Bridging The Divide
A/N: Hey ya'll! So I've been working on lots of different new fics in my spare time and this one recently popped into my head and I just ran with it. I really kinda like it, so what about you?
Chapter One- The First Footsteps
Warm wind grazed over the smooth surface of the land, shifting the hot sand as it swept along, carrying the small particles with it. A burning sun hung high in the sky; no clouds could be seen in the vibrant blue sky. Clouds just don't exist in this realm.
What was this realm?
This question often crossed curious minds, more so a young girl than anyone else. She was small but strong for her age, size not factoring in to her ability and strength. At eight summers Emma was the strongest of her generation, not always the brightest but it was always enough to keep her somewhat out of trouble.
Long, albino blonde hair was twisted into intricate braids all along her head and back, the tips just brushing the top of her thin tunic and leathers. Despite the natural heat of the air, the added layers did not bother the young girl, only ever adding to her image of strength. Though the disciplined and youthful warrior that she was, Emma was known for her mischievous side. Her signature impish grin was one to be taken with caution should you be on her "hit list". However the teaching of her people did not instil the same mean streak as it did the others of her generation but instead helped fuel the girls heart of peace.
This realm, Siccumterra, had it's own peace, but on the outside, beyond the magical divide lay the true enemy. The existence of the other realms was almost a myth to the youths now, for they, as well as their parents or grandparents had ever seen the great wars which had raged between the realms.
The fighting had gone on years, the start of it was unknown and it's purpose long since forgotten. The wiser men who did not fight all believed the war merely went on because the people wanted to fight…but not all.
One day, hundreds of years before Emma generation first stepped foot in the sand, brave men and women in search of peace prayed to the heavens, hoping a god, any god up there might put an end to the fighting and suffering. Though whether gods existed and listened was unknown, the great guardians of each the realms came together and created the Divide.
The Divide.
Nobody knows what truly lies between the realms and nobody wants too. Rumours of great beasts and monsters living in the Divide often played into bedtime stories for the children, animatedly told by parents whose knowledge of the Divide was as blank as their children's. Those who commit great crimes beyond the punishment of death are taken to the Divide. Nobody knows what takes them there and nobody wants too. Despite the most curious minds of the realm, the Divide is safely left a mystery.
Emma thought about it, the pull of adventure creating great fantasies of the hellish place. Only old stories and rumours painted it as a hell, but Emma liked to imagine it was something more.
It was winter in Siccumterra, though little change was made to the weather, the natural feel in the air still created shivers down the bravest warrior's spines. It was said that four realms existed, each land vastly different. Emma had never known what cold was like; she almost pitied those who lived in Frigidumterra, the snow and ice realm. Siccumterra was the desert realm, the land unknown to great colds and waters. Though she had never seen it, Emma knew of a green land that existed deep in the south of the realm, very close to the sea.
The silent sea entirely surrounded the realm, cutting them off from ever reaching the gateway to the Divide. Though like everything to do with Divide, the gateway was as much of a mystery as anything else, prophesised to exist deep in the sea, carved into cold, wet rocks.
The sun slowly began to shift in the sky, casting shadows from the sandy hills over the burning ground, warning Emma that she should return home.
Her people where very nomadic, moving with the herds of animals which created their food source. Stone huts and wooden walls didn't exist for the desert people, only old canvas and cracked, sun baked leather tents and huts.
Sandaled feet skipped across the sand, the horizon rippling as she caught sight of her clan. The people within the realm of Siccumterra where broken down into three nations, each occupying different parts of the realm. The Aquavirtus nation resided primarily around the shores and rocky lands of the realm, the only nation brave enough to venture into the sea. The sea people where somewhat peaceful with Emma's own clan and had an open trade systems but mostly kept to themselves. The nation known as Tenebrisvirtus lived deep in the only mountains found in the land, their interests spanning only as far as the mountains themselves, friendship with the other two nations didn't exist and wasn't needed.
Emma's own clan were known as the Albavirtus nation, the largest nation in the realm, occupying the vast majority of the land. The nations broke down into manageable clans which roamed around separately, each with their own leader. However all three nations had one high leader who commanded the entire of the nation.
Emma often pondered whether she was lucky to be the daughter of the great chief or unlucky. Having her mother be the controller of the Albavirtus nation had it's benefits, however a great deal of expectation and pressure way on Emma's small shoulders.
The wind whipped at her tunic as she entered the camp, two guards stood at the entrance watching her cautiously. A definite downside to being the daughter of the chief was the cautious behaviour people presented around her.
Her feet led her through the busy camp, emerald eyes darting along as she travelled towards her tent, located at the far end of the camp besides her parent's tent. She pushed through the heavy flaps, tired from her day journeying around. To her surprise she found her father sat calmly upon her unmade bed, a long package in his hands.
