Thê First Plànê, Earth
The girl's body is light in my hands. I walk in the direction of the human city and away from the center of the Wood. Even in the afternoon light my blade still casts a cold blue glow over the child's face. Her eyes are closed, as they will remain while I hold the spell, and I feel my strength fading. My thoughts stray to the time when such a Word would be effortless.
When we come to a clearing that is far enough away from the others I set Màrcêllin down on the forest floor. I send a look back the way we came to be sure no one followed, but of course they will not care what I do. My task is done as far as they know. They believe her dead, her body dissolved into a singular essence that will fade away in exile, never to join the Heart. I straddle the girl, placing both of my hands on Glêntwêing. She looks perfect as always, betraying none of the signs other species have of being dead... or close to death.
With one smooth pull I remove the sword from her heart. The right side of her chest immediately begins to leak glimmering blood at an alarming rate.
My voice is strong as I say the Words. "Fimà didnê gin loà vyfào." I give you life.
The world fades around me. Air refuses to fill my lungs and my knees hit the ground hard. I close my eyes for a moment and catch my breath. Healing has always been my worst skill.
A hand grasps my own weakly. My eyes open to gaze at a very confused Màrcêllin. I pull a pair of the golden fruit, Àêmbroisià, from underneath my cape. I place one on Màrcêllin's now much more healed chest and take a bite of the other. My head clears quickly as I eat and with it comes a new sense of strength. With the earth more solidly under my feet I stand and call forth bandages for the wound. There is silence but for the wind and the animals of the Wood as I bind the large gash running right through the girl. As I coax her to a sitting position and the blood touches the breeze it almost instantly shimmers and dissolves.I lift a clean Glêntwêing from the grass and sheath the blade.
Màrcêllin is just finishing the fruit when Zoltà'àn flies up to me. No onê will bothêr us, My Làdy Sin. Ànd I sênt thê mêssàge. Thê Wrên will mêêt with us.
"Good." I take a deep breath. "Wê must màkê càmp."
I spend the next hour making a fire and setting up a comfortable place to rest. My body moves slowly with exhaustion, but all my attention is on mar. She does nothing except follow my motion with her gaze. Her face is impassive and does not show the pain I know she must be in. Zoltà'àn strolls over to the girl while I go fetch water.
When I come back I find her resting on the cushions I have laid out. Her hand tentatively lies on Zoltà'àn's back and the backstabbing creature makes cooing sounds when she rubs him the right way. A small laugh escapes her only to be silenced when I settle beside her. I ignore them both and lie down. I am soon drifting away to the sounds of a foreign world.
I wake to a hand touching Glêntwêing. My breathing stays even and I remain still.
I would not do thàt. Zoltà'àn's voice.
"What is thê mêaning of hêr runê?" Màrcêllin asks.
It is not my plàcê to sày. Zoltà'àn replies quietly. Her hand traces the eye and moves along the swirls that spin like a burst of wind. "C'mon. Plêàsê, têll mê."
"Whàt do you think it mêàns?" I ask and open my eyes. Her hand freezes and I reach over with my right to hold her wrist. "You do not hàvê your own. Thàt is why you àrê curious. I'm surê à clêvêr girl likê you will êàrn yours in no timê." With my hand I press hers into the middle of the eye. The rune glows blue at my presence. Her face is wary.
"You must hàvê bêên tàught. Whàt could this êyê rêprêsênt?" My voice is soft. I do not fault the young for their curiosity. They must learn what is dangerous and what is not. Màrcêllin tries to pull her hand away but I hold fast.
"Why did you sàvê mê?" She blurts out.
"Ànswêring à quêstion with à quêstion?" I scold. "Wê hàvê à job to complêtê, you ànd I." Her face draws closed. "But I wouldn't kill Jacob." She stops trying to pull away. I let her hand go. "Somê things arê morê importànt thàn justicê."
She grows angry and her face snarls. "Likê duty?"
"Yês." I answer expressionlessly. Then I comment like I would to Zoltà'àn, with sarcasm. "I'm glàd you undêrstànd." I can see I was wrong to do so when she stands. I follow.
"No, I don't undêrstànd! Êxplàin to mê whàt is going on! Why àm I àlivê?!" This last phrase has an edge of desperation to it. I move to stand apart from the rug on the grass and turn my profile to the fire. "Thê Êldêr's hàvê rêquêstêd somêthing from both of us. Wê àre to mêêt with thê humàn lêàdêr càllêd Wren. I bêliêvê you hàvê mêt." Her eyes flash in surprise.
