“It’s like we’ve been walking in circles!” Zerik’s frustration was clear in his tone, making him louder in her head than usual. Rivelle winced.
“Please, Zerik. Calm down.” Rivelle had had a sense they were lost, but didn’t want to offend Zerik by stating as such. They stopped and she waited for him to speak again.
“It doesn’t make any sense. I know for a fact that we’re not walking in circles. And yet, we keep ending back here.” Rivelle couldn’t be certain where ‘here’ was, but didn’t want to contribute to Zerik’s frustration. She simply stood and waited for him to speak again. A sudden cool breeze picked up around them. The rustling of the millions of leaves, blades of grass, and flowers surrounding them quickened, multiplying by the thousands. It was as though each of them were crying out a warning, and only Rivelle could hear them. She turned her body into the wind. It carried a strong smell of damp earth and far off in the distance, she could hear a deep rumbling. Her ears tingled with the colors of anxiety - deep purples and turbulent grays. She reached out for Zerik’s hand, but it wasn’t there.
“Zerik!” She called out. “We need to find shelter. Now.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” She wished she could simply point up to something visible to explain what she was feeling, but she couldn’t. She turned to his voice. Before she could respond though, her mind filled with a cascade of reds, grays, and deep dark yellows. They were flashing in a sequence too fast to describe or understand.
“There’s no time,” she finally said as the first raindrops began to fall. They were fat, heavy, and cold. “Shelter!” She had to yell over the growing winds and a sudden loud crashing sound in the sky.
“It’s a storm,” Zerik said, as though she didn’t already know. He quickly grabbed her hand and they began to run. “There must be something nearby. A cave. A hollowed tree…” His voice was filled with anxiety, but he kept it steady as he pulled Rivelle along.
The raindrops grew larger and heavier, and colder. It only took a second for their clothes to become soaked through. Rivelle was freezing. Her clothing no longer felt like a comfort, or something to keep her warm. Somehow, they felt like flexuous ice clinging to her body, burning her skin.
“We need to get out from under this rain!” She yelled but wasn’t certain Zerik could even hear her. He kept pulling her this way, and that way. It was difficult to follow him at his pace, try and trace his steps so as not to trip or fall, but she tried her best. Eventually, a root got the best of her. Her toes got caught under a deep root and as she tried to lift her foot, her body flung forward. Thankfully, Zerik didn’t let go so the fall was minimal. She moved to stand upright again, with Zerik’s help, but there was a burning pain in her ankle. She moved as though to look down at it and her mind filled with a white hot brilliance that was almost blinding. She brought her hand to the ankle and could already feel it swelling. Zerik pulled on her, but she held her ground, pulling him back.
“We have to keep moving!” He yelled. She pulled on his hand again and then let go.
“I can’t!” She yelled over the rain and thunder. “It might be broken.” She looked to where he believed he was standing and his orange hue was charged with nervous energy. It was pulsating, as though feverish, trying to convey his racing heart rate or thoughts. It was unsettling and uncomfortable. Rivelle had to look away. The freezing cold rain continued penetrating her clothing and piercing her skin, feeling like thousands of tiny sharp knives. She could feel fear, anxiety, frustration, and defeat come over. She thought she might begin to cry, when she felt Zerik’s arms around her. He braced one around and under her shoulders, the other underneath her legs.
“I will carry you. Come,” he whispered. Despite also being soaked to the bone, somehow his body still gave warmth. He seemed to carry her without any struggle, as though she were as light as a pillow. He kept her close to him as he continued moving quickly. The jostling as they moved sent flares of pain from her ankle up her leg, but she ignored it.
It wasn’t long before he finally stopped, and Rivelle could no longer feel the rain stabbing at her. She’d almost believed he’d miraculously found them shelter but knew it couldn’t be. She could still hear every rumble, drop, and clash of the storm. We must be under a tree, she realized. She was about to alert Zerik to the danger of their stopping there, but he spoke first.
“We can’t stay here,” he told her. “It isn’t safe, but I think we could both use a moment to catch our breath. Just… give me a moment,” he pleaded as he lay her down on the forest floor, leaning her up against the tree’s trunk. Rivelle nodded, agreeing to the rest as the pain finally stopped shooting up her leg. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She calmed her breath, and her heart, and began listening closer to the sounds around her.
She could still hear the faint and low rumble, like the growl of a mighty beast, far off in the distance, despite the constant cacophony of sound around her. She could hear the tall trees swaying and creaking in the gusty winds, branches snapping and cracking like old bones. There was a chorus of creaks and groans, like a heated but private conversation was taking place. The raindrops seemed to almost create a soothing and rhythmic melody as they danced on the thousands of leaves around and above her. Lightning suddenly struck with a deafening thunderclap, a booming explosion of sound reverberating through the trees. It was so loud and powerful, Rivelle felt it through the ground and into the tree trunk behind her. Alarmed by all of the sounds and feelings, Rivelle placed her hand on the tree behind her, looking for comfort and stability. She somehow felt at peace, despite the chaos surrounding her.