"Papa?" She asked curiously, approaching the large man. Charming had hailed from the Aquavirtus nation and had met Emma's mother many years prior to their marriage. Though they had had a shaky start, the two had eventually fallen for one another and Charming had come to live within the Albavirtus nation. Though he had grown up by the sea, a place requiring few warriors, he had proved to be a strong and often ruthless warrior, defeating many enemies throughout his life getting him the nickname of "Charming" which had just stuck. Emma wasn't sure of his real name and neither were many others.
"Emma." He greeted warmly. Though is stoic and usually unfriendly face kept most people on their toes, it was always washed away at the sight of his daughter or wife. Despite his brutal warrior side, Charming was a truly loving man and adored his daughter deeply.
He stood from the bed and knelt before the curious blonde, presenting the long package to her, an excited smile on his lined face. Emma took the package lightly in her hands, unprepared for the weight of it.
"Careful." He warned, placing his large hands beneath hers to help hold up the package. Emma tentatively pushed away the wrapping, gasping softly as it revealed a polished sword.
"Is this for me?" She asked, unable to cover the joy in her voice.
"We had it made specially for you, just the right weight and balance." He explained as Emma grabbed the sword, holding it before her face, looking at her own overjoyed face in the metal.
"Why?" Emma stomach began to drop as she knew the significance of a sword. Children were presented with a sword by those they would be destined to take over from, whether it merely be the head of the family or the leader of an entire nation. Emerald eyes narrowed at her father who smiled proudly.
"Your mother has chosen her heir from the warriors in your band." Emma fears were quickly confirmed as a heavy hand clapped onto her shoulder. "You, Emma."
Charming pulled his daughter forward, hugging her close with pride. He missed the fearful look upon Emma's face as the weight of the situation pushed down on her.
"I thought she was going to choose Namrick or Riock." Emma stuttered, her panic being misinterpreted by her father who smiled at her.
"She simply had to show a widened view of you all, but it was always going to be you Emma, how could you ever doubt yourself?"
She opened her mouth to reply but Charming abruptly stood, waving his hand at her dismissively, turning to grab a white tunic from the bed along with smart new leathers.
"Regardless of your lack of faith, we must hurry, the ceremony will start soon." He handed an overwhelmed Emma the clothes before affectionately stroking her head and kissing it. "I'll see you over there as soon as you're ready, Chief."
Emma smiled half-heartedly at him as he left before she dropped the smile.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The council tent stood in the centre of the camp, the largest tent found in the camp. A raised platform was placed in the centre of the tent, a moat like fire pit circling around it. Around the edge were long benches for people to sit on, either for meetings or watching ceremonies. Two woven thrones had been placed at the back of the tent, both of which were occupied.
Emma strode into the tent, pushing down her fear and walking proudly. Emerald eyes fell onto her parents who watched her proudly. Her mother, Snow, wore similar clothing to Emma though a red sash hung from her shoulders and partly across her chest, symbolising her position as Chief. Charming also wore a sash, coloured deep blue, signifying the role of Chief consort and second in command.
Snow raised her hand at her daughter and Emma stopped in her tracks, her eyes moving to the platform her mother was directing her towards. Slowly, the young girl made her way up onto the platform, small hands clutching the hilt of her sword for dear life.
A wise man stepped forward and began to speak, beginning the ceremony. Emma kept her eyes trained on her mother, barely listening to a word the old man spoke.
Sometime passed, during which Emma's sword was passed around each of the council members who in turn blessed her and the sword. Eventually the sword reached Snow, who stood from her throne and approached Emma.
"And so it is done." She said loudly, her voice ringing in Emma's ears. "May the god's bless Emma White, heir to the sword of the Albavirtus nation."
Snow handed the sword to Emma, and they bowed to one another as cheering and clapping sounded around them. Snow smiled lovingly at her daughter who in turn returned the affection, praying to every god of the realm that her mother live a long life so that she may never be Chief until she was ready.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Celebrations roared long into the night as the desert people sang and danced and drank heavily. Emma weaved in and out of the celebration, smiling politely while random people excitedly blessed her as she went.
Eventually she made it to the edge of the camp, the sound of music and chanting fainter now. Emma took long breaths in, reaching up to touch the new necklace that now hung around her neck. Along with her sword, Emma had also received a bead from each of the council members, all of whom represented a part of their belief system. Each bead was intricately carved from wood, the markings associated with either the gods or elements.
She walked further from the camp, the cool night air relaxing Emma as she went. It was only at night could you feel coolness. Emma stopped atop a sand dune not far from the camp, admiring the area around her.