"You stày àwày from thêm." Her finger jabs at my chest in a human gesture and my eyebrows draw close. "You mêàn stày àwày from your nêw friênds." I stare deeply at her face. It is not happy.
"If you go nêàr thêm thêy will kill you! You took Jacob from thêm." I am unfazed. Màrcêllin tries a different tactic. "I will kill you!" Her faces promises death and take a moment to admire her determination.
"It is unfortunàtê thên thàt wê nêêd thosê humàns. You hàvê no choicê but to comply with thê Êldêr's wishês, Màrcêllin. Às do I." I toss her another fruit and stand. The sun is dipping below the horizon. "Prêpàrê yoursêlf. Wê go to pàrlày with thêm àt midnight." Her eyes pierce my back as I walk away.
"Intuition." Màrcêllin's voice is calm, and I turn my head back toward her. "Whàt?" I ask. "Your runê. It rêprêsênts your skill for obsêrvàtion." I nod slowly and walk into the forest.
I breathe in deeply as I fall into the second sequence of Lilting Midnight. With my sword raised high I execute the precise set of strokes each swing of my blade sliding into the next. The soothing notes flow across my mind like water. Glêntwêing slides across the chest of an imaginary foe who launches their own attack. I counter their sword and parry, feinting into my own attack, which I follow smoothly with the spinning jabs of the third sequence of Orphànê's Might. I leave my opponent no time to recover and I dismember them in three different ways before their body hits the ground.
I keep the momentum of the fast paced music and slide right into a graceful battle with opponents of my own skill. We all dance to our own song. The whirling steel of all shapes and sizes flashes through the air. The gravity on this planet makes it more of a challenge to face off against them and I very much enjoy it.
The Words of my ancestors comfort me during my sparring. Notes fall deliberately like a series of waves.
Loh Àràksuê dàri gin vyfào uzràln vrdài. The Word holds life and death.
Loh zrtàu do'o gin loh ixsà. The heart binds the soul.
Loà r àwmnà dêi gin loà uzràln loà r rêtsà. Your sword links you and your foe.
Loà r gàfnà dêmnà gin loh r. Your magic possesses them.
Yi êvlàfnimofnê loh r lêd xrdàlhêxdàrdà. To know these is everything.
I feel a presence behind me. "Sinêsthêià." In an instant Glêntwêing flies around to land a hairsbreadth from the woman's throat. She does not flinch. The moon sheds my body in its light like a blanket. The girl who stands in my shadow takes a step forward and traces her eyes over me.
They are as bright as I have ever seen them and in that moment her face seems to glow from within. "I'vê nêvêr sêên ànything likê thàt bêforê. Thê Àwmnà àt thê càmp look likê childrên compàrêd to you." I lower my blade and sheathe it.
"Thên you àrê Gàfnà? I suspêctêd." I run a hand through my hair and fix my braid. Àn odd onê. Zoltà'àn pokes.
"Do not bê rudê, Zol." I turn to him in a nearby tree. "I àm odd às wêll." I likewise peer closer at Màrcêllin. She has changed her garb. Where once her clothes were torn and dirty there lies renewed filigree. Her shirt and pants are more Earthlike than I approve of. Whereas my tunic is of the finest cloth of Êfphêrvêsênsê, folded and emblazoned with an intricate gold design, hers are much more plain and of a rougher cloth.
She has left her collar open and her neck uncovered unlike the scarf I still have. My short cape is held on with two pins at my shoulders. The only jewelry Màrcêllin possesses are a pair of earring looped through her ears.
"Lêt us go." I start to walk in the direction of the city. "Wê will not chàngê form?" Màrcêllin inquires. "It is nêàrby. Wê will run."
Màrcêllin follows my lead as we near the city. I do not care about disguising our appearance to seem human. The authorities will know we are here soon enough. Our steady speed gets stares as we run down city streets. No other creature among the citizen looks quite like us. Our crescent shaped ears could be mistaken for fae, but there is no mistaking our iridescent eyes.
