Hey, thanks for following this blog, those of you who do. ^^
I haven't really made much progress in the editing of Melody Maker, but I have started up a new blog that is going to have the revised version. At this point, only chapter one is up. There are chapters, but I'm not completely satisfied with those quite yet. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy!
http://newmelodymaker-fala.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Going Home and... a Prophesy? (Chapter 22)
He chased me for almost a half a day before he tired out. I ran for a couple hours after he stopped and then rested at the edge of a small pond hidden in the trees. I had no idea where I was, but I knew I had to make sure Faalan never found me and to get myself home, back to my own time.
As I stared at my reflection in the water, I felt as if my heart would never stop hurting. But I didn't have time to think about it more, because I saw a glowing blue portal appear beside me.
My breath caught in my throat. The only person I knew who created portals such as these were Khanna. But wasn't she long dead? And didn't she tell us that she didn't know how to create these time traveling portals?
The portal grew bigger, and then Khanna gently stepped out of it. The swirls of sapphire shrunk, and then disappeared completely.
"Hello, Fala." All I could do was gape at the girl who had died, what seemed like yesterday.
"I lied to you, and I'm sorry. But I knew in my heart that this was the right thing to do. You were destined to come to this time, to rescue the past from your great grandfather. And I was destined to die. I've seen myself die in the future. In a couple of days in my time, I will die at the hands of the knight. But before I die, I will send you home."
"Why, Khanna? Can't you save yourself? Can't you do something?" I stammered. I didn't want her to die. I wanted her to be in this time, happy with Faalan.
"Because it is what will happen no matter what." She gave a sorrowful smile. Her eyes were burdened with the knowledge of things one should never know.
"What do you mean?"
"Even if I escape death at that one moment in time, it is my fate to die. No matter how much I can try to delay it, I know I will die. So, I will let myself die." She was so mature at heart, and we all had never seen it. She knew so much but covered it up with her playful acting.
"Now, it is time to send you home. Goodbye Fala."
"No! Wait!" There was nothing I could do as I was sucked into the shimmering blue portal behind me. The last thing I saw was her sorrowful golden eyes, those so much like Faalans', before the portal surrounded me completely.
Moments later, I was shot out of the portal and into the seat I had been it before I had been taken back into time. The cafeteria was filled with noise, and it seemed no one had noticed what had happened. Of course, that was all because no one talked to me because of my lack of a gift and my ancestry. No one even noticed the change in
clothes.
My body threatened to break into violent sobs, but I held the urge back. I quietly slipped to the nurse's office, telling her that I felt sick. She checked out my internal systems, and said that nothing was wrong. I insisted that I felt awful, and she finally agreed to letting me go home for the rest of the day. Then, she sent me to the principal's office to inform Principal Bukiri of my leaving.
The halls were empty, for the students were either in class or at lunch. It was easy and quick to make it to the office. Not only was it nearby the nurse's office, but without other people, it was much simpler to get through the corridor.
Tapping lightly at the door, I waited for her voice to let me in, and then I pushed the door open.
"Oh, Fa- what sort of outlandish clothing are you wearing?!" I suppressed a snicker and sat down into the chair in front of her desk as a distraction.
"Err... Never mind about my clothing." I murmured softly.
"Well, what brings you here today?"
"First off, the nurse told me to go home because I was feeling sick."
"Okay, then what else do you want to tell me?"
"I know what my gift is." I stated simply. She gawked for a couple moments before collecting her composure again.
"And what would this gift be?"
"I can affect people's emotions and movements using music." I thought about my description of my powers, then added quickly, "And
animals."
"That's...interesting..."
"How so?"
"There's never been a gift like yours before, and on top of that,
there's even a prophesy that may concern you."
"A prophesy?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"The texts have been lost in time, but it tells of a girl who will come into her gift late and ultimately save the world."
"But I can't be the only person who has been a late bloomer."
"That's true, but the prophesy goes on to say how the people will be entranced by the music she plays."
"I guess I can see where you're going with this... Even so, other people can play instruments."
"Well, I won't keep you. Go home, rest, get better, and come back here tomorrow. I'll have a new schedule for you now that you know what your gift is."
"Thank you, Principal Bukiri." I replied, quickly leaving the room. I closed the door behind me and then leaned against it, going through my thoughts. I took a deep breath, then proceeded towards the exit.
A prophesy about me, eh? Life could get interesting.
AN: OMG last chapter! Hope you've enjoyed thus far and read book 2 when I start posting it! Thanks for reading!
As I stared at my reflection in the water, I felt as if my heart would never stop hurting. But I didn't have time to think about it more, because I saw a glowing blue portal appear beside me.
My breath caught in my throat. The only person I knew who created portals such as these were Khanna. But wasn't she long dead? And didn't she tell us that she didn't know how to create these time traveling portals?
The portal grew bigger, and then Khanna gently stepped out of it. The swirls of sapphire shrunk, and then disappeared completely.
"Hello, Fala." All I could do was gape at the girl who had died, what seemed like yesterday.
"I lied to you, and I'm sorry. But I knew in my heart that this was the right thing to do. You were destined to come to this time, to rescue the past from your great grandfather. And I was destined to die. I've seen myself die in the future. In a couple of days in my time, I will die at the hands of the knight. But before I die, I will send you home."
"Why, Khanna? Can't you save yourself? Can't you do something?" I stammered. I didn't want her to die. I wanted her to be in this time, happy with Faalan.
"Because it is what will happen no matter what." She gave a sorrowful smile. Her eyes were burdened with the knowledge of things one should never know.
"What do you mean?"
"Even if I escape death at that one moment in time, it is my fate to die. No matter how much I can try to delay it, I know I will die. So, I will let myself die." She was so mature at heart, and we all had never seen it. She knew so much but covered it up with her playful acting.
"Now, it is time to send you home. Goodbye Fala."
"No! Wait!" There was nothing I could do as I was sucked into the shimmering blue portal behind me. The last thing I saw was her sorrowful golden eyes, those so much like Faalans', before the portal surrounded me completely.
Moments later, I was shot out of the portal and into the seat I had been it before I had been taken back into time. The cafeteria was filled with noise, and it seemed no one had noticed what had happened. Of course, that was all because no one talked to me because of my lack of a gift and my ancestry. No one even noticed the change in
clothes.
My body threatened to break into violent sobs, but I held the urge back. I quietly slipped to the nurse's office, telling her that I felt sick. She checked out my internal systems, and said that nothing was wrong. I insisted that I felt awful, and she finally agreed to letting me go home for the rest of the day. Then, she sent me to the principal's office to inform Principal Bukiri of my leaving.
The halls were empty, for the students were either in class or at lunch. It was easy and quick to make it to the office. Not only was it nearby the nurse's office, but without other people, it was much simpler to get through the corridor.
Tapping lightly at the door, I waited for her voice to let me in, and then I pushed the door open.
"Oh, Fa- what sort of outlandish clothing are you wearing?!" I suppressed a snicker and sat down into the chair in front of her desk as a distraction.
"Err... Never mind about my clothing." I murmured softly.
