The Pariah Child & the Ever-Giving Stone

by Natasha D Lane

  “No, don’t do that,” she whispered so low only she could hear it. “Don’t do that.”

  Almost everything in Sarah told her to run, except a small presence in her that calmed her shaking. That presence sent calming feelings through her. It reminded her of the stone, how she felt when she held it. She could still feel it now.

  Sarah focused on that feeling and stepped forward. “Hi, I’m Sarah.” They all stared at her. She mentally smacked herself.

  That’s the best I can come up with?

  She cleared her throat. “Well, I guess you all already knew that.” Once again they responded with silence. “I’ve been told,” she spoke again, “that you all want me to stay here in Lyrica and lead you.”

  Nods and murmured “Yes” rose from the crowd.

  She shook her head. “But I can’t do that. See back on earth I have a family, and if I don’t return soon, they’re going to be very sad. I can’t abandon them, not even for Lyrica, the most amazing place I’ve ever been. I may not be able to be your leader, but I can leave something for you. Kind of like a parting gift.” She took the map from her left hand and unrolled it. Once again whispers spread in the crowd. Her nerves were on edge. “I spent all night working on this. This is a map of Lyrica. I’ve divided the land up based on the number of Lyricans. Some of you are more territorial than others so those are the ones that this map will apply to the most. If you want, you all can take a look?”

  The crowd rushed the porch, and the girl shrunk back. Serwa stepped in front of Sarah. She held up a finger. “One representative from each present race will look at the map. He or she will then, go back and discuss with their group if they will agree to it or not. Form one line.” The Lyricans groaned and grumbled as they followed Serwa’s instructions.

  After a while Sarah lost count of how many Lyricans had come to see the map. The whole process took hours. Sarah and her friends would trade off. One would show the map while another would take a short break. Eventually, they made it through, and the Lyricans went back with their groups to discuss. After some time of deliberation, Sarah stood at the front of the porch.

  “Are there any objections?”

  The crowd remained silent. She sighed with relief. It was almost done.

  She looked at Serwa and nodded. The witch disappeared into the house and returned to the porch with an onyx colored orb. She held it up so, that everyone could see.

  “This orb is going to be a symbol of your promise. Each leader will come forth, prick their finger and allow one single drop of blood into the orb. Your blood will bind you to your promise. First come, first served,” said Serwa. She held the orb in her left hand and a small pin in her right.

  Again each group had one of their own stand up and approach the porch. They each pricked their finger lightly with the pin and allowed one drop of blood to fall into the orb. With each drop the color of the orb grew darker with swirls of a deep red.

  When it was all said and done, Sarah wanted to cry, her tears made both of joy and sadness. She knew this meant she would have to leave Lyrica and all the friends she had made. It was a strange mix of emotions.

  She looked at Alexander. Her eyes said it all. He wrapped one arm around her.

  Serwa held the orb after the last donor had sat down. “I’ll be its keeper.” She looked at Sarah for confirmation. The girl nodded. She couldn’t think of anyone better equipped to guard it.

  “I guess this means you have to leave now, Sarah,” Nettle said while resting on her shoulder.

  Sarah nodded. “It’s time to go home.”

  “Before you leave, Lady Sarafina, there is something I must say.” A half-man, half-goat creature stood on two hooves. He had horns, ears and legs like a goat but a face and arms like a man. He hobbled forward toward the porch where he bowed before Sarah. She had seen a creature like him in the battle camp. A faun.

  “My Lady, I feel I speak on behalf of all when I say thank you. Thank you for returning Lyrica to balance. Before you arrived there was so much fighting. We were all scared and tried to compensate for our fear by conquering others. But with this map we all have our own piece of Lyrica, our own piece of home. Even the weaker Lyricans like us fauns have our own little plot. With the map and blood promise, there will no longer be a need for one to conquer another. You heard our voice, and for that I will be forever grateful.” He kneeled on one knee with his head lowered. “Whether you are in Lyrica or not, I promise you always have friends in the fauns. You will forever be our queen.” He allowed his other knee to fall and placed his forehead to the ground. Sarah stood above shuffling on her feet and looking anywhere but at the faun.

  She tried to smile. “Th –”

  “You have the word of us ogres, as well!” And the group of ogres laid down their weapons that landed on the ground with big thunks. They turned and bowed.

  “The shifters as well.” A slender woman bowed, followed by her group.

  “And the Lycans!”

  “The gnomes, too!”

  “The elves, also!”

  And once again they were all bowing before her. “All hail Queen Sarafina. All hail Queen Sarafina. The Queen of Lyrica!” And people from all across Lyrica could hear this chant.

  Sarah knew he was there. She would never forget the feeling of him. She crept down the stairs, quietly as possible to ensure that Serwa and Alexander remained asleep. Once down the stairs, she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. She scanned the forest, searching for his charcoal eyes.

