The wind whipped the salty spray through my hair, burning the cuts on my cheek made from Xander's stonesword. As the thunder clapped in the distance, bringing the inevitable doom of the Storm even closer, our ensemble trudged through the mossy terrain, stumbling over small stones, and the burdens of a past we strive to forget.
Blackness.
The retreats have started again.
Back to reality.
We continue in haste across the mountain. Trying to escape the mental control of the Storm.
Blackness.
Fighting. Hurting. Xander turns, smiles with his kind, dark eyes. The only eyes I felt truly safe in during these messy times. He turns to tell me...
Back to reality.
We must hurry.
The Storm storm pushes me again.
Blackness.
Screaming.
Xander's smile turns ashen while looking in my eyes. The light leaves him, then, he becomes part of the Storm.
And attacks.
Back to reality.
"Jonaven!" I shout. "We need to leave. How many more trusts do you have from the Jargon?"
"Three currently" He replies. Jonaven has never been the brother to waste time with speech.
"Call in an escape!" I shout.
Jonaven cries the words of their Pact and the Jargon appears out of the sky. His large glittering wings and hot breath create a screen of steam in the salty air. Some could say a Jargon is like a dragon, yet they are more wise and deserving of those with a true heart of gold. They only choose one to create a Bond. Jonaven is his one. The Bond is what connects the Trusts. It's what lets each call in help from the other. It is what kills one, if the other dies.
Our dwindling band climbs onto the slippery back of the Jargon, holding onto one another as we ascend upward into the sky.
When we finally descend, the earth has changed. No longer are we on the seashore, but in a wooded forest, with a few distant mountains, and a flowing river heading east. We find a spot surrounded by rocks and soft piles of vegetation to set up camp.
The Storm is far distant, I can no longer feel the thunder.
We thank the Jargon, and Jonaven wanders off to speak with him. While he heads off Eleavin, Lillianne, and I begin to pick around on the forest floor to find firewood. Eleavin and Lillianne are my sisters, Jonavin, my brother. Us, Charzare, and Quintus, are all that are left in our family after the Storm came through. We are from the clan Thornovic. A class of mighty intelects and warriors, we were the clan of welcoming, of hope for our village. Then the Storm came in. The Storm is a mystery, no one knows it's origin, but when it came into our village, our mighty family clan of ten warriors, was torn. Some died, in the way the storm kills. Some escaped with our group. We have lost many from our village on our flee from the Storm, but they were given the chance to live longer, to try and survive. That is what has kept me from falling into doubt, into sadness of the hearts no longer with us.
Someone is yelling in the distance. I turn and sprint to Eleavin and Lillianne.
"Ow! Ow, Owwwwww!" Lillianne whines out. She has cut her hand with the crystal blade I gave her. It looks as though Eleavin was egging her on again.
"What happened? Are you alright?" I ask, panting from the run. "WELL, I didn't do anything, Lillianne was-" Eleavin starts. "I don't want to hear what you didn't do, Eleavin, I want to hear what happened, so why don't we give Lillianne a chance?" I say. "Okay, Lill's, why don't you tell me how this happened." I say, as I begin to wrap her hand. "Merahan, Eleavin said the Storm was coming, and I needed to learn how to use my blade you gave me. She said that I was going to die, just like Mother and Father and Malcolm, and Spencriven. I don't want to, and so I tried to show what I could do, and I cut myself." Her eyes were brimming with tears, and she was shaking with sadness.
This journey has been hard for all of us, especially the younger ones. They haven't known a true family for over a year, and they know their vulnerability. I look over at Eleavin, who stands with her arms crossed, shorter than her younger sister, but more muscular and built like a fighter. Her face is almost unreadable, you can tell she is serious in protecting Lillianne. Eleavin's loyalty is unbreakable, but there is something inside, a popping firecracker that has been snuffed out, one that tries to come alive, but breaks down. "Eleavin" I start "I know this has been an ordeal, for both of you, especially this last week or so." I look at Lillianne. "Our family may be dead, they may not be, either way, they are now. We just don't know what the Storm is. I know this though, you will not die. I will protect you both with my life, and I know you would do the same. I need you to be there for Charizard, she is young enough to forget this, and she needs her happy, thoughtful, teasing, smart older sisters." I look at each of them, and smile. It's been a while since I've had one of those cross my face. Lillianne stands and gives me a hug. She runs and grabs Eleavin, who has started to smile and get the shine in her eyes again, and she pulls her into the hug too.
Lillianne looks at the forest and smiles, but falters for a second. "What about you?" She asks. "What about me?" I wonder back. "What about you? Will you be there for us, always?" She questions with both her words and her deep brown eyes. "I-I will." It comes out stuttering, because I don't quite know what she means. There may come a time where I will have to die for both of them, then I can't be there. That is why preparation is key. "Good. I know you will" Lillianne zips me from my thoughts with her trusting words, gives us one last hug, and we walk along back to the campsite.
