Teach Me How to See
Chapter Two: Cairn
Cairn – Man-made pile of stones. Have been used throughout history for landmarks, navigation, and religious purposes (Such as a grave marker or prayer site).
Things pick up here so I'll try not to lose you guys yet. I probably will though since the aim of the majority of this chapter is supposed to seem fast. Actually this chapter is a HUGE jump from nothing happening to action. Also, forgive me if I'm not accurate religiously throughout this story. On the bright side, there's a vocabulary word of the chapter up there. So if you're ever on a money show and you get the question about Cairns right, give me a holler (And maybe some donation money for college, jk jk)!
And I'd like to thank Alice Freyre for giving me a nice first review on this story. Truth be told, after you reviewed my hands had a mind of their own and made the chapter without telling my mind. After proofreading it a bit, it kinda turned out to be good considering I didn't think too much. Hurray for writer's instinct! XD
Although, my abdomen hurts right now. Why you ask? I had a minor surgery on a birthmark that looked potentially dangerous. Wish me luck on the lab results!
"Brighton…?" asked a small voice as he was roused from his sleep. The street sweeper groaned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He took in the young girl in front of him—her short red hair mussed up and arms filled with a pillow half her size. Most worrisome of all was her eyes which were filled with fear.
"Lanne? What's wrong?" He offered a hand to her, which she took as an invitation to climb into his bed. She sat cross-legged and her eyes stared down into her lap.
"I had a bad dream…" the redhead sniffled as she held the pillow tighter.
"It's only a dream. Nothing can hurt you in a dream, little one," he assured her but she shook her head. Brighton shifted in bed and she scooted over to the spot next to him. "So what's wrong?"
"Nothing happened really… But I kept hearing a scary voice." Little Lanne shivered and bit her bottom lip to prevent the tears from flowing down again. "It said 'Pay the price' and 'form the pact'. What does that mean? What price? And what's a pact?"
The street cleaner frowned but hoped that the dark of the room hid that from her. Instead, he cleared his voice and hoped it sounded more reassuring than he felt. "Don't worry Lanne. It was just a dream. Maybe it's just telling you something to prepare for the future?"
At this, she smiled weakly and yawned—the adrenaline now leaving her. "Thank you, Brighton. Can I…sleep here tonight?"
"Of course, little one." As he said these words, she fell into a deep slumber. He pat her head and sighed. "I can only hope that you will never understand those words, nor will you have to answer to them."
"Hey, Lilith, wanna curse me?" teased a boy as Lanne's lips thinned and her arms crossed over her chest. Some of the town boys found it funny to take her mailbag while she was taking a break. Now, it was held hostage by a boy in a tall tree just outside the shopping district of Edelstein.
"Can you give me back my bag now?" she asked and held her hand out. The boy swung her bag carelessly. A few envelopes fluttered down and the redhead bent down to pick them up. When she did, a few of the bolder boys in the tree tossed acorns at her head. Her eye twitched but she bit the inside of her cheek and placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, you've had your fun. Can you give it back now?"
"Make us!"
Lanne groaned and cursed under her breath. "It's not even noon and already I want to crawl in a hole."
Just as she was about to take a step forward she felt the air beside her cheek split. No sooner than that did a crossbow bolt thwack cleanly into the strap of her bag and then into the bark of the tree. The boy holding it fell out of the tree in shock while the other boys ran off in fright.
"You're not supposed to use that on citizens." Lanne commented as a familiar blonde came out from the bushes behind her. It had been at least a week since the two met and Adrien had begun to understand the apple haired girl. His brown eyes shone in amusement as he unloaded the ready bolt on his weapon.
"Well… Ms. Belle didn't see it so I'm safe for now. Sorry about your bag by the way… I was hoping he would drop it but I fired too close." Adrien said sheepishly while Lanne proceeded to climb the tree. They both continued to ignore the moaning boy on the ground.
"A little closer and you would have owed me a new cheek," her tone sounded indignant but he knew that if she was really mad then she would have ignored him—or worse, told Belle. "I can mend this anyway. The hole isn't too bad." Lanne grunted and barely managed to pull the bolt out of the thick bark.
The Wild Hunter trainee raised a brow and smiled smugly. "Not gonna ask why I'm not training?"
The redhead shrugged and carefully climbed down the tree, wincing when her long hair got caught in a few branches every now and then. "You'll tell me eventually. It's not like you can keep your mouth shut about enrolling in the 'school' here." She replied simply and slung the satchel over her shoulder. When she noticed that he wasn't following her she frowned skeptically. "Well?"
