I heard talking. I stayed in my unconciousness, taking comfort in the dark. But slowly, I opened my eyes, feeling like there were weights on my eyelids. It took a while for everything to focus, but when it did, I saw a set of golden and silver orbs looking at me.
"Faalan...Kaija..." I rasped, my voice coming out weaker than I had thought it would.
"Shh... Don't talk..." Faalan murmured, placing something against my lips. Liquid moistened my lips, and I opened them, realizing just how thirsty I was. He carefully tipped the container until every last drop was gone.
"Better?" Kaija asked, sitting beside me.
"Yes." I said, sitting up and looking around. All around us were the bloody carcasses of the slain knights. It was a horrible sight to see, and my stomach lurched at the sight. It was even worse than the run-in with the previous knight. I gagged and held a hand to my mouth, trying to surpress the urge to hurl. It was then that I looked down at myself. There was a large rip in the dress where the knife had hit my shoulder, and the dress itself was stained with the blood of many lives. My hands were caked with dried, brown blood.
"Are you going to be alright, Fala?" Faalan questioned, holding a hand out to help me up. Gladly, I took the offered hand and nodded slightly, standing up.
"Good. Then let's get going." The boy released my hand, his eyes turning cold. The iciness in his expression sent a chill down my spine. Just moments ago, his eyes were full of warmth and concern. And then in a moment, they turned hard. Was he that angry at the death of his sister?
Kaija seemed slightly shocked as well, but he shook his head and stood up, following Faalan. Slightly unsteady on my feet, I stumbled my way after them, trying to keep up.
"Faalan. Kaija. Your wounds..." I called after them, noticing their various injuries.
"I'm fine, Fala." Faalan snapped, not even turning to look at me.
"I'll be alright. But thanks." Kaija replied gently.
"Oh..." I mumbled, taken aback by Faalan's harsh reply. Looking at Kaija, I faked a smile and he turned back forward, convinced that I was okay.
Following them in silence, there was no conversation between us until Faalan spoke up.
"I suppose we should talk about what we plan to do."
"What is it that you want to do?" Kaija inquired quietly.
"I want revenge. Revenge for my fallen sister."
"How do you plan on carrying out your revenge?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'm going to kill them; kill the people who would want her dead; kill the people ordered to kill her; kill all of them. If you dare to get in my way, I will kill you too." He turned, glaring daggers at us. Kaija, worried, took a step towards him.
"Faa-" He started to say.
"..lan" His voice was barely a whisper as the boy disappeared. He swore as he whipped out his swords, slashing at the trees. He screamed in fury as trees, branches, and leaves fell to the ground. I stood on the side, unsure of what to do. He continued on his angry rampage, eyes filled with regret, sadness, and anger.
AN: And now I will keep you suspense! Fear me! ^_^
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Fight (Chapter 10)
We walked on in slence, the only sound being the animals and our footsteps. There was a rustle of movement to our left. We all stopped, tensing, looking to the left. There was another movement to our right. Faalan closed his eyes.
"There are 20 knights surrounding us at the moment." he whispered, voice almost unhearable. Kaija and I nodded slightly, just enough for Faalan to see. Taking out my flute, I prepared to play. Kaija pulled out his double swords and sunk into a defensive stance. Faalan's eyes become unfocused and rocks began to float around him, forming a moving shield. Knights burst out from the shadows, behind trees, and behind bushes. How very subtle. But I guess they realized that we knew they were there, so secrecy didn't matter much anyways. Fire, water, light, darkness, and earth flew into the air.
Through the din, I tried to blow loud enough to capture the knights under my spell. It was difficult to make sure Faalan and Kaija weren't affected because they were moving constantly.
Kaija weaved in and out, brutally slashing at the knights and dodging. Faalan's flying rocks ripped through the heavily armored men. They both had gained a large amount of scratches. Along with the scratches, a long gash ran across Kaija's back, and Faalan's shoulder was cut.
Blood stained the ground, turning the dried leaves underfoot a crimson red. I managed to make a few knights to become frozen, and Kaija stabbed them with his swords. But I couldn't do any more unless I walked into the center of the battle. I originally wanted to make the knights stab themselves with their swords, but then the music would only make the knights reach with their right hand to pull out a sword that was in a certain position on their left. For the knights whose swords were slightly more forward or backward or on their right side, their hand would miss. In the end, I settled with freezing them.
For a while, I had just stood on the side, afraid to get hurt. But watching Faalan and Kaija's determined expressions and their wounds, I couldn't let the battle continue like this. If they kept going at that rate, they would soon be over-powered by the knights.
I began to walk forward. I heard the concerned shouts of Faalan to stop. Ignoring him, I dodged attempted attacks of the knights. Many became frozen in their spots. Kaija, taking advantage of the situation, quickly beheaded them, their heads dropping to the ground with a thump.
I winced as a thrown knife grazed me, earning me a scratch across my hand. It began to hurt to play as I moved my fingers. Blood trickled down my arm and my hand began to throb. Another knife cut into my leg. Blood flowed quickly and I began to feel light-headed from the loss of blood.
The knights seemed to have figured out that if they kept out of earshot, they wouldn't fall under my spell. I tried to play louder and managed to freeze some of them. As they fought off Faalan and Kaija, they threw knifes at me from a distance at irregular intervals. One knife eventually sunk into my right shoulder, and I screamed, my voice piercing through the air. The flute dropped to the ground as I fell, landing hard on my injured shoulder's side. My teeth gritted in pain and tears began to form. Faalan shot stones through the last of the knights and ran to my side. Kaija joined, leaning over me.
"This is going to hurt, Fala." Faalan murmured apologetically, turning me onto my stomach. What was he going to-
An intense pain, even worse than before, ripped through my shoulder.
Tears fell from my eyes and I cried out. Then, the pain subsided slightly. When I looked at my shoulder again, I saw that the knife was gone and only a bloody wound was left. I looked up to see Faalan holding a bloody knife in his hand.
"Sorry..." The brunette looked down, averting his eyes.
"It's...okay.." I gasped, a shudder running down my spine.
"Please...hand me...my flute..." I choked out, after failing to remove the lyre from my side. The smooth, cold instrument was placed gently into my hands. By who, I don't remember. I tried to sit up, yelping in pain from my shoulder and my injured leg. The ground slipped from underneath me and swelled like the ocean. After a few failed attempts, Faalan's gentle hands propped me up. Through teary eyes, I looked into his eyes, giving wordless thanks.
My hands shook as I lifted the flute, pain ripping through my shoulder. My hand as well, began to send jolts of pain through my arm. Eventually, the flute reached my lips, and I played a few shaky notes. The wound in my shoulder began to close. In a couple of minutes, all that was left of the deep cut was a large scab, one that would most likely go away in a few weeks. Too weak to even sit properly, I slumped down the ground and succumed to the dark folds of unconciousness.
AN: Yayayayayayayayayayayay! Fight! I love writing fight scenes even if they come out completely horrible!
