Heart Song

by Samantha LaFantasie

  I saw her head lower towards me and then she slowly closed the stone wall, leaving me alone in the dark and decaying air. I forced down the dumpling, carefully eating around the cloth Neyr gave me, trying not to breathe in while eating. I washed it down with the flask of water.

  I laid my head down and waited for the next time she would show up, which was frequently. She told me that it had taken her nearly the remainder of the night and through the next day to find the right cell that belonged to me. She was running messages to Marren, who was waiting till sometime during the night when the guards would be asleep to break me free from the prison.

  I relished in the fresh air that would blow around my body. It made the moments when I didn't have it slightly easier to bear. The water helped to wash away the bitter decaying taste from my mouth. A few times I had crawled to a corner to throw up what little contents I had in my stomach. I silently wished for night to hurry up and come.

  ***

  The sound came again. This time I knew who it would be, though it seemed like she had stayed away for far too long. Bright light filtered into my eyes, stabbing them painfully, making them water while I bathed in the swirling, cool, fresh air, chilling my skin that formed beads of sweat. The stagnant air had become too thick with the stench of decay and death. I was struggling to breathe. Harsh voices filtered to me from out of sight, in a language that I didn't understand. They were like Marren's in beauty, but the tones were rushed and cold.

  My hands, raw and moistened from the damp earth, supported me weakly, with just enough strength to sit up. I tried to move my leg though it was stuck in place with the same iron and shackle that I felt from before, only now it dug through the first few layers of skin. Every time it rubbed against the opened wound, shooting pain stabbed at my legs. Someone poked their head into the light that wasn't Neyr's shape. Panic threw my heart into a race as I watched the person use a key to unlock my bondage and hold a rough hand out to me.

  I tried to glimpse some features of his face, but none came to me. His face was far too shadowed from the torchlight behind him to make any features discernible.

  “It is alright, I will not harm you.” His voice was gruff and thickly accented. I could hardly understand what it was that he was saying. It was only after running it over a few times in my head that I realized what he meant. I gently slid my raw hand into his. He slid his past my palm, wrapped his fingers around my wrist and then turned while hauling me up onto his back. It happened too fast for me to scream and I felt very glad that it did. This seemed like the rescue mission that Neyr was talking to me about previously. But I couldn’t be sure or afford the hope.

  “Who are you?” I forced out in a whisper, my throat was too dry from gasping for what seemed like years inside the hidden tomb. All around me was sandstone, carved into different sized rectangles and laid with mortar. Every so often, there were plaques carved from some metal and engraved with a strange symbol and a number. If I looked closely as we passed, I could see the cracks in some of the mortar that formed the shape of a door.

  “I would love to introduce myself once we get you to safety, my lady.”

  After focusing on his words and processing them enough, I decided that perhaps it was best, until I caught a glimpse of his face. “You're a cat.” It was meant as a question, but my surprise and my body's energies weren't exactly communicating efficiently so it came out as a poorly stated comment.

  “Would you prefer if I was someone or something else?”

  “N-n-no,” I stammered.

  “Marren has told me this world is new to you. I'm sorry but I must insist on your silence now. I have to get us out of here safely and in order to do that, I must have complete silence.”

  I nodded and then resumed watching as the stone changed to dirt and rock that crumbled away, leaving only remnants and faded memories of what had been there. A cool breeze started to blow around us, moistening the air with the smell of water mixed with stone and iron. There was a slight whisper of rushing waters around us. I lifted my head to see that the tunnel we were running down opened up into an underground room with large bowls of lit oil resting on monoliths of stone. It looked as if they grew from the side of the rocky wall behind it.

  In front of us was a thin stone bridge balanced on precariously stacked stone blocks that had been etched away over time. The rushing sound below us was hidden within a black chasm. On opposite sides of us were large dragon heads, carved from the stone. Their mouths were permanently open with streams of water pouring out and into the river below us. Above, the roof of the cave was opened on one side, showing a thin line of torches and the stars in the clear sky above. They twinkled like tiny beads of light. It was then that I realized I was getting my sight back. Everything started to have a dim glow of bluish-green aura surrounding it. Despite the torch light behind us, in front of us was a blackness that caused my heart to thump so hard in my chest I thought my rescuer could feel it.

  He slid me off of his back gently. “We have company. Do as I say.” I nodded quickly and watched as he slipped off a coiled rope that draped over his shoulder and head. He tied one end around my torso tightly. “When I say, jump off the edge and swing yourself over to the other side. Quickly untie yourself and do not turn around. Run until you reach a fork in the road, then turn left. Follow the stairs out of this place. On the outside, someone will be waiting to take you to Marren.”

  His green eyes, with a slit pupil, stared at me in a cold and impatient manner. I cleared my throat and nodded, while looking over the edge of the small bridge. I let out a heavy sigh. This time I was able to hang onto many of the words he spoke through his accent, as if him facing me made the difference in my understanding him.

  He nodded once and then turned to face our upcoming foes. He started to run with one end of the rope in his hands. I ran, easily able to keep up with him. A large group of cloaked and armored creatures charged onto the bridge. They stopped as my rescuer kept charging. He turned his head and spoke over his shoulder, “Now!”

