by Stacy Lee
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After a short argument outside the inn Axel strides over to me. “My turn.” He spins his finger wanting me to turn around for him so he could wrap his arms around my waist to carry me. Since we figured out the magic was making my wings grow they no longer carried me facing the other direction unless I was unconscious at the time we took off. This unfortunately was more than when I was conscious so far.
“Just be careful with my back.” I whisper as I turn for him.
“What’s wrong with your back?” He mutters as he gets closer.
“He slammed me against the cave wall a few times, it’s a little sore.” He pauses.
“Did you look at it?”
“No, couldn’t see it.” His aggravated sigh shows his irritation with me. “It’s fine just don’t press to hard, that’s all I meant. Let’s go before he wonders what’s wrong.” Already Xavier is circling back to see why we hadn’t left the ground yet.
“If I hurt you, tell me.” He snugs his arms around my waist and launches us into the air. I grit my teeth and keep my pain to myself as we climb high above the town leaving it behind. “Now that we’re alone are you going to tell me what really happened?” He asks accusingly.
“Is that why you fought to carry me?” I ask just as accusingly.
“Yes.” He bites out. I huff but explained to him what Raider said in the dream. When I get to the part of him threatening Xavier and my reply to it he bursts out with a laugh. “Dang girl, remind me never to get on your bad side.” He chuckles. I finish my brief summary then we fly in silence for a long time both contemplating the meanings of Raider and this bond.
Somewhere along the way I find myself watching the ground as it rushes past us. We have begun to fly over a heavily wooded area and between the trees I keep catching glimpses of blue light sparkling from the ground when it’s visible. Off to our left is another forest although this one is full of dry trees and dark brown grass as if the whole area was dead. I remember Axel telling me of one such forest that the Ranoy had forced many Drumon in and killed them and wonder if that was it. Red flashes of light soon become visible as we draw closer.
Curious I ask Axel if he could fly on the line of the two and a little lower for me. He obliges with only a curious glance to me. “That one is the Forest of the Dead and this one to the right is The Living Forest.” He explains as he goes in closer. They were very aptly named as one was very much alive and the other quite dead.
When we hit what would be essentially the property line between the two there is a strip of grass running along the center with the trees starting about ten feet on each side. In the cleared strip I can visibly see both the red and blue currents running through the grounds. Each staying to their separate sides. Following it ahead of us in fascination I suddenly pause as two bright lights begin to grow and take shape, one red and one blue. The closer we get the more human each shape appears. As we fly within thirty feet of them they both intently stare at me as if they were waiting for me. Blinking several times I study the apparitions as we glide forward. Twenty feet away I am certain they want me to land there.
“Axel! Land!” I shout up to him.
“What?”
“Land! Now! I need you to land right here, please!” I shout impatiently as we grow ever closer.
“Sam, there’s nothing here but forest. We need to reach the desert.”
“Please Axel I must get down there! They want me to land!” I yell getting irritated as we are almost on top of them.
“Who?” By his tone it’s very evident he can’t see the two glowing women.
“Just land!” I bellow sternly.
“Fine.” He mutters. Letting out a loud whistle he draws Xavier’s attention and points to the ground. When the apparitions realize we are in fact landing they stand poised waiting patiently.
As soon as my feet hit the ground I’m off and running. I hear Xavier land by Axel but ignore them as I make my way towards the women.
“What’s up?”
“She insisted on landing.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, ask her.”
Boys! When were they going to learn to trust me? These women were here for a reason, they wanted me down here for something, now I just had to find out what. Slowing my approach I take in both apparitions carefully to judge the fear factor in what I was doing. Now that I was down here it didn’t seem as safe. Still I knew I had to do this.
The blue lady’s features are young, with long flowing hair. A shutter runs through her and she is older, sterner looking her hair in a bun. Once more she shutters and a woman in her mid-thirties, her hair pulled away from her face but down in the back, in a long flowing gown stands before me. This time her shape holds firm. The red woman does the same only in reverse; she starts out old, then turns young to settle in the middle. They have the same build, hair styles, clothes and some of the same features, even though it is hard to tell individual facial features with both of them incased in the separate lights. However they stand side by side, each on her side of the divide between forests looking very much the same.
