The Daughter of Flames (on the side Chronicles)
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Category: Writing and Poetry
Hi, this is an entirely different story than the novel, this is just for fun. OK, I stole my own characters =).The idea is, there are so many untold stories you can make with the same characters, it's all a question of when things happened. A novel cannot cover an entire life of adventure, let along seven. So, I decided to have some short chronicles of it when the inspiration comes. I hope you enjoy it!
??-- I don't know about you but sometimes I wonder what would happen if you rewrote a hundred times the same story. Can you make them all as interesting? --??
Escaping"What was I doing so far from home?" I wondered with an exasperated sigh. "Was I not happy?"
I was, or at least I thought I was, but I felt the compulsion to go away. I needed to be alone. Then I choked a laugh, knowing how I was once afraid of finding myself alone. But now, it was too demanding to be constantly surrounded, feeling the critical eye everywhere. It seemed people not only expected things from me, but also to behave by their standards. I hushed them through threats but their silent gaze still said it all.
I had flown for hours, hoping to flee the very thoughts that drove me nuts. I was tired and was forced to rest. The sunlight was dimming. I knew I would not make it back before dark. My companions would be worried but I had no way of warning them. Then I remembered how they never asked for my permission when they took leave, so why should I? I knew it was an irresponsible thing to say, being who I was, that did not make it any easier to do the right thing.
I had longed for these vast mountains and plains. They made me feel at peace and they made me feel as though I could let my guard down... Then the ground gave in under my feet and I slipped down a grassy slope. Before I could catch my breath I found myself attacked by living plants! I knew one who could do that, but she was my friend! Who? I had no time to think of the answer as they curled and twisted, slithering around my wrists and ankles. I was tied down before I could call on my power!
Then the icy laugh of Demetrius rang. I knew him, but he was not that kind of wizard... How could he...? My thoughts were interrupted as he appeared out of the shadows, and gazed tall upon me with his snakelike eyes.
"I have you now," he mocked.
"How long do you think you'll be able to keep me here?" I asked, flicking a glimpse of fire within my eyes.
But a plant quickly slithered around my neck, choking me. It let go soon after, needing no more time to remind me Demetrius would kill me before I had time to stop him. He made a tutting sound, mocking my inferior position.
"I'll keep you as long as I desire," he answered, caressing my face.
His touch repulsed me and I struggled to get free. Demetrius laughed mockingly at my vain effort while pleasure burned in his eyes. I felt nothing but hatred for him and my hatred seemed to increase his pleasure and his pleasure fuelled my hatred. The vines holding me slithered tighter, covering me. I called for my powers but the hold around my neck tightened, forcing me to let go while I choked and struggled for a single breath. But my lungs would not give it, and I grew weak.
Another vine crawled over my face, smothering all unspoken insults and swears. When I let go of my power the vines loosened around my neck and I was finally able to take in some air. I gasped and looked around before the vines veiled me completely, but Demetrius was gone. And I sank in a lone darkness.
I waited, with nothing more to do than wait. I cried, exhausted from my vain struggle. I was sick and frustrated to find myself so helplessly trapped. My thoughts went back to my friends and I immediately regretted having left them unwarned. If only they knew where I was, they would come, but I did not even leave a note. How could I have? It was not my intention to leave for so long and I had gone much further than I expected.
Then a thought stroke me: we had made a pledge, binding each other's lives through magic. Perhaps through it, I might find a way... So I closed my eyes and concentrated, hoping to activate this bond or find some door that would allow me to send them a message. It was my only hope.
"Salvador?" I called in my mind. "Salvador? Vladimir? Hatar? Denemirah? Anyone?"
It felt like a vain hope. Memories of our past lives came flashing through my mind. Memories... So dear. I remembered the good times and the hard times, and how we somehow managed to survive through it all. Then I felt the faint brush of Denemirah's presence in my mind, and a faint gleam of hope rekindled my heart. I felt Vladimir's presence too. It was faint and fast dimming, like a shooting star burning across my mind. Then I felt Salvador pop briefly.
They were coming.
********
We knew Tyal was in danger, but we had to find out where she was. She enjoyed flying at this time of the afternoon, but she was never far. Except today. Had I known something would happened to her, I would never have left her alone...
And I cursed myself for it.
But there was no time to dwell on this. We had to find her, so we called everyone. It took some time, but we left as soon as possible. I led them into the forest, knowing more or less the places she enjoyed visiting, then Denemirah found her tracks and led us on. It was not long before we found traces of her run. There was clearly something after her, but what it was, was ambiguous. We followed, walking into the deep woods. Then I noticed Cilvaina freezing on the spot and looking up at the trees around with a deeply worried look.
"What is it?" I asked her.
"The trees, the plants," she said, somewhat alarmed "they are not part of nature. Something else is controlling them."
