lap’s cradle to his arm’s. I felt like an awkward bride…naked, in someone else’s dark old coat, still damp, and very much in pain. I nearly managed a giggle at my own tangent thoughts until my ribs decided to tell me otherwise.
The woman I now very clearly remembered stepped immediately closer and hissed yet again, only with stronger hatred in her tone. Her eyes were like daggers, piercing my already injured body, right down to my soul.
“El, stop that!”
I quirked my brow with a sort of puzzled surprise painting my face as he spoke to her, apparently knowing her.
She whimpered, similar to a dog, and then slipped on a more seductive air. “Caleb, why are you with this rubbish? Aren’t they all dead? Why aren’t they dead and gone from us?”
She came even closer as she cooed softly at him with hints of malice slipping out. However, when I watched her face, she appeared genuinely confused and upset.
I looked up at Caleb, whose face was almost unreadable.
“El, she is obviously not dead and I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t try to make that a reality.”
She whined again and whirled over using the water to hold up her body in its turns. “But Caleb, Caleb, Caleb! I have waited for sooooo long! I miss you, come back to me.” She purred again.
I found myself really beginning to hate this woman. I mean she had tried to kill me and, in fact, succeeded, but what tied my stomach in knots the most was her sexy, naked swaying and practically whispering in his ear. It was so…so………UGH!
I began to irately pick at the cuffs of the coat to keep my mind occupied, though her annoyingly beautiful hair kept moving into my view.
“Why don’t you put her down and just come back to me.” I suddenly heard her whisper right beside me and felt her hand beginning to curl around my wrist.
Caleb’s fingers tightened on my arm and thigh. “Eliarya Ktyum, Water Nymph of Talen Forest, I command you to back off now.”
She glared down at me but released her grip with a submissive growl towards Caleb, though in the last moment of her touch I thought I felt a slight scratch across my wrist…but there was no mark.
Caleb felt like a statue. He was a vise holding me even closer as “El” backed away into the water’s deeper edge.
“Caleb…please…” Her siren tone wafted past me, but Caleb didn’t even seem to breathe.
“Leave El.”
I managed to hear her sorrowful moan again until suddenly Caleb dropped to the ground, landing with a hard thud that caused me to scream inside at the jerk of my body’s broken parts. The jolt had greatly aggrieved me and in frustration I smacked my left palm to his forehead.
“Caleb, you absolute and pure idiot!”
For a moment, true sincerity appeared on his face but once I displayed my reaction he suddenly broke into a strong laughter.
I frowned but then furrowed my brows.
“Caleb…what just happened?”
He yet again paused his breathing and almost reflexively tightened his grip around me.
“El is…” he sighed heavily. “El and I are very old friends,” I wrinkled my nose a bit at the way he said friend, almost like a truthful lie, “but she is also close to some rather unsavory people, all of which are not in any way fond of Immortals. However, El always tended to take a particular liking to the men…….”
I cocked my head slightly away to better see his face. “And?”
“She developed an unadulterated, unrelenting hatred of the women; especially that of the first family.”
“First family?”
“You should really get dressed and head back to the Immortal. It’s getting late.”
I confusedly looked at my hands with uncertainty. “First…?” Caleb didn’t seem to hear my mumbling as he very gently set me back on the sand and dropped my clothes down in my lap.
“I’m sure the Immortal has some cloth you can use to bandage your ribs.”
He began to walk away with an exhausted sadness in his eyes that I clearly wasn’t meant to have seen.
“Wait!” I crawled slightly forward, wincing from the pain that shot up through me. “You’re just leaving me here?”
He didn’t turn around but I heard a smile in his voice. “Don’t worry, you should be partially healed by morning and the Immortal can help with the rest. I’m just wiped.” This time he flashed me a silly eyed smirk before jumping away into the trees.
I sat there in a despondent, while also kind of annoyed, way and began to fuss with the coat’s cuff again as I stared out at the swaying trees.
