Chapter Three427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0CbdDaC7s
Something smelt different. Like burned grass, and something else; something sickeningly dry, sweet and metallic. Fable slowly opened her eyes and blinked. She groaned and put her palm on her forehead. Her head hurt. The smell of burned grass mixed with blood was overwhelming.
"Where am I", she whispered.
She stood on shaky legs and made out her surroundings. She was in a burned open field that was surrounded by a forest. A smattering of dark grey clouds were spread out to the horizon. Where she was standing however was a big patch of dirt, with it surrounding her. "I'm not at the dig site anymore" she thought. She remembered seeing that scary and ugly thing after leaving the bar. It had followed her and she had run straight to the grave site. The ugly bastard had then pushed her into the coffin.
Fable's vision blurred but she held back the tears that were threatening to fall. Now was not the time to cry, she had to be strong so she could find her way back. Across the field she spotted several tall dark trees and took a deep breath before she started walking. She thought how she was somehow transported to this place. The woman in her dream had told her that the coffin was the key, and that it would guide Fable. Had the woman meant the coffin would guide her here? To this place?
Fable pinched her nose to block out the horrid smell of blood, and tried to avoid stepping on the burned grass that was splattered with it. As she got closer to the edge of the field, the smell of blood faded and was replaced by a rotten smell. The trees in front of her were all rotting, and some weird black liquid was oozing out of small holes in the trunk.
Walking through the trees, she noticed that the further she walked, the more trees were burned. She stopped and stared at what was in front of her. Not one green tree. All the trees in front of her were burned.
A sudden fog rolled in and clouded the burned and rotten forest in a grey shroud. Fable did not even think twice about it and hurriedly started walking; she had to get out of here. As she hurried through the burned and rotten trees she heard a rustling sound. She immediately increased her pace and didn't stop until she reached a small shallow creek. The fog had suddenly gone and she blew out a breath. She moved to the closest rock and sat. Fable didn't remember the last time she had run so much. It was probably that time when she was still in high school. She had visited her aunt in the country side, and had wanted to see the animals her aunt reared. She had ended up running for her life when her aunt's favorite rooster had attacked her. Stupid little bastard rooster.
"You're here, at last", a kind voice suddenly said from across the creek. Fable jumped up and looked at the dark skinned woman from her dream standing at the other side of the creek.
"It's you", Fable gasped.
The woman looked to be in her 40's and was wearing a long sleeved brown dress that looked like the ones actors wore in historical movies. Fable thought about the clothes she was wearing now; faded jeans and a dark grey blouse and bit her lip.
"Yes child, it is I. My name is Anouke, and I have been waiting for you for a very long time", she said with a smile. Fable didn't know why but she didn't feel scared at all. The woman, Anouke, was not a bad person. At least that's what Fable thought. She didn't want to be one of those dumb women from movies and books, who blindly trusted someone they had just met. But she had dreamed about this woman.
"You brought me to this place, didn't you?" Fable asked her.
"That's what you meant right, about the coffin being the key and guiding me; the coffin transported me here; ......Where is here exactly".
"You're in Empyrea" Anouke answered. "Come, and I will explain as much as I can", she said while stretching her arm towards Fable.
Fable thought about what to do, Anouke could probably tell her how to get back home. She had to take this chance, where else would she go. She didn't know this place. But Anouke did. Fable nodded, and carefully stepped in the shallow creek and crossed. Anouke helped her step out of the creek and smiled warmly.
Fable thanked Anouke and looked at her,"So, I'm in..Empyrea you say? And where exactly is Empyrea? Cause it sure as hell isn't in the Middle East" Fable asked as they started walking away from the creek.
"Uhh..... why are you looking at me like that?" Fable asked.
"You're not what I expected; I mean, you're a bit too.....calm. Are you.....alright?" Anouke asked concerned.
Fable scoffed, "Am I alright?...Am I alright?" she muttered and put both of her hands on her head while letting out a laugh. After a few seconds, she blew out a breath and steadied her breathing. "You know what, I'm great; now.. what is Empyrea? Where is Empyrea? And why did I see you in my dream? And what's up with the coffin? And what the hell was that thing that attacked me and then pushed me into the damned coffin?" Fable ranted as they continued walking through the burned and rotten forest.
Anouke suddenly stopped and grasped Fable's arm, "Thing? Something attacked you? What did it look like?, Anouke asked worriedly.
Fable slowly pulled her arm out of Anouke's grasp; "Uhh, it had a elongated head, and it's eyes, it didn't have any eyes, just empty sockets. He had some big ass sharp teeth too; Do you know what it is?" Fable asked curiously.
Alarm crossed Anouke's face; "They know about you already, but...how?" she whispered.
"Come, there's no time to waste", she said and strode further, Fable quickly following behind her. "What...What do you mean; You didn't answer my question."
"Not here", Anouke replied and came to a stop. Anouke started muttering something in a language Fable didn't understand, and Fable stared open mouthed as a small glowing ball appeared in Anouke's hands.
As she continued muttering what sounded like a incantation, she thrust her hands out, the glowing ball flying towards the other side of the forest. But it didn't go very far and slammed against a invisible wall that now also started glowing. The glowing wall opened a fraction and Anouke quickly grasped Fable's hands and pulled her through the opening. With her eyes wide, Fable let herself be pulled without protest. Once they were through the opening, it closed. The first thing Fable noticed was the green. Everywhere. There was no burned and rotten forest here. Fable was surrounded by green and she breathed in the earthy scent of the forest. The thought that just now Anouke had had glowing ball in her hand struck her.
"Oh my god, you...you had a...it was glowing.... and the wall...it slammed against the wall...and we walked through it....and.......Magic", Fable whispered.
"You're a magician", She yelled. "No, wait...A witch?".
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Anouke looked at the girl in front of her and nodded.
"Follow me, we don't have a lot time". She walked deeper into the forest, Fable following right behind her. She was ranting again and Anouke grinned. They will have their hands full with her. She waved her hand and her small cottage appeared a couple of steps before her. A big gasp behind her made her smile again, and she opened her door and let Fable walk in first.
"I know you must have many questions, and I will try to answer all of them."
But first I must tell you who you are" Anouke said as she sat down at her small dining table and pointed for Fable to do the same. Anouke watched as Fable slowly sat down and folded her hands on the table. "I'm listening" Fable said quietly.
"Empyrea is a world filled with, what you might call 'the impossible'. You could say this world is a parallel world of yours. As the legend goes, this world was created a very long time ago by gods who were banished from your world. They created humans to worship them here and wallowed in all the riches this world offered them. But the magic they used for creating this world was powerful and using it had consequences. Creatures of nightmares were accidentally created and they terrorized the humans, slaughtering some, or kidnapping others who were never seen again. In order to prevent any more slaughtering, the gods created someone who could possibly contain these creatures, this person was called the Spell Worker. The Spell Worker was the first human in this world who could wield magic. He created spells to contain the creatures and managed to create a new realm where all the creatures were imprisoned. After he succeeded his magic faded and he lived his life like any other human, until the age of ninety five.
But to contain the prison of the creatures, the same spell has to be cast again every five hundred years. So...every five hundred years, a new Spell Worker is born. Fable looked at Anouke with a slight frown, "I still don't understand what all of this has to do with me" Fable said.
Anouke sighed and grasped Fable's folded hands. She watched as Fable frowned and waited for her to answer.
"You're the next Spell Worker Fable".
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