Kalahan grew himself a spear and shield, and walked prudently on guard. Vladimir took out his wand.
"Does that mean you can't control them?" asked Vladimir, looking about.
"I can try, but there is an evil in the land that must be purged," she said, feeling utterly uncomfortable.
"Don't try for now," said Vladimir. "Whoever is behind this, will probably know we're here if you tamper with his magic."
"I agree, but we must be careful," said Cilvaina.
We continued walking, remaining on guard at every moment. Denemirah bent down, brushing the grass beneath her.
"Her tracks end here," she said, rising.
"How are we going to find her?" asked Tilliny.
"We must use the bond," said Hatar. "That is how she called for us."
"But how?" I asked. "We've never used the bond like this before. I thought it used us, making us cross paths, not the other way around."
"Yes," answered Vladimir, "but magic is not something static. It changes and grows with time. And it's very rarely a one way stream. Either our bond is growing stronger or we never knew about this, because we never tried."
"This is all very nice," said Kalahan, "but philosophical questions will have to wait, we need to find her, and fast."
We formed a circle, holding hands, and closed our eyes as we concentrated on Tyal. At first I felt nothing. We continued focusing as hard as we could. Then, as I concentrated harder, I felt the brush of her hair, and then her smell. I was not sure if it was a memory or if it was her, but I followed that imprint she left in me, focusing to make it clearer and sharper. Her face flashed clearly in my mind. But then it was gone. Then it appeared again, and faded, trailing away from me. This time I felt her image pulling me, so I opened my eyes, following the direction the impression made, and I knew she was there. Everyone was opening their eyes as the circle slowly dissolved.
"This way," pointed Vladimir.
And we all followed him. He went uncontested; we all knew it to be true.
********
"What do you want?" I demanded once again, following him with my eyes.
He was brewing some sort of potion, but would not tell me what. He flicked his cape back and snapped his staff, bolting forth towards me. He planted his fist next to my face, bringing his face up close to mine. His grin fell into a threatening stare.
"I want you," he said, separating each word.
That was when I understood his meaning. He wanted to control me. He would need to enter my mind, violating my very being. I was determined not to let it happen. So I thought that if he was able to prevent me from bringing out my powers, he certainly could not prevent me from using them within myself.
He backed off, as if suddenly regaining his calm. He glared at me, returning to his brew, not knowing what I was about to do.
"You may have my body," I said, defiantly, "but you will never have my soul."
He questioned me with his stare and I closed my eyes, calling forth my power to shield myself, thus creating a shell around my mind and soul. That was what he was after.
I felt the tight grip of his hand around my neck while I concentrated, binding myself with my power. I slowly built a mental wall around me, cutting myself from this world and anchoring myself deep inside my own mind.
The world faded, and I lost all sensation of being alive, finding myself alone in a shell as I severed myself from this world, existing only inside myself.
********
I stopped, suddenly feeling something wrong. I looked at the others. They were not feeling it as I was.
"She's fading from my mind," I told them, afraid.
Vladimir looked at Kalahan who also seemed suddenly disconcerted.
"Hurry," said Kalahan, leaping forth.
We ran faster, trying to keep up the pace, but something felt terribly wrong. Tyal was drifting away. I feared the worst. Life would be so empty without her...
We arrived at some clearing and suddenly were confused about which way to go. Tyal suddenly vanished from my mind and I crumbled down in tears. I was shaking. The thought of being without her, tore me apart.
Denemirah grabbed my arm, pulling me up.
"Get a grip!" she slapped me in the face. "She ain't dead yet."
"How do you know that?" I asked, angry, in a burst of desperation."
"Because we don't know that she is," she answered. There could be another explanation why we can't sense her."
We all turned to Vladimir who raised his shoulders.
"We don't know anything," he said, "let's not imagine stories and find her. We'll see the truth then."
"How can we find her now?" I asked.
"We are not far," said Kalahan. "We need to find something here. Have faith."
********
Cilvaina guided us to Tyal, sensing the source of the evil infecting the land. We had come quite far, and she was able to sense more precisely where the evil was coming from. We were certain this evil and Tyal's disappearing were intertwined.
She traced it back to a garden. And we crawled near the edge in silence, camouflaging ourselves among the flora. The hill dipped down in a pitch, giving way to a vast garden. Then I saw her, Tyal, stranded in a bed of vines; her eyes closed and her face lifeless. My heart sank; I feared for her deeply.
Vladimir made a subtle sign to Kalahan, who nodded and made his way around the garden. Tilliny watched him with her great big eyes,
"Stay here," Vladimir told her.
"Hey, I want to help!? she said, insulted.
"You're plan B," he told her. "If anything happens..."
"All right," she said, looking away.
The rest of us slid down and made our way to Tyal. Her colours had faded. She was ties with the vines, impossible to free her without magic, Vladimir took a last glance around before pointing his wand at Tyal.