  I took a few more steps and jumped off the edge, swinging down into the abyss, my heart felt like it jumped into my throat. The rope went taut, ripping the skin from my raw hands as I started to swing upward. At the top of my swing, I hung, suspended for a brief second, and then dropped down to the bridge. I quickly untied myself, my fingers slipping from the ooze and blood—stinging like they were set ablaze—then turned around and ran, trying to remember the directions I was given.

  I found the stairs to my left and ran up them. I could hear the dancing leaves above me. The air started smelling fresher and cleaner. I almost made it up to the last stair when something froze me. It was a sound, one that echoed back to me, freezing me in place. It was the howl of a large cat being injured. The cry raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I took a deep breath and let a shudder escape before climbing the final stair to my freedom.

  The ground was level, covered with grass that poked up between the stone. It held no ceiling, but in front was a small wall and an archway that stretched out towards the sky. Standing on the other side was someone moving—no, pacing. They appeared from one side of the arch, disappeared on the other, and reappeared again. I jogged at a slow pace, feeling lightheaded from the previous excursion.

  As I approached, the shape became familiar. The way he took purposeful strides, the hold of his shoulders, and his features—all of them I knew well. I had to memorize the way he moved in order to learn how to defeat him in combat.

  “Danst!” My voice cracked but didn't hide the utter relief I felt when his head turned towards me.

  “Relena, thank the Gods! You have no idea what how glad I am to see you.” We met each other in a fond and tight embrace. “We have to hurry, let's go.” I nodded and tried to keep up as much as I could.

  14

  Breaking From The Nightmare

  We trekked for so long I thought surely I was going to die. The sky around us was brightening as the hills around us grew into mo
untains. The ridges capped in snow above the grey rock. Along the lower half of the mountain, it looked like there were windows carved from the face. The edges were polished, smooth with the area around them left jagged and rough. Rows upon rows of these windows lined the side of the rock. Torches gave light, despite the night fading into morning. Skirting shadows of figures move on the inside, their aura barely seen.

  As we got closer, there was a small lake that looked almost black at its deepest. The water trickled along the rough rock from inside the mountain and into the lake. Dark shadowy movements along the surface splattered every now and then where the water trickled in. I assumed it was some kind of fish or just the way that the water hit the surface. Either way, Danst pulled me along by my arm towards a slightly hidden path that lead up a short steep hill to another smooth, polished archway sealed with two large doors that looked thick and heavy. Iron divots secured large iron hinges to the doors and frame.

  Two arched windows flanked both sides of the doors with two people in each. They were armed with bows and arrows. I couldn't see the people themselves, being concealed in the shadows of the windows, but I could definitely see their weapons. The sight caused my mouth to go extremely dry and my head to feel light. I thought for sure I was about to faint… or die.

  “Announce your business,” a deep voice shouted from within the shadows of the window.

  “I am Danst. This is Relena,” Danst said, gesturing to me, “Marren's mate. He's expecting us and won't tolerate you delaying their reunion longer than necessary.”

  There were a few shouts and responses in the same language I knew belonged to Marren. Though it did fill me with awe, the enchanting side effect seemed to belong to Marren alone. The doors shuttered with a loud scraping sound, like stone against stone. They opened out to us and revealed Marren waiting on the other side.

  I ran to him, slamming hard into his body, and wrapping my arms around him. My body ached from the force and the exertion but I didn't care. Especially when his arms wrapped around me and tightly squeezed me further into him.

  “Relena, my love. You're here. You're safe.” His voice cracked and I felt his body tremor. His hands moved along my hair as he twirled me in place.

  “I'm here…I'm here.”

  He pulled away from me and kissed me fiercely with several pecks all along my face. “I thought I would never see you again.”

  “That very worry crossed my mind as well,” I said.

  He released me, then took a step back. “You look like you've been in Death's clutches for far too long...and smell like it too. Let's get you a bath and get your wounds dressed. I'll have you set up in a room and then you can rest there until you have your strength back.”

  “Wh-what about you?” I didn't think to just use our private way of communicating until the words were already out of my mouth.

  “I will be around. Trust me.”

  My heart gave a sudden leap and then dropped in my chest like a weight. I felt my breath leave my lungs and watched as horror played on Marren's face. Suddenly, it felt as though the world shifted and I floated weightlessly down into the darkened parts of the earth.

  I wasn't afraid, nor did I feel at all worried about the lack of control I had over what was going on. I just went with it, surrendering to what was. Then, I felt like I had connected with the bottom of the dark force that had pulled me down. Comforted in a blanket of cool, soft, silk.

  I felt air enter my lungs and leave, slow and evenly. I still felt weighed down to where I was, but it was soft and comfortable. The air tasted sweet and dusty. A smooth breeze came over me and faded away. Somewhere in the distance there was singing and drumming, even some flute playing. It sounded far off but close, almost like it was below me.

  I had summoned enough will to peel my eyes open. I was in a dark room. Panic threatened to consume me until I realized I still had my vision, the air was clean and I was lying in a soft bed. I found Marren's shape overlooking the direction of the sound of a celebration. I stared at him for moments, drinking him in, relishing in the sight of him after having been faced with never seeing his beautiful face again.