Unfortunately, the storm had other ideas. As though conspiring against them, it grew wilder, and the once-protective branches above them now became a hazard. A deafening crack echoed through the forest, followed by a massive crash. A large branch had broken free, plummeting to the ground mere inches from where they sought refuge. Rivelle’s heart raced with fear, her heightened senses awash with a chaotic blend of colors - flashes of reds and grays, the hues of danger and near-miss calamity. She felt Zerik move closer to her, hovering over her, protecting her.
“We need to get moving!” He yelled. “The trees aren’t safe.” Rivelle nodded. “Can you stand?” Rivelle instinctively reached out to steady herself, her trembling hand coming to rest on the rough, rain-soaked bark of the tree’s trunk.
To her astonishment, as her hand made contact with the ancient tree, a profound connection seemed to form. She felt a strange warmth emanating from the tree, as if it were trying to communicate with her. This was no ordinary tree; it was a guardian of the forest, wise and ancient.
In the depths of her mind, amongst the calming colors of yellows and greens, and golds, words formed, not in the language of human voices, but in a gentle, murmuring language of nature itself. The tree’s message, though wordless, was clear and resonant, carried by a soothing blend of forest colors.
Fear not, dear traveler. I sensed your peril and intervened to protect you. There is sanctuary nearby - a cave hidden among the rocks. It will shelter you from the storm’s fury.
Rivelle’s eyes widened in astonishment, her fingers still pressed against the tree’s bark.
“Rivelle? Can you…” She smiled up at him and he stopped. “What is it?” She pulled herself to stand, still smiling, and reached out to him. When she felt his hand in hers, she pulled on him.
“I can’t walk, but I know where to go.” Zerik quickly took her back in his arms, carrying her close to his chest. She pointed in a direction and Zerik followed her guidance without question. The rain continued to hammer down until he suddenly stopped and laughed.
“I can’t believe it!” He ran a little faster causing the pain to shoot up Rivelle’s leg again, until he stopped and the sounds of the storm seemed to disappear. Rivelle could immediately sense the solitude and feelings of isolation one would get in a cave. They’d made it. “How did you know this was here?” He laughed as he moved a few steps and finally laid her gently on a rocky surface. Rivelle welcomed the stillness and quiet. She felt around her and moved to keep her ankle elevated.
“The tree,” she told him, matter of factly. She could sense Zerik’s confusion. “I don’t know how or why, but the tree told me about this cave.”
“You can connect with trees?” His tone was more of awe than disbelief, but she could hear his struggle to believe or understand. “How is that possible?” She shrugged. She couldn’t explain it.
“Not all trees,” she confessed. “I don’t think…” and Zerik gave a small laugh.
The deep silence inside the cave that held the forest’s usual cacophony at bay, enveloped them both. It was comforting, but didn’t distract them from the bitter cold taking over their bodies. Though the symphony of the storm was replaced by the echoes of their own breath and the subtle echoes of the cave’s interior, they both knew they weren’t quite safe yet as they began to hear their own teeth chatter.
“I will find a way to make a fire,” he declared as Rivelle continued to shiver uncontrollably. The constant shuddering was causing a lot of pain in her ankle. She wished she could help Zerik, but knew there wasn’t any way she could with her injury.
It wasn’t long before Zerik had a large fire burning. Rivelle basked in its warmth, pleased to finally feel less cold.
“You need to remove your clothing,” Zerik suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She couldn’t help but give a sudden and uncomfortable laugh.
“What? I… I don’t think…”
“Oh come now,” Zerik reassured her. “I’ll do the same. If we stay in these clothes, we’ll be dead by morning. If not dead, then very ill. We don’t have that kind of time,” he averred. “You can keep your undergarments, if you insist, but they’ll only keep the cold against your skin. It’s best to remove them all. I’ve got the perfect spot by the fire to help dry them and make them warm again.” Rivelle hesitated, but knew what he was saying was true. She slowly removed all of her clothing. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. She certainly wasn’t concerned about seeing anything of his. It just seemed…unfair. That he could see her, but she couldn’t see him. Nor would she be able to see what he was doing, if he was staring. Though deep down, she knew he’d never do such a thing. Would he?
She could hear him shuffling about, wringing the rainwater out of their clothes, it dripping down onto the cave floor. Things seemed silent for a moment or so and she wondered what he was doing when she suddenly felt him behind her. He lowered himself to the cave floor behind her and wrapped his arms and legs around her.