Adrien blinked and shook his head. "C-Coming!" He thought he had saw movement in the bushes but shook it off. 'Must have been the wind.' He told himself and caught up with the redhead. There hadn't been a breeze to begin with.
"They what?" Brighton bellowed as his parental instincts kicked in.
"Brighton, put the staff down." Lanne rolled her eyes and stretched, already feeling at ease down inside the base. "I didn't get hurt and Adrien was there to help me out."
His brow rose at the unfamiliar name. "Adrien? Is it that new Wild Hunter recruit?" Once again he took hold of his staff. Lanne quickly took it away from him.
"Tone down the testosterone. I'm pretty sure Belle wouldn't like you killing her only decent student." That same student was already getting a harsh scolding from the Wild Hunter Instructor as they spoke. Only heaven would help him have a dreamless sleep after that… The redhead smiled slightly and then stared deeply into the orb on his staff. "…?"
"Lanne?" the street sweeper called her when she didn't stop staring. He saw sparks appear in the orb and quickly intervened. "Lanne!"
The green-eyed girl took a sharp breath and shook her head out of her trance. "Huh?"
'It isn't supposed to respond to anyone but me. What's going on?' he thought grimly.
"…ton? Brighton!" Lanne's voice sounded muffled in his thoughts. "Are you okay? You've been acting strangely lately."
Brighton scanned Lanne's expression: concerned and confused with Brighton's recent behavior. She was still innocent and he dearly wished that she never had to have such a cruel fate thrust upon her at birth. However, the day has come for her to know what that fate was. "There's something I need to tell you."
Lanne parted her lips to speak but a loud siren cut them both off. The room flashed red and the screens all zoomed into one point. The entrance of the mine was smoking and Black Wing members were running out and screaming. Explosions followed as cloaked figures calmly walked out. Lanne furrowed her brows. "What the…? Who are they?"
Brighton recognized the alchemic symbols on their clothes and cursed.
"Lanne, I need you to stay down here. The instructors and I will try to drive them out." he grabbed his staff from her hands (somewhat surprised that it took a little more effort than he thought).
"What about the citizens? I need to help them—"
"No, stay here!" he cut her off harshly and she stared at him with a hurt and confused expression. Brighton took a deep breath and put a hand on his shoulder. He hoped that she couldn't feel it shaking. "Please, Lanne. Promise me that you'll stay here. That you'll stay safe. We'll handle the citizens."
The 18 year old nodded reluctantly and he offered her an apologetic smile. She returned a tiny one and removed his hand from her with gentle care. "Come back safely."
When the mage ran into the dark tunnels and out of earshot, Lanne gripped the front of her vest while frowning. "I'm sorry, Brighton." She turned and climbed up the ladder to the pipeline opening. When she was met with the light at the end, her nose picked up a foul odor of burning buildings and something else… Cautiously she poked her head out but quickly ducked when she saw the hooded figures again. Most, if not all of them, wielded staves not dissimilar to Brighton's save for a few technical details. Their clothing had symbols and images that Lanne had recognized from Brighton's study.
Two of them stopped in front of her hiding spot and she held her breath.
"Did you find the vessel yet?"
The other shook his head and cursed before wiping off blood from his hands. "No. That damned Resistance reacted faster than we anticipated. Noah, get your troops ready. We're gonna scour this godforsaken town for it even if we have to rip it apart stone by stone."
'Noah' took his hood off, revealing midnight black hair and gold cat-like eyes. Across his nasal bone and between his eyes was a diagonal scar. A sinister smirk came upon his lips and he nodded. "How fun. I hope they won't be as cowardly as those Black Wings or else this won't be fun at all." His gaze wandered to her hiding spot and she forced herself not to move or tear her gaze away. Any movement could give her position away, so she hoped that the darkness of the pipe would hide her red hair. Her left hand began to sting and she fought not to stare at it or make a sound. When Noah turned away, the pain also subsided. Lanne let her breathing even out silently and clenched her fist so hard that she could feel the crescent shaped moons on her palms already.
The other man shook his head and scoffed at his colleague. "Noah, if you do that then you'll end up killing the thing we're looking for. We need to bring it back to the boss alive. Not dead, not tortured, and not in pieces." The men exchanged a chuckle before continuing their search.
