Level 4 + The Stillness And The Scream
Sublevel 3 + The Fire, Extinguished
The White Lady was gone. Hikaru stood now in the middle of a small clearing in the middle of a forest.
The forest was unlike any she had ever seen. All the plants were red: their bark and stems a deep mahogany, their leaves ranging from cranberry to blood, from claret to strawberry, from ruby to dark pink. The sky was hidden by the crimson leaves, so she didn't know if that was red. The grass beneath her white-and-red boots was a dark shade of cherry.
Little points of light, a bit like fireflies, danced around her. It occured to Hikaru that she fit in these woods well, with her red hair and eyes and the red parts of her armor. She sighed, falling back on the grass, closing her eyes and letting the warm air of the forest wrap around her.
After a short period of silence, Hikaru heard a rustling in the bushes. She sat up, alert.
From the foliage emerged a tall, thin man wearing black robes. His hair and eyes were dark, blending in a nice way with all the red. She recognized him as Lantis.
Lantis did not speak, but held out his hand in a gesture for her to stand and follow him. Wordlessly, Hikaru got to her feet. Lantis turned and disappeared into the trees. She followed.
There was an eerie silence about them. Hikaru shivered as they walked. Suddenly, away from the clearing full of bright, dancing lights, the red forest felt cold and oppressing.
They came to another clearing. Hikaru could see that, at the other side, there was a tall pillar carved of a reddish stone. Atop it sat a little sphere of cold, white light: the Light of Emeraude.
But in the center of the clearing, between Lantis and the Light, stood five men in brown robes with dark-colored cloths stretched over their faces. The man in the middle had a bright red cloth on his face.
Hikaru's blood ran cold.
Lantis's hand rested upon her shoulder. She felt sympathy from him. "You must retrieve the Light," he said softly.
She turned her small face up to him. Their eyes met, and she knew, just as well as he did. Both of their hearts ached for what would be lost.
"I must meet my destiny," she whispered. Then she turned away from him and stepped forward.
As she began walking toward the men, she felt a warmth deep inside herself. It billowed out from the core of her being, shuddered past her skin, becoming a reality. Flames danced around her, sealing her inside them. She felt their heat, but it was soothing, not painful. The fire cradled her. She was ready to accept what was coming.
The man with the red scarf raised his sword. His minions did the same.
As they ran at her, Hikaru stood still. She let them come. When they were two sword-lengths away, she let out a deep, pained, wild scream; and as she screamed, the fire shot out in all directions, consuming the men in brown and the red trees. The only things it did not touch were Lantis and the Light of Emeraude --- it wove around them, and they stood in little pockets of air inside the flame.
Hikaru's scream burned as terribly as the fire. In that cry, she relinquished all: her heart, her mind, her body. This was not her home anymore. She no longer could stay here. She was not a child of the earth any longer.
Anguish and pain and regret and fear poured out from her, fueling the raging fire. The men in brown had halted, were sheilding their faces with their arms. They cried out in pain, but their screams were drowned out by Hikaru's.
And as she screamed, she gave up ownership of herself. She had no right to make any more decisions on her own behalf, and she communicated that. She was no longer Hikaru. She was dead.
As the scream died, so did the fire die. As soon as it did, the man with the red cloth over his face staggered forward, driving his blade into Hikaru.
She collapsed. Her eyes shut, her breath stilled. She was no more, and that was what she wanted, what she could not avoid. This was what was to happen. This was her destiny.
Her blood could not be distinguished from the bright red grass.
Sublevel 3 + The Fire, Extinguished
The White Lady was gone. Hikaru stood now in the middle of a small clearing in the middle of a forest.
The forest was unlike any she had ever seen. All the plants were red: their bark and stems a deep mahogany, their leaves ranging from cranberry to blood, from claret to strawberry, from ruby to dark pink. The sky was hidden by the crimson leaves, so she didn't know if that was red. The grass beneath her white-and-red boots was a dark shade of cherry.
Little points of light, a bit like fireflies, danced around her. It occured to Hikaru that she fit in these woods well, with her red hair and eyes and the red parts of her armor. She sighed, falling back on the grass, closing her eyes and letting the warm air of the forest wrap around her.
After a short period of silence, Hikaru heard a rustling in the bushes. She sat up, alert.
From the foliage emerged a tall, thin man wearing black robes. His hair and eyes were dark, blending in a nice way with all the red. She recognized him as Lantis.
Lantis did not speak, but held out his hand in a gesture for her to stand and follow him. Wordlessly, Hikaru got to her feet. Lantis turned and disappeared into the trees. She followed.
There was an eerie silence about them. Hikaru shivered as they walked. Suddenly, away from the clearing full of bright, dancing lights, the red forest felt cold and oppressing.
They came to another clearing. Hikaru could see that, at the other side, there was a tall pillar carved of a reddish stone. Atop it sat a little sphere of cold, white light: the Light of Emeraude.
But in the center of the clearing, between Lantis and the Light, stood five men in brown robes with dark-colored cloths stretched over their faces. The man in the middle had a bright red cloth on his face.
Hikaru's blood ran cold.
Lantis's hand rested upon her shoulder. She felt sympathy from him. "You must retrieve the Light," he said softly.
She turned her small face up to him. Their eyes met, and she knew, just as well as he did. Both of their hearts ached for what would be lost.
"I must meet my destiny," she whispered. Then she turned away from him and stepped forward.
As she began walking toward the men, she felt a warmth deep inside herself. It billowed out from the core of her being, shuddered past her skin, becoming a reality. Flames danced around her, sealing her inside them. She felt their heat, but it was soothing, not painful. The fire cradled her. She was ready to accept what was coming.
The man with the red scarf raised his sword. His minions did the same.
As they ran at her, Hikaru stood still. She let them come. When they were two sword-lengths away, she let out a deep, pained, wild scream; and as she screamed, the fire shot out in all directions, consuming the men in brown and the red trees. The only things it did not touch were Lantis and the Light of Emeraude --- it wove around them, and they stood in little pockets of air inside the flame.
Hikaru's scream burned as terribly as the fire. In that cry, she relinquished all: her heart, her mind, her body. This was not her home anymore. She no longer could stay here. She was not a child of the earth any longer.
Anguish and pain and regret and fear poured out from her, fueling the raging fire. The men in brown had halted, were sheilding their faces with their arms. They cried out in pain, but their screams were drowned out by Hikaru's.
And as she screamed, she gave up ownership of herself. She had no right to make any more decisions on her own behalf, and she communicated that. She was no longer Hikaru. She was dead.
As the scream died, so did the fire die. As soon as it did, the man with the red cloth over his face staggered forward, driving his blade into Hikaru.
She collapsed. Her eyes shut, her breath stilled. She was no more, and that was what she wanted, what she could not avoid. This was what was to happen. This was her destiny.
Her blood could not be distinguished from the bright red grass.