Quickly as I could manage I pulled on my clothes, but after draping the cape and hood across my shoulders I also slipped on the warm coat Caleb had left behind for me. It was comforting to wear, like I was being held in strong, protective arms.
I wrapped my own arms around myself then began to walk back to the camp and my two traveling companions, an emotionally stunted immortal and an ass masquerading as a horse with a personality disorder.
A small giggle escaped my still rasping throat which was followed immediately by sharp pain spreading through my chest. I clutched my side lightly and my small breaths helped to push the ache away. As soon as I looked back up, I heard a snap to my right …most likely a twig and an animal… Following with my stupid inquisitive nature, I stepped toward the noise when sudden, slow opening, lavender eyes caused me to jump back and into tightly grasping hands.
I cried out at the pain that came up through me. The loud noise rattled my head and everything around me, racking its claws against my tender throat.
One of the hands was then unexpectedly on my head, making an affectionate petting motion against my nearly dry black hair. My eyes were wide with surprise and confusion.
“Jade, I’m sorry.”
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 Six
The Catalyst
Chapter Six
“What are you doing, Jade?”
“Just…wandering. Why do you ask, Grandmother?”
“Don’t you know where you are, dear?”
“Uh, not really, I guess.” I stopped my feet. I had never really thought about it, but in fact I had no idea where I was or how I got there. “I’m just…here.” I exhaled. “Grandmother, where am I?”
I waited to hear the soft sound of my grandmother’s voice, however the silence continued. I glanced around only to notice that there was nothing and no one anywhere near me. The ground beneath my feet was rough and barren, going off into the distance endlessly. As I watched the clear sky move slowly up above I felt a tremor run up through my body and abruptly my legs gave out, dropping me to the earth I stood upon.
My hands pushed in opposition to the ground with my nails digging into the hard soil. I harshly bit my lip; breathing had suddenly become so difficult.
A cold wind rushed against my side, forcing me to the ground completely. I looked in the direction the gust had come from and saw a huge, black, mist-like mass gradually soaking up all the light that was filtering down to the wasteland I seemed trapped in. The being before me groaned with deafening strength, compelling me to shield my ears.
Finally able, I stood up awkwardly, facing the center of the darkness. It was almost mesmerizing, staring as I was, and the longer I watched, I began to notice a small figure appearing in the depth. I stepped forward without thinking, merely so that I could see more clearly. Just as I started to reach my hand toward the small creature forming in the black, two bright lavender eyes opened, knocking me backwards with invisible force.
Quickly, I jumped up and looked around, but instead saw the light of early morning shining on the floor of my grandmother’s bedroom. My chest rose and fell with rapid breaths; apparently it was only a dream.
“I’ve never dreamt something that felt so real before.” I sighed, exhaling a long withheld breath of anxiety. “…So real.”
I held my head in my hands as my body calmed down from the insanity of what I felt just happened. It was very strange, my thoughts wandered against my will back to the dream, a small black mass with lavender eyes…
I looked up again, staring briefly at the desk against the wall where my two fruits sat quietly, frozen like crystal. I had managed to perform the frozen spell once more on the peach from The Immortal’s garden.
“The Immortal!” I threw the covers off my legs and jumped to the floor to quickly put my clothes on.
I hadn’t seen the Immortal for almost three days now. “It’s a good thing I had found a bathroom on our way back to the room last time or I probably would have gotten lost and died in this damn tower looking for one.” I slipped into the bare minimum of my clothes, as I wanted to go and try and find him as soon as possible. I put on the under part of my dress and laced up the back.
As I opened the door and began heading into the hall, I attempted to comb through my hair with my fingers. “I wish I had a hair brush…I probably look horrible. But seeing as there is no time for me to head into the bathroom and take a quick shower...err, more like a bath really, I’ll simply have to bear with it.” I sighed.