"There are 20 knights surrounding us at the moment." he whispered, voice almost unhearable. Kaija and I nodded slightly, just enough for Faalan to see. Taking out my flute, I prepared to play. Kaija pulled out his double swords and sunk into a defensive stance. Faalan's eyes become unfocused and rocks began to float around him, forming a moving shield. Knights burst out from the shadows, behind trees, and behind bushes. How very subtle. But I guess they realized that we knew they were there, so secrecy didn't matter much anyways. Fire, water, light, darkness, and earth flew into the air.
Through the din, I tried to blow loud enough to capture the knights under my spell. It was difficult to make sure Faalan and Kaija weren't affected because they were moving constantly.
Kaija weaved in and out, brutally slashing at the knights and dodging. Faalan's flying rocks ripped through the heavily armored men. They both had gained a large amount of scratches. Along with the scratches, a long gash ran across Kaija's back, and Faalan's shoulder was cut.
Blood stained the ground, turning the dried leaves underfoot a crimson red. I managed to make a few knights to become frozen, and Kaija stabbed them with his swords. But I couldn't do any more unless I walked into the center of the battle. I originally wanted to make the knights stab themselves with their swords, but then the music would only make the knights reach with their right hand to pull out a sword that was in a certain position on their left. For the knights whose swords were slightly more forward or backward or on their right side, their hand would miss. In the end, I settled with freezing them.
For a while, I had just stood on the side, afraid to get hurt. But watching Faalan and Kaija's determined expressions and their wounds, I couldn't let the battle continue like this. If they kept going at that rate, they would soon be over-powered by the knights.
I began to walk forward. I heard the concerned shouts of Faalan to stop. Ignoring him, I dodged attempted attacks of the knights. Many became frozen in their spots. Kaija, taking advantage of the situation, quickly beheaded them, their heads dropping to the ground with a thump.
I winced as a thrown knife grazed me, earning me a scratch across my hand. It began to hurt to play as I moved my fingers. Blood trickled down my arm and my hand began to throb. Another knife cut into my leg. Blood flowed quickly and I began to feel light-headed from the loss of blood.
The knights seemed to have figured out that if they kept out of earshot, they wouldn't fall under my spell. I tried to play louder and managed to freeze some of them. As they fought off Faalan and Kaija, they threw knifes at me from a distance at irregular intervals. One knife eventually sunk into my right shoulder, and I screamed, my voice piercing through the air. The flute dropped to the ground as I fell, landing hard on my injured shoulder's side. My teeth gritted in pain and tears began to form. Faalan shot stones through the last of the knights and ran to my side. Kaija joined, leaning over me.
"This is going to hurt, Fala." Faalan murmured apologetically, turning me onto my stomach. What was he going to-
An intense pain, even worse than before, ripped through my shoulder.
Tears fell from my eyes and I cried out. Then, the pain subsided slightly. When I looked at my shoulder again, I saw that the knife was gone and only a bloody wound was left. I looked up to see Faalan holding a bloody knife in his hand.
"Sorry..." The brunette looked down, averting his eyes.
"It's...okay.." I gasped, a shudder running down my spine.
"Please...hand me...my flute..." I choked out, after failing to remove the lyre from my side. The smooth, cold instrument was placed gently into my hands. By who, I don't remember. I tried to sit up, yelping in pain from my shoulder and my injured leg. The ground slipped from underneath me and swelled like the ocean. After a few failed attempts, Faalan's gentle hands propped me up. Through teary eyes, I looked into his eyes, giving wordless thanks.
My hands shook as I lifted the flute, pain ripping through my shoulder. My hand as well, began to send jolts of pain through my arm. Eventually, the flute reached my lips, and I played a few shaky notes. The wound in my shoulder began to close. In a couple of minutes, all that was left of the deep cut was a large scab, one that would most likely go away in a few weeks. Too weak to even sit properly, I slumped down the ground and succumed to the dark folds of unconciousness.
AN: Yayayayayayayayayayayay! Fight! I love writing fight scenes even if they come out completely horrible!
Restock (Chapter 9)
By now, there was little food, and we would have to restock soon. But it meant being found. We had to decide what we were going to do.
"Now that we are all here, I believe that it is time to figure out
what we are to do." Faalan started.
"Skip the talking and get to the point." Kaija complained.
"Well, we are almost out of food and water, and we have to leave the safety of the treehouse. We will be found, and the question is, are we going to fight, then come back here or fight and run away, never to come back here?" I said quietly.
"If we come back here after we fight, there is the possibility that the villagers will track us down and have the knights attack us. If we run and travel constantly, there is the danger of running out of supplies or being killed by robbers and thugs." Faalan added.
"I think we should travel." Kaija stated simply.
"Why, pray tell?" Faalan questioned.
"Because if we travel, we won't end up holed up in this treehouse after getting supplies. That would cut off any possible route to escape. At least in the wild we will be able run from the enemy."
"He has a point." I mumbled, unsure of which choice to go for. I knew one choice had to be chosen. They were both dangerous and risky. The question was which one to go for.
"Then we will travel." Faalan decided, ending the discussion. I was slightly annoyed that I didn't really get a chance to put in my input, but I couldn't argue, since that would probably have been my choice had I thought about it more.
"Uh... Guys?" I called after them, as they were leaving to get their things. I didn't need to bring anything because, as I thought guiltily, the boys provided for me and protected me. I never really needed to anything, even on previous travels, because I didn't have much in the first place, and the boys had always carried all the stuff. I felt a little bad about it, but it just happened.
"Yes?" Faalan said, turning around.
"I don't know about you, but I really need some new clothes." It was true, I really needed some new things to wear. During the weeks I had been here, I hadn't been able to obtain new clothing and was still wearing the same clothes I had worn when I first arrived in the past. There were now tears and rips in them and the seams were beginning to weaken and stretch. Plus, it didn't really fit in with times. I would stick out like a sore thumb if I kept wearing what I was.
"Oh... Forgot about that..." murmured Faalan, looking at his feet.
"I have nothing that you could possibly wear. I left all of my clothing in the cave when we ran away from...you know." Kaija said, looking around in random directions, avoiding my eyes.
clothing." he managed to choke out. "Or maybe my mother's clothing as well." It seemed talking about his mother was less painful than talking about "Well...I suppose you could try Kh-" Faalan started, but his voice broke off. Trying again, "Kh-khan-na's clothing." It seemed that he was more comfortable talking about his mother than Khanna. But of course, he had lost Khanna more recently than he had lost his mother.
"Thank you... I will wear whatever you can provide for me." I said finally, after a moment of trying to choose the right words. Faalan said nothing, walking to and opening the door to the room dedicated to his mother and began to rummage through boxes. Clouds of dust flew into the air, causing the boy to sneeze several times. Kaija stood outside of the door, looking inside, unsure of how he could help. I just waited inside the room near the door, trying to get in the way. Finally, he pulled out a dress and a pair of sandals.
"You can try these one. My mother wore this when she traveled." he said, not looking at my eyes.
"Thanks... But I thought you said that wearing no shoes was better!" I objected, though I took the clothing and shoes from his arms.