  The old wolf appeared from the trees, stalking toward Sarah. She reached out for his pack, but she couldn’t feel them. He had come alone.

  “Word is spreading fast about your map. A new beginning for Lyrica, they say.” The old wolf sat by the cottage steps. “I even heard there was a place for my family.”

  Sarah nodded. “Yeah, I wanted everyone to have a home. Serwa may even be able to talk to the shifters about letting your family live with them, so, you all won’t be so alone.”

  He laughed. “If you think anyone will let us live on their land, you are more naive than I thought. We are the cursed ones. No one wants to take a chance.”

  “Serwa and Alex will talk to them and –”

  The old wolf growled. Sarah didn’t move from where she stood. “I want to help you,” she said.

  “The stone is gone,” he responded. “We are beyond help now.”

  “It had to be returned,” Sarah retorted. The wolf’s expression remained the same. She bit her lip. “Maybe Serwa can do some research. She has so many books. There has to be a way to reverse the curse.”

  He shook his head. “There is no way. We are doomed to live like this forever. The sorceress is free while I remain trapped.”

  “Listen, I know we’re not exactly friends. I still feel –”

  “Sorry for me,” he interrupted. “Please, don’t. Not only am I tired of pity, but this is what I deserve. I hurt someone I loved, so here I am.”

  “Still,” Sarah whispered.

  “It’s hard to find people like that,” he said staring up at the moon.

  “Like what?”

  “People who you can really love and who can love you as well. That was what she was to me and I to her, yet I threw it all away for what I thought was harmless fun. Now I must live with that regret every day.” He sighed. “If you have someone like that, don’t let anything stop you from keeping that person.” He looked her straight in the eyes before walking off. Sarah found herself tempted to follow him.

  “But what are you going to do now?” she asked.

  The wolf continued walking. “What I have been doing for centuries. Remain in the shadows.”

  Chapter 31

  “Humans were one of the few who had no representation at the house,” said Serwa. “You drew a territory for them.” She stood on the shores of the sea while Sarah was knee deep in the blue water. It was night now, and the moon cast a beautiful light on the ocean. Alexander, Solar, and Nettle all stood besi
de Serwa on the shore.

  “Don’t worry about them,” Sarah reassured her. “I’m sure they’ll change their minds. Others didn’t show up either. Perhaps, you could meet with them as the guardian of the orb.” She smiled enjoying the witch’s new title.

  Serwa opened her mouth to argue, but Alexander placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “Today was a good day,” he said. “For Lyricans everywhere. Don’t let a few bad apples ruin it for us.”

  The witch frowned. She shrugged his hand off. “Fine, just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Everyone needs to agree to the map, as soon as possible.”

  “And they will,” said Nettle, “but for now let’s say our goodbye to Sarah.” The little fairy flew over to Sarah and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She reached in between the folds of her dress and removed a tiny sword. She held it out to Sarah. “I want you to have this so, you won’t forget me or the adventure we had.”

  Sarah could feel the tears brewing. “I could never forget someone like you, Nettle. Thank you.”

  The fairy flew back and rested on Serwa’s shoulder. Alexander stepped forward, next, the smile already on his lips. “To think I was going to make you into a meal when I first met you. Now look where we are.” He chuckled. “You actually drew more blood from me than I did from you.” He held the finger where she had pricked him. “Ironic, huh?”

  Sarah nodded with a sad smile. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her. She did the same, both of them holding each other close. “You’re like the big brother I never had,” she said to him.

  “And you’re the family I always wanted,” he responded. “Whenever you come back to Lyrica, you’ll be able to find me with this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ruby necklace. He handed it to her. The necklace had a silver outline with carved in symbols. In the middle rested a red stone that had been sculpted and chipped into a perfect hexagon. Sarah watched as the moonlight reflected off it, casting dark shadows across the water.

  “Alex, it’s... I don’t think I can accept it. It must have been really expensive,” she said and held up the necklace for him to take. He refused. He captured his hands around hers to hold the jewel.

  “When you want to find me, hold the necklace close to your lips and think of me. Then, whisper my name. It will show you to me. Goodbye, Sarah. I love you.” He kissed her on her head and stepped back beside Serwa.

  Solar couldn’t wait on the shore. She splashed into the water, and Sarah grabbed her long slender neck. “Thank you, Solar. Sorry for the whole saddle thing.”

  Solar nodded while her eyes were overtaken by tears. She huffed. “It’s all right. Wasn’t as bad as I thought. Dragons aren’t supposed to cry, you know?”

  Sarah laughed. “Well, you’re special, then. Goodbye, Solar.”

  “Goodbye, Sarah. I do hope our paths cross again.”

  Now there was only one left. Serwa had crossed her arms and was staring at the ground.