"Well, what brings you here today?"
"First off, the nurse told me to go home because I was feeling sick."
"Okay, then what else do you want to tell me?"
"I know what my gift is." I stated simply. She gawked for a couple moments before collecting her composure again.
"And what would this gift be?"
"I can affect people's emotions and movements using music." I thought about my description of my powers, then added quickly, "And
animals."
"That's...interesting..."
"How so?"
"There's never been a gift like yours before, and on top of that,
there's even a prophesy that may concern you."
"A prophesy?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"The texts have been lost in time, but it tells of a girl who will come into her gift late and ultimately save the world."
"But I can't be the only person who has been a late bloomer."
"That's true, but the prophesy goes on to say how the people will be entranced by the music she plays."
"I guess I can see where you're going with this... Even so, other people can play instruments."
"Well, I won't keep you. Go home, rest, get better, and come back here tomorrow. I'll have a new schedule for you now that you know what your gift is."
"Thank you, Principal Bukiri." I replied, quickly leaving the room. I closed the door behind me and then leaned against it, going through my thoughts. I took a deep breath, then proceeded towards the exit.
A prophesy about me, eh? Life could get interesting.
AN: OMG last chapter! Hope you've enjoyed thus far and read book 2 when I start posting it! Thanks for reading!
Breakup, No Matter How Much it Hurts (Chapter 21)
"H-how-" I stuttered, still not trusting my eyes. It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be!
"How are you here?!" I cried out, still not trusting what my eyes were seeing.
"I must be dreaming. I have to be. This can't be real." I muttered to myself, closing my eyes and pinching my arm. It hurt.
"I'm awake. But this can't be! How?!" I still didn't trust myself. Much as I wanted this to be real, I believed that it was impossible that this was happening. But it was happening. And it was very real.
"How, Faalan?" I whispered, finally giving in to believing what my heart wanted. I reached out, touching his cheek, making sure he was real and that I wouldn't go through him. His cheek was soft against
my finger as I made sure that he wasn't an illusion. He pulled me towards him, his arms wrapped around my in a warm hug. I practically melted in his arms, and leaned my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.
"Faalan..." I murmured, before my eyes filled with tears. They fell down, glittering like diamonds from my face and onto his shirt. I was about ready to accept that he was the real thing, when I realized that someone could very well just be impersonating him. After all, there were people who were skilled at transformations. I pulled back, standing up and glaring at him warily.
"What's wrong, Fala?" he asked, confusion in his eyes. That pained and bewildered expression cut through my heart. Now I was sure that he was the real thing. But, as I realized with a jolt, I'd have to cut my connections with him anyways. I wasn't supposed to be with him. This wasn't my time. I could possibly destroy the future by staying here.
"You sick person! How dare you pretend to be Faalan?! How dare you!" I screamed, my heart breaking into pieces by my own words. I knew that it was the real Faalan from the tears blooming in his eyes, but I had to continue. I had to make sure that we would separate. I loved him with all my heart, but this was for him. It would be better for him to be hurt this way than to suffer the agony of separation.
He stood up, taking my hands. I ripped them away, tears cascading down my face as I saw the jolt of shock and hurt rip through his body.
"Fala! It's me, Faalan." He looked desperately into my eyes, pain radiating from him.
"You lie! He's dead! I saw him die! Get away from me!" I cried out, moving backwards. He began to move towards me, those beautiful golden eyes pleading me to understand. I understood, but I had to go on with this, no matter how much it hurt me.
With my arm feeling like a block of lead, I watched as if it was in slow motion, as I raised my hand. It seemed to take an eternity for my hand to reach his face, bruising his cheek and turning it red from the force. And then, everything went back to normal speed.
I spun around, not daring to look at his face. I knew if I saw his face, I would melt into the desires of my heart. But I would have to remain strong. I ran away, speeding into the safety of the trees. Behind me, I heard a person's yell of surprise. It wasn't Faalan, that much I knew. I believe that to be the surprised yelp of a villager seeing me run from the scene of Kaija, along with Faalan standing nearby. I'll never know if that was true or not. Or at least, I don't think I ever will.
I could hear the soft steps of Faalan behind me, striving to catch up to me. It was all in vain though; both he and I knew it. I was faster and he was tired from keeping up whatever illusion he had put up to convince Kaija and me that he was dead for a time. Well, that's what I suspected he did.
AN: OMG! Second to last chapter! I've already started writing book 2, though I don't exactly have a name for it yet... I think I'll probably continue to edit this until book 2 is done and then I'll start posting it. Book 2 will be posted on a different blog.
And btw, I wrote a short story called Tale of a Vampire. It's on my Random Stuff blog. Please leave comments if you read it! Thanks. ^_^
"How are you here?!" I cried out, still not trusting what my eyes were seeing.
"I must be dreaming. I have to be. This can't be real." I muttered to myself, closing my eyes and pinching my arm. It hurt.
"I'm awake. But this can't be! How?!" I still didn't trust myself. Much as I wanted this to be real, I believed that it was impossible that this was happening. But it was happening. And it was very real.
"How, Faalan?" I whispered, finally giving in to believing what my heart wanted. I reached out, touching his cheek, making sure he was real and that I wouldn't go through him. His cheek was soft against
my finger as I made sure that he wasn't an illusion. He pulled me towards him, his arms wrapped around my in a warm hug. I practically melted in his arms, and leaned my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.
"Faalan..." I murmured, before my eyes filled with tears. They fell down, glittering like diamonds from my face and onto his shirt. I was about ready to accept that he was the real thing, when I realized that someone could very well just be impersonating him. After all, there were people who were skilled at transformations. I pulled back, standing up and glaring at him warily.
"What's wrong, Fala?" he asked, confusion in his eyes. That pained and bewildered expression cut through my heart. Now I was sure that he was the real thing. But, as I realized with a jolt, I'd have to cut my connections with him anyways. I wasn't supposed to be with him. This wasn't my time. I could possibly destroy the future by staying here.
"You sick person! How dare you pretend to be Faalan?! How dare you!" I screamed, my heart breaking into pieces by my own words. I knew that it was the real Faalan from the tears blooming in his eyes, but I had to continue. I had to make sure that we would separate. I loved him with all my heart, but this was for him. It would be better for him to be hurt this way than to suffer the agony of separation.
He stood up, taking my hands. I ripped them away, tears cascading down my face as I saw the jolt of shock and hurt rip through his body.
"Fala! It's me, Faalan." He looked desperately into my eyes, pain radiating from him.
"You lie! He's dead! I saw him die! Get away from me!" I cried out, moving backwards. He began to move towards me, those beautiful golden eyes pleading me to understand. I understood, but I had to go on with this, no matter how much it hurt me.
With my arm feeling like a block of lead, I watched as if it was in slow motion, as I raised my hand. It seemed to take an eternity for my hand to reach his face, bruising his cheek and turning it red from the force. And then, everything went back to normal speed.