Suddenly she let out a great scream as the ground beneath her suddenly began to move and sink. Emma desperately tried to escape but it was no use. The ground squeezed her legs tightly together, pulling her in deeper before it was suddenly gone and she was falling into the abyss.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She seemed to travel through the darkness, gliding and curling through the air before she abruptly landed upon hard ground, letting out a whine of pain. Her vision was fuzzy as uncertain eyes blinked open to look around.
Emma's brows knitted together in confusion as she looked around her. She was in some kind of hut, though it was not made of the canvas walls she was familiar with. The walls seemed to be made of stone, though it was not the stone Emma had ever seen before. It was neatly stacked, stretching up high above her.
Emma moved cautiously around, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly as she moved through the strange hut. The ground beneath her seemed to be some kind of woven cloth; unlike the pelts and furs they used back home.
As she moved around the corner Emma jumped fearfully at the sign of movement and drew her sword instantly. The blade extended out towards a strange looking girl on the other side of the hut. Her large brown eyes were wide with shock as she regarded Emma.
The blonde instantly charge forward, pinning the girl and placing the blade beneath her trembling chin.
"Where am I?!" Emma demanded, pushing the blade in deeper. The girl frantically said something but Emma did not recognise the language. The blonde backed up in shock, realising this was not something from her realm.
Only three languages existed within Siccumterra and while Emma didn't fully speak the other nation's languages, she could easily identify them. However as the stranger continued to babble something Emma's confusion only deepened.
She moved off of the girl, removing her blade. The strange took in a sharp intake of breath as the blade was removed and scrambled back, putting as much distance as she could between herself and Emma.
Emma sat back on her heels, frowning at the stranger. She had long brunette hair, all of which was swept over her bare shoulders. Her skin was a smooth olive complexion, however it was pale as is if she didn't see the sun as much as Emma did. She wore a long, thick looking dress with a cloak over her shoulders.
They continued their stare off for a very long time the language barrier proving an issue. One of them was occasionally say something in hopes the other might suddenly understand but there was no such luck.
Emma had taken to studying the strange stone walls, fascinated by their structure. The stranger watched her closely; her posture was less frightened than before. Emma slipped back down to the ground, crossing her legs as she studied the other girl.
She was very beautiful, her appearance unlike anything Emma had ever seen. She looked so clean. While the desert people had access to soap and water, the constant dust of the desert forever clung to their skin.
The stranger in turn seemed to be calculating Emma, her brown eyes far softer than before, looking over her blade curiously. Emma thought of the young children in her camp and how she often communicated with them via hand gestures and sign language.
Emma held a hand up as to gain the other girl's attention before gesturing around them. Brown eyes followed the path of her hand before it dropped back down only to be raised with the other to signifying Emma's question.
"Where are we?" She said slowly, repeating the sign language. The stranger frowned for a moment before nodding. Hope rose in Emma only to crushed when the stranger shrugged sadly.
Silence fell again as they continued their stare off. Emma wondered what her name was and decided she might be able to find that out. Pointing to herself roughly, the blonde began to say her name.
"Emma." she pronounced each syllable slowly, hoping the stranger may understand. The brunette frowned for a moment before understanding dawned on her face and she smiled.
"Emma" She repeated, pointing at the blonde who smiled. "Em-ma." She said again, testing the new word.
"Yes." Emma nodded before pointing the stranger.
"Re-gi-na." She spelled out, waiting for Emma to repeat it.
"Regina." Regina smiled happily, clapping her hands. Emma smiled back proud they had gotten somewhere.
She pondered how she got here and why. She must have fallen through some kind of gateway for she couldn't still be in Siccumterra, nobody speaks the language Regina did there. Emma wondered if she was in Regina's realm or another entirely. There were no windows and no doors in the hut, sealing them off from wherever they were.
Emma shook her head, breaking her train of thought as she scooted towards Regina. She wanted to learn more about her and hoped they could find a way to work through their communication issue.
"Regina-" Emma began but stopped when the ground shifted beneath her. Suddenly a strange wind burst into the room out of nowhere, engulfing a very frightened Regina who leapt forward, grabbing Emma's hands who was slowly sinking back into the earth.
They both watched each other in horror as they were sucked back to their realms.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Emerald eyes blinked open as Emma returned to consciousness. She abruptly sat up, looking around dazed and confused. She was back in the desert, exactly where she left. The faint sound of the celebrations hit her ears, clearly she hadn't been missed.
Emma glanced up at the sky, noticing the moon hadn't moved though she had been with Regina for at least two hours.
Had it been real?
She continued to look up at the moon; it was the first one of the New Year. Had it all been a dream? Emma questioned herself as she slowly stood, grabbing her sword which lay beside her. As she made her way back to camp the only thing she could think of was the stranger from before.
Regina.
A/N: Gah! This was really fun to write and plan and it's got my imagination running wild! Please review and tell me what you think and if I should continue? Feel free to PM with questions and follow for more because I want to write more! Till next time Kids.