With my last step I purposely place a foot on either side of the line to show my neutrality to them. With a deep curtsy I engage them.
“Greetings, Ladies.”
Hello child. This is the same voice I heard outside Dranall. The one that urged me into the town. Yes, I was the one who urged you there. As if she was reading my mind she answers my thoughts. Since she was in my head maybe she was.
“Do you know what it is I need to do? Why I am here?” A chuckle flits through my head but no real answer. Not immediately anyway.
It is not for me to tell you ‘why’ or ‘how’. I am only allowed to help you on your way. That is why we brought you here. My sister and I, she motions toward the, as of so far silent, red spirit, need to help you see something. We think it may help you in your journey. Remove your shoes and give me your hand. With a bit of trepidation I do as she asks.
Immediately the soft blue energy jumps to me from both, under my foot and her hand. The red stays where it is, thank goodness. The way it made me feel, I didn’t want to wield it. A cool, warm tingling takes over my body and I feel my aches and pains dissolve into nothingness. As soon as I relax in pleasure an image comes to me.
I am standing at the edge of a red desert and a green forest. One foot on the sand side, the other on the forest side. Both hands crackle with energy, a sphere sits in each palm, one red, one blue. Then it’s gone.
You must learn how to control them both or there is no chance of survival. In the end we shall all parish. Another image flits forward.
I’m once again in the same place, my hands raised above my head. A watermelon sized sphere in each palm hums with energy so loud I can hear it. Very slowly I bring my hands together merging the two powers causing them to turn a deep violet in my hands. The single sphere now double the size the two individual ones were. As I watch, the sphere dissipates, the power reversed and drawn inside my body instead of thrown out. Then it’s gone.
“How do I do that?” I utter out amazed.
It is something you must learn, child. It will not be an easy task nor will it come as naturally as the rest of your gifts so far. Don’t let that stop you from trying. Let us show you what you need to feel. Before I could say a word the soft blue energy seems to move to my left side, a hand grabs mine and I cry out as the red energy shoots through my right side. Slowly the burning fades minutely as I become accustomed once more to the pain.
With both powers inside me, my left stays soothing, my right burns in agony, however a single strip right down the middle of my body does neither. Where the two powers merge nothing but a tingle of pleasure can be felt.
Do you understand, child?
“No, I don’t understand anything. But I do know what the middle ground feels like if that’s what you’re asking.” I smart off. The red energy picks up in severity making me bite my lip to keep from crying out again.<
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Sister, stop that. Instantly the intensity drops. I will give you two more pieces of advice, child. First, I will not harm the lowest of insect unless it is threatening to harm an innocent.
And second, I will kill them all without discrimination. The red spirit screeches in glee making me cringe.
You must learn to control each before you can control both. Good luck child. The blue lady’s voice fades as my vision goes dark. At first I think she blinded me but then small twinkles of light appear. A full moon shines in the sky with millions of stars surrounding it. Grazing across the view something stops me. A little higher up in the ebony darkness is a red ball of light. No, a red moon. It shines brightly for all to see covering the grounds in a light that makes the world seemed bathed in blood. I close my eyes as chill runs through me, the image disappears.
Just like that, the energies fade. When I open my eyes the women are gone. Exhaustion drops me to my knees. I can hear the boys running towards me however I wave them off and drag myself back to a standing position. I place a foot firmly on each side of the divide then with a determination I didn’t know I had I call forth both energies at the same time.
The soothing energy comes quickly but I hesitate slightly with the red. The blue begins to fill all of me before the red tries to take over. The two clash making me cry out and return them once more to the ground. When I open my eyes I’m back on my knees. I take a fortifying breath then try again. Once more they clash sending me to the ground on my hands and knees. The pain shooting through my body is relentless and I am unable to rise again. Calling forth only the blue energy I let it sooth my pains away then release it. It may heal me but it doesn’t make the exhaustion go away. Slowly my hands slip out from under me and I fall unto the ground face first.