"I did, but these....they're different. My mother was the one who told me not to wear shoes. Yet she wore these constantly. I believe that there is something special in them. Except I don't know what it is, since my feet most definitely will not fit inside them. I thought that maybe your feet would." he said, words pouring out of his mouth.
"Alright. Whatever you say... I'll try them." I mumbled before slipping out of the room and going into another. I really didn't know what the real purpose of the room was, but it was there, so I used it.
Then, closing the door, I slipped off my old clothing and tried on the new clothing. The dress fit well, though the length of the dress was a little strange, considering it only went up to be knees. But it was clean clothing, so I couldn't complain.
After much consideration, I decided to keep my old shorts; I wasn't comfortable wearing skirts or dresses without some form of pants.
Then came the shoes. The leather sandals were cool against my skin and did not rub irritatingly, as I thought they would. As I stood up, I felt a normal stream of energy rush up through my feet. Perhaps this was why Faalan's mother wore these. But the question was why were these shoes able to transfer the earth's energy through them when no other shoes were able to?
Finally, I slipped on the side belt with my lyre and the pouch with my flute and opened the door to see Kaija and Faalan waiting expectantly. Beside the two boys was a single sack. My guess was that Faalan had his things all tucked away underneath his cape. I still couldn't figure out where all that stuff went, but it was there.
"Wow... You look good..." Kaija complimented.
"Uh... Thanks..." I murmured, blushing slightly. for I'd never had a boy compliment me on clothing before. Faalan said nothing, only giving a sad, but approving nod.
"So now we leave." Kaija declared, turning away and begining to walk to the edge of the balcony. I followed suit, and Faalan joined us after a moment. He closed his eyes and there was a tingle that came from the ground before the three of us began to float up from the balcony. Then, we moved from the balcony and descended, landing gently on the ground.
"Getting better, Faalan." I remarked quietly, noticing how his skills had gotten better. I used to get bruises from the landings, but now I just landed gently on my feet.
"Thank you." he replied softly.
We walked in silence. I couldn't figure out how long it took, but it seemed like hours. But when we finally neared a village, Faalan looked into my eyes and I knew what he wanted from me. I pulled the lyre out from my side and lightly strummed the strings, checking to see if any were broken. I had to make sure that the music didn't affect Faalan and Kaija when we went in.
As we walked into the streets, the villagers seemed to bear a strong resentment against us. They clearly recognized Faalan, since I heard one of the villagers mutter something about a demon child. The villagers began to close in and their intentions did not seem good, for some began to pull out daggers.
Letting the lyre draw me in a little, I began to play a soft, soothing melody. This was the easy part. What was hard was having to make sure it didn't affect my companions. This took much concentration, and my lips pressed into a thin line.
The whole process of making sure the music didn't affect them was a little complicated. In a way, I could see as the sound waves and I guess, magic waves flowed out from the instrument of choice. It wasn't really visible, but I could sense them. In my mind, I had to create an invisible barrier of willpower surrounding the people I didn't want affected so that only the sound waves would reach them and not the magic waves. The magic waves either would be absorbed into the barrier or bounce off the barrier. I wasn't really sure why some were absorbed and some weren't, but it worked at protecting the ones I wanted to protect.
In my sub-conscious, I could see that the villagers had stopped moving and had began to fall asleep. Some tried to fight it, but failed, collapsing to the ground.
Continuing to move through the streets, Faalan and Kaija picked up neccesary equipment and food while I played. They left money, which was fair enough. The only thing that worried me was that there was always the
possibility of encountering a deaf person. This could prove to be dangerous, since my music could not affect people who didn't listen. I could always play loud enough for people to hear it through their covered ears, but I couldn't make the hearing impaired be able to hear.
I was nervous, and occasionally, my fingers would slip a string, creating a sour note and causing some people to stir from their magic induced sleep. This only made me more jittery. I was truly glad when we left.
I replaced the lyre in its place by my side and looked down, unsure of what to do now, both in the now sense and the future sense. I didn't know how to help with the situation now, and I didn't know how I would be getting back to my time either. When I looked up, Faalan and Kaija were looking at me worriedly.
"Are you alright?" Kaija asked, his eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine, thank you. I'm just...unsure of what to do." I mumbled.
"What do you mean, unsure?" Faalan questioned.
"I don't know what to do to help now. Also, this isn't my time. I don't know if I can even get back to my time."
Faalan sighed and moved his hand to his forehead. He shook his head a little before putting his hand down and looking at me again.
"Well, let's try to not worry about that for now. What we do need to worry about is the knights after us. I mean, me." Faalan said, trying to comfort me. It didn't really work. But I put on a smile and tried to ignore my inner turmoil.
"That's true, I guess." I agreed, nodding slightly.
"We should get moving..." Kaija muttered. We nodded our consent and began to walk.
"The knights will eventually hear of our little trip to the village and will come here after us." Faalan said, his words almost lost to the wind.
"Will you fight them, Faalan?" I asked worried. But I didn't need to ask. I already knew.
"Yes." he said determinedly.
I had been worried about this for quite sometime, though I tried not to think about it. I knew he was a murderer in my own time, known for killing thousands. Quickly, I pushed my thoughts away, hoping that Faalan hadn't heard it in my head. Looking at him, I watched for any change of expression. There was none. I inwardly, I gave sigh of
relief.
If he had heard it, I might have changed the course of history. Even so, I didn't want him to kill thousands of people. Faalan was most likely bent on revenge of Khanna's death. He probably would kill anyone who tried to attack him that was one of those who wanted him exterminated. That included the knights and the villagers. But he
hadn't killed the villagers when we were in the village. Though, with a jolt, he did have a rather cold expression on his face. Apparently, my sub-conscious had kept the image of his angry, determined face when we were in the village and chose to bring it up now. Wonderful.
AN: Fwee! Boring chapter, but it leads to a more interesting one!
"Now that we are all here, I believe that it is time to figure out
what we are to do." Faalan started.
"Skip the talking and get to the point." Kaija complained.
"Well, we are almost out of food and water, and we have to leave the safety of the treehouse. We will be found, and the question is, are we going to fight, then come back here or fight and run away, never to come back here?" I said quietly.
"If we come back here after we fight, there is the possibility that the villagers will track us down and have the knights attack us. If we run and travel constantly, there is the danger of running out of supplies or being killed by robbers and thugs." Faalan added.
"I think we should travel." Kaija stated simply.
"Why, pray tell?" Faalan questioned.
"Because if we travel, we won't end up holed up in this treehouse after getting supplies. That would cut off any possible route to escape. At least in the wild we will be able run from the enemy."
"He has a point." I mumbled, unsure of which choice to go for. I knew one choice had to be chosen. They were both dangerous and risky. The question was which one to go for.
"Then we will travel." Faalan decided, ending the discussion. I was slightly annoyed that I didn't really get a chance to put in my input, but I couldn't argue, since that would probably have been my choice had I thought about it more.
"Uh... Guys?" I called after them, as they were leaving to get their things. I didn't need to bring anything because, as I thought guiltily, the boys provided for me and protected me. I never really needed to anything, even on previous travels, because I didn't have much in the first place, and the boys had always carried all the stuff. I felt a little bad about it, but it just happened.
