Disclaimer: once again names, places, and faces belong to Mediaworld and I am playing with them purely for fun with no intent to cause copyright infringement or make any $$
Stormy says: Every time I get stuck on this story, I have a dream that gives me a new element to add in. Miya was the first dream.
Legend of the Promised One
White Shadows
"He-may-me-ya." Neri repeated the strange name to herself. "Uncle, where did she come from?" That came out louder than she'd intended.
"The temple of the crystals." King Nemon replied, "Miya, meet my niece, Princess Neri."
The Promised One curtseyed in a pool of white satin. Her dress was long and flowing, and her hair hung heavily over it. She straightened up and turned those amazing eyes on Neri. "Greetings, princess."
It was too strange. "Nice to meet you, Himemiya. Want to be friends?"
A lovely smile lit her face. "Perhaps. Would you introduce me to the people?"
"Sure-certainly." Some impulse prompted Neri to offer her arm like boys did to escort their girlfriends to dances. Himemiya tucked a thin hand in the crook of Neri's arm and swept along beside her.
"This is Shema, chief of the fliers."
Shema chirped, "Hello Promised One Himemiya. I am glad to meet you, thank you for appearing."
The Promised One blinked at the speed of the delivery, "Nice to meet you Shema. The fliers need more land, is that not so? Perhaps I can raise mountains for you."
"That would be much appreciated." Shema bobbed a bow and seemed to evaporate; she dashed off so fast.
"Shema's... always like that." Neri said. She saw two of the other leaders and nodded towards them, "Zardor is chief of the amphibians. The gray cavedweller with him is Laziah. Maybe Neanda came with him... there he is."
Neanda waved a shaggy paw at them and Neri led Himemiya over.
"Neanda..."
Neanda bowed, courtly as anyone Neri had ever seen. His eyes glittered thoughtfully. "I greet you, Promised One."
"Greetings cavedweller."
"Neanda is my oldest friend."
Himemiya stood silent. Her hand in Neri's arm was cool. The floor trembled. Neri saw Laziah look up sharply, then hurry from the room.
"I must go." The girl in white pulled away. She almost ran to the window, and dived out. A pair of white satin shoes lay on the floor.
Earthquakes, the true signs of trouble. Where had the Promised One gone? Laziah would have gone... to the temple under the earth! Neri wanted to go after him, since she couldn't follow Miya. She ran from the room.
The caves were like a maze. Neri ran along, choosing turns by instinct. There was no danger in getting lost but it might be a few hours before someone found her.
There-the open space, the carved doorway, that was the temple. All the lamps were out. Neri felt a twinge of fear. "Laziah?"
She went in. The altar stone was broken open, its heart removed. "Laziah? Where are you? Laziah!"
The monster was on her before she could turn, tusks snapping over her face, animal weight shoving her against the altar. Neri screamed and the monster roared in her face. She got one foot up, kicked the thing off her, and ran. She heard claws on stone and snuffling breath behind her. There was a well here somewhere, she remembered passing it-there! She climbed in, bruising her hands on the stone as she pulled herself deeper. Up through five feet of water she saw the beast's red eyes, its tusked mouth, and claws hanging over the sides of the well. It roared and the water shook.
What had happened to Laziah? The creature wasn't leaving; Neri couldn't come up. She told herself there had been no sign of struggle; Laziah had to be all right.
After long minutes the gruesome head vanished. Neri waited a little longer then came up. No sign of the monster. Her voice squeaked as she called, "L-laziah? Laziah! Anybody!"
"Woof!"
Micro. Neri slumped against the rock. "Micro, there's a monster."
"Woof." Micro hadn't seen it. He scouted around while Neri got her breath and slicked her wet hair into a knot. Then she heard Micro's howl and ran to help.
"What's wrong Micro-Laziah!"
The cavedweller chieftain lay on the floor. He wasn't visibly hurt but he wasn't moving. Neri bent down and touched the furry shoulder, "Laziah?"
A growling groan.
"Micro, get Neanda!"
"Rrf!" Micro replied.
"I am here Neri."
"Neanda!" Neri could have cried with relief. "There was a monster here! Laziah's hurt. The altar is broken."
Laziah's voice snarled, "True? The altar... the crystal."
"It's gone. Whatever was inside the rock is gone."
"Lorelei, Neri." The growl was fading from Laziah's voice. "She tore the stone with her hands. I tried to stop her. I remember no more."
"Enough. This is no place to rest." Neanda helped Laziah to his feet, half carrying the leader against his massive shoulders.
Neri looked back into the temple. The shattered altar stood silently. Laziah's staff lay on the floor. Neri ran and got it, then saw the marks of claws digging into the wood until it almost split.
They left Laziah in a guest room of the palace with the cavedweller doctor and Neanda caring for him. Neri whispered, "Neanda." And put the staff into her friend's hand.
He looked at the torn wood, expressionless. "Neri, a favor. Find the Promised One."
"All right." Neri ran out with Micro at her heels.