  Just as I felt my heart pick up in beats, Marren turned around and faced me. “You're awake,” he breathed, full of relief. He half walked, half ran to me then sat down on the edge of the bed and tightly gripped my hands in his.

  “What happened?” I asked. After thinking about the numerous things I could have said, somehow that was what decided to fall out of my mouth.

  “You were extremely exhausted. That...thing...it nearly killed you.”

  “What thing?”

  “Jiren.”

  I realized he was talking about me being in the crypt-like prison. “Why was I put there?”

  “Jiren wanted to give me a message of who was really in charge and just how easy he thinks it is to catch us off guard.”

  “Which he clearly did, but why?”

  “I don't know. But I'm going to find out.”

  “What was that place?” I asked with a shake in my voice. The all too familiar image brought panic back into my body and made the world start to spin.

  “A Tombcell. A place our kind gets put in for breaking the most sacred of laws. It's not traditionally done often. But, occasionally you do have a rogue that needs extreme handling.”

  “But, I'm not a rogue and I don't think there is anything extreme about me,” I said.

  “Well, it seems Jiren thinks of us as enough of a threat that he tried to tip the scales in his favor. Though I can't prove he was the one that did it, it's covered in his stench. The other Ancients have been notified and have arranged for a meeting in two days. We will get to the bottom of this,” Marren promised.

  I nodded, unable to think of anything better to do or say. The rush of the events from that night came flooding back and I realized that I wouldn't have been able to escape without the help of Neyr and the werecat. “I think that werecat died trying to save me.”

  “Tobias? He's sulking right now, down by the fire.” He nodded towards the open window.

  “Tobias. Now I know his name.” I tried to sit up with a stabbing pain going into my hands. I collapsed back down to the bed and lifted my hands to see that they were heavily bandaged.

  “He told me what you did.” His eyes were on my bandages. “You really never cease to amaze me with the things you can do.” Not only could I see his smile, but I heard it too. Full of pride and wonder.

  “And Neyr? Did she make it back?”

  “Neyr's allegiance to me isn't a secret, but she is bound by duties that I cannot override. She‘ll be along soon though.”

  I realized, while trying to scratch an itch, that most of my torso was bandaged as well. I was also wearing a different set of clothing, leather pants and a loose fitting tunic. As if answering thoughts I really wasn't thinking, Marren said, “You got pretty banged up. The decay that you were exposed to sickened you momentarily, exhausting your body beyond its normal capacity. You've been out for a few days.”

  “You must have been worried.”

  “I would only worry if your heart stopped.”

  He stood from the bed and walked back to the window. I watched him as he motioned with his hands in an up and down fashion. The music quieted. Marren climbed in bed next to me, curling up. The warmth of his body seeped into mine and filled me with the relief of his touch and his closeness. I could tell that he was holding back, not fully letting himself lean into me or even touching me very much. It still bothered me that, after what we had just been through, he still wasn't willing to touch me as much as I wanted.

  “My people are very traditional in the old ways. We cater and cling to them desperately. Because we were forced to cross over to this realm, and after having lost so much as it was, the traditions are all that we have that can't be taken from us.”

  “What traditions are you speaking of?” I felt a peck on my ear. It sent warm tingling down my spine.

  Before I had realized it,
Marren's words became distant and slurred together, blending into one another. In place of his words, a vision appeared before me, of a massive celebration between two people. Both smiling as if there was no end to their happiness. The woman's back remained facing me, except every now and then I would glimpse the side of her face, her cheeks puffed and reddened from the love that filled her and the heat from the fire that burned high into the sky. The man reminded me of Marren with a few changes, he was in continuous human form, he was somewhat thinner, and his hair was shorter. It barely touched the edges of his covered shoulders. He wore a vest lined with fur that laced up the front, over a thin, white, long sleeved tunic. The woman wore similar clothing with a leather skirt instead of pants. A dance surrounded them as they swayed together around the fire until the thumping beats of the drums ceased and they were finally together, joined not only in body, but by spirit.

  The vision shifted again, to a woman whose belly swelled with life. She lived alone, distant from her mate. She didn't seem bothered at all by it. Instead, she was comforted in the thought of the small life growing within her, clear in the way she held her belly. Her mate was always nearby, careful to not get too close and hurt her or the baby.

  The vision dissolved, revealing the image of three. The same couple and a child. A girl, around five, with intense black eyes. They looked as though they saw more than just what was on the surface, absorbing everything seen and unseen. Her hair was parted into two braids on either side of her head with a band of colorful beads on each. She turned her head towards me, nearly stilling my heart. She didn't seem bothered by my appearance, instead she seemed happy. A gentle smile stretched her lips that struck me deep inside my chest.

  Then darkness shadowed the vision, growing thicker and heavier around the child. At first I thought it was clouds, but it became clear that it was a black ink that blotted out the sun. It swallowed the heat, and caused my heart to jump and race. A thick ball of fear formed in my stomach, holding me frozen and unable to move.