I spun around, not daring to look at his face. I knew if I saw his face, I would melt into the desires of my heart. But I would have to remain strong. I ran away, speeding into the safety of the trees. Behind me, I heard a person's yell of surprise. It wasn't Faalan, that much I knew. I believe that to be the surprised yelp of a villager seeing me run from the scene of Kaija, along with Faalan standing nearby. I'll never know if that was true or not. Or at least, I don't think I ever will.
I could hear the soft steps of Faalan behind me, striving to catch up to me. It was all in vain though; both he and I knew it. I was faster and he was tired from keeping up whatever illusion he had put up to convince Kaija and me that he was dead for a time. Well, that's what I suspected he did.
AN: OMG! Second to last chapter! I've already started writing book 2, though I don't exactly have a name for it yet... I think I'll probably continue to edit this until book 2 is done and then I'll start posting it. Book 2 will be posted on a different blog.
And btw, I wrote a short story called Tale of a Vampire. It's on my Random Stuff blog. Please leave comments if you read it! Thanks. ^_^
Change From What We Thought Before (Chapter 20)
Both Faalan and I visibly tensed. Faalan's face twisted into an expression of fear and shock, and I'm sure mines was as well. A shadow fell over us and we both looked up. Kaija's expressionless face looked at us.
"Long time no see." he said, his eyes cold and unforgiving.
"Y-you t-too!" I nearly yelped, forcing a smile.
"Nice try, but I'm not going to fall for that. You're afraid, aren't you? Now that you know, I'll have to kill you before to tell any more people than you might have already told."
"Kaija, don't do this. You can stop." Faalan pleaded, getting to his feet and backing off.
"Please, Kaija." I begged, also scooting back and then standing up.
"No. I plan to finish this. And I will. After I get rid of you two, my plan will be complete and then I will take over this land."
"Then you give us no choice." Faalan glanced at me and then rocks began to float around me. I knew what he wanted of me, and I lifted my flute to my lips.
Quick as lightning, Kaija stuffed something into his ears. He gave a
feral grin and looked at me.
"You can play as loud as you want, I won't be able to hear you. I've worked on these sound blocking devices for quite sometime now. I had a feeling that you would be going against me sometime. But I still know what you're saying. I've practiced reading lips for quite some time."
"What about me taking them out then?" Faalan said, raising his hands to face Kaija.
"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem."
It took me a several moments to realize that Kaija's voice had come from behind us and not in front of us. I whipped around to look at Kaija. He had a evil grin on his face. Why was he smiling like that? Then, the metallic scent of blood became present in the air. I looked down at Kaija's arm. It was thrust out, and as I looked
further, there was his hand, holding one of his signature twin swords. And the crimson liquid that was trickling down the curved blades; Faalan's blood. The blade was only half as long as it was normally. The rest of it was plunged deep into Faalan's abdomen and sticking out of his back. Some shreds of pink flesh and beige organs hung from the tip of the bloody, glistening sword. My fingers trembled and my flute fell from my fingers, thudding gently against the ground.
"Faalan!" I shrieked, my chest constricting. I couldn't breathe; my heart tightened and pounded loud enough for me to hear in my ears.
Faalan's face was in an expression of complete shock as blood bubbled out from his lips. Kaija roughly jerked his sword out of the dying boy's middle. He gave a sneer and with two quick motions, he wiped the blade on Faalan's clothes, leaving bloody stains on the two sleeves.
Faalan stared blankly at the gaping hole in him before his legs crumpled beneath him and he fell face forward onto the ground, his lifeblood spilling to the ground.
"No! You can't die, Faalan! I've already lost Khanna! I can't lose you too!" I screamed, shaking my head wildly, hoping that this was a dream, hoping that this wasn't real. But when I stopped, he was still at my feet, he was still on the ground, he was still bleeding, and most horrifying of all, he was dying.
I sank to my knees and gently tried to turn Faalan over onto his
back. By now, I didn't care that Kaija was standing there, I didn't care that he wanted to kill me. All that mattered now was to save Faalan before he died.
Shakily, I fumbled for the flute on the ground and managed to get it to my lips. A few shuddering notes floated in the air. Nothing happened to the giant bleeding wound in Faalan. I played some more. Why wasn't he healing?! Why?!
"Don't... It's too late for me, Fala..." I looked down at that beautiful face, that face that was now twisted with pain. I could tell he was trying to hide the immense pain he must have felt then.
"I have to try, Faalan! I can't have you die too!" There was a whoosh above me just as I leaned forward to press my hands to his wound, to try and stop the bleeding. I turned around and saw Kaija with his double swords. He evidently had just tried to chop off my head.
"Fala... Take care of yourself... Don't let him kill you too.."
"No, don't you dare say that! You're not dead yet!" I cried out, getting to my feet and facing Kaija, unconciously trying to shield Faalan from him.
"Still trying to live? You know you're weaker than me. You've always been the weaker one. Every single time you fought me without your instruments, you lost to me. I crushed you easily, like I would to a fly. You don't have a chance."
"Shut up!" I screamed at him, tears falling from my eyes for the first time since Faalan had gotten stabbed. The whole reality of the situation had finally come crashing down on me. Faalan was dying, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Kaija was ready to kill me and I had no decent weapon. Sure, I had the two daggers that Faalan had given me for just in case, but what could they do against Kaija's twin blades?
I glared at Kaija, keeping my eyes on him as I leaned down to pull out the two daggers. I weighed them in my hands as I straightened up and shifted into a defensive pose. The one in my right hand was slightly heavier and longer than the one in my left. If I used the right one for parrying and the left for attacking, I might be able to
hold him off long enough to tire him out.
I couldn't afford to try to attack him unless he gave me an opening. He was strong in offensive, but not as good in defensive. Even so, he was highly trained in weapon usage, especially with his swords. I did have a slight advantage though. I'd seen him fight so many times that I could almost safely predict his movements. He'd only
fought me a couple times and never really watched me fight. I was the more flexible and quicker than him, so I could dodge his attacks more easily than he could for mine. He probably still had the upper hand though, for he was larger and he was the stronger of us.
Giving a savage scream, Kaija ran at me, his two swords drawn out in a cross in front of him. He slashed both at me as soon as got close enough, just as I predicted, and I jumped up, neatly missing the two deadly swords cutting the air underneath me. I landed gently on the ground and jabbed forward at his chest with the left dagger. He leapt back, taking his two swords with him. They swung back into a cross in front of him, his signature defensive position.
I pulled my arm back and went back into a defensive position, the right sword held out in front for defense and the left near my side, ready to strike. Kaija gave a smirk and his swords began to rotate in a circular pattern, basically defending his front and sides. He began to walk forward as the blades whipped through the air, faster and faster. I could hear the swish of the swords clearly now.
He was trying to make me attack him, and end the battle early. If I tried to attack him, I would most definitely be cut up. In training, he always stopped before he would cut me. But I'd seen a dummy become shredded and I didn't want that to happen to me. We were no longer training. This was real and he wouldn't stop this time.