I managed to find a staircase, however due to the darkness and the fact I had spent nearly all my time in my grandmother’s sun lit room, I was still not accustomed to walking around in the black of the tower.
Once I reached the floor again I turned both ways, I couldn’t remember which direction we had originally come from, or if there was even a way, or if it was a huge room or a small passage, or if I stepped forward I’d fall into a hole. It was simply too hard to see; to some degree I could make things out but otherwise I was barely able to notice my own hand in front of my face. “Crap.” My voice sounded quiet and minute.
I chewed on my lip as I thought, eventually I decided on right and once I found the wall I moved across it slowly as far as I could. There were a few instances where I came across a door…but not knowing what I would find kept me from looking, even though each time my side smacked into a doorknob my curiosity grew. I didn’t want to come across something I would wish I hadn’t, or perhaps irritate the Immortal, I didn’t think I wanted to piss off the man kind enough to let me, a stranger, stay here. “I suppose I’m not exactly a stranger. I mean he knew my grandmother, and from her stories I almost feel like I know him myself. Well, maybe a little anyways.”
I giggled slightly, which echoed in the hall.
Once I calmed down I heard a small wind blowing from somewhere near me, or at least it sounded as though it was near me. It was difficult sometimes to tell where a noise was coming from in these passages. I continued moving forward until I came across dim light drifting from a somewhat ajar door at the end of another corridor to my left. I could see an opened balcony similar to the one in my grandmother’s bedroom although it appeared to be larger. Perhaps it was one of the other real windows I had noticed outside the tower.
I walked toward it, heading through easily without holding against the wall to know where I was going. I placed my hands on the door’s side and edged it open so that I didn’t make a sound.
The room was enormous; books on large wooden shelves lined three of the five walls in the place. There were also two large old desks placed side-by-side, each having antique objects such as lamps and stationary sets. Lining yet another wall was a huge bed with four posts reaching up to the high lifting ceiling, on either side sat a nightstand lined with books and papers as well as a few old fashioned pens and identical twin lamps, both of which appeared to be oil fueled. Up along the last wall hung several types of weapons, most were sword-like in appearance, there were also a few bunches of daggers, some axes of different types, many spears and staff shaped poles, and at the top of this impressive collection were a couple odd looking guns, none of which were overly familiar to me. On the floor just beneath the arsenal rack was a bench with a few disheveled towels and blood looking stains spread upon it.
I reached my hand out and ran it along one of the larger claymore-like swords that had a strange greenish stone engraved into the blade. “You’re very beautiful.” Grandmother had once taken some sword handling lessons and because of that she had a few antique ones she kept in her home. She always told me that a sword is precious to its handler, just like a child to a parent; you always refer to them by gender and name. In fact, I would even on occasion talk to them when my cousin, Daela or grandmother, or my uncle weren’t around.
“I may not know your name, but you seem female to me.”
I stroked the stone gently when a sudden chill slipped in through the window. I turned around; I was tempted to close the balcony doors, however I didn’t want anyone to know I had been here.
Glancing about the room again, my curious urge couldn’t be stopped. I walked as lightly as I could as I moved over to look at the many things spread out on the nightstands. The papers were old looking, not unlike the ones in grandmother’s grimoire, with lovely articulate letters spread on it. I sifted through a few of the books but paused when I came across one that reminded me of a notebook or journal.
I felt a bit bad for snooping, everything about this room felt untouched and aged, however something continued to push me forward and so I opened the cover finding not only words but also sketching. Some was really incredible, practically photo-like sketching.
They looked like plans or something, although nearly every page was in different languages; there were a few that appeared familiar and some I didn’t think were even from my world, and probably weren’t. To be honest, I was a bit disheartened that I couldn’t read it. While still flipping through the pages I saw a drawing of a young woman, and she continued to appear numerous times, the majority of the notebook was filled with her. I stopped my scanning when a full-page portrait came up, and as I traced the lines with my eyes I found her familiar. I remembered back in my grandmother’s home, all the photographs she had and realized that this…was her. There was something different about her here though, her eyes seemed unsure but happy. Far happier than much of the time I was with her back at home. Her hair was cut a bit differently also.
