Scars of the Earth

by C. S. Moore

  Madgie responded quickly fearful of showing any more reluctance today. She wanted Amanda to be at ease; which was a hard thing to ask of her seeing as how she, herself, was nearly turned to stone by fear.

  “They are markings called Ronbi.” Madgie said. Amanda searched through her education in a few short seconds. She had no definition for the word.

  “I don’t know what ‘Ronbi’ means Madgie. Why don’t I know?” She asked.

  “We don’t often discuss them. They are very rare and a topic of great fear.” Madgie explained.

  “What are they Madgie?” She pressed. Madgie looked down at the mirror now lying in her lap.

  “They are evil marks. It is what we see when a demon has corrupted a soul…” She paused and tucked a bit of graying hair behind her ear. “And taken it to where we can not tread.” Madgie finished.

  Corrupted? She thought.

  “What, like I’m something evil and unclean now? Do you think that Madgie?” She asked. From the way that Madgie averted her eyes she already knew the answer, though Madgie didn’t give it.

  “No, no. I don’t believe that, and I can’t tell you what I do believe. I haven’t a clue as to what is going on. If a Healer has been corrupted, it isn’t something that they can live through. The demon’s essence poisons their very blood, taking all that is human and all that is spirit. Consuming them like a ravenous dog.” Madgie was trying to reassure both Amanda and herself that whatever she had gone through, she was still whole. Uncorrupted.

  I may not be gone, but I am corrupted. I can feel it. She thought closing her eyes to explore her body, mind, and spirit. She could sense the internal struggle and feel the heaviness of the demons essence. It thrashed in her veins and spread a dark, unearthly smell into her skin.

  No, I am not clean, but my spirit is fighting. And it is strong. I will be fine, but why? Why am I alive? Amanda stopped thinking and voiced her question.

  “So why am I alive Madgie?”

  “I don’t know you must have just slipped out in time. I don’t understand how you are still breathing. Just look at you! You should be dead Amanda, and you aren’t.” Madgie said. Her fear and confusion were apparent on her face.

  “Listen Madgie, I don’t really care about what these stupid marks are or why I’m not dead just help me, please. I don’t know what that demon’s venom has done to me, but as you have noticed I can’t move.” She said. Madgie’s head turned swiftly away from her gaze, and the aversion had nothing to do with her haunting red stare. Amanda spoke franticly, trying to get Madgie to understand the importance of haste.

  “Madgie I need to move I have to find that Scar and free her, this little spirit. She was stronger than any spirit I have ever encountered, but she won’t last long. Madgie after you figure out a way to get me up and moving again you have to tell me how to find her.” She said. Madgie slowly turned her head back towards her and spoke slowly making sure that Amanda understood every word.

  “The demon’s venom is still attacking your spirit, not you body.” Madgie articulated.

  She has no idea what she’s talking about. She thought.

  “That’s not true Madgie I can’t even tell you how much pain I’m in, and I can’t move a muscle.” She said. Madgie shook her head slowly.

  “You are in pain because your spirit is fighting the Hell fire within you child. Your body is tainted, but working.” Madgie said.

  “So why can’t I move?” Amanda asked. Madgie opened her mouth to speak, but she seemed unable to answer-at least not to her face. Fixing her gaze on something just outside of Amanda’s line of sight she spoke.

  “You are unable because the Ancients have made it so.” Madgie said.

  ‘The Ancients have made it so?’ What does that mean? Amanda thought curiously. She strained her eyes to see what Madgie was gazing at and in her peripheral vision she could just make out the shape of a syringe. Her mind raced as she struggled against the manufactured concoction flowing through her veins.

  They drugged me! She realized.

  “Madgie, how could you do this to me? I trusted you!” Amanda shouted at her. Madgie’s kind face streamed with tears.