When the coast was clear, Lanne climbed out of her hiding place and surveyed the area. Already the town that was bustling and filled with life only an hour ago was burning and broken. Every now and then she heard a groan but couldn't decipher where it came from. Much to her dismay, she saw more unmoving bodies littered around town. "How could anyone do this…?" she asked shakily and stopped in the middle of the road despite how dangerous it was. Her ears picked up quiet sobbing and she whipped her head around. By the police station, a little girl was holding onto something stuck beneath the rubble. "Hey, what are you doing? You need to hide!" Lanne scolded. The little pinkette girl sniffed and turned to her with large teary eyes.
"I-I can't! Not without Mama!" she cried and Lanne only noticed now that the object she was holding was a limp hand that stuck out from the debris.
The redhead bit her lip and touched the girl's shoulder. "You need to come with me. Your mama doesn't want you to stay in this dangerous place."
"B-But Mama told me not to go with you!" The girl hiccupped. Lanne stiffened.
'Even though you extend your help, they don't accept you.' The silky voice in her head returned and Lanne felt her left hand burn once more. When she took a look at it she was appalled to see black markings, like a tattoo, on her hand. Did it appear when Noah looked at her? 'Give in. Leave her. You offered her sanctuary and she denied that kindness.' It was becoming harder to separate the voice from her own thoughts now and she backed away from the quivering girl that stared at her with watery blue eyes. 'Blue. You hate that color. It's the color of the sky. The color of the world that denies and shuns you.'
"Hey, that girl looks suspicious!" Lanne heard multiple shouts from behind her and numerous footsteps echoed closer. The redhead bit her lip and quickly picked the girl up, ignoring her crying pleas to release her and allow her to remain with her mother. She ran with the girl in her arm like a football and made a break for the base. At least there she could grab a crossbow or any other weapon.
All of a sudden, a hooded figure appeared with a blue flash. Lanne recognized it as teleport and deemed him a mage like the others.
"My, my, my. I went searching for a weak birdling and caught myself a canary." His was reminded her of one of the men that almost caught her. His eyes were dark ochre and beneath the hood she could make out blonde locks of hair behind a black headband. "Tell me. How does it feel to see your town in shambles? I imagine it hurts, yes?"
Lanne bristled and ignored the whine from the girl in her arms that tightened with her emotions. The redhead took a step back but stopped when she saw other hooded figures surrounding all her escape routes. Stall for time. Search for an exit. Survive. Her mind raced and she dug her boot into the stone road in irritation. "Who are you guys?"
"Us? We are the ones who are forgotten. We are the ones the world threw away because they were frightened of our power. We are Ars Noctis." The man pulled back the hood from his face. "My name is Surge." His skin was tanned and it contrasted against his platinum blonde hair, and yet the dark of his eyes allured her like the voice in her mind.
'They understand you. Go with them. Or do you want to remain alone until the day you lay rotting on your sickbed?' it questioned her daringly and Lanne once again had to make sure that it wasn't her own mind. Unconsciously she eased the girl down on the pavement and the girl tried to back away from her while staying a safe distance from the strange-cloaked figures. The man outstretched his hand. He had the most intriguing opal ring that pulled her attention toward it.
"Why are you in Edelstein…? We have nothing of value here. Not anymore." she managed to ask monotonously and her eyes began to lose focus.
Surge smiled not unkindly. Lanne found it calming and she took a step closer. The little girl looked at her in shock. "Lady?"
"I beg to differ. We're looking for something in this town. Can you assist us?"
'They need your help. Isn't that what you always wanted? To be of use? To help others?' If voices could smile, this one did. She could feel it on the back of her neck. 'Go on… Take his hand.'
Even though the warning lights were blaring in her head, both the soothing voice and enticing opal ring won her over. Soon enough, Lanne stood in front of him and tentatively reached out to take his hand when a loud roar cleared her senses. Her green eyes burned with hatred and she pulled her hand back as if scalded. "What did you do to me?"
Surge shook his head and lifted his shoulders helplessly. "Ah, I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to violence." When he took a closer look at her left hand all hints of friendliness vanished and were instead replaced with shock. "You…"
A large black jaguar leapt down from the upper level of the town and landed between Lanne and Surge. Belle shot her crossbow at him on the way down and he jumped back to avoid the mana infused bolts. "Lanne! Jump on!" The redhead nodded hastily but then looked back for the girl. She too was getting hoisted onto a jaguar with the help of another Wild Hunter. In the back of her mind Lanne wondered if Adrien was alright, but now was no time to think about that. She could only hope that he had visited the cave before all this happened.