“Grandmother was so lovely.” A sudden tear fell onto the page. “Oh damn!” I dabbed at the mark and blew on it as carefully as I could, and thankfully the mark lifted, for the most part. I quickly shut the journal and set it back under the books and loose papers. Hopefully it would dry completely and no one would be the wiser if they came to open it.
I moved away from the stand and noticed that there were a few empty and filled sheaths hanging on the banister opposite me. Unfortunately my notice of those belted holders drew my eyes to a green chaise which had the Immortal’s shirt draped upon it. The very one I had seen him wearing the last day I was with him.
“Oh hell…this is his bedroom.”
Now I felt even more like a trespasser than before.
Well, I suppose that it’s not the end of the world; I had been trying to find him. “If I wait here, he’d have to show up eventually. Although, if I wait here, there is no way he wouldn’t know that I probably rummaged about his room.” Then, as per usual, my thoughts wandered off a bit, “I wonder when he actually sleeps anyway?”
There had to be some way I could contact him, especially in a place this large. I walked over to the still opened door and slipped out, making sure to close it just enough to match were it had been before I came. I edged back through the hall until I made it to the crossroads were I turned from earlier. I headed left in order to go along my original path. I hoped.
After a heart-racing trip down a few stairs I managed to take hold of the banister, catching myself before I fell the entire way. Once I made it past the rather long set of stairs I ended up in the room I had first fallen into, meeting the shocked Immortal and a strange pink eyed woman. The ceiling was still broken with my blood spattered on the remnants of it, which sat despondently in piles on the flooring. I lifted a few pieces and looked nostalgically at the splintered edges where my blood soaked into the fibers. I winced at the vague memory, dropping the wood back to its place.
“Exploring?”
I leapt back, running into the broken wall beside the mess on the ground. An average sized woman, running closer to petite, stepped out from behind the floating wall in the center of the room. As she faced me her eyes opened fully, revealing two vividly pink marbles grinning at me on a breathtakingly beautiful face.
“You’re that woman the Immortal had imprisoned.”
“Oh no, we were merely playing a little game.”
“Game? Torture is hardly a game.” I stood firmly in place, mostly because I knew nothing about this woman to be uncomfortable in her presence.
“Hmm, perhaps it isn’t.” Her exposed shoulders shrugged, however, her gaze flickered to me with a dark mischievous glimmer. “To some.”
That was a bit unnerving; my own gaze began to watch her closely as a strange uncertainty started to slip through my veins. Suddenly her body seemed to vibrate and one blink later she stood directly in front of me, her eyes looking at my own with an expression that was rather unnerving.
“You know, I think you really are Guinn’s granddaughter. Your faces are a similar, and yet, not.” She giggled lightly, running a finger along my jawline.
I turned away from her touch, trying to maintain the blankest expression I could manage.
She scoffed with an amused look and, swift as lightning, I was tossed onto the floor where two loud brakes were made near my ears. I looked up and the woman was hovering over me, her hands dug into the wood beside my head. As I watched above me, her golden hair slid off her shoulders and fell onto my arms; the tresses were smooth but oddly slick and cold, chilling my skin.
“I think you’re much prettier though. Like a lovely porcelain doll.” I felt her fingers playing with my hair and running along my neck and collarbone. “Must be sure not to break you.”
I tried not to focus on her as she lowered her head to mine, the skin of her cheek touching my own. She was soft but cool, rather than warm like a person would normally be. I heard as she inhaled.
“You smell warm and sweet, just like strawberries wrapped in rich chocolate cake.” She licked her fingers, her face appearing to be in delicious thought, “I love strawberries”. I tried to slip from beneath her, but while her eyes were still shut she quickly placed a finger on my forehead, holding me completely still. “Precious dolls shouldn’t try to escape.”