Carefully watching his movements, I circled him slowly, trying to find an opening. The only places left exposed from the protection of the dancing swords was his back. He wouldn't freely show his back to me, so I'd have to find a way to slip around him when he was unaware. If I were to try leap above him, he could easily slash above and kill me.. Besides, that opportunity would only come if he were to crouch, because I couldn't jump that high. I
could try to slip under his legs and the windmilling swords, but that was pretty risky. Once again, he could easily slash me into pieces. The only options left were to slip around his sides or distract him to turn him around and then attack him. I didn't think either of them were going to really work.
Out of the blue, he leapt forward, knocking me down with his feet, his swords stopped. He pinned me down, his knees digging into my exposed stomach. The blades stopped only a hair away from my neck, shining brilliantly, as if they were waiting for the blood to come. My breath caught in my chest. I couldn't breathe as I stared at the swords that could end my life in an instant.
"Any last words?" came Kaija's cruel voice, his eyes filled with the anticipation of bloodshed. I opened my mouth, about to say something, when his eyes widened in shock and pain. He stumbled back, swords dropping from his hands, just barely missing me by inches. With an expression of agony, he reached behind him and pulled out a dagger covered in blood; his blood.
"Wha-" He began, before blood foamed out of his mouth and trickled down his chin. The dagger fell from his fingers and as I stared blankly, kept feeling as if I had seen it before.
Meanwhile, Kaija had fallen to his knees, and as I watched him silently, his blood spurted from the wound in his back and from between his hands cupped over his mouth.
"Don't look." commanded a voice that rang all around. I couldn't pinpoint where the voice came from, but in spite of the fact that it was most likely unsafe to close my eyes now, I followed the orders given to me. There was the sound of a blade whipping through the air and a thud.
"You can open your eyes now." I wasn't sure what to expect, so I allowed myself to expect the unexpected. What I saw was so unexpected that I couldn't believe it was true.
My eyes widened as I took in what was in front of me. A concerned face looked at me as I felt arms encircling around my waist. My heart stopped when I recognized who it was.
"Long time no see." he said, his eyes cold and unforgiving.
"Y-you t-too!" I nearly yelped, forcing a smile.
"Nice try, but I'm not going to fall for that. You're afraid, aren't you? Now that you know, I'll have to kill you before to tell any more people than you might have already told."
"Kaija, don't do this. You can stop." Faalan pleaded, getting to his feet and backing off.
"Please, Kaija." I begged, also scooting back and then standing up.
"No. I plan to finish this. And I will. After I get rid of you two, my plan will be complete and then I will take over this land."
"Then you give us no choice." Faalan glanced at me and then rocks began to float around me. I knew what he wanted of me, and I lifted my flute to my lips.
Quick as lightning, Kaija stuffed something into his ears. He gave a
feral grin and looked at me.
"You can play as loud as you want, I won't be able to hear you. I've worked on these sound blocking devices for quite sometime now. I had a feeling that you would be going against me sometime. But I still know what you're saying. I've practiced reading lips for quite some time."
"What about me taking them out then?" Faalan said, raising his hands to face Kaija.
"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem."
It took me a several moments to realize that Kaija's voice had come from behind us and not in front of us. I whipped around to look at Kaija. He had a evil grin on his face. Why was he smiling like that? Then, the metallic scent of blood became present in the air. I looked down at Kaija's arm. It was thrust out, and as I looked
further, there was his hand, holding one of his signature twin swords. And the crimson liquid that was trickling down the curved blades; Faalan's blood. The blade was only half as long as it was normally. The rest of it was plunged deep into Faalan's abdomen and sticking out of his back. Some shreds of pink flesh and beige organs hung from the tip of the bloody, glistening sword. My fingers trembled and my flute fell from my fingers, thudding gently against the ground.
"Faalan!" I shrieked, my chest constricting. I couldn't breathe; my heart tightened and pounded loud enough for me to hear in my ears.
Faalan's face was in an expression of complete shock as blood bubbled out from his lips. Kaija roughly jerked his sword out of the dying boy's middle. He gave a sneer and with two quick motions, he wiped the blade on Faalan's clothes, leaving bloody stains on the two sleeves.
Faalan stared blankly at the gaping hole in him before his legs crumpled beneath him and he fell face forward onto the ground, his lifeblood spilling to the ground.
"No! You can't die, Faalan! I've already lost Khanna! I can't lose you too!" I screamed, shaking my head wildly, hoping that this was a dream, hoping that this wasn't real. But when I stopped, he was still at my feet, he was still on the ground, he was still bleeding, and most horrifying of all, he was dying.
I sank to my knees and gently tried to turn Faalan over onto his
back. By now, I didn't care that Kaija was standing there, I didn't care that he wanted to kill me. All that mattered now was to save Faalan before he died.
Shakily, I fumbled for the flute on the ground and managed to get it to my lips. A few shuddering notes floated in the air. Nothing happened to the giant bleeding wound in Faalan. I played some more. Why wasn't he healing?! Why?!
"Don't... It's too late for me, Fala..." I looked down at that beautiful face, that face that was now twisted with pain. I could tell he was trying to hide the immense pain he must have felt then.
"I have to try, Faalan! I can't have you die too!" There was a whoosh above me just as I leaned forward to press my hands to his wound, to try and stop the bleeding. I turned around and saw Kaija with his double swords. He evidently had just tried to chop off my head.
"Fala... Take care of yourself... Don't let him kill you too.."
"No, don't you dare say that! You're not dead yet!" I cried out, getting to my feet and facing Kaija, unconciously trying to shield Faalan from him.
"Still trying to live? You know you're weaker than me. You've always been the weaker one. Every single time you fought me without your instruments, you lost to me. I crushed you easily, like I would to a fly. You don't have a chance."
"Shut up!" I screamed at him, tears falling from my eyes for the first time since Faalan had gotten stabbed. The whole reality of the situation had finally come crashing down on me. Faalan was dying, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Kaija was ready to kill me and I had no decent weapon. Sure, I had the two daggers that Faalan had given me for just in case, but what could they do against Kaija's twin blades?
I glared at Kaija, keeping my eyes on him as I leaned down to pull out the two daggers. I weighed them in my hands as I straightened up and shifted into a defensive pose. The one in my right hand was slightly heavier and longer than the one in my left. If I used the right one for parrying and the left for attacking, I might be able to
hold him off long enough to tire him out.
I couldn't afford to try to attack him unless he gave me an opening. He was strong in offensive, but not as good in defensive. Even so, he was highly trained in weapon usage, especially with his swords. I did have a slight advantage though. I'd seen him fight so many times that I could almost safely predict his movements. He'd only
fought me a couple times and never really watched me fight. I was the more flexible and quicker than him, so I could dodge his attacks more easily than he could for mine. He probably still had the upper hand though, for he was larger and he was the stronger of us.
Giving a savage scream, Kaija ran at me, his two swords drawn out in a cross in front of him. He slashed both at me as soon as got close enough, just as I predicted, and I jumped up, neatly missing the two deadly swords cutting the air underneath me. I landed gently on the ground and jabbed forward at his chest with the left dagger. He leapt back, taking his two swords with him. They swung back into a cross in front of him, his signature defensive position.
