Hello and welcome to the third chapter of The Brightest Flames! I would just like to thank those of you who took the time to leave comments. I really appreciate it, and I enjoy seeing the feedback! And even if you haven't left any comments, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this so far. Now, without further adieu, on with the story!
I'm sitting in my stone brick room, hugging my knees as I call forth a precognition dream. I figure that I might as well look into my future, seeing as how I'm unconscious and all. I would definitely like to know what's in store for me now that those goons have captured me. I sigh and close my eyes. The contents of these dreams are never exactly what I hope for, but I can try to narrow down the possibilities into the general range of what I want to know. In my head I begrudgingly picture the crest of the World Nobles, and when I open my eyes I see it painted on the wall. I keep my eyes on the picture. "What's going to happen?" I ask my subconscious. I hope it gets the hint and gives me something having to do with my current predicament.
I'm not expecting a straight answer. The answers are always like riddles, only they're more like pictures instead of words. I fear my mind might show me a cage or some shackles. However, I don't see either of those things. Instead, I get something completely different. The friendly, fiery specter from my last precognition dream bursts into the room through the only available door. Does it have to do with the World Nobles, or did my subconscious simply ignore my request for the information I desire?
"What are you?" I ask. The flames don't reply. They simply move to make a sort of half circle between me and the crest on the wall. Does that mean someone or something will save me? But what does fire have to do with it? I reach toward the flames, and watch them dance against my fingertips. "Throw me a bone, won't you? I need something more. An object, or picture or change of scenery or something." I say.
Surprisingly I actually get what I ask for, for once. The fire moves out of the way, and I notice a different symbol had taken the place of the Celestial Dragons' crest. It was blue cross with what looked like a crescent moon that curved upward. The bells of recognition sounded in my brain. I've seen that symbol somewhere, I know it!
I suddenly find myself in the waking world after discovering my new clue. I pry my eyes open, groaning at the uncomfortable position I'm in. After my disorientation fades, I realize I'm being carried like a sack of potatoes. I'm slung over someone's shoulder, and judging by the mark on the back of his clothes, I think it's safe to assume it's a Collector. My limbs are heavy due to being unconscious, and it takes a few moments to get myself prepared to start struggling.
By the time I ready to begin kicking and yelling, I finally notice that we haven't been moving. The Collectors are arguing with somebody for some reason.
"—not inclined to do anything you say." The tone sounded casual. Bored even.
"Look, you pirate scum, we've got somewhere important to be. Now get out of the way!"
I don't really care about the little spat going on. I just want to get out of here. I start squirming and pounding my captor's back. The only thing I get in response a snort of annoyance. Right now I kinda wish I that I had been raised for combat instead of a life of leisure. That would have helped me tons. Unfortunately, no one can pick their parents. "Now look, you've kept us so long, the brat woke up."
"Let go of me, you buffoon!" I shout. My fists beat against his back relentlessly, despite the fact that it seemed to have no effect whatsoever.
"Easy there, Miss Winslow. I've hit you once already. Don't think I won't do it again!"
"You're a brute! I shouldn't be treated like this!" No matter how much I try to worm my way off of the Collector's shoulder, he keeps me firmly in place. "Release me this instant!" I manage to maneuver my body into a position where I can slam my elbow into the back of the man's head.
His hold on me falters enough to drop me to the ground. "Damn it!" Before I can put any distance between him and myself, I feel fingers wrap around my neck. "You've done it now, you spoiled little brat!"
I hear one of the other Collector's speak as my airflow was suddenly cut off. "Hey, it'll be bad for us if we deliver damaged goods!" I choke and grasp at the hands around my neck blindly, trying to pry them loose.
"Don't worry! A few bruises won't matter! It's not like she'll be any less valuable!"
The edges of of my vision start to turn black as the strength leaves my body. My limbs fall limp as my consciousness fades for the second time today. However, just before my eyes close, I see a blinding orange and yellow light take up the remainder of my sight. Then all I see is blackness.
The darkness only lasts a few seconds though. Once again I find myself in my usual stone room. I don't like it normally, but today especially I'm getting kind of sick of it. I could always let myself have a regular, non riddle-like dream, but unlike most people, questions pester me even after I've reached the deepest parts of my subconscious. In no time my dreams would circle around the blue cross-like symbol I discovered earlier. Well, I may as well take advantage of being choked into unconsciousness.
The wonderful thing about lucid dreams like mine is that I can do anything I want. Something tells me I saw the cross sometime today, so I change the scenery. I find myself standing somewhere in Sabaody—in the town that I'm in at the moment, actually. Now...Where have I seen that blue symbol before? I look around at the fuzzy, faceless forms around me. Their people, but since I don't remember what any of them look like, they don't have any distinguishing characteristics.
It only takes me seconds to locate the blue symbol among the frozen crowd. I walk toward it and notice that it's someone's chest. I look up at him, and then look around once again. I spot a black figure nearby, and I realize that this is the guy I had run into while trying to get away from those goons. I look back at the man bearing the symbol, but like all the other faceless phantom people in the area, I couldn't find any other notable characteristics other than the mark. However, for some reason I know that I've seen him somewhere before. Not in person, I don't think. A wanted poster? Is he some wanted pirate? I wish I could summon up a stack of wanted posters to sort through, but my mind isn't a filing cabinet. My memory only goes so far.
I start trying to figure it out anyway. I think up different facial features and hair styles, trying to see if I can find a combination that seems realistic. However, my work get's cut short. My grasp on my dream world is starting to weaken, and I can hear a muffled voice attempting to get my attention.
"No! I'm so close to figuring this out!"
But the calling doesn't cease. My dreamland fades to black, and I find myself returning to the conscious world to face whomever is trying to wake me up.
I blink my eyes awake and let the world come into focus. When it does, my eyes go wide. In front of me, I see the geisha man from earlier staring back at me. "Well, she's okay." he stated before rising to stand at his full height. I realize I'm sitting propped up against a wall. "You know, I think I can believe you slept by a tree if you were hiding from those bastards." he said.
"Um..."
"So why are they after you anyway?"
I've barely had any time to think and he's already asking questions. "Wait..." my voice comes out slightly hoarse, probably from nearly having my throat crushed. "You...You saved me? Why?" I ask warily.
"I didn't. They did." Izo tilted his head toward the two fellows who loitered nearby. I look over and see a boy not much older than me sitting on a crate. He was wearing a bright orange cowboy hat and loose shorts, with no shirt. The other leaned up against the wall, and wore a purple jacket that was open to reveal the blue mark from my dream. It takes me a moment for things to sink in and click into place. I recognize just who I'm looking at.
What in the world does this mean for me?