“I am not a doll!”
Her face looked saddened by my words, but only for a moment. She quickly grinned again, “hmm, fiery are you? You should be careful though, you might burn up.” She laughed.
Abruptly, her amusement stopped.
In that moment, I become aware of a blood red satin ribbon with the bow on the side tied around her neck and attached to the center knot was a lone silver chain link. The fetter was strangely compelling, if I weren’t held down I would have been drawn to try and touch it.
“Oh damn, I wanted to play more.” She stood up lithely, pulling me with her and distracting my thoughts from the reflecting object around her neck. Her pink eyes caught mine once more, her hand moving to gently stroke my hair. “Until next time, precious doll.”
Right as I went to slap away her hand she was already at the far wall, grinning with a light giggle. In a flick of the eye, she appeared to vibrate again and then she was gone.
I felt as though her eyes were burnt into my brain. They were strange, almost like they were seeing through me and into my soul, and yet, strangely glassy and slick, like her hair. Although, what hung in my memory the most was the silver link that was joined with the ribbon neatly tied around her slender neck. Considering how strongly it called to me, I wondered if it were enchanted or something…though I suppose I could have also just discovered the unknown urges of onset kleptomania. “As if that’s even a thing.” I mumbled.
“Jade, why are you here?”
The Immortal stood in the doorway of the room, his eyebrows down in confusion.
“Uh, it-it was an accident. I just kind of wandered in here…I was looking for you, actually.”
“Me?”
“Well, yes. I mean, I haven’t seen you for three days. Haven’t you wondered where I’ve been? If I needed something? I mean, I haven’t gotten to eat either! Have you even eaten? Do you even eat at all?” My thoughts were sort of on the spam setting, hands held on my hips, the pent up irritation from that bizarre and unsettling experience with that woman seemed to be flowing free as I babbled. Plus, I really don’t know why I hadn’t realized it earlier, but I was very hungry. “Where have you been anyway?” I seemed to finish my rant and quirked a brow at him, with still kind of clouded but strong interest.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve been busy.”
“Don’t you think the person who is also now apparently living here would like to be aware of that? And you still have no food I bet.”
“Not as of yet, no.”
I groaned. “Immortal, there needs to be food here. I don’t know what or when you ever eat, if at all, but it obviously isn’t here seeing as everything is decades, if not centuries old.”
“I generally eat when I’m out. There is little need to have food here.”
“Well now there is. I’m here and I need to eat.”
He sighed and left the room.
Hastily I ran after him. “You said there was a town nearby…”
He blinked several times, seemingly in thought. “I never said anything like that.”
Crap, that was Caleb. “Uh, I suppose I thought it was you. Must have been something I considered asking about while speaking to you at one point.”
He said nothing and I exhaled thankfully. “So?”
“So what?”
I scoffed, “So is there a town or not?”
“Yes there is. Two, in fact.”
“Good, then would you please come with me to get some food? I would really love to have a decent meal. Plus…” I rubbed my arm, already feeling the weirdness of the moment that hadn’t, if ever, happened yet. “It would be kind of awkward to just stroll into a big place I have never been to as a complete stranger, who knows nothing all about them or this world, by myself.”
He was silent for a few minutes.
Does he really need to think about taking someone who hasn’t eaten for days to get food? I nearly mumbled that passing thought right as he began to reply to my question.
“I suppose. I do need to get a few things.”
“I thought you said you were just out? What were you doing then?” I quickened my pace to stand beside him and glanced up at his face.
He smirked ever so slightly, knowing I was probing him for slipped out secrets. “I wasn’t out doing errands.”
“Ah, well what were you doing?” I smiled sarcastically at him.
“Nothing of consequence.”
“Hmm,” I huffed. “That’s just a fancy way of not telling me.”
“Perhaps.”