"Yes?" Faalan said, turning around.
"I don't know about you, but I really need some new clothes." It was true, I really needed some new things to wear. During the weeks I had been here, I hadn't been able to obtain new clothing and was still wearing the same clothes I had worn when I first arrived in the past. There were now tears and rips in them and the seams were beginning to weaken and stretch. Plus, it didn't really fit in with times. I would stick out like a sore thumb if I kept wearing what I was.
"Oh... Forgot about that..." murmured Faalan, looking at his feet.
"I have nothing that you could possibly wear. I left all of my clothing in the cave when we ran away from...you know." Kaija said, looking around in random directions, avoiding my eyes.
clothing." he managed to choke out. "Or maybe my mother's clothing as well." It seemed talking about his mother was less painful than talking about "Well...I suppose you could try Kh-" Faalan started, but his voice broke off. Trying again, "Kh-khan-na's clothing." It seemed that he was more comfortable talking about his mother than Khanna. But of course, he had lost Khanna more recently than he had lost his mother.
"Thank you... I will wear whatever you can provide for me." I said finally, after a moment of trying to choose the right words. Faalan said nothing, walking to and opening the door to the room dedicated to his mother and began to rummage through boxes. Clouds of dust flew into the air, causing the boy to sneeze several times. Kaija stood outside of the door, looking inside, unsure of how he could help. I just waited inside the room near the door, trying to get in the way. Finally, he pulled out a dress and a pair of sandals.
"You can try these one. My mother wore this when she traveled." he said, not looking at my eyes.
"Thanks... But I thought you said that wearing no shoes was better!" I objected, though I took the clothing and shoes from his arms.
"I did, but these....they're different. My mother was the one who told me not to wear shoes. Yet she wore these constantly. I believe that there is something special in them. Except I don't know what it is, since my feet most definitely will not fit inside them. I thought that maybe your feet would." he said, words pouring out of his mouth.
"Alright. Whatever you say... I'll try them." I mumbled before slipping out of the room and going into another. I really didn't know what the real purpose of the room was, but it was there, so I used it.
Then, closing the door, I slipped off my old clothing and tried on the new clothing. The dress fit well, though the length of the dress was a little strange, considering it only went up to be knees. But it was clean clothing, so I couldn't complain.
After much consideration, I decided to keep my old shorts; I wasn't comfortable wearing skirts or dresses without some form of pants.
Then came the shoes. The leather sandals were cool against my skin and did not rub irritatingly, as I thought they would. As I stood up, I felt a normal stream of energy rush up through my feet. Perhaps this was why Faalan's mother wore these. But the question was why were these shoes able to transfer the earth's energy through them when no other shoes were able to?
Finally, I slipped on the side belt with my lyre and the pouch with my flute and opened the door to see Kaija and Faalan waiting expectantly. Beside the two boys was a single sack. My guess was that Faalan had his things all tucked away underneath his cape. I still couldn't figure out where all that stuff went, but it was there.
"Wow... You look good..." Kaija complimented.
"Uh... Thanks..." I murmured, blushing slightly. for I'd never had a boy compliment me on clothing before. Faalan said nothing, only giving a sad, but approving nod.
"So now we leave." Kaija declared, turning away and begining to walk to the edge of the balcony. I followed suit, and Faalan joined us after a moment. He closed his eyes and there was a tingle that came from the ground before the three of us began to float up from the balcony. Then, we moved from the balcony and descended, landing gently on the ground.
"Getting better, Faalan." I remarked quietly, noticing how his skills had gotten better. I used to get bruises from the landings, but now I just landed gently on my feet.
"Thank you." he replied softly.
We walked in silence. I couldn't figure out how long it took, but it seemed like hours. But when we finally neared a village, Faalan looked into my eyes and I knew what he wanted from me. I pulled the lyre out from my side and lightly strummed the strings, checking to see if any were broken. I had to make sure that the music didn't affect Faalan and Kaija when we went in.
As we walked into the streets, the villagers seemed to bear a strong resentment against us. They clearly recognized Faalan, since I heard one of the villagers mutter something about a demon child. The villagers began to close in and their intentions did not seem good, for some began to pull out daggers.
Letting the lyre draw me in a little, I began to play a soft, soothing melody. This was the easy part. What was hard was having to make sure it didn't affect my companions. This took much concentration, and my lips pressed into a thin line.
The whole process of making sure the music didn't affect them was a little complicated. In a way, I could see as the sound waves and I guess, magic waves flowed out from the instrument of choice. It wasn't really visible, but I could sense them. In my mind, I had to create an invisible barrier of willpower surrounding the people I didn't want affected so that only the sound waves would reach them and not the magic waves. The magic waves either would be absorbed into the barrier or bounce off the barrier. I wasn't really sure why some were absorbed and some weren't, but it worked at protecting the ones I wanted to protect.
In my sub-conscious, I could see that the villagers had stopped moving and had began to fall asleep. Some tried to fight it, but failed, collapsing to the ground.
Continuing to move through the streets, Faalan and Kaija picked up neccesary equipment and food while I played. They left money, which was fair enough. The only thing that worried me was that there was always the
possibility of encountering a deaf person. This could prove to be dangerous, since my music could not affect people who didn't listen. I could always play loud enough for people to hear it through their covered ears, but I couldn't make the hearing impaired be able to hear.
I was nervous, and occasionally, my fingers would slip a string, creating a sour note and causing some people to stir from their magic induced sleep. This only made me more jittery. I was truly glad when we left.
I replaced the lyre in its place by my side and looked down, unsure of what to do now, both in the now sense and the future sense. I didn't know how to help with the situation now, and I didn't know how I would be getting back to my time either. When I looked up, Faalan and Kaija were looking at me worriedly.
"Are you alright?" Kaija asked, his eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine, thank you. I'm just...unsure of what to do." I mumbled.
"What do you mean, unsure?" Faalan questioned.
"I don't know what to do to help now. Also, this isn't my time. I don't know if I can even get back to my time."
Faalan sighed and moved his hand to his forehead. He shook his head a little before putting his hand down and looking at me again.
"Well, let's try to not worry about that for now. What we do need to worry about is the knights after us. I mean, me." Faalan said, trying to comfort me. It didn't really work. But I put on a smile and tried to ignore my inner turmoil.
"That's true, I guess." I agreed, nodding slightly.
"We should get moving..." Kaija muttered. We nodded our consent and began to walk.
"The knights will eventually hear of our little trip to the village and will come here after us." Faalan said, his words almost lost to the wind.
"Will you fight them, Faalan?" I asked worried. But I didn't need to ask. I already knew.
"Yes." he said determinedly.
I had been worried about this for quite sometime, though I tried not to think about it. I knew he was a murderer in my own time, known for killing thousands. Quickly, I pushed my thoughts away, hoping that Faalan hadn't heard it in my head. Looking at him, I watched for any change of expression. There was none. I inwardly, I gave sigh of
relief.