  “It was for your own good Amanda. We didn’t know if you would be yourself when you came to, or if what awoke would be a terrible creature of nightmares. We were scared to even use magic to keep you immobile, for fear of what it might do to you or us. This is unheard of! I don’t even think that the Ancients know what to do. Don’t worry; the drug will wear off by the time the Ancients are ready to hold council.” Madgie said. Amanda tried to let her anger at them go; the venom in her seemed to bubble and grow in it.

  “What about the Scar? Is there a way to find it?” She asked.

  “No, I can’t tell you how to find your Scar. I don’t know if it is even possible. Seeking isn’t our way. Scars find us, not the other way around. It’s how it has always been done.” Madgie told her grimly. Amanda’s last hope for Kaedin receded like the tides as she gave herself back over to the scorching pain that was now a part of her.

  When Amanda surfaced, she scanned the small sterile room for daylight. Having no windows she couldn’t tell how much time had elapsed. She sat up in a swift motion and immediately crashed back down clutching her chest.

  This is going to take some getting use to. She thought. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she forced herself into a sitting position. She didn’t think it was even possible, but the pain was even greater when she moved. Taking deep breaths she moved her arms around attempting to get use to the hurt. Bright stars filled her vision, blinding her to the world around her. So she couldn’t see who had walked through the double doors, but she could hear the hesitant footfall and sensed the person’s unease. Knowing that both Madgie and the Ancients weren’t people that made a shy approach, she guessed that it was Nell. She went to cover herself but found she was thankfully wearing a robe.

  “Hello Nell. Are you doing better today?” Amanda asked. Nell stepped back and glanced at the doors seriously contemplating a hasty retreat.

  “Don’t be such a mouse Nell, I won’t bite. If it will make you feel better, I’ll even keep my creepy eyes closed okay?” She said shutting her eyes. Nell’s tension eased a bit.

  “Are you you Amanda, or something else?” Nell bit her lip unsure if she was supposed to ask that question or not.

  If Nell is asking, it must be the topic of discussion outside of these walls. She thought turning to face her and took the pain that came with the motion.

  “Nell you think a demon could take me down, I’m surprised at you. Haven’t I always been at the top of my class?” She said making Nell smile.

  “Well even if that were true, and its not, that isn’t saying much Amanda you’re in some of my classes and I’m three years younger than you.” She was glad that Nell felt more comfortable, it hurt to frighten her. Amanda had always been so protective of the young girl.

  She is much too sweet and delicate. She should have been a normal girl with a normal life, instead of having to walk into nightmares. She thought.

  Nell was considerably better at closing Scars than she was. But every time a Scar took the young girl, Amanda wished that she could have gone in her place just the same. She knew that every Scar held a terror that was too much for anyone to deal with. Let alone a fourteen year old girl. Nell was very mature for her age and seemed to enjoy hanging around her and Madgie. Madgie had told her that Nell had to take care of herself from a very early age, before she was put in a home. Apparently she had a very terrible childhood. But Nell never talked about it and she didn’t press her to.

  Nell doesn’t need this life. She has already dealt with enough tragedy. Amanda thought.

  “Can I open my eyes, or will you run away again?” Amanda asked smiling at Nell, still keeping her eyes closed. Nell puffed up her chest and spat back.

  “I didn’t run away! Madgie gave me a very important task.” Amanda chuckled and opened her eyes slowly. She could see Nell fin
e, although she still had lights dancing in and out of view. Nell went to speak but decided against it and closed her mouth again. Amanda smiled at her reassuringly.

  “I assume you came here to tell me something, is that right?” She asked. Nell’s unsure head bobbed up and down.

  “Well go on then spit it out.” Nell looked back at the large unmoving doors and whispered.

  “The Ancients are here Amanda. They have summoned you. So I am here to retrieve you, but I don’t know if you should go. They are strange things, and I get the most terrible feeling around them.” As Nell spoke, Amanda could feel concentrated fear dripping off of her.

  She is always wary, like a small animal, but never afraid. As Amanda dissected Nell’s emotions, the girl began to cry.