“Fine then. Buuut, you’ll be taking me to town, yes?”
We were paused in the intersection where the Immortal’s bedroom was hidden down the right corridor.
“I’ll go and finish getting dressed. You meet me there once you have whatever it is you may need.” I babbled off the arrangement like I were reading a list of what to do.
In his usual tone, “Of course, milady.”
“Oh, don’t be facetious.”
He quietly exhaled a tiny laugh at me. I smiled to myself; luckily he didn’t seem upset with me anymore. I had almost forgotten in all that had gone on the past three days how angry he was that evening when he found me with the grimoire.
While I moved along the passages to get to my room, I felt my heart beat faster. I didn’t realize how excited I would be to go into the town of another world, especially one as interesting as this. I wondered though if I was more excited as to what people would think of me, an unknown person appearing with the legendary Immortal at my side.
For a quick moment I felt my face burn.
Chapter Five
The Catalyst
Chapter Five
CRACK! POOF! BOOM!
I waved my hands fiercely, trying to move and disperse the smoke now swirling in angry clouds all around me. As the opaque fog began to clear I noticed the charred, broken bits of my ingredients spread in every direction.
“Crap…wrong again…”
I wiped all the debris from my clothes and started sweeping the excess pieces scattered on the floor into an increasingly large pile to my left. My hand reached back and grabbed yet another of the several random objects I had managed to find in the room. I set what appeared to be a half burnt shoe on the floor in front of me and then placed a few dead leaves I had found curled up in a corner on the balcony around it. I then gently placed a small heart shaped locket I had happened across in the drawer of my grandmother’s desk amongst the other pieces.
Quickly I went to make sure the doors of the balcony were still held open and with a brief glance to the sky, I ran back and kneeled before my pile of what appeared to be a conglomeration of useless junk.
“Ok…”I exhaled with determination.
I attempted reading another incantation I had found in the grimoire in hopes of finding the correct archaic translation for my grandmother’s English written spell. The locket flamed as it had done every time before, the leaves seeming to melt into the deformed footwear. However instead of freezing, as I had guessed the poem was for, the half flame-eaten shoe expanded. I leaned back from the chaos when it suddenly sucked itself into a thin mass and then fizzled up with the leaves as the locket flames enveloped it.
I thrust my fist against the floorboards. “Damn it!” Sighing, I sat down and then fell backward to the floor, covering my face with a tired arm.
“What are you doing?”
My eyes popped open and I turned back on my head to see who was behind me, as though I were standing and looking to the sky. Upside down, while leaning casually against my open balcony doors, stood my midnight intruder, Caleb. Though I was on the floor I could still make out his face, wearing the same smirk I remembered seeing the night before. “What are you doing?” I replied, somewhat sarcastically.
He chuckled lightly and sashayed over to where I was still lying in irritation with myself and leaned over me. “I asked first.”
“Just… shut up.” I rolled my eyes and sat up with my back to Caleb. I heard him step forward and mess with the pile of burnt ashes I had been making. “Stop that…”
“Stop what? I haven’t done anything.” Caleb appeared beside me and gracefully lowered himself to the floor. “But you have obviously got some issues.”
“No I don’t! I just…I just can’t figure out what these spells mean…” I looked to the open book but made my way back to staring sadly at my brand new pile of black residue. “I wish grandmother had made some sort of key to her spell book.” I leaned on my hand, several seconds ticking by in silence.
“They’re not that difficult.”
I had almost forgotten about Caleb, he seemed one to constantly make sure every person around was aware of him, and not hearing his voice made it seem as though I were alone again.
“It is difficult, Caleb. I can’t read this language. Plus I was never very good with finding meaning in poems anyway.”
“You don’t need to find meaning exactly…the words are simply over complicated. Guinn preferred being rather traditional in her homemade works.”
I looked at Caleb while he spoke; I never knew grandmother cared so much for customs…? “Can you understand them?”
