At first the silence had been uncomfortable. It felt thick and heavy, awkward. Which wasn't a wrong assumption, the two knew each other's names and they had a common destination. Selena was utterly terrified of the man that led the carriage. Although he had done her no harm and his words seemed genuine the few times they conversed in Tophia, she had seen what he was capable of and that was enough for her to be weary of him, lest he turn out like the thief.
Eventually she had grown used to the silence and Selena found herself listening in on the sounds around them. Finding rhythm patterns in nature and perhaps testing her own hearing, which as far as she knew, seemed to be beyond what a human was capable of. There was an odd sense of calm upon adjusting to the silence. She wondered if it was that feeling that led others to resort to living solitary lives in the wilderness. She knew temples had a similar quality of life, but priests and clerics had rules to follow, hunters, hermits and perhaps lonely farmers did what they did on their own time. Selena lingered on various thoughts and concepts as they rode along, her eyes occasionally shifting to the back of James' head, his attention focused on the road.
As night descended, the calm in the silence remained but there was a hint of excitement that came with the darkness. New sounds came forth as the birds slept and the nocturnal fauna came to life. There seemed to be much more movement across the grass and trees, skittering in the dirt and splashing through the water. Was it the subtle but natural chaos that frightened people at night? More questions, as she pondered. Her thought process was eventually interrupted as James cleared his throat to speak. Selena not even noticing that they had stopped, she had been so lost in her mind. She looked at him almost in surprise before swallowing back and nodding slowly.
"I definitely wasn't prepared for the trip." She commented simply as she stood up in the back of the carriage and hopped off upon James mentioning that he would be sleeping there. "I'll uh—" it was her turn to clear her throat. "I'll figure something out, don't worry about me." Selena nodded again with the smallest hint of a smile which was intended to show James that he need not fret about her sleeping arrangements. Placing her hands on her hips she glanced at him quickly before turning away while muttering an 'okay' towards him. She didn't put much distance between them.
The stream rushed to her left, not much further ahead from where she faced, the trees began to grow thicker and higher. Walking towards the forming forest she looked around on the ground. Kindling and a few decent pieces of wood were gathered in her arms before she returned to the spot that would be her bed for the night. Her father had taught her a lot of things in regards to survival. She hadn't needed it much, but she was glad to know what she did, in case she ever did require that knowledge.
Setting the quick-catching sticks and small bit of brush in a slightly dug out hole, she placed the larger pieces of wood on top, supporting each other vertically and leaving a small opening. She knew how to start a fire naturally but she chose to use a simple spell instead. The core of the teepee-like structure popped and whooshed to life with a dark purple flame, grey-green's grew wide as she swore that she heard a shrill screech come from the flame before it echoed into nothingness. The deep, sinister purple hue turning to the brilliant orange of a normal fire. Clenching her jaw she swallowed back and glanced towards the carriage before pushing herself back slightly and laying down on the damp grass and earth. Her eyes remained on the flickering flames, her left arm beneath her head as she waited for the hypnotic dance of the fire to let her fade to sleep.
There was darkness for a while, or so it felt, but as Selena opened her eyes she was blinded by the bright yellow light of the sun that pierced through the canopies.
"You must always be aware of your surroundings Selena. Focus."
She looked towards the comforting and familiar voice that caused her to gasp, heart skipping a few beats. The man before her stood tall. Much taller than she. His shoulders were broad, his body thick. His hair was half pulled back, half left down, it brushed just passed his shoulders, dark brown in colour. His eyes were also brown beneath thick brows. A kind, soft brown. The shape of his jaw was defined by a well-trimmed beard that was gathered into a short braid at his chin. Selena's cloudy emeralds gazed at the man in pain and sadness, she felt as if tears were threatening to pour down her face. The man's expression softened as he approached her. Coming down to one knee before her, the two now at eye level, he placed the make-shift wooden sword on the ground. Rough calloused hands that had seen years of battle reached for her. His right cupping her face, his left taking hold of her own hand.
"Sometimes you will have to do things you do not like." the hand cupping her face pushed back some hair before returning to her cheek, his thumb gently running across her skin. "I know you don't like fighting, but the reason I'm showing you this is because, at the very least, you must learn to defend yourself." he explained. "Come," he stood up and gripped her hand tightly, his right picking up the wooden sword. "we won't practice anymore today but we have to go see Farah." he nodded.
Selena responded with her own nod as he led them on through the forest.
The temple had been on the edge of a cliff, a long stairway with a very minimal incline leading to it. Few trees surrounded the white stone building, its accents were in gold and muted yellows. The two walked in silence, the chirping birds loud enough to fill the void of no words. Selena skipped a step here and there, the man, her father, picking her up and swinging her with a single arm on every hop and skip. Her childish giggle joining the birdsongs. They approached the large, pale wooden doors, one opening slowly. The sound proved just how heavy they were. A deep groan as the hinges strained.
