Chapter 12 ~ A Journey of the Soul
The sun's rays were slowly outlying the landscape. The rider was all alone in the flat plains. Rushing her horse gently, she hoped she would get as far as possible, before the light would be too scarce to continue further. Unluckily for her, she did not see the dark clouds that were building up into the sky. For her, the gentle remains of the dying sunlight were enough.
It had been four days since Lady Celena had set out of her "journey of the soul". It was the reason she had used to get away from the palace without the others bothering to tell her brother. She had lied, and told them she went to visit the convent in which she spent five years of her life. It wasn't really a lie, since she had truly visited the nuns. With their help, she was now on her way to the Cave of the Birds, to find the High Order. Celena was sure that Eunice and her clan would help her. Thus, she had set out on the tedious journey to the Forgotten Plains. Rumour had it that the Cave of the Birds was in the near vicinity of the Forgotten River. "Well, here's the river, now all I got to find is the cave." Celena thought.
Indeed, she was on the sandy banks of a small river. Celena closed her eyes, and listened to the crisp whisper of the water. It was a beautiful calling she had not felt in a long time. Sometimes, Celena regretted not living in the convent any more. There, the nuns spent lots of times in the nature, either exploring their artistic side, or searching for plants that then they transformed into potions. Celena had always liked to hide somewhere in the forest and read. Sometimes she would go looking for medicinal plants, but only when she felt in the mood. Books had always been her passion. She didn't have the heart to travel alone, and Allen was busy being a knight, so Celena had found her refuge in books. They would tell her things she had an urge of finding out on her own, but didn't have the courage to try out. Celena opened her eyes, and guided her horse into the river. She would have lots of time to reflect on what makes her happy after she finds the Cave of the Birds and gets it over with. Celena looked up at the sky, and saw that it became cloudy. A storm would be underway soon, and she need it to find shelter. The search could be resumed later on in the day.
The storm was indeed heartbeats away. Quick flashes of lighting began to illuminate the cloudy sky. The thunder reaped in the distance, and the once soothing wind began to take its frustration out on the small trees. "I need to find shelter fast." Celena thought. Indeed, the raindrops started pouring on the landscape. Celena found a small cave and settled in it. She unpacked her gear and made camp for the night. Nature was at its worst, as if taking its anger out on the trees. On the wall of her cave, projected by the small fire, Celena could see the desperate struggle of the branches. In the darkness, that struggle looked like a grotesque dance of horror. She closed her eyes, shivering from the whole of her being. How she hated the dark. Even more when she was alone. Celena felt repulsion towards the nothingness. The darkness always reminded her of Motaro's lab, and of all her past pain. She shivered and went to bed. There was nothing better to do than sleep. Well, she wasn't going to go to sleep. She was going to go talk to Dilandau. At least she wouldn't feel mentally alone. Celena closed her eyes, and wished herself back to the place where Dilandau was.
As usual, he was waiting for her. This time, it was the closed garden of a castle. Celena could distinctly see the stone blocks, and the hanging plants. It looked eerie, with the light of yonder moon shining so invitingly on everything. Celena couldn't see Dilandau, but she was sure he was there somewhere. For now, this was better than the outside, where the storm was going thorough its course.
"I wasn't expecting you here tonight." She heard his amazingly soft voice behind her.
Celena turned around, and from behind a curtain of hanging plants, she could spy Dilandau's silhouette.
"It's storming outside. I don't like stormy nights," she confessed boldly. There was no use in hiding anything from him.
"Well, I am here for comfort," he said with a warm smile.