Blackness.
The retreats have started again.
Back to reality.
We continue in haste across the mountain. Trying to escape the mental control of the Storm.
Blackness.
Fighting. Hurting. Xander turns, smiles with his kind, dark eyes. The only eyes I felt truly safe in during these messy times. He turns to tell me...
Back to reality.
We must hurry.
The Storm storm pushes me again.
Blackness.
Screaming.
Xander's smile turns ashen while looking in my eyes. The light leaves him, then, he becomes part of the Storm.
And attacks.
Back to reality.
"Jonaven!" I shout. "We need to leave. How many more trusts do you have from the Jargon?"
"Three currently" He replies. Jonaven has never been the brother to waste time with speech.
"Call in an escape!" I shout.
Jonaven cries the words of their Pact and the Jargon appears out of the sky. His large glittering wings and hot breath create a screen of steam in the salty air. Some could say a Jargon is like a dragon, yet they are more wise and deserving of those with a true heart of gold. They only choose one to create a Bond. Jonaven is his one. The Bond is what connects the Trusts. It's what lets each call in help from the other. It is what kills one, if the other dies.
Our dwindling band climbs onto the slippery back of the Jargon, holding onto one another as we ascend upward into the sky.
When we finally descend, the earth has changed. No longer are we on the seashore, but in a wooded forest, with a few distant mountains, and a flowing river heading east. We find a spot surrounded by rocks and soft piles of vegetation to set up camp.
The Storm is far distant, I can no longer feel the thunder.
We thank the Jargon, and Jonaven wanders off to speak with him. While he heads off Eleavin, Lillianne, and I begin to pick around on the forest floor to find firewood. Eleavin and Lillianne are my sisters, Jonavin, my brother. Us, Charzare, and Quintus, are all that are left in our family after the Storm came through. We are from the clan Thornovic. A class of mighty intelects and warriors, we were the clan of welcoming, of hope for our village. Then the Storm came in. The Storm is a mystery, no one knows it's origin, but when it came into our village, our mighty family clan of ten warriors, was torn. Some died, in the way the storm kills. Some escaped with our group. We have lost many from our village on our flee from the Storm, but they were given the chance to live longer, to try and survive. That is what has kept me from falling into doubt, into sadness of the hearts no longer with us.
Someone is yelling in the distance. I turn and sprint to Eleavin and Lillianne.
"Ow! Ow, Owwwwww!" Lillianne whines out. She has cut her hand with the crystal blade I gave her. It looks as though Eleavin was egging her on again.
"What happened? Are you alright?" I ask, panting from the run. "WELL, I didn't do anything, Lillianne was-" Eleavin starts. "I don't want to hear what you didn't do, Eleavin, I want to hear what happened, so why don't we give Lillianne a chance?" I say. "Okay, Lill's, why don't you tell me how this happened." I say, as I begin to wrap her hand. "Merahan, Eleavin said the Storm was coming, and I needed to learn how to use my blade you gave me. She said that I was going to die, just like Mother and Father and Malcolm, and Spencriven. I don't want to, and so I tried to show what I could do, and I cut myself." Her eyes were brimming with tears, and she was shaking with sadness.
This journey has been hard for all of us, especially the younger ones. They haven't known a true family for over a year, and they know their vulnerability. I look over at Eleavin, who stands with her arms crossed, shorter than her younger sister, but more muscular and built like a fighter. Her face is almost unreadable, you can tell she is serious in protecting Lillianne. Eleavin's loyalty is unbreakable, but there is something inside, a popping firecracker that has been snuffed out, one that tries to come alive, but breaks down. "Eleavin" I start "I know this has been an ordeal, for both of you, especially this last week or so." I look at Lillianne. "Our family may be dead, they may not be, either way, they are now. We just don't know what the Storm is. I know this though, you will not die. I will protect you both with my life, and I know you would do the same. I need you to be there for Charizard, she is young enough to forget this, and she needs her happy, thoughtful, teasing, smart older sisters." I look at each of them, and smile. It's been a while since I've had one of those cross my face. Lillianne stands and gives me a hug. She runs and grabs Eleavin, who has started to smile and get the shine in her eyes again, and she pulls her into the hug too.
Lillianne looks at the forest and smiles, but falters for a second. "What about you?" She asks. "What about me?" I wonder back. "What about you? Will you be there for us, always?" She questions with both her words and her deep brown eyes. "I-I will." It comes out stuttering, because I don't quite know what she means. There may come a time where I will have to die for both of them, then I can't be there. That is why preparation is key. "Good. I know you will" Lillianne zips me from my thoughts with her trusting words, gives us one last hug, and we walk along back to the campsite.