A beautiful, tall and thin woman stepped out. Her flowing gown and robe was a mix of soft whites, parts of it opaque. Gold and yellow jewelry and accessories adorning the woman's arms, neck and hair. Her almost golden locks were gathered up in a bun, few strands hanging loosely. Her eyes were a piercing ice blue. The woman smiled brightly as she saw the two approaching figures, lowering herself she opened her arms wide. Selena broke free of her father's grasp and rushed towards the priestess. Her hug was tight as she looked at the other woman with a joy filled grin.
Words were exchanged but the young girl paid no attention to them as she walked into the temple, glancing over her shoulder she spotted their silhouettes in the doorway, both looking at her. Their eyes began to glow, a bright vicious red. Blood was running down their forms and across the spotless, white marble entrance. The child's expression formed into one of sheer terror as she looked down at the thick crimson that raced towards her feet, defying the natural laws of this plain. Taking a few steps back to avoid the blood that followed her she tripped backwards. She knew that she should have hit the floor but instead she started falling into an infinite abyss.
The light above her grew smaller and smaller. Twisting in the air she now faced the nothingness she was plummeting towards. Screaming as she felt like she was moving faster and faster she eventually collided with something that felt solid for a moment before the splash exploded in her ears. Now she was underwater, or so it felt. Flailing where she floated her feet hit bottom as she surfaced with a gasp. Reaching up to clear her eyes she panted where she stood, sloshing around in whatever she was within. Gasping as she tried to regulate her breathing she slowly opened her eyes, peering through a thin, crimson veil of liquid that quickly faded, Selena was now breathing heavily through her nose.
"Father?" she questioned aloud. But it wasn't the child's voice that spoke. Looking down at her hands as her surroundings grew brighter she swallowed back. Analyzing her adult self, her heart still raced, the reverberating sound of disturbed liquid catching her attention. Looking up to her left she saw a darkened figure approaching. Stepping back in the almost hip deep water she watched in fear as her arms were outstretched to feel for a wall.
A crack appeared within the cavern, white light pouring through, looking up towards it she covered her eyes and looked down. The pool she stood in was not water, it was blood. Gasping she looked up towards the still approaching figure. Backlit by the white light, Selena squinted hoping to make out more details of the shadowy being. The figure turned their head away from the light. The profile of the, now evidently masculine face, warranted a whimper from the brunette. His attention was on something he was holding. Looking down towards his hand Selena recognized the shape of the wooden sword. Raising the weapon slightly his head whipped in her direction. The movement was fast and disturbingly jagged. It looked like it was shaking, burning red eyes glowed to life. The guard's heart raced as she stared in horror.
A couple more steps back and she found herself pressed against a wall. Hands were on either side, her panting growing more ragged as a deep, echoing laugh bounced throughout the cavern of death that the two stood within. There was a sickly snap, Selena's back arching off the wall as she gasped. Groaning as she gritted her teeth the woman eventually clenched her jaw shut. Fingers digging into stone as she closed her fists up, the flickering figure before her still in the same position. A small grunt escaped her as she gulped past the scraping dryness in her throat. The next, wet sounding crunch warranted a grimace from the woman as she held back the sound of pain with a sharp exhale from her nose.
The figure shuddered and disappeared into wisps of smoke.
"Defend."
The sound was to her immediate left, or so she swore as she whipped her head in that direction. Her heart jumped into her throat as she almost keeled forward in pain. An unfamiliar burning sensation creeping up her back. The whimper was hard to hold back.
"Your—"
This time she felt the breath on the back of her neck as she tried to look over her shoulder through the pain, a difficult task as she grunted.
"SELF!"
There was an unknown force that heaved her up through the musty air, her back slamming against the stone wall she had found moments ago. The sound of the rocks shattering on impact was deafening in the cavern which was now exploding with the repeating sound. Dust surrounded her as the air had been forced out her lungs. Coughing harshly, her ragged breaths joined as the cloud from the impact began to settle. Before she could regain the air in her lungs she was choking again, a sudden vice grip around her throat. Reaching up as she was suspended from the bloody pool she gripped the arm that held her tightly.
A face came before hers, familiar but foreign. Glowing red eyes peering into her own.
"Father?" She choked.
Blood oozed from his nose, ears and eyes. As if he had been crying crimson. His flesh was discoloured. He wore his armour, it's colour a matte obsidian, the opposite of the silver and gold trimmed suit she had been familiar with. Lines and shapes ran across plates and fabrics, a pulsating red. Baring her teeth she tightened her grip on his hold.
He shifted closer, armour clanking as his elbow bent. His enraged expression fading to sorrow. "Sometimes," closer. "you will have to do things" the words were followed by a searing pain that stabbed into Selena's stomach. "you do not like."