“Our bodies are our best resources for heat right now. I don’t mean to invade your space, or make you uncomfortable. I simply want to keep us alive through the night.” She nodded though a strange feeling formed in the pit of her stomach, like a million of her nerves were dancing inside of it. His warmth was comforting, she had to admit. Though a bit of the cold was still clinging to her like a virus, he brought a heat that seemed to increase the energy in her body to fight it off. She felt her heart beating faster and grew nervous, wondering why it would. She involuntarily shivered and Zerik brought his body closer, tighter, against hers. “This ok?” He asked, and she nodded. “Try and get some rest,” he whispered, pulling her gently to the floor, careful not to hit or hurt her ankle. They struggled to find a position they could both be comfortable in. Rivelle kept moving her head until Zerik laid out his arm, offering it as a pillow.
“Are you sure?” She asked quietly, as though afraid breaking the silence around them could disturb the warmth and safety.
“It’s fine. You need to sleep,” he told her, and she laid her head down and closed her eyes. Zerik’s other arm felt somewhat heavy around her, his legs a little hairy against hers, and the hairs on his chest were a little itchy on her back, and still, she felt at peace. In the cave’s depths, the gentle drip of water echoed softly, providing a calming and rhythmic melody against the loud and chaotic sounds of the storm outside. The brutal winds weaved their way into the cave’s many chambers and passageways that subdued them to an eerie whistling and moaning, as though it were singing them a lullaby to fall asleep to. Within minutes, despite the pain radiating from her ankle, the inconstancy of feeling hot, then cold, then hot again, and the strange sensations filling her mind and body by lying next to Zerik naked, somehow, she fell asleep.
Without warning, she was there again - the white space with nothing around. And she could see it all.
“Zerik?” She called out, but received no reply. Remembering that last time she was here, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could see Zerik, standing before her, his eyes closed. She was about to speak when their surroundings changed. This time, they weren’t in a forest. They were surrounded by ruins, and dead bodies. Small and large fires were burning all around them. Soliyah suddenly appeared next to Zerik. Rivelle looked down to see their hands clasped together. She tried to ignore the tightening in her chest, chalking it up to the fear of what else was to come. Would this be like the last dream she’d had? Was she going to have to watch Soliyah and herself die all over again? She broke away from looking at their hands when she heard noise coming from behind her. Sure enough, it was the flamed woman, and she wasn’t alone. The boy she called Gahllagh was with her, as were many others. She didn’t seem to notice Rivelle however. She was glaring at Soliyah and Zerik. She looked down at their hands.
“How nice,” she laughed. She turned to her followers and they laughed with her. “The aspiring yet false bringer of light is here with her supposed weapon.” Rivelle scrunched up her face in confusion. She didn’t know what the woman was talking about.
“We’re here to stop you, carrier of darkness. No more blood shall be spilled,” Soliyah told her.
“Darkness? How is it you still fail to see my light?” Her hair suddenly lit up in flames, the center of her eyes also. “I am to bring the light to all.”
“By killing them?” Soliyah yelled over her. “Do you not see the destruction you leave behind you?”
“Light cannot exist without darkness,” the woman responded, her flames glowing brighter and brighter.
“This isn’t real light!” Soliyah stepped away from Zerik and began yelling at the woman’s followers. “Can’t you see that?” None of her followers moved or wavered. “She’s blinded you with her fire magic!” The woman growled and her flames reached out toward Soliyah, but Zerik stepped in front as though to shield her and Rivelle’s heart leapt with fear.
“That’s enough!” The woman yelled, stepping toward them. “Enough of your falsehoods!” She closed her eyes and appeared to be gathering her wits or strength. Rivelle immediately felt a shift in energy and called out to warn Soliyah and Zerik, but they couldn’t hear her. It was like she wasn’t there, and it was too late. A ball of flame appeared in the womans hands and she quickly thrust it at Soliyah. Rivelle could do nothing but watch as the flame seemed to move toward her friend in slow motion and Zerik attempted to push Soliyah out of the way. Thankfully, he was successful. So the woman worked herself up to create another ball of fire, and another. She kept throwing them and somehow, they were able to dodge them until Zerik finally took out his sword and miraculously cut one in half. Shocked, the woman paused her efforts. Rivelle could see the anger growing within her. She could sense it. The woman growled and the flames grew brighter and brighter until they suddenly morphed into the dark flames she recognized and knew all too well. She yelled out as she brought her hands together above her head. Rivelle cried out as she watched the dark flames spread out like a blanket across the way. But rather than cover her friends, it seemed to pass right through their bodies, and they both cried out in pain. Zerik’s body quickly fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless, while Soliyah’s was thrown back several feet. Rivelle watched to see her struggling to get back up and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked back at Zerik and he still wasn’t moving. Without hesitation she ran to him, afraid of what she might find. She knelt beside him. Her trembling hands reached out to touch him only to feel a cold, still form. A sob caught in her throat, and she held back a wail. Tears streamed down her face as she took his lifeless hand in hers, desperately hoping she was wrong and he would somehow squeeze her hand in comfort. But in that moment, all she could feel was an overwhelming sense of loss. She turned to yell at the woman, but she wasn’t even looking at her. Rivelle followed her gaze to see Soliyah walking back toward her.