Dilandau approached Celena, and in the moonlight, he found himself wondering like many times before why was she doing that? After all, she was living a prosperous life on her own. Ever since Dilandau became a part of her, he tried to not interfere. He saw his own mistakes, and came to term with his past. Yet now she was intent on helping him gain his own body. Why? Did she not understand the risks she was taking for her own self? Dilandau was puzzled that so much understanding and compassion could come from her. He had learned in time each of those emotions, and he had found every single one more intriguing than the previous, yet in all the time he had spent watching her, he had not been able to comprehend how she could still care so much for him. After all, he was the one that stripped her of her childhood and adolescence. He was the one that caused her so much pain. How could she still care for him? It was beyond Dilandau's power of understanding, how she could be so pure? He came out of his reverie, only to find that he had traversed the short distance between them, and he was now staring down at her. With the moon shining on her features like that, Celena looked angelic, with her blonde hair hugging her face like that. Dilandau brushed his hand past her cheek. There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn't know where to begin, or whether she would understand.
"It's ok Celena, no need to be afraid," he breathed slowly.
Celena looked up at him with her cerulean eyes. In his own reddish ones, she could see a well hidden fire burning. It wasn't the same destructive fire of sixteen years ago. It was a fire of desire. Desire to experience life on his own. Celena would give him that. He deserved it, and she really wanted to see what he would be like in person. She looked up at him, and all of a sudden she didn't feel afraid any more. His presence there soothed her spirit, and warmed her up inside. Celena blushed and looked away.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"For what?" Dilandau asked.
"For being there, I'm not afraid any more," Celena told him smiling. Just then, a horrible noise echoed from outside. It was life freezing, and Celena stopped cold in her tracks.
"What was that?" Dilandau asked.
"It was thunder. God I hate it, it makes me so afraid," she told him shivering.
"It's ok, it can't hurt you here." Dilandau said and came up to her to hug her.
"I know, yet it still makes me afraid." She told him, aware of his protective hug. "He really has changed." She thought.
Dilandau looked down at Celena, he could see fright in her eyes. He didn't like her frightened. His Celena wasn't like that. She tackled life and hung on when the going got tough. Was thunder really that bad? Dilandau knew it wasn't. Before, when he was that heartless monster, he loved thunder. He considered it the invincible enemy. However, thunder was just nature. And now, it was frightening Celena. Dilandau didn't like that. She should never be scared. She didn't deserve that. He found himself hugging her tighter. He knew why she was afraid, and he agreed with her. He looked upon her red lips, and found himself wondering how it would be to kiss them again. Last time, the kiss had left him bewildered for days. He had felt the need to steal another every time she came to visit, but he contained himself. Now, Dilandau leaned closer, until their lips touched again. His mouth devouring hers, Dilandau could feel that same fire in this second kiss. He could feel her desire and life, and fright melted in the kiss. She was indeed angelic. Celena tasted sweeter than anything he could ever imagine. Dilandau felt how much she had wanted that kiss. For a second, he felt her desire burning inside her, almost blasting out of control. He could feel the fire inside him explode, yet she drew away, sooner than he would have liked. Celena looked at him surprised. She didn't know what to believe. The aftershocks of the kiss were still in her circuits. She just stood there, transfigured by the intensity of the moment.
"I'm sorry," Dilandau said and he backed away.
"No, don't be." Celena said slowly.
"But, I'm just an alternate personality." Dilandau began.
"Soon, you won't be. I understand if you want some experience for later on." She said looking down.
Dilandau looked up, upset. There was so much she didn't know. How could she think that this was just a game to him? She should know better. After all, she was the one that taught him about true feelings.
"How much more until you find the cave?" he asked in lack of better conversation.
"I'll search for it tomorrow. Then in a while, after we talk to Eunice, you can be free." She told him.
"What if I don't want to?" Dilandau thought. "How is this going to affect you?" Dilandau asked.
"I don't know, I need to talk to her before I can tell you." Celena told him.
"Well, if this is going to affect you in any way, then I don't want to go through with it." Dilandau said.
Celena looked up at him, with a confused look. "I thought he wants to be free of my body, yet I see he wants to do me no harm. Why?" she wondered. "I shall see. I'm the only one that can appreciate what harm is." She told him.
"Just promise me this. If it means death for one of us, don't do it." Dilandau told her.