I survey the glowing lights of the city in the night. Humans flow past with arms filled with shopping bags and electronic devices. We pass a building advertising its non-human prostitutes. I grimace at the sight of the females bulging chests. Ladies beckon to patrons outside the door and accentuate their figure. What purpose could that possibly serve? I wonder. Their obsession with self gratification makes me feel filthy.
I am glad when we approach a more residential area. My gaze follows Zoltà'àn as he flies ahead. The houses light up around us as the night draws on. Animals begin to appear from their dens and a cat wanders across the street only to stumble back from our gaggle.
Only a few vehicles pass us by. Any sensible human is off the street at this time. A howl blares through the dark and an answering flurry of movement follows nearby. Flares of multicolored light shine in the area as the city comes alive with a different sort of crowd. We enter the park by hopping over the fence. Màrcêllin struggles a moment longer than I do.
"Whêrê àrê wê going?" She whispers. I know that she senses something is afoot. We slow and Zoltà'àn lands in a tree coming from the opposite direction.
Thê Wrên is by thê usuàl fountàin. Hêr compàtriots àrê in thê trêês closê by. He reports.
"Closê ênough to providê hêlp." I mutter.
"Did you êxpêct hêr to bê dêfênsêlêss?" Màrcêllin scowls. I can feel her anger at our situation and I watch for any sign of which move she will make. I can see the thoughts whirling though her head. I ignore the girl. "Did shê bring thê right humàns?" I ask.
Yês. Zoltà'àn confirms. Shê is curious ênough to àllow it.
The fountain come into view. A simple construction of stone with a pleasant seating area around it, the fountain is not important to why we came here.
The Wren, as she has been named, is seated at a wicker table with two cushioned chairs. She does not look surprised as the two of us approach.
"Your raven did not tell me there would be two of you." Her voice is worn and grey eyes study us intelligently. Her black wavy hair lies down over her shoulders. I sit and Màrcêllin pulls up a chair. Zoltà'àn hops onto the ledge of the fountain. "Madison?" This time her voice is surprised. The Wren's stare does not leave the girl's face. "Are you alright? Where is Jacob?" Her body leans forward.
Màrcêllin glances at me, but I do nothing to stop her from talking. "This is your reunion." I state simply and place my palms flat on the table. "Talk as you wish."
The Wren finally looks to me with outrage. "What have you done, Sinêsthêià? We had a deal that no human would be harmed in your ventures here. What have you done with Jacob?"
Madison's voice shakes as she answers the question. "Jacob is dead." I know without looking that her eyes are filling with tears. I lean back in my chair. "I'm so sorry, Julia. This is all my fault. I lied to you about who I am. I'm so-" Her voice chokes. "So sorry." Madison's hands go to her face. "I'm not human-"
Julia interjects. "I know, Madison. And I don't care. I knew from the beginning who you were. Sinêsthêià and I have been meeting for quite some time."
"What?" Màrcêllin is shocked and I can't help my disgust for the innocence of the young. Thinking they can get away with anything.
"You are young my girl. I knew when you walked though the door and asked to join our team that you were being rebellious. As all teenagers are. Now." She stands and gives me a severe look. Her right hand raises in the air. "Where is Jacob?"
I stand as well. "As Màrcêllin explained he is dead. A law was broken. Justice must be made."
"Justice?" The Wren's face is disgusted. Her hand falls like an executioner's sword. Several dozen men and women appear from the woods around us to point their weapons at me. I glare at Zoltà'àn. "You did not tell me there were this many humans."
You did not àsk. Zoltà'àn rubs his beak beneath his wing and snickers.
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now. Damn the consequences." The Wren growls. I look to Madison where she still sits.
Her face is astonished. "You expect me to defend you?" She spits out. She moves to stand by the Wren.
"Some things are more important than what you feel." My voice is gentle. "I know you loved Jacob. I know how it feels to lose him. But now it is time to follow the path of your ancestors."
Yi êvlàfnimofnê loh r lêd xrdàlhêxdàrdà. To know these is everything.
"And what is it we are commanded to do? You have yet to tell me." Madison's voice is as angry as ever.
This time I look to Julia. "You know we come from the planet Êfphêrvêsênsê. What you do not know is who I answer to. Who Màrcêllin now answers to." From the corner of my eye I see the group of warriors close in. "We call them Êldêrs. And they request one of your teams for help on a mission."