“Lightbringer indeed!” The woman huffed at her. “Venera Profera! Can’t even protect her own from falling. Where is your light now?” They all waited for Soliyah to respond, but she didn’t seem to be doing a thing. Rivelle looked back down at Zerik’s face and closed her eyes as her tears came to an end. There was no longer any room for sadness or sorrow, only anger. She could feel it growing inside of her, feel it wanting to burst out. She tried to suppress it, keeping images of Zerik alive and well in her mind, but the anger just kept growing stronger. She could hear Soliyah and the woman yelling and struggling behind her, but she didn’t want to see it. She only wanted to see Zerik smiling again. But the images of Zerik alive and smiling quickly changed to that of his dead body before her, of his body falling lifeless to the ground. Suddenly, her mind was flooded with images of all of those she cared for dead - Mimsy, her father, her brothers and sisters, others from her village. The anger within her grew exponentially until she couldn’t take it anymore and began screaming. She screamed the loudest she’d ever screamed before, expelling all of her anguish, her overwhelming sense of loss, everything into this dark void that seemed impossible to fill. She screamed until her lungs and voice finally gave out. She felt profoundly empty, hopeless, and filled with despair. She fell to rest her head on Zerik’s chest and continued crying when she realized almost all noise around her had stopped. Gone were the sounds of the struggle and the fires. She slowly sat up and looked around. Everything was quiet because almost everything was gone. She was back in that white space with nothing around her. Soliyah’s lifeless body lay at the flamed woman’s feet and Rivelle gasped. She looked down and gasped again to find Zerik’s body had disappeared.
“Zerik!” She cried. She stood and turned to run but ran right into the flamed woman, her dark flames dancing around her body effortlessly, her eyes alight with bright red flames. Soliyah’s body was now also gone. All that remained was Rivelle and the Red Woman standing before each other amongst the clouds. Their eyes met and she smiled at Rivelle.
“I remember you,” she whispered and smiled. She reached out her hand and Rivelle took it. She looked Rivelle up and down, as though taking her in. “Remarkable,” she whispered even more softly. Then their eyes met again and she cleared her throat. “Welcome to my light,” she announced.
“Rivelle! We should get going!” Zerik’s voice suddenly boomed loudly and everything disappeared. She could feel herself shaking. “Rivelle?” Her eyes slowly opened and she remembered where she was. She could still feel Zerik’s warm skin against her own, his legs interlaced with her own. “The storm has passed. It’s midday and the sun is out. Let’s make as many tracks as we can. We need to get to Soliyah.” He twisted his arm out from underneath her head and she nodded.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was dreaming.” She felt him stand and heard him walk along the stone floor.
“I hope they were peaceful.” Rivelle remembered his and Soliyah’s lifeless bodies and shook them out of her mind. She sat up.
“I slept fine,” she lied. She heard a quick whoosh and suddenly felt warmth against her skin. It was her clothing - dry and still warm from the fire. She smiled as she moved to put them back on. “That feels wonderful,” she practically sang.
“We need to find something to eat and drink.”
“I can manage that,” she announced with excitement.
“How’s your ankle?” He asked before she’d had a chance to try and stand yet. She could feel him watching her as she stood to adorn her leggings. She slowly and gently stepped onto the bad ankle and only had to wince at a slight pain. She looked up at where she believed Zerik stood and smiled. She could see his simple honey orange hue and knew he was pleased. She moved closer and reached for him. When he took her hand, she smiled and pulled herself into his arms.
“What’s this?” He asked. She hadn’t the heart to tell him about her horrible dream or about his horrible death. Nor was she ready to admit to herself that she liked the feel of his body against hers. She simply took a deep breath, smiled, and pulled back.
“Thank you for keeping me warm.”
“Of course,” he said plainly. “We’re bonded now,” he joked, though she couldn’t see the smile across his face. He took her hand in his and her stomach once again quivered, but she ignored it. “Now tell me where this feast is,” he quipped. Gladly, and feeling safe and content for the first time in a long while, Rivelle followed him out into the open air and sun. After only a few steps, she stopped and closed her eyes. She could feel Zerik wanted to ask her something, but she brought a finger to her lips, requesting silence. The murmurs of the forest whispered in her ears, forming a symphony of colors only she could perceive. She took deep inhalations through her nose, seeking the specific scent of the Callineim. Guided by her instincts, the sounds she could hear, the colors that filled her mind, and the odors that filled her nose, she began to lead the way.
“First stop, food and drink,” she announced. “And then, on to Soliyah.”
Ⓒ September 2023. Beki Lantos. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the author.