If he had heard it, I might have changed the course of history. Even so, I didn't want him to kill thousands of people. Faalan was most likely bent on revenge of Khanna's death. He probably would kill anyone who tried to attack him that was one of those who wanted him exterminated. That included the knights and the villagers. But he
hadn't killed the villagers when we were in the village. Though, with a jolt, he did have a rather cold expression on his face. Apparently, my sub-conscious had kept the image of his angry, determined face when we were in the village and chose to bring it up now. Wonderful.
AN: Fwee! Boring chapter, but it leads to a more interesting one!
What to Do? (Chapter 8)
The days passed quickly, with me avoiding Kaija, and Faalan trying to get Kaija and me to talk to one another. I couldn't look at Kaija. My feelings were mixed and uncertain. Before I met Kaija, I was certain that the one for me was Tahi. But now, I wasn't sure. I hadn't seen Tahi for what seemed like years and Kaija was there. Kaija and Tahi were so different, but they both made my heart leap. My head told me that I had promised to myself to be Tahi's forever, yet my rebellious heart allowed itself to fall for Kaija. Why was I falling for someone I had just met recently? Even if he was a source of comfort, I was supposed to remain faithful to Tahi. Why now?
Tahi was quiet and comforting. Kaija was loud and rash, though soothed others in his own way. So different, yet both so lovable. What was I going to do?
Tahi lived in my time, though it seemed I would never make to back home. Kaija lived in the past, and he was with me at the moment. If I was able to get back to my time, who would I choose?
Their looks, their personalities, their...everything was just so different. Tahi was black haired, and Kaija was blonde, almost white haired. Tahi had dark brown eyes, while Kaija had silver eyes. Tahi was calm and sensible, while Kaija was firey and spirited. I would be better off with someone more reasonable like Tahi, but my life would be more interesting around Kaija. Everything was just so confusing!
What was more was what was happening at home. Would people be worried about me gone? Or would they not care, since I had been giftless when I last met them? How did Tahi react to my disappearance? Did he forget about me? How would I explain what had happened to me in the past when I went back? And would my time change because of my being here?
AN: I'm not so great at writing about people's feelings, hence the very short chapter...
Tahi was quiet and comforting. Kaija was loud and rash, though soothed others in his own way. So different, yet both so lovable. What was I going to do?
Tahi lived in my time, though it seemed I would never make to back home. Kaija lived in the past, and he was with me at the moment. If I was able to get back to my time, who would I choose?
Their looks, their personalities, their...everything was just so different. Tahi was black haired, and Kaija was blonde, almost white haired. Tahi had dark brown eyes, while Kaija had silver eyes. Tahi was calm and sensible, while Kaija was firey and spirited. I would be better off with someone more reasonable like Tahi, but my life would be more interesting around Kaija. Everything was just so confusing!
What was more was what was happening at home. Would people be worried about me gone? Or would they not care, since I had been giftless when I last met them? How did Tahi react to my disappearance? Did he forget about me? How would I explain what had happened to me in the past when I went back? And would my time change because of my being here?
AN: I'm not so great at writing about people's feelings, hence the very short chapter...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Into Hiding (Chapter 7)
"We have to hide." Faalan stated. He now was recovered enough to think rationally after an hour more of crying and shaking. Well, relatively rationally.
"Well, let's go then." Kaija said, heading into the woods. Faalan and I followed silently, sadness hanging like a cloud around us. We made it to Faalan's house with no attacks. I felt safe now, but I knew that we wouldn't be able to remain holed up here forever. Our supplies would run out eventually and we would have to leave. The others probably knew too, but they didn't say anything.
Faalan shut himself in Khanna's room and Kaija started working out in the training room. I headed to the balcony where I had first learned of my gift with Khanna. I unbuckled the lyre from my side and strummed the strings, striking a mournful chord. The instrument called to me, and this time, I followed it.
Peals of flowing music flew in the air as tears streamed down my face again, staining the wood of the lyre and my clothing. The birds and animals seemed to cry out in harmony with my lyre, adding to the music. The last chords were swept away from the breeze and the sounds of the forest returned to normal. I rebuckled the lyre to my side.
My heart was heavy and it felt like it was being torn in half. I stared forward into the woods, not focusing on anything; just lost in thought.
I stayed like this for a while until a creaking noise behind me made me jump up, and I whipped out my flute to my mouth.
"Relax, Fala. It's just me." Kaija said quietly.
"Oh.." I murmured, putting the flute back into its case.
"I heard you playing."
"I see..."
"So... Faalan told me you're from the future."
"Did he?"
"Yes."
"Well, I am. But now..." I remembered something vital. My heart skipped a beat.
"What is it?"
"Khanna brought me here with her portal. I can't go back unless I find another way back." My heart pounded. How was I supposed to get
back home? I knew no one else who could move people through time.
"That would be a problem..." he murmured softly into my ear.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" I yelped, struggling to get to my feet.
"I can't hold it any longer. I just want to be with you. There's something about you that...that makes my heart pound."
"Stop! If you do this, you could change history! You could mess up the future! I'm not supposed to be here!" "I can't..."
"Yo-" I was cut off as his lips pressed suddenly to my own. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. I broke him off, pulling away, gasping.
"Fala!" he cried out, reaching to me.
"No. Just leave me alone." I said icily, glaring at him. I turned my heels and strode away, leaving him with a shocked expression on his face. I collapsed into a heap in a random room and let my mind float off into nowhere.
"Fala?" a gentle voice called, snapping me out of my mindlessness. The door creaked as a ray of light shot into the room.
"What do you want?!" I snapped, whipping my head around, squinting at the bright light.
It was Faalan, looking worried and sad.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Faalan. I thought you were Kaija." I mumbled.
"What did he do?"
"He..." I stroked my lips with my fingers, wondering how to explain it.
"He didn't! He went and kissed you?!"
"So it seems, Faalan, so it seems." I whispered to no one in particular.
AN: All these chapters seems really boring now, I'm aware of that. There's nothing interesting really until a couple chapters later.
"Well, let's go then." Kaija said, heading into the woods. Faalan and I followed silently, sadness hanging like a cloud around us. We made it to Faalan's house with no attacks. I felt safe now, but I knew that we wouldn't be able to remain holed up here forever. Our supplies would run out eventually and we would have to leave. The others probably knew too, but they didn't say anything.
Faalan shut himself in Khanna's room and Kaija started working out in the training room. I headed to the balcony where I had first learned of my gift with Khanna. I unbuckled the lyre from my side and strummed the strings, striking a mournful chord. The instrument called to me, and this time, I followed it.
Peals of flowing music flew in the air as tears streamed down my face again, staining the wood of the lyre and my clothing. The birds and animals seemed to cry out in harmony with my lyre, adding to the music. The last chords were swept away from the breeze and the sounds of the forest returned to normal. I rebuckled the lyre to my side.
My heart was heavy and it felt like it was being torn in half. I stared forward into the woods, not focusing on anything; just lost in thought.
I stayed like this for a while until a creaking noise behind me made me jump up, and I whipped out my flute to my mouth.
"Relax, Fala. It's just me." Kaija said quietly.
"Oh.." I murmured, putting the flute back into its case.
"I heard you playing."
"I see..."