Belle sighed almost gratefully when Lanne was on and leaned into her partner. "Hold on!" Both jaguars leapt over the circle of attackers and hurried away. The other jaguar went one direction while the one Lanne was on continued towards the direction of her house.
"Belle, what's going on? And what happened to the citizens? Are they alright?" she asked, not caring if her panic was finally beginning to set into her voice. Only now did she notice that Belle's feathered hat was gone and her clothes were tattered and bloody. Black Jack was also injured with strange marks. Lanne recognized that they weren't made with blades but were very close. Their injuries held lingering traces of dark mana.
"They're fine. Ace managed to move the majority to orbis before the airport was attacked." The Wild Hunter allowed her shoulders to relax but winced when she felt the full force of her wounds as her adrenaline slowly left her. "We were hoping that we would have a bit more time to prepare you for this but they came earlier than predicted." She said while pulling out a white potion from her pouch. Lanne wanted to give her an Elixir she had been saving but forgot that she left her bag back at the base. They stopped and Belle ordered Lanne off. "Lanne, I need you to hurry into your house and grab a satchel in Brighton's room as well as any books that he marked with a red bookmark."
Lanne knew better than to question Belle in her state. She merely nodded and ran inside—careful not to trip and waste precious time. Belle would have to guard the house alone until she came back.
Brighton's room was unusually messy and she cursed under her breath. She kicked clothes and other texts away from his bed and grabbed the only thing underneath. The two marked books were easy enough to find since they were on his nightstand. Lanne stuffed them inside the satchel and ran outside. Already she could see more cloaked figures and Belle shouted at her to get back on. Black Jack once again jumped over the crowd and she left the town area. Lanne recognized this route. They were going towards the mines.
"Belle, I know this isn't the right time but can I please know what the hell is going on?"
The Wild Hunter kept her eyes on the road ahead of her, checking for any new enemies. When Black Jack sensed none nearby they eased their pace. "Do you remember the war your parents were in years ago?"
"Yes. They were fighting against Solomon's demons, weren't they?"
"Exactly. I was still only about your age when it came to a close. We told you that we won the war but that wasn't the case." Belle gripped the reins tightly beneath her gloves and Black Jack whined in concern for his master. "We only managed to delay the inevitable and sealed his forces away." They arrived at their destination: The Black Wing's teleporter. The guard that normally watches the area lay on the ground unconscious and Belle let out a sigh of relief. She bent down and looted his pockets until she found what she was looking for. "Take this and use it to activate the teleporter. You have to go to Ellinia and speak to Grendel the Wise. He should be able to explain more."
"What about you? And Brighton and Claudine? Checky?" Lanne asked.
Belle chuckled softly. "I like your order of priorities."
"Belle!"
The strawberry blonde woman ruffled Lanne's long hair that was now slightly singed and dirty with ash. "Such a shame it got dirty. You look just like your mother, you know?"
"Belle, please, answer me!"
Belle's eyes showed hesitation before she shook her head and pushed her onto the teleporter. She activated the machine herself and forced herself not to look at Lanne's hurt expression as she disappeared into the light. Black Jack licked her cheek as the Wild Hunter slumped down, exhausted. The two heard the pounding march of boots and smiled grimly at each other. There was no way they were going to go down before that damned mechanic.
Chapter two and already I have blood, an escape scene, and an idea on the villains for my readers… It's a new record.
Btw…I don't know if you can tell but I've never made a Wild Hunter (Well, not entirely true. I DID make one, but I'm only level 11 and I stopped playing it, due to school and my lovely BaM). Forgive me if I get Belle's character, Wild Hunter attacks or anything to do with Wild Hunters wrong. But quite honestly, I know more about them than the mechanics, lol.
Anyway, once again forgive me for the sudden "Peace to sudden attack" transition. Like before, I didn't want the beginning to drag on. Also, there's a slight time error in the first chapter but I'm not fixing it. It's minor and doesn't affect the story too much. See? I'm such a lazy writer. Heaven help me if I decide to write a book, lol
Now, i'm off to play multiplayer in Assassin's Creed Revelations again. I'm so happy that stunning is easier now!
Trivial Trivia:
The 'voice' wasn't in the original script. Yes, I know. It's the infamous voice-in-the-head tactic. It's my risk in this story b/c more often than not I make it sound too...corny. In order to practice I'm gonna try it again. I blame listening to "Leia" (Vocaloid dub by nano & mistressu) for goading me into doing this. Buuuut, it does help with what I was going to accomplish later on in the story.
REVIEW PLEASE!