But before he could cast his spell, a giant vine spurred at us. Cilvaina rose a hand, stopping it right before her nose. She struggle to push it back. A wizard came out of the shadows and the vine fell dead on the ground.
"Ah!" he said. "That is the other power I felt near."
With the waver of a hand, he made another vine plunged for Cilvaina who sent the first vine wrapping around the wizard. Vines grew and flew everywhere. Cilvaina jumped on one and made a pass behind him. The rest of us ducked behind Tyal's bed and tried to free her. Hatar leaped forth to aid Cilvaina, but he was quickly caught in plants. He struggled to get free as he engulfed him slowly.
I gathered my strength and threw a lightening bolt at the plant which quivered and released him. Hatar jumped away before the plant could catch him again. Vladimir shocked the vines holding Tyal with small bursts from his wand. They moved a little, but we had trouble getting her out.
Hatar came, glancing back at the show of plants bursting everywhere, bolting towards Cilvaina or the wizard. They twirled in a deadly dance. Hatar then grabbed the vines and pulled them out with all his strength. Both Vladimir and I gazed at him with surprised eyes.
Hatar let out a great moan, that echoed in the forest, probably frightening every living thing and making the birds fly away, as he ripped the vines restraining Tyal. He was about to pull her over his broad shoulders when the wizard came back, leaving Cilvaina running behind him. He severed her path with a curtain of trees.
"She may have concealed her fire from me," he said, "but I still have her body for puppet."
He wavered his hand, and before we could understand what he meant, Tyal opened her eyes. They were empty and covered in a dark mist.
The trees bent on each side and Cilvaina jumped on him, pinning him down.
"Ward, take her down!" he shouted at Tyal.
And Tyal slipped from our grasp, running for Cilvaina. Kalahan jumped after her and caught her by the wrist. I caught her other one and tried to restrain her while she struggled. She stopped briefly and I passed an arm over her chest, pulling her away. But she stomped my foot and elbowed me in the belly. In the shock, she slipped and jumped to kick Cilvaina in the face. Cilvaina fell on the side, momentarily stunned with surprise.
The wizard let out an iron laugh as Tyal jumped on Cilvaina, struggling with her. The wizard got up and faced us with dark threatening eyes. Vladimir aimed his wand but a plant snapped it out of his hand before he was able to do anything. The wand flew and fell between lurking vines. Vladimir jumped for it.
But the wizard waved his hand and a thick vine slivered around his waste and lifted him high above ground. I called forth thunder and rain, and tried to hit the wizard who grew a great tree for shield. And it split in two under my bolt, but the wizard jumped away without a scratch.
Hatar rammed into the plant squeezing Vladimir without causing any effect.
"Hatar!" I shouted.
He looked at me while I gathered a ball of lightening. He backed off at the sight. I roasted the root of the vine and it loosened, letting Vladimir slip. Hatar helped him out. We ran to help Cilvaina while the wizard seemed to have disappeared. We got Tyal off Cilvaina and cornered her. She tried to jump on her again as we laid arms her, restraining her for good this time. She struggled in vein.
Water burst, throwing the wizard against a tree and pinning him there. He had gone hiding but Tilliny caught him. The powerful beam continued its flow, holding him confused in place. We jumped to aid her. Plants were crawling aimlessly towards Tilliny; the wizard not able to see where to direct his plants. Vladimir grabbed his fallen wand and jumped back to cast a spell when Kalahan slipped from behind a tree and stabbed the wizard in the ribs with his spear.
Tilliny let go of her hold and the wizard fell, gasping on the ground. Kalahan grabbed him by the hair.
"Release her from your spell!" growled Kalahan, in anger.
"Never!" he said, gasping. "Attack them! Kill them! Now if you ever let her go, she will fight you until you either die or kill her."
"I'll kill you!" said Kalahan, still boiling with anger while pushing his spear further in the wizard's wound.
"You already have," answered the wizard with a morbid laugh.
Kalahan dropped him, removing his spear and taking a good look a him. He fell, rolling on his back. He had his hand on his wound, holding the blood from dripping too fast. But it was useless, the wound was fatal.
We stood there in silence, watching him die of his slow painful death, agonizing all the way. We took no pleasure from it. We looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Vladimir walked before Tyal, looking worried in her eyes.
"At least she's not dead," said Denemirah.
"What can we do?" asked Tilliny.
"I can try to reverse the spell," said Vladimir.
"I thought spells couldn't be reversed," I said.
"They can't," he said, "unless countered with even more powerful magic. They can more easily be deviated."
"How do you mean?" asked Cilvaina.
"The easiest thing to try, for now, is to switch her loyalties," said Vladimir.
"Make her our puppy," grunted Kalahan.
"Then what?" I demanded.