  “Amanda how can I help you? I don’t want you to die. No, it would be even worse than that! You are on the verge of losing yourself, your light, your soul.” Nell cried out. Amanda spoke slowly, not sure what to say to comfort her.

  “Listen Nell, you shouldn’t be scared of the Ancients. They are the wisest of us all. It may seem as though they aren’t like you and me anymore, but that is only because age and power affects people. And there aren’t too many people out there with more age or power than the Ancients. Everything will work out fine.” Amanda said.

  I hope that she believes that, God knows I don’t. She thought. She patted the girl lightly on her shoulder and nearly winced in pain, but was able to stifle the sound. Nell took notice anyway.

  “Are you still hurt?” Nell asked. Amanda got off of the stiff hospital bed as delicately as possible and replied.

  “Lets go, I can’t stay in the Hovel long I have to go somewhere.” Nell started through the doors still looking at her anxiously. Amanda hobbled after her as dignified as possible, slowly staggering to an unsure fate. Nell led her toward the main meeting hall, but instead of entering the arena she instead directed her to a large red door.

  “This is where they asked me to take you.” Nell said biting her lip again, a nervous habit.

  “Stop biting that thing girl, you are going to need it for kissing someday.” Amanda teased before taking a deep breath and reaching for the handle, but the moment she touched it Nell tugged her back pulling her into an embrace. Shaking with emotion Nell spoke into her shoulder.

  “Amanda I love you, please do whatever you can to keep yourself safe. I’ve never had a family, except you. Be nice to them and don’t lose you temper. I have the feeling that they aren’t on your side.” Nell said. She wished that she could reassure her, but she had the same creeping feeling.

  From what I hear the Ancients are all about uniformity, and I’m so out of uniform I don’t even know what I am anymore. She thought.

  “I love you too Nell, more than you know. Don’t worry about me sweet heart, everything will be fine. And I will try to behave myself.” She said. Nell stomped her sneakered foot.

  “You do better than try damn it, you promise me.” Amanda laughed.

  “You’re no good at swearing Nell, and you already know that I don’t make promises I can’t keep. I’ll see you after the meeting.” Amanda planted a kiss on top of her head and Nell looked up at her with large pleading eyes.

  “Promise?” Nell tried again.

  Amanda gave her one last hug and walked through the door. For a moment she thought that her pains had blinded her again. The room she had walked into was pitch black, but she quickly realized that the darkness in the room was pre-determined. A hand shot out of the darkness grasping her, and then another. Soon she found herself struggling against the strength of several hooded men, but she wasn’t much of an adversary. Every movement brought with it a torrent of pain. She opened her mouth to scream something out, anything, then she remembered Nell was right outside the door.

  Don’t frighten Nell. She thought, and reeled back her scream. She looked down in time to see the glimmer of a long needle, just as it pierced her skin.

  Chapter 3

  Amanda found herself lying on a pedestal in the middle of the arena surrounded by shadowed faces that were both familiar and unknown. As she attempted to turn her head, she found herself paralyzed-yet again.

  Apparently I need to get use to immobility. She thought. She looked down at her body and was glad that public nudity wasn’t something else that she needed to get used to. She was wearing a body length shimmering white gown. The material was so delicate that she could just make out her black veins underneath. It was an extravagant gown, and something that she never would have worn.

  I’ve never seen the arena like this. Where did all of these people come from? She wondered. As she tried to separate the people she knew from the strangers, she noticed a shimmering light. Amanda wasn’t sure if the Ancients had been there the whole time or had just appeared in the arena, which was unnerving.

  I can feel most people before they even enter a room. She concentrated on their location but picked up nothing but a kind of hazy silence where the five Ancients stood. Either they had mastered a way of shielding their emotions from being read, or they had none. She studied them for the first time in her life, though it was hard for her to stare into the light that they gave off.

  Now I see what Nell meant when she referred to The Ancients as strange things. They don’t even look like people. She thought. At the time she had thought it was a mere slip of the tongue, but now she understood.