I pulled my arm back and went back into a defensive position, the right sword held out in front for defense and the left near my side, ready to strike. Kaija gave a smirk and his swords began to rotate in a circular pattern, basically defending his front and sides. He began to walk forward as the blades whipped through the air, faster and faster. I could hear the swish of the swords clearly now.
He was trying to make me attack him, and end the battle early. If I tried to attack him, I would most definitely be cut up. In training, he always stopped before he would cut me. But I'd seen a dummy become shredded and I didn't want that to happen to me. We were no longer training. This was real and he wouldn't stop this time.
Carefully watching his movements, I circled him slowly, trying to find an opening. The only places left exposed from the protection of the dancing swords was his back. He wouldn't freely show his back to me, so I'd have to find a way to slip around him when he was unaware. If I were to try leap above him, he could easily slash above and kill me.. Besides, that opportunity would only come if he were to crouch, because I couldn't jump that high. I
could try to slip under his legs and the windmilling swords, but that was pretty risky. Once again, he could easily slash me into pieces. The only options left were to slip around his sides or distract him to turn him around and then attack him. I didn't think either of them were going to really work.
Out of the blue, he leapt forward, knocking me down with his feet, his swords stopped. He pinned me down, his knees digging into my exposed stomach. The blades stopped only a hair away from my neck, shining brilliantly, as if they were waiting for the blood to come. My breath caught in my chest. I couldn't breathe as I stared at the swords that could end my life in an instant.
"Any last words?" came Kaija's cruel voice, his eyes filled with the anticipation of bloodshed. I opened my mouth, about to say something, when his eyes widened in shock and pain. He stumbled back, swords dropping from his hands, just barely missing me by inches. With an expression of agony, he reached behind him and pulled out a dagger covered in blood; his blood.
"Wha-" He began, before blood foamed out of his mouth and trickled down his chin. The dagger fell from his fingers and as I stared blankly, kept feeling as if I had seen it before.
Meanwhile, Kaija had fallen to his knees, and as I watched him silently, his blood spurted from the wound in his back and from between his hands cupped over his mouth.
"Don't look." commanded a voice that rang all around. I couldn't pinpoint where the voice came from, but in spite of the fact that it was most likely unsafe to close my eyes now, I followed the orders given to me. There was the sound of a blade whipping through the air and a thud.
"You can open your eyes now." I wasn't sure what to expect, so I allowed myself to expect the unexpected. What I saw was so unexpected that I couldn't believe it was true.
My eyes widened as I took in what was in front of me. A concerned face looked at me as I felt arms encircling around my waist. My heart stopped when I recognized who it was.
Confrontation (Chapter 19)
Faalan and I had been travelling for several hours when he suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere. Skidding to a halt, I turned around to face Faalan.
"What is it?" I asked, concerned.
"We're less than a mile away from Kaija now. I... Even though you told me what happened in the future..."
"Are you worried, Faalan?"
"No. Yes. No, it's not that." He put his hands to his face, obviously struggling with something on his mind.
"Faalan?" I went to him, placing my arm around his broad shoulder.
"Just in case I don't make it..." he murmured, turning towards me. I was confused for a second, and my whole body went rigid with shock.
His eyes were closed, lips gently caressing mines. My body almost melted as an arm circled around my waist, pulling me towards him. I closed my eyes, relishing in the moment. His body was warm against mine. One of his hands snaked up and slid around my neck, subtly pushing my face closer to his. I let my other arm go around his shoulder. He gently stroked the back of my neck, and a shiver of delight ran though my spine.
With a feeling of reluctance, he pulled his face from mines, panting slightly. I tried to control my own panting, though it was hard. He leaned a little forward, forehead resting on mines, gazing deep into my eyes.
"Fala... I love you..." He whispered softly, his breath soft on my face.
"Oh, Faalan..." I murmured softly, looking deep into those beautiful, golden eyes of his. No answer was needed to tell him that I loved him back.
He gave me a kiss, one filled with happiness and worry. When he pulled away, his hands left my neck and waist, and I shivered from the loss of his warmth and wished that he hadn't left.
"Now we have to go." He stood in front of me, eyes determined.
"I know, Faalan. I know." I took a deep breath in and closed myeyes, gathering myself in preparation for the fight. Then, I opened them.
"Ready?" Faalan's calm voice rang through the trees.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied, giving a weak smile.
"I know what you mean..." He mumbled under his breath.
We walked forward, and after a certain point, I found myself lifted into the air. I looked at Faalan questioningly.
I don't want him to be able to hear us coming. My eyes widened a little when I heard his voice. His mouth hadn't moved, but I could hear him loud and clear. I was about to open my mouth to reply, but then his voice came again.
Don't talk. Think what you want to say to me. I'll be able to hear it.
How are you doing this?
My powers aren't limited to just reading minds and moving things with my mind.
Oh.
Now concentrate. We can't afford to mess anything up now.
Gotcha.
It was strange talking to someone in your head. I wondered what else he had picked up when he went through my head.
We moved at a rather slow pace, slower than we usually did, but that was most likely for caution. I narrowed my eyes, carefully scanning the land for any sign of movement. Several times, my eyes caught movement from some leaves, but it was only a small woodland creature.
After a couple minutes of moving forward, we suddenly jerked to the side, ending up behind some bushes.
What is it, Faalan?
If you were to look over those bushes, Kaija would be there. But don't look. He's looking around.
Now what?
When he's not looking, we come out and attack him.
What kind of a plan is that?!
Um... An impromptu one? There was a sense of a nervous laugh in his voice as it ran through my head. I gave a mental sigh and slipped my flute out as quietly as possible. I looked at Faalan and he held up three fingers. I nodded, showing him that I understood. One finger went down. Then another. And then as the last one was about to go down, which would have signified to time to attack, we heard a voice.
"Don't bother. I know you're there."
AN: Mushy scene + suspense = funfunfunfunfun!!!! ^_^
By the way, I started a blog for the purpose of putting up character descriptions and other information about the character. Not all of this information is found in the story, so it all depends on if you want to know stuff that isn't known in the story or not. It shouldn't take away from the original story, just that it gives you more information on the characters.
Although, I haven't exactly written anything in particular for that blog. It may be a while before I get any information up.
"What is it?" I asked, concerned.
"We're less than a mile away from Kaija now. I... Even though you told me what happened in the future..."
"Are you worried, Faalan?"
"No. Yes. No, it's not that." He put his hands to his face, obviously struggling with something on his mind.
"Faalan?" I went to him, placing my arm around his broad shoulder.
"Just in case I don't make it..." he murmured, turning towards me. I was confused for a second, and my whole body went rigid with shock.
His eyes were closed, lips gently caressing mines. My body almost melted as an arm circled around my waist, pulling me towards him. I closed my eyes, relishing in the moment. His body was warm against mine. One of his hands snaked up and slid around my neck, subtly pushing my face closer to his. I let my other arm go around his shoulder. He gently stroked the back of my neck, and a shiver of delight ran though my spine.
With a feeling of reluctance, he pulled his face from mines, panting slightly. I tried to control my own panting, though it was hard. He leaned a little forward, forehead resting on mines, gazing deep into my eyes.