"Why?" Celena asked.
"Because, because…………… it wouldn't be fair." Dilandau said after a while. "I wish I could tell you the true reason, but I'm afraid you won't understand." He thought bitterly.
"We shall see. Don't worry." She smiled at him, closing the gap between them.
"I won't, I trust you." Dilandau smiled, and hugged her. "Are you afraid any more?" he asked quietly.
"No, not when you're here." She told him honestly. Celena hugged him back with all her might. Dilandau found that he liked to be hugged by her. "What is it about her that draws me to her to this day?" he asked himself.
"Well, I'm glad." Dilandau said. He would have liked to kiss her again, but he truly didn't want to scare her.
"I must go now, the storm is passed, maybe I can look for the cave now, do not worry, it shall be over soon." Celena said and vanished.
"Don't take any risks." Dilandau said, but Celena had vanished. "Damnit, she shouldn't go through this!" he said and punched the wall. Being stuck like this, not able to help her, made him feel miserable. But then again, just as long as he was close to her, to him it was enough.
Celena woke up, into the dark eyes and face of a woman.
"Hello there Lady Celena, what made you stop on our front porch this stormy evening?" she asked her.
"Eunice?" Celena asked.
- "But of course it's me child! Who did you expect?" she asked boldly.
- "Well, I didn't think I'd stumble into you so easily." Celena confessed.
- "Well, you did. This is the Cave of the Birds. What is it that you need?" Eunice asked.
- "I want you to help Dilandau get a body. Please." Celena asked.
- "Why?" Eunice questioned. "He is a bloody murderer." She stated.
- "He's changed, he truly is. All he wants is just to live a life not stuck in my body. Please help each of us live! Please!' Celena said grabbing the woman's hands.
- Eunice felt Celena tell the truth, and she felt Dilandau's life force within the woman. It was indeed all true. Maybe, she could help her, but the course of action was perilous.
- "Can you help me?" Celena asked.
- "Yes, but you need to think about this carefully." Eunice told her.
- "How? What do I have to do?" she asked.
- "Well, you would have to enter some passage, both you and Dilandau. You shall both have to find your exits, and then you shall get a body. However, when you wake up, you shall be 15 years younger." Eunice told her.
- "Why?" Celena asked.
- "Because that's when you joined life forces. You shall give 15 of your years to Dilandau, and they will transform in his body. Thus both he and you will be 23." Eunice told her.
- "I see, but will I still remember my events up until now?" she asked.
- "Yes, but you shall be younger. Sometimes that's not good." Eunice told her.
- "Very well, I want to do this. Dilandau needs a body, and I don't mind being younger." Celena told her.
- "Very well, then come with me." Eunice guided her towards a small crease in the wall. Immediately, a door opened in the stone wall of the cave. Celena stepped into a laboratory. She gulped, but took another step forward. "Dilandau needs this." She thought. Celena could feel his worry for her inside her, but decided to ignore it. He needed this whether he knew it or not.
- "I'm ready." She told Eunice.
- "Very well, get down on that table." The woman instructed her.
- Celena did as told. Wires were hooked to her, and an adjacent table was brought up.
- "Drink this." Eunice handed her a cup with a milky liquid. Celena drank it in a gulp, and she felt herself fall asleep.
- "Let's see how you do, Lady Celena." Eunice whispered, and then left the room. She had expected Celena to come to her faster than that. It had taken her 16 years to turn Dilandau into a person. "Well, everything comes at it's own time." She muttered.
- *Author's Note*
- Sorry if that was crappy, I was trying for mysterious. Well, just read and review, your comments mean the world!!! I hope you liked this! Hehe, do you like my lilltle celena/dilly thing? Intriguing no? well, enuff for now, have fun, and I hope you liked this! Please tell me if it sucked! I really didn't mean for it to!!!! Bbye! And next chapter's coming out soon!!! Soon!! Ok? Good!!!!