"So... Faalan told me you're from the future."
"Did he?"
"Yes."
"Well, I am. But now..." I remembered something vital. My heart skipped a beat.
"What is it?"
"Khanna brought me here with her portal. I can't go back unless I find another way back." My heart pounded. How was I supposed to get
back home? I knew no one else who could move people through time.
"That would be a problem..." he murmured softly into my ear.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" I yelped, struggling to get to my feet.
"I can't hold it any longer. I just want to be with you. There's something about you that...that makes my heart pound."
"Stop! If you do this, you could change history! You could mess up the future! I'm not supposed to be here!" "I can't..."
"Yo-" I was cut off as his lips pressed suddenly to my own. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. I broke him off, pulling away, gasping.
"Fala!" he cried out, reaching to me.
"No. Just leave me alone." I said icily, glaring at him. I turned my heels and strode away, leaving him with a shocked expression on his face. I collapsed into a heap in a random room and let my mind float off into nowhere.
"Fala?" a gentle voice called, snapping me out of my mindlessness. The door creaked as a ray of light shot into the room.
"What do you want?!" I snapped, whipping my head around, squinting at the bright light.
It was Faalan, looking worried and sad.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Faalan. I thought you were Kaija." I mumbled.
"What did he do?"
"He..." I stroked my lips with my fingers, wondering how to explain it.
"He didn't! He went and kissed you?!"
"So it seems, Faalan, so it seems." I whispered to no one in particular.
AN: All these chapters seems really boring now, I'm aware of that. There's nothing interesting really until a couple chapters later.
Danger (Chapter 6)
A tall man dressed in black armor stood before us, his chestnut stallion pawing the ground and snorted beside him.
"I am here for these two." the knight said, pointing at Faalan and Khanna.
"Why do you want us?" Faalan replied cooly.
"These two are demon children and by request of the villagers, are to be executed. If you do not comply, you will be taken by force."
"We will never come with you!" Khanna shouted, eyes blazing with fury.
"Then I have no choice." He unsheathed his sword, the metal blade glinting in the light.
"Leave him to me." Kaija murmured quietly, pulling out twin swords.
"I can't let you do that, Kaija." Faalan said quietly, with sad eyes. His arm jerked up suddenly and his hand smashed into Kaija's head. Kaija's eyes widened, then closed as he collapsed to the ground. I scurried to his side, making sure if he was going to be okay.
"I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't let you get in trouble on my account." he whispered mournfully. Both he and Khanna sunk into defensive poses, Faalan with his fists up and Khanna with her palms facing the man. The knight let out a battle cry as he charged towards my two friends, holding his sword above his head, ready to slice them down. I watched, concerned and worried about what would happen. I wanted to interfere, but if I did, I might end up like Kaija. I would rather watch and try to assist them by telling them if there was an attack coming. Or...maybe not. I was never so great at predicting movements.
Khanna's fingers twitched ever so slightly, and a portal appeared in front of the knight. As soon as he disappeared into it, another one appeared in the air and he fell out, falling towards the ground. He landed with a loud thump and he muttered to himself as he stood up.
"I didn't want to do this, but I guess I have to." he said. He lifted an arm and all the armor became like water, flowing to his hand. Apparently, the man's gift was to do with metal. His sword's blade, which was lying on the ground, also became liquid and flowed to his hand. A large mass of quivering metal lay in his hand. What he could do with it, I had no clue.
Suddenly, the metal jerked out and struck Khanna, piercing through her chest. Her eyes grew big and blood spurted out of her mouth as
she fell backwards. The metal shot back to the man, now stained with Khanna's blood.
"Urg... Faalan...." she choked out, blood spilling down her chin.
"KHANNA!!!" he screamed, running to her side, cradling her in his arms. I followed suit, gently stroking her head to try and calm her shaking.
"I...I'm dying aren't I? Yes...of..course... Re...member... Faalan...brother...I... I love you." she gasped out, her life blood pouring out of her heart and mouth, staining the vibrant, green grass underfoot.
"Khanna..." I whispered, looking into her pain-filled, golden eyes.
"Fa..fala... I lo...ove...you too..." she sighed out with her last breath. Her eyes dulled, and a filmy white mist covered her them. Her body grew limp and she moved no longer.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! KHANNA!!!! You can't die on me! You can't, NO! I promised I would take care of you, I promised..." he sobbed, tears streaming freely down his anguished face. I said nothing, only stared at Khanna's still form, my own tears flowing to the ground. I couldn't say anything. My throat constricted with sadness. The world was spinning around me. Colors blurred and the last thing I remembered was looking at the ground before it was all dark.
"Fala?" came a shaky voice. I forced open my eyes, trying to remember what had occurred.
"Thank goodness you're awake now." I found myself staring into worried, silver eyes. It was Kaija.
"Wha' happ'nd?" I slurred, my mouth unable to function properly.
"Khanna's dead. Faalan killed the knight in a fit of fury. When I regained conciousness, I found him hugging her body, shaking and whispering that he loved her." I jerked up, looking around at my surroundings. The knight lay face forward in a pool of blood. The corpse was pitted with holes and massive cuts ran deep into it. His horse stood nearby, looking peacefully around and chewing on a clump of grass. Faalan was covered in blood, crying over Khanna's body. I couldn't say anything. My stomach turned at the gory scene and I couldn't hold the feeling rising in my throat. I turned my head away, bringing up what I had eaten. As I convulsed, Kaija rubbed me gently on my back, not joking at all.
"Ugh... Sorry..." I whispered, voice quivering.
"No biggie." he murmured softly into my ear.
Nearby, Faalan lifted up his tear stained face. The pain and agony in his eyes was enough to break anyone's heart.
"Please. Help me bury her." he choked out. No explanation was needed to know that the person he was referring to was Khanna.
He lifted up a section of dirt with his mind and both Kaija and I lowered Khanna gently into the pit.
"I love you, Khanna." Faalan whispered softly, stoking her pale cheek one last time. Then, the dirt lowered over her and she was gone.
Kaija pulled Faalan into a hug, silently comforting his friend. I could do nothing but close my eyes and hold the tears in.
AN: I planned to kill Khanna from the start, but I still feel kinda bad for killing her. She was kinda the comic relief... But I suppose now things have to get serious anyways.
"I am here for these two." the knight said, pointing at Faalan and Khanna.
"Why do you want us?" Faalan replied cooly.
"These two are demon children and by request of the villagers, are to be executed. If you do not comply, you will be taken by force."
"We will never come with you!" Khanna shouted, eyes blazing with fury.
"Then I have no choice." He unsheathed his sword, the metal blade glinting in the light.
"Leave him to me." Kaija murmured quietly, pulling out twin swords.
"I can't let you do that, Kaija." Faalan said quietly, with sad eyes. His arm jerked up suddenly and his hand smashed into Kaija's head. Kaija's eyes widened, then closed as he collapsed to the ground. I scurried to his side, making sure if he was going to be okay.