"Fala... I love you..." He whispered softly, his breath soft on my face.
"Oh, Faalan..." I murmured softly, looking deep into those beautiful, golden eyes of his. No answer was needed to tell him that I loved him back.
He gave me a kiss, one filled with happiness and worry. When he pulled away, his hands left my neck and waist, and I shivered from the loss of his warmth and wished that he hadn't left.
"Now we have to go." He stood in front of me, eyes determined.
"I know, Faalan. I know." I took a deep breath in and closed myeyes, gathering myself in preparation for the fight. Then, I opened them.
"Ready?" Faalan's calm voice rang through the trees.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied, giving a weak smile.
"I know what you mean..." He mumbled under his breath.
We walked forward, and after a certain point, I found myself lifted into the air. I looked at Faalan questioningly.
I don't want him to be able to hear us coming. My eyes widened a little when I heard his voice. His mouth hadn't moved, but I could hear him loud and clear. I was about to open my mouth to reply, but then his voice came again.
Don't talk. Think what you want to say to me. I'll be able to hear it.
How are you doing this?
My powers aren't limited to just reading minds and moving things with my mind.
Oh.
Now concentrate. We can't afford to mess anything up now.
Gotcha.
It was strange talking to someone in your head. I wondered what else he had picked up when he went through my head.
We moved at a rather slow pace, slower than we usually did, but that was most likely for caution. I narrowed my eyes, carefully scanning the land for any sign of movement. Several times, my eyes caught movement from some leaves, but it was only a small woodland creature.
After a couple minutes of moving forward, we suddenly jerked to the side, ending up behind some bushes.
What is it, Faalan?
If you were to look over those bushes, Kaija would be there. But don't look. He's looking around.
Now what?
When he's not looking, we come out and attack him.
What kind of a plan is that?!
Um... An impromptu one? There was a sense of a nervous laugh in his voice as it ran through my head. I gave a mental sigh and slipped my flute out as quietly as possible. I looked at Faalan and he held up three fingers. I nodded, showing him that I understood. One finger went down. Then another. And then as the last one was about to go down, which would have signified to time to attack, we heard a voice.
"Don't bother. I know you're there."
AN: Mushy scene + suspense = funfunfunfunfun!!!! ^_^
By the way, I started a blog for the purpose of putting up character descriptions and other information about the character. Not all of this information is found in the story, so it all depends on if you want to know stuff that isn't known in the story or not. It shouldn't take away from the original story, just that it gives you more information on the characters.
Although, I haven't exactly written anything in particular for that blog. It may be a while before I get any information up.
Travel by Night, Sleep by Day... For a While Anyways (Chapter 18)
In the following weeks, Faalan became nocturnal. He slept during the day while I gathered food and water for him to eat and drink when he woke at night. I would also fix torn clothing and heal small wounds that we accumalated during our travels. I would go to sleep at night and he would travel then, carrying me with his mind. Little conversation passed between us other than a few brief words of gratitude or greeting.
We covered a lot of distance, but I wasn't completely pleased with the system of travel. I missed talking to Faalan; missed looking into his golden eyes and his brilliant smile. He and I became rather distant, not knowing what was going on inside the other. At least it was that way for me. Who knows if he was scanning my mind every so often.
I didn't know if he missed me too, but I knew I missed him. There was an ache in my heart when I looked at his sleeping form. I tried to stay up during the night when we travelled, but I always fell asleep before I had a chance to really say anything to him.
One day, Faalan decided to stop being nocturnal. He stayed up the whole morning, gathering food and filling our water bags with me. My heart rejoiced at him being by my side, even if he didn't say much due to fatigue. it took many days for him to transition back into his original sleeping patern, the pattern he had before he became nocturnal.
After Faalan had recovered from his change in sleeping time again, we traveled faster and covered much more distance. Often, we would have races, and in this way, we pushed ourselves to the limits, increasing the distance covered.
Kaija moved often, and we have to shift our direction to continue our travels in his direction. The whole process took longer than we had predicted earlier, for he moved faster than we expected, but soon, we were nearing his location.
AN: This is more like a transition chapter. It's not important but it's there because I needed a way to transition fro one chapter to another.
We covered a lot of distance, but I wasn't completely pleased with the system of travel. I missed talking to Faalan; missed looking into his golden eyes and his brilliant smile. He and I became rather distant, not knowing what was going on inside the other. At least it was that way for me. Who knows if he was scanning my mind every so often.
I didn't know if he missed me too, but I knew I missed him. There was an ache in my heart when I looked at his sleeping form. I tried to stay up during the night when we travelled, but I always fell asleep before I had a chance to really say anything to him.
One day, Faalan decided to stop being nocturnal. He stayed up the whole morning, gathering food and filling our water bags with me. My heart rejoiced at him being by my side, even if he didn't say much due to fatigue. it took many days for him to transition back into his original sleeping patern, the pattern he had before he became nocturnal.
After Faalan had recovered from his change in sleeping time again, we traveled faster and covered much more distance. Often, we would have races, and in this way, we pushed ourselves to the limits, increasing the distance covered.
Kaija moved often, and we have to shift our direction to continue our travels in his direction. The whole process took longer than we had predicted earlier, for he moved faster than we expected, but soon, we were nearing his location.
AN: This is more like a transition chapter. It's not important but it's there because I needed a way to transition fro one chapter to another.
Teleportation Complications
I let out a soft groan as I made my way out of my drowsiness. Rubbing my eyes and yawning, I began to stand up. Well, attempted to stand up would be a better way of putting it. There was a tug on my scalp and it jerked my neck back when I tried to stand up all the way. It also effectively caused me to gag, since I had tried to get up reasonably fast. I sighed, sat back down, then turned to inspect what had caught on my hair.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw what it was. Faalan had somehow tangled his hands into my hair during the time we were sleeping. Tugging gently, I tried to untangle my hair from his hands without waking him. After a couple minutes of this, I gave a huff and crossed my arms, glaring at the mass of hair and hands. There were times that I wished my hair wasn't waist-length.
Though I wish I didn't have to do this, it was unavoidable. Besides, it was that or cut off my hair and I would never do that. As gently as I could, I nudged the sleeping boy. He seemed so peaceful, and it seemed almost a sin to disturb his slumber. But I couldn't really get anywhere like this, so I was left with little choice. I suppose I could have just waited for him to wake up on his own accord, but it was really not very productive of my awake time.
Faalan let out a soft moan, shifted positions, and settled down again, still asleep. In his moving, he had managed to futher entangle my hair in his hands and now I had to lie down beside him or else my neck would snap. Or at least that's what it seemed like
I poked him sharply, still trying to wake him up as gracefully as possible. Every single attempt I made at waking him up quietly failed and soon, my face ended up inches away from his. I couldn't move, for his hands were extremely knotted into my hair. I had had enough.
"FAALAN!!!!!!!!" I screamed into his face. I just couldn't take it anymore. My head was starting to hurt from the constant pulling on my hair and I had already wasted a half an hour just trying to wake him up.