  The nearest Ancient seemed female, though Amanda didn’t know why she thought that. There wasn’t a thing feminine about her, and she outsized any person that she had ever seen by two or three.

  The Ancients must come from David and Goliath times; the arena is probably the only room that they fit into. She thought.

  Their heads were misshapen and held a few strands of long white hair. They were neither slender nor plump, but there was something incredibly solid about them. Both their bodies and faces bore sharp haunting angles with no roundness to them at all. Their skin was the color of old parchment and had strange faded patterns scrawled into it.

  They look two dimensional, like someone stamped them into this scene and they began walking around. She thought.

  As they drew near her their light burned more brightly. She kept her red eyes locked on them, despite the pain, as long as should could before having to look away. The largest of the Ancients spoke in a deep unearthly voice.

  “Brothers and Sisters do you see? She cannot even bear the sight of purity. Does it hurt, Demon, to gaze upon God’s own?” It took her a moment to realize that he was referring to her. She felt the curses rising to her throat but reeled them back and spoke the way that Healers were supposed to speak, reverently.

  “I am no demon, I am a Healer. Born to serve, I have been entrusted with the sacred duty of freeing trapped spirits. It is what I have always been, and what I am now.” She said, her voice steady, though she had to fight to keep it that way. He paused a moment before speaking.

  “What you have always been? You never wanted to be a Healer, never felt thankful for this ‘sacred duty’.” She went to speak, but he silenced her with a raise of his sharp hand.

  Even their hands are strange. She thought as she took in his claw like appendage with strange tattoo like markings a few shades darker than his yellowed skin.

  “Amanda you may lie to yourself, but you cannot lie to me. You never wanted to be a Healer. Three years after the Dredging, you ran from us. You selfishly ran from your responsibility here. Then you came crawling back two years later. Why? Because you didn’t have the strength to stand on your own! You needed our strength, our energy, and our light because you had none.” He sneered at her. She was burning with anger and couldn’t stop herself from shouting at him.

  “You don’t know me! I came back to this place because I wanted to learn how to help them. I wanted to be a better Healer. I just couldn’t handle failing them anymore. No, I didn’t come crawling back for your support. Because it is not your strength and light that I call on. Unless, you think your
selves Gods now?” She finished.

  “Yes.” He answered. “Do you see my light and my power? Look around you, look at my flock. If I am not a God, what am I?” It took her a moment to realize that she was hearing his voice, not through her ears, but inside of her mind.

  Oh, he wants to keep this a private conversation-too bad. She thought.

  “You are a monster!” She answered loudly. There were gasps all around the arena; the Healers seemed unable to believe what she had just shouted at their beloved leaders. Some even began crying, so hurt that she would speak that way. He smirked one last time at her before putting on a pained face and addressing the crowd.

  “I fear that she is beyond us my friends.” He said, choking on faked emotion.

  He wanted me to shout that out. Stupid, stupid! She thought.

  He turned and walked to the lone female Ancient, and lightly touched her shoulder. She stepped forward as he fell back into her position. As she spoke, Amanda was surprised that it was still the first Ancient’s deep voice filling the air.

  “What was the other thing you said dear? Oh yes, a Healer is what you are now. No, what you are now is ruined. I can smell the evil in your veins, and don’t tell me that you can’t feel it tearing the goodness from you. We all sense your pain.” Amanda spoke steadily remembering Nell’s advice, although she hadn’t done a very good job at following it.

  “I do feel the darkness in me, but I am alive and so is my spirit. I am strong my spirit will prevail. I am not ruined, I am fighting!” She said.

  “Spirit will prevail.” The Ancient turned to look at her. “Do you really believe that Amanda? Your spirit can barely manage the strength to heal a single Scar. You believe yourself strong enough to purge out this evil? Well we do not.” She turned and touched the smallest of the group who faced the audience and spoke to them in the same commanding voice.

  “We have reviewed the plight of this girl.” He waved his dagger-fingers toward her. “And we have found that death is in her best interest and the only way.” Amanda’s heart jumped into her throat.