  Sarah stepped out of the water and without even asking permission, she engulfed the witch in a hug. For a moment Serwa’s arms remained crossed over her chest, full of tension, but anyone’s will is only so strong. She hugged Sarah tightly and said, “I’m going to miss you. You will always have a home in my cottage.”

  “I’ll miss you, too,” said Sarah. She looked up at the witch and grinned. It was time to leave.

  “Wait,” Serwa said. She pulled Gan’s bow and arrow from behind her back and gave it to the girl. “Don’t forget these. I collected them from the bodies of the dead wolves that night. I think Skuntz and Dasi would want you to have them.”

  Sarah grabbed the weapon, smiled at her friends one last time, and stepped backward in the water, unable to hold back her tears any longer. When she was neck deep in the ocean she prepared to take one last breath before diving.

  “Water’s what got me here. It’s going to be what gets me out,” she whispered, staring down at the moon’s reflection. The once still wind became a light breeze, and for a moment, the moon was blocked out by a shadow. Sarah looked at the sky. A winged figure was flying away in the distance.

  “Goodbye, Jacob,” she said before diving under the water. She thought of home and only home as she allowed herself to sink deeper and deeper into the dark waves. Suddenly, she became very cold, and she could hear the pitter-patter of rain. The ocean began to sink away revealing a winter forest. She could no longer float. The earth had solidified under her, softened by a layer of snow. Sarah was lying against a tree with her bow and arrows and winter rain dripping on her face.

  Sarah felt the dirt to see if it was real. It was dark, moist and smelled like fresh soil. She took in a deep breath. She had to be home. She stood and touched the bark on the tree. This was real. All of it was real.

  In the distance, two white lights were approaching her. Sarah squinted her eyes. Are those lanterns?

  She stumbled toward the lights, only to fall on a piece of ice. As her knee hit the hard material, the girl hissed.

  “Ow!” she barked and began rubbing her knee.

  “Sarah.” She knew that voice.

  She looked at the two lights, which were much closer now. “Is that you, Sarah? Sarafina!” The recognition set in, and Sarah could feel her heart do back flips.

  “Mama. I’m here! I’m here!”

  “Over here, honey!” said another voice.

  “Daddy! Daddy!”

  “Sarafina,” her parents yelled in unison. The lights grew closer, and soon her parents were standing in front of her. They immediately dropped the lanterns and snatched her into their arms. “Oh, Sarah! Sarah. Our poor baby,” they said rocking her in their arms as they held her close.

  “You’re freezing,” her mother said, her own nose a shade of pink. Her eyes grew large as she saw what Sarah was wearing. “Sarah! You’re out here in the middle of winter in a wet dress! Oh, no. You’ll catch cold. Paul, take her to the house. Come here, baby.”

  Her father picked her up in his arms like he used to do when she was young. She laid her head against his chest, relishing in the feeling.

  The wind blew a bit. Sarah lifted her head to rest on her father’s shoulder. There, in the dark, behind him, stood the fading images of her friends on the Lyrican beach. Her heart swelled. She reached out for them, but the wind grew stronger and their images blew away into the night.

  Her eyes stung.

  Goodbye.

  “What’s this?” her mother asked. She knocked away some snow from the tree and recovered Sarah’s book bag, bow and quiver of arrows. The girl smiled, and it touched her eyes. She had forgotten all about that bag. She reached her hand out. Lucille, seeing the gesture, placed the bag in Sarah’s arms but kept the bow and quiver in her own.

  Sarah locked her eyes on the bow. She tried to grab it again and her mother took a step back.

  “Tonight,” the woman said, “We’re going to get you all warmed up, okay, baby? We’ll discuss these later, all right?”

  Sarah was too cold to argue. If her mother hid them, she’d do so where she always did, and Sarah would simply retrieve them. A beating would be worth it.

  The girl nodded at her mother and sunk deeper into her father’s arms.

  As the family walked home together, Sarah peered into her bag. The book Peter and Wendy rested inside. She hugged the book close to her heart.

  Soon she could see the lights from her house through the trees, and she could smell the stew on the stove and feel the warmth from the chimney. Without a doubt, Sarah was home.

  About the Author

  Natasha D. Lane is a friend of most things caffeinated, a lover of books, and a writing warrior to her core. As a big believer in the idea that “the pen is mightier than the sword,” she graduated from Juniata College in 2015 with hopes of becoming a journalist. While she still holds on to that dream, after spending some time in the corporate world and then completing a year of service, she decided it was time to return to publishing. Her first fantasy novel “The Paria
h Child & the Ever-Giving Stone” is one of several works she plans on completing. If there were a single piece of advice Natasha could give to young writers, it’d be this: Write your way through life.

  To learn more about Natasha and the upcoming sequel, visit http://www.natashalanewrites.com/

  To read more of her work, check her out on Amazon.

  Follow her on social media here:

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