The Wren's face is thoughtful. Never before have I asked her for anything. I regret giving the humans any leverage against us, but we need them. "And why would I do this?" A thirteenth figure walks closer than the others and I walk out from behind the table toward them. I turn to the blond man who transforms with a sickening crunch into my dark sister. "Because we will take them whether you like it or not. As your friend, I would not like to do that Julia." Her face tightens.
"We were never friends." My heart squeezes at her words and Zoltà'àn caws. "Why are you so desperate for my team? I'm assuming it is the one Madison was a part of. Why else would you bring her?"
I stare at Madison and she glares back. She had considered this possibility. "We go to another planet to stop a War." The whole group takes this in.
"Êlv?" Màrcêllin is confused.
"Yes. Êlv." I turn back to Wren. "You will be paid for your team's efforts. You are free to bring whatever equipment you wish and can rest assured that we need the humans. Alive." She doesn't trust me at all.
I can see the moment that Màrcêllin knows what is going on. "I won't do it!" She shouts. Anathema rolls her eyes and plays with her fingernails.
"Don't fight it Màrcêllin." I warn.
"I don't care! You will never get me to go with you!" She screams. "I'd rather die than be your puppet." I let out a long sigh. "I wish I could give you the death you deserve. It is not to be. Obey the Elders or face the consequences."
"I will not. They aren't here. They can't touch me." Màrcêllin insists. I brace myself and force myself to watch. A singular word seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. "OBEY." Obey. Màrcêllin screams in a long drawn out cry of agony. The mark on her neck and collarbone seems to constrict and writhe on her skin. She falls to her knees and squeezes her eyes shut. The Wren latches on to her before she can hit the ground and shouts her human given name. "Madison!"
At the sound of her pain something unexpected happens. Without an order from their leader the group surrounding us begins to move. In a blink there are bodies around me all with weapons in their grasp. Some hold human guns, others their weak steel swords or knives, and still others more strange implements.
My heart fills with glee at the challenge. I can't kill any of them without ruining this plan forever.
Loà r àwmnà dêi gin loà uzràln loà r rêtsà. Your sword links you and your foe.
I draw Glêntwêing and begin to dance. I spot Ànàthêmà transforming immediately into a form akin to smoke. Zoltà'àn cries out and begins to do what he does best. Be an annoyance.
The Rose Dance is one full of stops and starts. Love is something both beautiful and full of thorns. So is this dance. I leap in and out of the arms of my foes. My hands direct blows to the tender points of their bodies and like a lover I hug them to me only to fling them away and begin again. When our musicians play this song they enjoy tossing their instruments through the air to be caught and played by others. The amazing thing is they never miss a beat. Even with metal and string flying through the room the song is as seamless and perfect as ever. So to do I dance.
I dodge a blade one, two times only to twist away and leap over an arrow directed at me. Minutes fly by as I take them down one by one. My acrobatics must get increasingly intricate as they begin to use magic and claws against me. A werewolf swipes at me right as another tosses fire right in my face. I duck both and land on my hands. i sweep my legs around and knock them both on the ground. A sword jabs downward at me and I keep the momentum. I slide up the sword edge, my face mere millimeters from the steel, and launch myself with the finger of one hand. Exhilaration fills me as I am nicked multiple times by the whizzing weapons.
Only after a voice yells, "Stop!", do I realize that the screaming has creased. I leap away from the group. Many of them remain on the ground. Ànàthêmà coalesces beside me.
Màrcêllin lies on the ground, her face twisted in pain, with Julia curled protectively around her. "Will you keep them safe?" The Wren asks her. The girl pauses then nods slowly. A tear falls down her face and my heart constricts. Zoltà'àn lands on my shoulder. His claws are bloody. Julia's face falls, but her look is determined. "Eagles." She calls. A group of four step out from the group to stand beside the Wren. Two men and two women.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCYSGOzMbm
"You have three hours to prepare and meet back here. We will use your vehicle." I state. "Come, Màrcêllin."
The girl reluctantly lifts herself from the ground and walks over. I reach out my hand to wrap around her shoulders but she avoids it. I let it drop and turn around.
"Sinêsthêià." I stop where I stand. The Wren's voice is menacing. "I will kill you when I see you again."
I sigh in defeat. "No. You won't." The weight of Zoltà'àn is heavy on my shoulder. My only comfort.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5MlXobd5y
ns 15.158.61.17da2