Faalan's eyes flew open and I saw his muscles tense.
"Oh no, please no." I whispered, fearing the worse. Which just had to happen.
He sat up sharply, his arms flying up into the air, taking my hair, head, and body after it.
"Owowowowowowow!!!!!" I screeched, my own arms spinning wildly, trying to regain balance as I was jerked to my feet by my hair.
It took him a moment to realize that his hands were stuck in my hair.
"Oh dear." was all he said.
"Oh dear?! Is that all you can say?!" I was starting to get very annoyed. I just couldn't help it.
"How long have I had my hands stuck in your hair?"
"I don't know! Ever since I woke up, which was around a half an hour ago, I've been trying to get your hands out of my hair!"
"Uh.... Right... Let's see...." He began to gently pull his hands out of my hair, looping and unlooping strands and sections of brown knots with his fingers and with his powers. I sat down beside him, hoping that this annoying predicament would end soon.
He sat there for an hour, patiently removing his hands from my hair. By then, the sun was shining brightly and the grass shone with dew. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. A soft breeze blowed, causing the patches of grass to ripple like a green wave. Despite my annoyance at my current situation, I couldn't help but admire the
beauty of my surroundings.
Another half hour later and his hands were finally free from my tangled mass of hair. The problem I faced now was how to untangle all of this hair. Sections of it stuck up and it was knotted so much that I could scarcely think of where to begin.
" I am SO sorry, Fala." Faalan murmured, looking down at his feet.
"It's okay. Can you try and untangle my hair now?" I looked up hopefully at him. If he could use his powers to fix my hair, I wouldn't have to struggle with it for hours.
"Well... I can try, but it might hurt a bit."
"I've already gone through enough pain, I think I'll be okay."
"Alright, then. Brace yourself."
I was seized with the temptation to tense, but as I had learned from past experiences, things tended to be less painful if you relaxed, because then whatever was happening didn't need to rip through hard muscles. It depended on the situation, but in this case, it was probably a better idea to relax. So as best as I could, I forced my muscles to relax and I nodded to Faalan.
There was a jolt of pain that ran along my scalp and tears formed in my eyes. It was painful for a couple of seconds, but after that, it was only sore, and I could deal with that.
I picked up a lock of hair and then slowly examined my entire head of hair. The hair had been neatly unknotted and was extremely soft.
"Nice job, Faalan. Thank you." I smiled at him, grateful for his help.
"You're welcome." He smiled back, golden eyes warm with happiness. There was one thing left that I had to do though. When he untangled my hair, he had taken out the hair tie that I used to keep the ends of my hair in place. I picked of the hair tie and tied it back into place.
"You ready to teleport now?" I asked, standing up and grabbing my instruments.
"Yeah, just give me a sec." He stood up and stretched a bit, wincing at the sound of cracking bones in his back. His stretching gave me the urge to stretch as well, but I didn't want him to think that I was
copying him. So, I rolled my shoulders and then waited for him to finish.
"Ready!" he declared, beaming. Then, he gently tried to take my hand. Willingly, I allowed his hand to slip into mines, sending tingles of joy up my back. His hand was smooth and warm and it closed around mines firmly, but not too hard.
He closed his eyes and I could tell that he was concentrating for the massive effort needed to teleport the great distance. Or maybe he was re-checking Kaija's position, for he shivered slightly and an expression of fear flickered across his face. Whatever it was, he was in deep concentration. After a couple moments, colors swirled
around us, and then we were in a different place, but still in a wood. The plant life was different though, and the area was more shaded and ominous than the wood we were in before.
"Faalan...? Where are we?" I whispered softly, though there was no one to hear what I said except Faalan.
"I...I don't know. We should have ended up only a short distance from Kaija. Something happened. I have to find him again..."
I stood in silence as the boy's brow knit in concentration again, but this time there was a hint of worry as well. It was eeriely quiet for minutes, and then he spoke.
"I found him. But... He's still so far away. I only managed to get us a small part of the way. We'll have to walk the rest of the day until I can get enough ener-" His eyes suddenly rolled and he tipped over. Sliding underneath the place he was to fall, I flung out my arms and caught him before he hit the ground. He must have been so exhausted from the massive effort of teleporting us across the land. And his energy was only able to take us part of the way.
I looked down at the unconcious boy in my arms, gently brushing his hair out of his face. With no clue in which direction to travel, I couldn't do much to help him. All I could think of doing was at least giving him a peaceful and useful sleep. So, I put him down carefully, making sure that he didn't hit his head to hard, and then I sat down
beside him. The lyre almost seemed to jump into my hands as I took it out. It seemed almost eager to be played. My fingers flew over the strings, pouring out a quiet melody.
It didn't require too much effort to help Faalan sleep well, for that was what I wanted anyways. If I had wanted him to get up, it would have been hard to play a tune to help him sleep. But since I didn't, the task didn't use up much of my energy.
Continuing, I played until my knuckles ached and I couldn't take it any longer. Reluctantly, I replaced the lyre to where it usually was and let my hands fall into my lap. There was nothing more I could do except to build a fire and find food. Though I was a little worried about leaving Faalan alone, I managed to set up a fire quickly and
gather some wild berries. Khanna, before she had passed away, had taught me many of the safe wild berries. This knowledge proved useful, and it allowed me to eat without killing. I would kill if I had to, but I didn't want to.
The fire cast flickering shadows all around, causing me to feel slightly jumpy. It took a while for me to relax. I stared into the fire after my small meal of berries. I passed quite some time in this fashion, having nothing better to do. There was a rustle behind me and I turned at the sound of Faalan's voice.
"Fala?"
"I see you've woken up now."
"What happened? Why is it dark now?"
"You fainted. I didn't know where to go. We've been here for hours."
"Well, so much for teleporting."
"Yes. But now you can try your other idea."
"Huh?"
"You wanted to travel by night while carrying me with your powers."
"Oh. I suppose you're right. You should sleep now."
My mouth chose that moment to open in a giant yawn. Faalan gave a little chuckle and I found myself rising from the ground.
"Just try to sleep like you would normally and I'll make it so that you're comfortable, okay?"
"Thanks, Faalan." I laid down, curling up into a ball in the air. I felt the wind blowing past me and the crunch of Faalan's feet crushing leaves. My eyelids grew heavy, and they closed on their own accord.
AN: Well, so much for teleportation, right? I wanted them to be able to do it, but then the story would be no fun, so... I did that.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw what it was. Faalan had somehow tangled his hands into my hair during the time we were sleeping. Tugging gently, I tried to untangle my hair from his hands without waking him. After a couple minutes of this, I gave a huff and crossed my arms, glaring at the mass of hair and hands. There were times that I wished my hair wasn't waist-length.
Though I wish I didn't have to do this, it was unavoidable. Besides, it was that or cut off my hair and I would never do that. As gently as I could, I nudged the sleeping boy. He seemed so peaceful, and it seemed almost a sin to disturb his slumber. But I couldn't really get anywhere like this, so I was left with little choice. I suppose I could have just waited for him to wake up on his own accord, but it was really not very productive of my awake time.