"I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't let you get in trouble on my account." he whispered mournfully. Both he and Khanna sunk into defensive poses, Faalan with his fists up and Khanna with her palms facing the man. The knight let out a battle cry as he charged towards my two friends, holding his sword above his head, ready to slice them down. I watched, concerned and worried about what would happen. I wanted to interfere, but if I did, I might end up like Kaija. I would rather watch and try to assist them by telling them if there was an attack coming. Or...maybe not. I was never so great at predicting movements.
Khanna's fingers twitched ever so slightly, and a portal appeared in front of the knight. As soon as he disappeared into it, another one appeared in the air and he fell out, falling towards the ground. He landed with a loud thump and he muttered to himself as he stood up.
"I didn't want to do this, but I guess I have to." he said. He lifted an arm and all the armor became like water, flowing to his hand. Apparently, the man's gift was to do with metal. His sword's blade, which was lying on the ground, also became liquid and flowed to his hand. A large mass of quivering metal lay in his hand. What he could do with it, I had no clue.
Suddenly, the metal jerked out and struck Khanna, piercing through her chest. Her eyes grew big and blood spurted out of her mouth as
she fell backwards. The metal shot back to the man, now stained with Khanna's blood.
"Urg... Faalan...." she choked out, blood spilling down her chin.
"KHANNA!!!" he screamed, running to her side, cradling her in his arms. I followed suit, gently stroking her head to try and calm her shaking.
"I...I'm dying aren't I? Yes...of..course... Re...member... Faalan...brother...I... I love you." she gasped out, her life blood pouring out of her heart and mouth, staining the vibrant, green grass underfoot.
"Khanna..." I whispered, looking into her pain-filled, golden eyes.
"Fa..fala... I lo...ove...you too..." she sighed out with her last breath. Her eyes dulled, and a filmy white mist covered her them. Her body grew limp and she moved no longer.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! KHANNA!!!! You can't die on me! You can't, NO! I promised I would take care of you, I promised..." he sobbed, tears streaming freely down his anguished face. I said nothing, only stared at Khanna's still form, my own tears flowing to the ground. I couldn't say anything. My throat constricted with sadness. The world was spinning around me. Colors blurred and the last thing I remembered was looking at the ground before it was all dark.
"Fala?" came a shaky voice. I forced open my eyes, trying to remember what had occurred.
"Thank goodness you're awake now." I found myself staring into worried, silver eyes. It was Kaija.
"Wha' happ'nd?" I slurred, my mouth unable to function properly.
"Khanna's dead. Faalan killed the knight in a fit of fury. When I regained conciousness, I found him hugging her body, shaking and whispering that he loved her." I jerked up, looking around at my surroundings. The knight lay face forward in a pool of blood. The corpse was pitted with holes and massive cuts ran deep into it. His horse stood nearby, looking peacefully around and chewing on a clump of grass. Faalan was covered in blood, crying over Khanna's body. I couldn't say anything. My stomach turned at the gory scene and I couldn't hold the feeling rising in my throat. I turned my head away, bringing up what I had eaten. As I convulsed, Kaija rubbed me gently on my back, not joking at all.
"Ugh... Sorry..." I whispered, voice quivering.
"No biggie." he murmured softly into my ear.
Nearby, Faalan lifted up his tear stained face. The pain and agony in his eyes was enough to break anyone's heart.
"Please. Help me bury her." he choked out. No explanation was needed to know that the person he was referring to was Khanna.
He lifted up a section of dirt with his mind and both Kaija and I lowered Khanna gently into the pit.
"I love you, Khanna." Faalan whispered softly, stoking her pale cheek one last time. Then, the dirt lowered over her and she was gone.
Kaija pulled Faalan into a hug, silently comforting his friend. I could do nothing but close my eyes and hold the tears in.
AN: I planned to kill Khanna from the start, but I still feel kinda bad for killing her. She was kinda the comic relief... But I suppose now things have to get serious anyways.
Shopping (Chapter 5)
"Where exactly are we shopping?" I questioned, for we had been walking for a long time.
"Oh, you'll see." Khanna replied, smiling mischievously. Faalan remained silent. His eyes were slightly unfocused. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Presently, we saw a cave and a man sitting nearby, staring off into the distance. His long golden-almost white- hair fell to his shoulders, swaying in the breeze.
"Oi! Kaija!" Faalan hollered, hands cupping his mouth. The man whipped around, searching for the the source of the noise.
"Oh, Faalan!" Kaija shouted back when he realized that it was Faalan. The two apparently knew each other well, for as soon as they came closer, they pulled each other into a bear hug.
"Where have you been?" Kaija chided Faalan jokingly.
"Nice to see you again too, Kaija!" Faalan replied, rolling his eyes.
"So, what brings you here again? And who is the newcomer?"
"Oh, her. She's Fala."
"Nice to meet you." I said quietly, looking down and fiddling with the flute in my hands.
"Ah, a shy one." Kaija said, smiling gently when I looked up again.
"Getting to the point," interrupted Khanna, "we need to buy some instruments. Or at least try some out."
"Instruments.... I have a lyre and a drum." Kaija declared after rifling through various boxes in the cave.
"We'll try the lyre." Faalan said firmly, stretching out a hand to take the lyre. Kaija muttered something about it improper to try an
instrument and not buy it, but Khanna shut him up with a glare that could send shivers down anyone's spine.
"Try it." Faalan urged, holding out to the lyre to me. Not complaining, I took the simple wooden lyre from his hands. It was made simply, just the bare essentials. There were no elaborate carvings or paintings, but it was carved with loving care.
The lyre seemed to call out to me as soon as I touched the smooth wood, just like the flute had. Once again, I found my body moving on its own accord, shifting to play the instrument. Chords of notes drifted through the air. Breathing in deeply, I felt an inner calmness; it was just so peaceful and beautiful in this past world. I also felt the love and dedication it took to make the instrument.
When I finished, the last few notes seemed to hang in the air as if they didn't want to leave. The last echoes of the music faded and I looked around to see Faalan, Khanna, and Kaija with calm expressions on their faces.
"That music...it seemed to calm the soul..." Kaija murmured, losing the joking tone he had before. His face had the expression of a completely relaxed person.
"I can't feel angry at anything at the moment." Khanna said wistfully.
"The melody was enchanting. It was like a spell. I found myself breathing with the ups and downs of the tune." Faalan said. "It seems that you can work your powers through other instruments."
"That's her power?" Kaija questioned.
"Apparently so." I said, smiling lightly.
"Ironic...."
"How so?"
"Mines is dancing with weapons. They're both forms of art."
"I see what you mean now."
"Perhaps this means we were meant for one another." he said huskily, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to his side, his hand starting to slip downwards.
"LET GO OF ME YOU PERVERT!" I screamed, tearing myself from his side. My heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat. It was way too sudden and I had only known the guy for what, two minutes?
"Kaija, I never knew you were that kind of person..." Faalan chuckled. Khanna let me fall into her waiting arms and pulled me
close her her protectively.
"What is wrong with you, Kaija?!" she yelled at him. "You've only known Fala for such a short amount of time!"
Kaija's face flushed bright red in his embarrassment.