But the Promised One hadn't come back. Finally, angry, Neri climbed to the top of the palace and shouted, "Himemiya! Miyaaaa!"
There was no answer. A lorelei, Laziah had said. Oceanna's legendary monster, stone white creatures with long claws and empty eyes. They could charm any creature with a song and steal life with a kiss. But they were fantasy, no-one had ever really seen one. There was no such thing as a lorelei. Why had Laziah said it?
"Let's go back there."
"Arf?"
"You'll be able to smell the monster if it's there. It smelled like dead things."
They left the palace, went back through the caves. This time Neri knew the way. She walked silently to listen for the monster, but heard nothing. She came to the place where Laziah had fallen and brushed her hands over the stone feeling for blood. There was none. She went further, back to the temple.
"Smell anything Micro? Is it around?"
"Rr." No.
Neri put her hands in the broken altar and lifted out pieces of rock. She could feel grooves carved by the claws of the monster, or a lorelei. There was a perfectly shaped hole carved in the center of the stone. The crystal. Laziah's seeing glass had been one of the crystals of Oceanna.
And now it was gone. Into the phantom hands of the lorelei.
There was nothing else to see. They went outside. Neri waded into the ocean and sat down where the waves swelled just to her neck and lifted her hair. Perhaps it could wash away the way she felt. A crystal... Laziah's lorelei... the monster... Himemiya. She was afraid.
Miya walked out of the waves. Her sodden dress plastered to her body and swirled around her feet with the waves. Her hands were tucked into her dress, hidden.
"Promised One." Neri couldn't muster any emotion.
"Princess."
"What's going on?"
Miya just stared, blankly like she didn't know or didn't care. Finally she said, "The creature you saw will not return, for now. Laziah will be all right. The crystal is... gone." She collapsed, splashing into the water.
Neri jumped up to help her.
Miya came up gasping and choking, and Neri froze. The Promised One couldn't breathe water. But everyone born on Oceanna could breathe water. Neri helped the other girl out of the waves and Miya sat down in the hot golden sand, not caring how much stuck to her dress and her hair. Neri stood over her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." Miya said between coughs. "Only tired."
That was right; Neri had trouble getting her breath too, when she fell in. Her shocking thought couldn't have been true. It was impossible.
"Neanda wants to see you. But we can rest a little while."
They sat and watched the waves come in.
Elsewhere, and later...
"Are you well? Your hands..."
"Healing."
"Ah."
"They look at me with such awe. I think the princess... cares for me."
"What does she call you?"
"Miya. Himemiya."
"Princess of the gate. How appropriate."
Stormy says: Every time I get stuck on this story, I have a dream that gives me a new element to add in. Miya was the first dream.
Legend of the Promised One
White Shadows
"He-may-me-ya." Neri repeated the strange name to herself. "Uncle, where did she come from?" That came out louder than she'd intended.
"The temple of the crystals." King Nemon replied, "Miya, meet my niece, Princess Neri."
The Promised One curtseyed in a pool of white satin. Her dress was long and flowing, and her hair hung heavily over it. She straightened up and turned those amazing eyes on Neri. "Greetings, princess."
It was too strange. "Nice to meet you, Himemiya. Want to be friends?"
A lovely smile lit her face. "Perhaps. Would you introduce me to the people?"
"Sure-certainly." Some impulse prompted Neri to offer her arm like boys did to escort their girlfriends to dances. Himemiya tucked a thin hand in the crook of Neri's arm and swept along beside her.
"This is Shema, chief of the fliers."
Shema chirped, "Hello Promised One Himemiya. I am glad to meet you, thank you for appearing."
The Promised One blinked at the speed of the delivery, "Nice to meet you Shema. The fliers need more land, is that not so? Perhaps I can raise mountains for you."
"That would be much appreciated." Shema bobbed a bow and seemed to evaporate; she dashed off so fast.
"Shema's... always like that." Neri said. She saw two of the other leaders and nodded towards them, "Zardor is chief of the amphibians. The gray cavedweller with him is Laziah. Maybe Neanda came with him... there he is."
Neanda waved a shaggy paw at them and Neri led Himemiya over.
"Neanda..."
Neanda bowed, courtly as anyone Neri had ever seen. His eyes glittered thoughtfully. "I greet you, Promised One."
"Greetings cavedweller."
"Neanda is my oldest friend."
Himemiya stood silent. Her hand in Neri's arm was cool. The floor trembled. Neri saw Laziah look up sharply, then hurry from the room.
"I must go." The girl in white pulled away. She almost ran to the window, and dived out. A pair of white satin shoes lay on the floor.
Earthquakes, the true signs of trouble. Where had the Promised One gone? Laziah would have gone... to the temple under the earth! Neri wanted to go after him, since she couldn't follow Miya. She ran from the room.
The caves were like a maze. Neri ran along, choosing turns by instinct. There was no danger in getting lost but it might be a few hours before someone found her.
There-the open space, the carved doorway, that was the temple. All the lamps were out. Neri felt a twinge of fear. "Laziah?"