Faalan let out a soft moan, shifted positions, and settled down again, still asleep. In his moving, he had managed to futher entangle my hair in his hands and now I had to lie down beside him or else my neck would snap. Or at least that's what it seemed like
I poked him sharply, still trying to wake him up as gracefully as possible. Every single attempt I made at waking him up quietly failed and soon, my face ended up inches away from his. I couldn't move, for his hands were extremely knotted into my hair. I had had enough.
"FAALAN!!!!!!!!" I screamed into his face. I just couldn't take it anymore. My head was starting to hurt from the constant pulling on my hair and I had already wasted a half an hour just trying to wake him up.
Faalan's eyes flew open and I saw his muscles tense.
"Oh no, please no." I whispered, fearing the worse. Which just had to happen.
He sat up sharply, his arms flying up into the air, taking my hair, head, and body after it.
"Owowowowowowow!!!!!" I screeched, my own arms spinning wildly, trying to regain balance as I was jerked to my feet by my hair.
It took him a moment to realize that his hands were stuck in my hair.
"Oh dear." was all he said.
"Oh dear?! Is that all you can say?!" I was starting to get very annoyed. I just couldn't help it.
"How long have I had my hands stuck in your hair?"
"I don't know! Ever since I woke up, which was around a half an hour ago, I've been trying to get your hands out of my hair!"
"Uh.... Right... Let's see...." He began to gently pull his hands out of my hair, looping and unlooping strands and sections of brown knots with his fingers and with his powers. I sat down beside him, hoping that this annoying predicament would end soon.
He sat there for an hour, patiently removing his hands from my hair. By then, the sun was shining brightly and the grass shone with dew. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. A soft breeze blowed, causing the patches of grass to ripple like a green wave. Despite my annoyance at my current situation, I couldn't help but admire the
beauty of my surroundings.
Another half hour later and his hands were finally free from my tangled mass of hair. The problem I faced now was how to untangle all of this hair. Sections of it stuck up and it was knotted so much that I could scarcely think of where to begin.
" I am SO sorry, Fala." Faalan murmured, looking down at his feet.
"It's okay. Can you try and untangle my hair now?" I looked up hopefully at him. If he could use his powers to fix my hair, I wouldn't have to struggle with it for hours.
"Well... I can try, but it might hurt a bit."
"I've already gone through enough pain, I think I'll be okay."
"Alright, then. Brace yourself."
I was seized with the temptation to tense, but as I had learned from past experiences, things tended to be less painful if you relaxed, because then whatever was happening didn't need to rip through hard muscles. It depended on the situation, but in this case, it was probably a better idea to relax. So as best as I could, I forced my muscles to relax and I nodded to Faalan.
There was a jolt of pain that ran along my scalp and tears formed in my eyes. It was painful for a couple of seconds, but after that, it was only sore, and I could deal with that.
I picked up a lock of hair and then slowly examined my entire head of hair. The hair had been neatly unknotted and was extremely soft.
"Nice job, Faalan. Thank you." I smiled at him, grateful for his help.
"You're welcome." He smiled back, golden eyes warm with happiness. There was one thing left that I had to do though. When he untangled my hair, he had taken out the hair tie that I used to keep the ends of my hair in place. I picked of the hair tie and tied it back into place.
"You ready to teleport now?" I asked, standing up and grabbing my instruments.
"Yeah, just give me a sec." He stood up and stretched a bit, wincing at the sound of cracking bones in his back. His stretching gave me the urge to stretch as well, but I didn't want him to think that I was
copying him. So, I rolled my shoulders and then waited for him to finish.
"Ready!" he declared, beaming. Then, he gently tried to take my hand. Willingly, I allowed his hand to slip into mines, sending tingles of joy up my back. His hand was smooth and warm and it closed around mines firmly, but not too hard.
He closed his eyes and I could tell that he was concentrating for the massive effort needed to teleport the great distance. Or maybe he was re-checking Kaija's position, for he shivered slightly and an expression of fear flickered across his face. Whatever it was, he was in deep concentration. After a couple moments, colors swirled
around us, and then we were in a different place, but still in a wood. The plant life was different though, and the area was more shaded and ominous than the wood we were in before.
"Faalan...? Where are we?" I whispered softly, though there was no one to hear what I said except Faalan.
"I...I don't know. We should have ended up only a short distance from Kaija. Something happened. I have to find him again..."
I stood in silence as the boy's brow knit in concentration again, but this time there was a hint of worry as well. It was eeriely quiet for minutes, and then he spoke.
"I found him. But... He's still so far away. I only managed to get us a small part of the way. We'll have to walk the rest of the day until I can get enough ener-" His eyes suddenly rolled and he tipped over. Sliding underneath the place he was to fall, I flung out my arms and caught him before he hit the ground. He must have been so exhausted from the massive effort of teleporting us across the land. And his energy was only able to take us part of the way.
I looked down at the unconcious boy in my arms, gently brushing his hair out of his face. With no clue in which direction to travel, I couldn't do much to help him. All I could think of doing was at least giving him a peaceful and useful sleep. So, I put him down carefully, making sure that he didn't hit his head to hard, and then I sat down
beside him. The lyre almost seemed to jump into my hands as I took it out. It seemed almost eager to be played. My fingers flew over the strings, pouring out a quiet melody.
It didn't require too much effort to help Faalan sleep well, for that was what I wanted anyways. If I had wanted him to get up, it would have been hard to play a tune to help him sleep. But since I didn't, the task didn't use up much of my energy.
Continuing, I played until my knuckles ached and I couldn't take it any longer. Reluctantly, I replaced the lyre to where it usually was and let my hands fall into my lap. There was nothing more I could do except to build a fire and find food. Though I was a little worried about leaving Faalan alone, I managed to set up a fire quickly and
gather some wild berries. Khanna, before she had passed away, had taught me many of the safe wild berries. This knowledge proved useful, and it allowed me to eat without killing. I would kill if I had to, but I didn't want to.
The fire cast flickering shadows all around, causing me to feel slightly jumpy. It took a while for me to relax. I stared into the fire after my small meal of berries. I passed quite some time in this fashion, having nothing better to do. There was a rustle behind me and I turned at the sound of Faalan's voice.
"Fala?"
"I see you've woken up now."
"What happened? Why is it dark now?"
"You fainted. I didn't know where to go. We've been here for hours."
"Well, so much for teleporting."
"Yes. But now you can try your other idea."
"Huh?"
"You wanted to travel by night while carrying me with your powers."
"Oh. I suppose you're right. You should sleep now."
My mouth chose that moment to open in a giant yawn. Faalan gave a little chuckle and I found myself rising from the ground.
"Just try to sleep like you would normally and I'll make it so that you're comfortable, okay?"
"Thanks, Faalan." I laid down, curling up into a ball in the air. I felt the wind blowing past me and the crunch of Faalan's feet crushing leaves. My eyelids grew heavy, and they closed on their own accord.
AN: Well, so much for teleportation, right? I wanted them to be able to do it, but then the story would be no fun, so... I did that.
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