“Of course.” He grinned proudly.
I reached for the grimoire and placed it in front of us, keeping the page with the English wording opened. I pointed a finger against the rough, ancient paper directly beneath the words of the small spell I had found and been attempting to decipher.
Frozen.
Drops of red wishes,
Bits of existence yet none that flow,
No breath to have,
Glow of life,
Dance of strength pulsed with text.
Simple answers,
Glean complex regrets.
“I don’t recognize this one; it must have been one of her last.”
I followed his quick moving eyes as he read through the words over and over. “So, do you know what it means?”
“Yes, it’s fairly simple. Permanent though.” He looked about the room several times and then abruptly jumped to his feet.
I watched him as he grabbed the apple I had placed on the desk. He seemed to look it over with great intensity. His violet eyes turned to me as he walked lithely back to where I was sitting.
“Use this.” The apple Caleb held suddenly dropped from above me; looking up I saw his face, a little more serious than I was used to. “Live matter is best for beginners.”
“This isn’t alive…” I turned the apple over in my palm.
“It may no longer be…but technically plants are living matter.”
Caleb’s even toned words were strange to my ears; he was acting very different. It was nice to know he had more than just perverted sly as a setting in his brain.
While he returned to his position next to me, I set the apple on the floor. “Ok, so…now what?”
“I suppose it will be easiest to go line by line.”
“Alright then. Frozen…I assumed that was a title or the purpose of the spell.”
“Pretty much, yes.”
“Ok then, drops of red wishes. What is that?”
Caleb took firm hold of my right hand, “Hey…” he slid his finger across my palm and a bleeding cut suddenly appeared out of my skin. “Why did you do that!?”
He shrugged nonchalantly at my question “It’s not my spell.” He moved my hand over the apple and squeezed with great strength, my bones felt like they would break from the force. Despite the pain, I continued to watch curiously as blood seeped from my hand and fell onto the apple, coating it in dark red splotches. “One down.” His grip was released and reasserted itself on a few strands of my hair, which he pulled out with no care for me.
“OW! Stop abusing my body!”
He chuckled with a grin as he dropped the few long hairs onto the blood-covered apple. “Bits of existence, yet none that flow.” He spoke.
I rubbed my head gently as he yet again stood up. “Where are you going? I thought you were helping me?” I turned and followed him with my eyes.
“I am helping you.” He quietly shut the double doors of the balcony. “No breath to have. It means the air around the spell must be stagnant, no wind at all.”
“Does that mean we can’t breathe either?”
“Yes, but only when we begin the incantation.”
I had all this time been watching Caleb move all over the room doing this and that and it was slowly dawning on me that perhaps Caleb wasn’t as bad as I had first thought. After all, if grandmother was close with him he must have something redeeming about him; idiots always put her off.
“Now for the Glow of Life.” Caleb opened his hand up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. I watched with interest, first at his hand then his face. He opened his mouth and began quickly forming words; however I didn’t hear anything, which deepened my attention in what he was doing.
Suddenly an intensely bright orb of light ripped itself into existence a few inches from the bedroom ceiling. I had to shield my eyes from the blaze; the small sphere looked exactly like a miniature sun.
“Hmm, not my best.” Caleb lowered his hand and turned back to me.
I quirked my brow at him “Do you make a habit of creating small suns or something? Because…that’s just weird.”
He laughed loudly at me.
I narrowed my eyes and then stuck out my tongue, which seemed to be my favorite expression of annoyance lately. “Well whatever. Now what do we do?”
“Not me, you.”
“But I can’t read this?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to pronounce everything.”
I sighed lightly and bit my lip. “Ok, but what does this line even mean? ‘Dance of Strength Pulsed with Text.’”
“It appears that Guinn tried to add hand motions to the incantation. HA, I swear she only did that to piss off whoever read this.” He chuckled a little.
“What? Why?”