"Aww.... But she's cute...." he stuttered. Then my own face burst into shades of red too. To tell the truth, he was a little cute too, but I loved Tahi. But Kaija was the opposite of myself, playful, fun, and cheerful. I'd always admired people who could do things that I couldn't bring myself to do. But Tahi... And I always thought that boys with long hair were cute. But I couldn't possibly...could I? Had I fallen for the boy that I had only known for such a short period of time? I hoped not. I always considered myself faithful to Tahi.
The days past as we spent more time where Kaija lived. He constantly got new merchandise to sell and more instruments passed through my hands. Every one that I tried was compatible with my gift. Kaija showed me his own gift, the graceful dancing with deadly weapons. It was incredible to watch him, the weapons flashing in the sun. His favorite weapons were the twin swords he carried on his sides.
Faalan and Khanna helped me to train. They eventually eased me off of wearing my shoes, and soon, I felt more comfortable without shoes than with. I found that I didn't have to submit to the wills of my gift drawing me to the instruments. I learned that I could control it so that I could play as usual, just not controlling the listeners.
They also helped me with my fighting skills. For Kaija, it came naturally, so he couldn't really help to explain. But the two siblings had trained themselves. They mainly used daggers, and that was what I was taught to use, but they had decent skill with other weapons, so they taught me all they could with swords and things I couldn't figure out what the name was. I suppose that's unimportant, seeing as you don't really need to know the name of something to defend yourself or kill someone. Although, I really hoped that it wouldn't come to that. But deep inside, I had the feeling something bad was going to happen.
I settled on the flute and lyre, for they were the first two that I played with my gift. Kaija found me a pouch that could hang in front of me, holding the flute snugly within. For the lyre, he produced a side belt of sorts that crossed in front and in back, allowing the lyre to hang by my side.
All was peaceful until he came.
AN: Well...this isn't the best chapter ever, but it was kinda fun writing it. I could have gone without it, but I decided to keep it anyways. I think I'll do more edits after I post the whole things. (AKA 21 or 22 chapters)
"Oh, you'll see." Khanna replied, smiling mischievously. Faalan remained silent. His eyes were slightly unfocused. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Presently, we saw a cave and a man sitting nearby, staring off into the distance. His long golden-almost white- hair fell to his shoulders, swaying in the breeze.
"Oi! Kaija!" Faalan hollered, hands cupping his mouth. The man whipped around, searching for the the source of the noise.
"Oh, Faalan!" Kaija shouted back when he realized that it was Faalan. The two apparently knew each other well, for as soon as they came closer, they pulled each other into a bear hug.
"Where have you been?" Kaija chided Faalan jokingly.
"Nice to see you again too, Kaija!" Faalan replied, rolling his eyes.
"So, what brings you here again? And who is the newcomer?"
"Oh, her. She's Fala."
"Nice to meet you." I said quietly, looking down and fiddling with the flute in my hands.
"Ah, a shy one." Kaija said, smiling gently when I looked up again.
"Getting to the point," interrupted Khanna, "we need to buy some instruments. Or at least try some out."
"Instruments.... I have a lyre and a drum." Kaija declared after rifling through various boxes in the cave.
"We'll try the lyre." Faalan said firmly, stretching out a hand to take the lyre. Kaija muttered something about it improper to try an
instrument and not buy it, but Khanna shut him up with a glare that could send shivers down anyone's spine.
"Try it." Faalan urged, holding out to the lyre to me. Not complaining, I took the simple wooden lyre from his hands. It was made simply, just the bare essentials. There were no elaborate carvings or paintings, but it was carved with loving care.
The lyre seemed to call out to me as soon as I touched the smooth wood, just like the flute had. Once again, I found my body moving on its own accord, shifting to play the instrument. Chords of notes drifted through the air. Breathing in deeply, I felt an inner calmness; it was just so peaceful and beautiful in this past world. I also felt the love and dedication it took to make the instrument.
When I finished, the last few notes seemed to hang in the air as if they didn't want to leave. The last echoes of the music faded and I looked around to see Faalan, Khanna, and Kaija with calm expressions on their faces.
"That music...it seemed to calm the soul..." Kaija murmured, losing the joking tone he had before. His face had the expression of a completely relaxed person.
"I can't feel angry at anything at the moment." Khanna said wistfully.
"The melody was enchanting. It was like a spell. I found myself breathing with the ups and downs of the tune." Faalan said. "It seems that you can work your powers through other instruments."
"That's her power?" Kaija questioned.
"Apparently so." I said, smiling lightly.
"Ironic...."
"How so?"
"Mines is dancing with weapons. They're both forms of art."
"I see what you mean now."
"Perhaps this means we were meant for one another." he said huskily, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to his side, his hand starting to slip downwards.
"LET GO OF ME YOU PERVERT!" I screamed, tearing myself from his side. My heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat. It was way too sudden and I had only known the guy for what, two minutes?
"Kaija, I never knew you were that kind of person..." Faalan chuckled. Khanna let me fall into her waiting arms and pulled me
close her her protectively.
"What is wrong with you, Kaija?!" she yelled at him. "You've only known Fala for such a short amount of time!"
Kaija's face flushed bright red in his embarrassment.
"Aww.... But she's cute...." he stuttered. Then my own face burst into shades of red too. To tell the truth, he was a little cute too, but I loved Tahi. But Kaija was the opposite of myself, playful, fun, and cheerful. I'd always admired people who could do things that I couldn't bring myself to do. But Tahi... And I always thought that boys with long hair were cute. But I couldn't possibly...could I? Had I fallen for the boy that I had only known for such a short period of time? I hoped not. I always considered myself faithful to Tahi.
The days past as we spent more time where Kaija lived. He constantly got new merchandise to sell and more instruments passed through my hands. Every one that I tried was compatible with my gift. Kaija showed me his own gift, the graceful dancing with deadly weapons. It was incredible to watch him, the weapons flashing in the sun. His favorite weapons were the twin swords he carried on his sides.
Faalan and Khanna helped me to train. They eventually eased me off of wearing my shoes, and soon, I felt more comfortable without shoes than with. I found that I didn't have to submit to the wills of my gift drawing me to the instruments. I learned that I could control it so that I could play as usual, just not controlling the listeners.
They also helped me with my fighting skills. For Kaija, it came naturally, so he couldn't really help to explain. But the two siblings had trained themselves. They mainly used daggers, and that was what I was taught to use, but they had decent skill with other weapons, so they taught me all they could with swords and things I couldn't figure out what the name was. I suppose that's unimportant, seeing as you don't really need to know the name of something to defend yourself or kill someone. Although, I really hoped that it wouldn't come to that. But deep inside, I had the feeling something bad was going to happen.
I settled on the flute and lyre, for they were the first two that I played with my gift. Kaija found me a pouch that could hang in front of me, holding the flute snugly within. For the lyre, he produced a side belt of sorts that crossed in front and in back, allowing the lyre to hang by my side.
All was peaceful until he came.
AN: Well...this isn't the best chapter ever, but it was kinda fun writing it. I could have gone without it, but I decided to keep it anyways. I think I'll do more edits after I post the whole things. (AKA 21 or 22 chapters)
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