She whimpered against the pain as one hand dropped down to her father's wrist. She held the armoured limb tightly as he tried to pull the blade out, she wouldn't allow him. Selena swallowed back as she tried to pant, the pain in her stomach spreading, while the grip on her throat, was still making her breathing harsh. She winced as she felt more of that unfamiliar searing pain. Her father's gauntlet began to glow, the back of his hand forming a shape before breaking off and starting to run up his arm. As she watched the red lines move she found herself feeling that burning sensation running up her own arms. The back of her wrist began to glow in the same way, grey-greens growing wide as her eyes were invaded by foreign streaks of black and red, one coming in and the other spreading out.
There was a groan of metal and snap of bone as she crushed the wrist that was making her breathing difficult. His arm gave way as she fell into the pool below. He stumbled forward with her. Selena forcing his hand and the blade away from her stomach before yanking him in hard. Her knee connected with his face as he flew backwards. Stumbling slightly as she put pressure on the oozing wound she slowly got to her feet. Her heart beat grew rapid, she could feel every thump against her bones. Deep breaths of air were sucked in as she stabilized herself. Looking down at her bloody hand she pulled it away from herself, her skin mending back together with bright red veins flowing across exposed skin.
Her right shoulder jutted forward with a snap. It garnered a grunt from the woman. Catching the pulsating lines across her arm she looked down at her stomach again, as the burning sensation followed the flow of newly forming lines. In the bloody pools reflection she caught a glimpse of herself, irises almost consumed by the darkness, horns growing at an alarming rate. This time the pain was in her left shoulder, but she fought against the force by pushing back with a growl. Muscles throbbed as pressure built up, a rapid explosive release followed by the whooshing sound of leathery, clawed extremities. She snarled towards her father's figure. He had recovered and was approaching with a sinister grin plastered across his face. Selena's second wing just forming. The final snap that signaled the completion of her new limb ricochet off the stony walls, the brunette hunched forward slightly.
Both forms rushed towards the other. Their impact was blinding, a low and deep rumbling exploding from the collision.
Shooting up with a terrified gasp and wide eyes Selena panted where she sat. Out of instinct she reached up towards her neck, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat. The fire next to her nothing but dull embers, darkness still surrounding her. The unnaturally warm woman grew freezing cold as she felt around her neck, colour draining from her skin, blood freezing in her veins. "…My necklace…" she barely whispered. Looking down she frowned with a small whimper, feeling around frantically she hoped. Her heart began to race, breaths growing shallower and rapid. This wasn't safe, this wasn't good. She'd be susceptible to any form of demonic energy, her own emotions…she'd have no control.
No control.
The words repeated in her head. She began to hyperventilate as she looked around on the ground. Palms pressing against grass and dirt. "No, no, no, no, no…" She muttered as the fear was forcing tears to well up in her eyes. Fingers dug deep into the dirt, the sudden intake of air cut short as her vision pulsated to alternate colours for a moment. All the surrounding sounds of the world fading, her interrupted breath echoing in her mind. The rapid-fire heart beats swelling in her ears as a chorus of eerie whispers grew obnoxiously loud in her mind. For a split second there was nothing, not a single sound, Selena's eyes staring at the forest beyond.
This is it…she told herself as she let a small exhale escape her, the sound carried on for a moment as it bounced into nothingness.
The tightness in her chest was sudden and excruciating as she lowered herself with a grimace of bared teeth, knit brows and tightly shut eyes. Her forehead rested on her arm, the damp grass exuding a cool sensation across burning skin. A small pained sound escaped her as she pushed herself up slightly. Her shimmering eyes flicked towards the carriage as she exhaled heavily through her mouth. Her chest convulsed as her body shuddered. Her shoulders rolled as she was forced downwards slightly. Fighting the pain she began to push herself up to her feet. If James witnessed this she wasn't sure what would happen. Calming herself and stopping this was possible, difficult but possible, but his presence only added to the boiling fear within her.
Taking a step she hunched forward as her stomach was clenched tightly, her whole body tense and trembling as she felt the familiar pressure in her shoulders. Groaning against it with heavy breaths she forced herself to carry on, stumbling towards the woods. Selena grew closer to the dense forest, her only hope for coverage in the night. Reaching for a tree to support herself, she felt her fingers dig into the bark. There was a rippling sensation that spread across her form. Her veins lighting up in a wave of energy that caused her to tense again, fingers penetrating the surface of the tree with a loud crunch. Moaning in pain against the feeling she gritted her teeth as she felt a lump of terror form in her throat. Grunting against the feeling of the pressure in her back releasing she closed her eyes. The sound of fabric tearing caused her to open her eyes wide again. The trickling warmth coming down her forehead had her free hand shakily moving towards it. Wiping it away Selena didn't need to look to know what it was.