She went in. The altar stone was broken open, its heart removed. "Laziah? Where are you? Laziah!"
The monster was on her before she could turn, tusks snapping over her face, animal weight shoving her against the altar. Neri screamed and the monster roared in her face. She got one foot up, kicked the thing off her, and ran. She heard claws on stone and snuffling breath behind her. There was a well here somewhere, she remembered passing it-there! She climbed in, bruising her hands on the stone as she pulled herself deeper. Up through five feet of water she saw the beast's red eyes, its tusked mouth, and claws hanging over the sides of the well. It roared and the water shook.
What had happened to Laziah? The creature wasn't leaving; Neri couldn't come up. She told herself there had been no sign of struggle; Laziah had to be all right.
After long minutes the gruesome head vanished. Neri waited a little longer then came up. No sign of the monster. Her voice squeaked as she called, "L-laziah? Laziah! Anybody!"
"Woof!"
Micro. Neri slumped against the rock. "Micro, there's a monster."
"Woof." Micro hadn't seen it. He scouted around while Neri got her breath and slicked her wet hair into a knot. Then she heard Micro's howl and ran to help.
"What's wrong Micro-Laziah!"
The cavedweller chieftain lay on the floor. He wasn't visibly hurt but he wasn't moving. Neri bent down and touched the furry shoulder, "Laziah?"
A growling groan.
"Micro, get Neanda!"
"Rrf!" Micro replied.
"I am here Neri."
"Neanda!" Neri could have cried with relief. "There was a monster here! Laziah's hurt. The altar is broken."
Laziah's voice snarled, "True? The altar... the crystal."
"It's gone. Whatever was inside the rock is gone."
"Lorelei, Neri." The growl was fading from Laziah's voice. "She tore the stone with her hands. I tried to stop her. I remember no more."
"Enough. This is no place to rest." Neanda helped Laziah to his feet, half carrying the leader against his massive shoulders.
Neri looked back into the temple. The shattered altar stood silently. Laziah's staff lay on the floor. Neri ran and got it, then saw the marks of claws digging into the wood until it almost split.
They left Laziah in a guest room of the palace with the cavedweller doctor and Neanda caring for him. Neri whispered, "Neanda." And put the staff into her friend's hand.
He looked at the torn wood, expressionless. "Neri, a favor. Find the Promised One."
"All right." Neri ran out with Micro at her heels.
But the Promised One hadn't come back. Finally, angry, Neri climbed to the top of the palace and shouted, "Himemiya! Miyaaaa!"
There was no answer. A lorelei, Laziah had said. Oceanna's legendary monster, stone white creatures with long claws and empty eyes. They could charm any creature with a song and steal life with a kiss. But they were fantasy, no-one had ever really seen one. There was no such thing as a lorelei. Why had Laziah said it?
"Let's go back there."
"Arf?"
"You'll be able to smell the monster if it's there. It smelled like dead things."
They left the palace, went back through the caves. This time Neri knew the way. She walked silently to listen for the monster, but heard nothing. She came to the place where Laziah had fallen and brushed her hands over the stone feeling for blood. There was none. She went further, back to the temple.
"Smell anything Micro? Is it around?"
"Rr." No.
Neri put her hands in the broken altar and lifted out pieces of rock. She could feel grooves carved by the claws of the monster, or a lorelei. There was a perfectly shaped hole carved in the center of the stone. The crystal. Laziah's seeing glass had been one of the crystals of Oceanna.
And now it was gone. Into the phantom hands of the lorelei.
There was nothing else to see. They went outside. Neri waded into the ocean and sat down where the waves swelled just to her neck and lifted her hair. Perhaps it could wash away the way she felt. A crystal... Laziah's lorelei... the monster... Himemiya. She was afraid.
Miya walked out of the waves. Her sodden dress plastered to her body and swirled around her feet with the waves. Her hands were tucked into her dress, hidden.
"Promised One." Neri couldn't muster any emotion.
"Princess."
"What's going on?"
Miya just stared, blankly like she didn't know or didn't care. Finally she said, "The creature you saw will not return, for now. Laziah will be all right. The crystal is... gone." She collapsed, splashing into the water.
Neri jumped up to help her.
Miya came up gasping and choking, and Neri froze. The Promised One couldn't breathe water. But everyone born on Oceanna could breathe water. Neri helped the other girl out of the waves and Miya sat down in the hot golden sand, not caring how much stuck to her dress and her hair. Neri stood over her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes." Miya said between coughs. "Only tired."
That was right; Neri had trouble getting her breath too, when she fell in. Her shocking thought couldn't have been true. It was impossible.
"Neanda wants to see you. But we can rest a little while."
They sat and watched the waves come in.
Elsewhere, and later...
"Are you well? Your hands..."
"Healing."
"Ah."
"They look at me with such awe. I think the princess... cares for me."
"What does she call you?"
"Miya. Himemiya."
"Princess of the gate. How appropriate."