“Sometimes she added things like that simply to irritate some of the other lower class witches in town. They always snuck peaks in her grimoire when she brought it into town and wasn’t looking.”
“There is a town here!?”
“Well, duh. Did you just think this world was an out of place, fucking castle in the middle of an abandoned forest?”
“Sort of…grandmother never really told me many things about other places. She rarely mentioned other people besides The Immortal.”
Caleb’s face ruffled in anger for a brief moment before he took my hand and quickly sliced it once again as he ran his finger’s edge against my palm. The same palm he had cut earlier, though strangely the prior cut was gone.
“AH, What the HELL!?” I tried to pull my hand from him but he held it exact and in place.
“I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. She doesn’t actually want you to do motions to the text, she wants two more drops of blood added, one before and one after you read the spell.”
My face softened in mild shock and confusion. “How do you know that?”
“Guinn and I were very close; I know a lot of things about her.”
His face seemed blank as he moved my hand over the apple and squeezed it, however this time his grip felt weaker than his earlier bone crushing one. I winced slightly from the pain and chewed on the inside of my lip while watching drops of blood fall back to coat the already clotting blood from before.
“Caleb…are…are you alright?” He gave my hand back and I rubbed it gently, until I noticed the still bleeding abrasion begin to suture itself up.
“Yes, I’m fine. Here read these words, I wrote each to suit the way they would be pronounced.” He sat a piece of paper in front of me with characters written on them almost as though they had been typed.
“How did you..?” I pointed to the parchment in front of me.
“Magic, Jade.”
“Duh, sorry.” I shook my head briefly and then nodded. “So I simply read this over the apple, and what, it will freeze?”
“Should, just make sure you don’t mess up. One screwed up word alters the entire thing.”
“Thanks for the confidence.” I scoffed.
“Sure, anything to help.” He smirked sarcastically.
“Ugh, well hush up. Oh, and don’t breath, remember, I’m about to start.”
I took a deep breath and started to read the few lines of the ritual.
“Glayceealis,
Occoombow of rootilus vota,
Secooi of veeta eteeamnoonc noolloos oot permoveeo,
Hawd spearitus habayo,
Tripoodeeo of veares comotus per lacoona.
Simplex refero,
Mico ooniversa desiderium.”
Before I let myself take a breath, I moved my hand over the apple and allowed the last remaining drop of blood from my nearly healed wound to slip onto the fruit. Suddenly the clotted blood surrounding the red skinned apple began to fizz slightly, followed by small quick exploding bubbles which turned over on themselves, freezing instantly once popped. The splatters combined to make a solid layer of ice, however after a few moments in the makeshift sun the ice slid off the once blood covered skin, revealing a perfectly crystallized apple.
“Oh my gosh.” I lifted the fruit carefully and watched it gleam in the mini sun’s rays. “This is amazing…I can’t believe I did this!”
“Technically, we did this, since you couldn’t figure out the text.” Caleb poked a finger against my forehead.
I groaned at him as I stood to go place the apple beside the peach I also had sitting on the old desk.
“Well, as I read from the paper I realized that I actually did know what that is. The writing is Latin. I wasn’t able to notice it because I never actually took the class at school, my friend did, and she always joked around by reciting it exactly as it was spelled. Because, of course, as no one really knows how it is pronounced, they can’t know whether the idea they have for its pronunciation is correct or not.” I laughed mildly as I came back to stand beside Caleb.
“Yeah, that’s not funny.”
“Well, we thought it was.”
“Ok..well, now I’m going to go and not be here with your ‘Latin’.” He stood up and started backing towards the door, giving me sarcastic air quotes as he said Latin.
I frowned at his annoying behavior. “Sometimes I wonder whatever possessed me not to knock you out when you first snuck into my room.”
“Because I’m sexy.”
“Get out!”
He laughed at my command and continued to do so as he leapt from the balcony and away from the tower.
All I could do was sigh as I rolled my eyes.