"We'll see," he said.
He pointed his wand at her chest while she struggled to get free, and uttered an elven spell.
"Hear me and obey me, for thy master is gone and you are mine to do as I will as I please," he said.
A beam of light flashed from his wand and beamed into Tyal.
"They are friends," he said, "do not fight them."
Tyal stopped struggling. We freed her and she remained there, gazing emptily into nothing.
"It worked!" said Tilliny with faith hope in her voice.
"Come on," said Vladimir, "let's go home."
We walked away with Tyal following us. I kept staring at her. Part of me hopped she would just turn my way and smile and everything would be as before. But she didn't. Her stare low, she walked with us mechanically.
********
We tried many counter spells, but all worked in vein. All it seemed to do was hurt her further. We were on the edge of despair when I took her by the shoulders and shook her.
"Wake up!" I told her. "Wake up! You have to fight this, you're stronger. If anyone can, it's you."
I took her in my arms and hug her so tight. Tears were in my eyes. The others looked at me, feeling much pity for me and for the friend that we had lost. Cilvaina stepped forth, as if with the intention of drawing me away, but Vladimir stopped her, shaking his head. She looked at him questioningly.
"He might be right," he said. "What was it the wizard said?"
Kalahan stepped in, as if waking from a dream, and realizing what was happening.
"That she hid her fire from him?" said Kalahan, half surprised of his realization.
"She pulled away," said Vladimir, "that's why we can't sense her. That's why she's not fighting it!"
"Without her will," said Kalahan, "the spells could never have worked."
"You can't free someone who doesn't want to," said Vladimir gathering around me.
They all came, placing a hand on her shoulder, or mine.
"Come on!" they shouted. "Wake up! You haven't finished your task! You have to wake up! We need you!"
"I need you," I said, in tears.
But she wouldn't wake.
********
I remember nothing, not even being conscious. Then I heard a cry; the cry of a young child. I felt a ripple of energy, suddenly opening a door into the dark shell of nothingness that surrounded me. A light shone and I felt half conscious of my existence. The cry became louder and more piercing. It gave me chill, so much hurt and anguish vibrated in its voice. And I remembered; the voice was familiar. I knew that little girl; she was mine.
My child was calling me, but why was I not there? Where was I? I could not remember. I reached out for that light, as though I suddenly felt drowning and I had to come out. Then I remembered, as though all was revealed in a single flash in my mind. I had done this to protect myself. I became suddenly afraid, that the danger was still there and this was a trap to draw me out, but it was too late, I was submerging into the real world.
The voices of my friends came to my ear.
"She shouldn't be here," said Salvador.
"What's wrong with mother?" cried Adomy. "Why are you all here looking like that! Mommy!!!!"
"Come on," said Cilvaina.
"No!" she cried again. "Mother!"
"Wait," said Vladimir.
I moaned, trying to wake myself. My eyelids felt so heavy and every breath weighted like a thousand tones. I felt Salvador's hand touching my cheek, then Adomy's.
"Oh, mother," she said softly.
Her tender touch seemed to provoke wakening impulses in me. I grabbed her hand and Salvador's, tightening my grip as though it would help me feel alive.
When I finally opened my eyes, the sight of them hanging above me, touched my heart. They helped me sit and I tried looking at them, shaken and still disoriented.
"What happened?" asked Salvador. "You wouldn't wake..."
He laid my hand tenderly against his cheek. I pulled it back, feeling the ruff edge of his beard.
"You need to shave," I said with a suddenly laugh.
He tattered his own skin and looked away, somewhat embarrassed.
"You scared me," he said.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I wish things were easier on us."
"We, elves, believe, life is a balance," said Kalahan. "As much as there is light in our lives, there is equally great darkness."
"As long as we pull it together in the end, that is all that matters," I added.
aggravated
Have you noticed how everyone uses the same door to enter and leave through a building, like let's say, the Hall building at Concordia University. There are maybe ten doors available and only one, maybe two are used. At least until someone decides to take the lead and open a new door through the which a new line of sheep will follow. What I don't understand is how people notice what people wear, what shoes they have, and what haircut they got, and so forth, and they don't notice there is another way to go where they're going. It would make things easier because they would not need to wait after the mass of people cumulating a the entrance of one passage or another, or even waiting for those exiting to pass through before being able to go in
adventurous
Great philosophers have always encourage independent thinking. Take for example the movie: "The Dead Poet Society," the poetry teacher tried to teach his students independent thinking and look where it got him! [expelled for those who haven't seen the film] It seems our society is focused on following the crowd, remake the things that were already done. I was in the library the other day and noticed how so many books were based on Greek mythology, Celtic myths, other myths of the kind, movies like Star Trek and Troy. But where are the original stories? They are so hard to find, it was nearly impossible! Ok, I found one, but then I read the back and it wasn't that original...