Chapter 3
Syaoran did not speak a word to Sakura until it was almost nightfall. "We'll camp here," he declared, seeming to forget that he was leading only one person. They stopped under the shelter of a huge tree with leaves unlike anything Sakura had ever seen. While Syaoran stood silently, Sakura built a fire, struggling due to her unfamiliarity with the job. Fires were not allowed to go out in the castle, even during the night. After she was relatively certain the fire would not go out, she left to a nearby forest to look for more firewood and also for something to eat, as directed by Syaoran. Tears stung at her eyes. "Even now, while we're in this strange place all alone, I'm nothing more than a servant."
Sakura had never before realized how much she hated being a servant. She had kept all her emotions in check for so long, knowing that change was hopeless. But now, in this strange, new environment, alone with the king, she longed for more, maybe a little bit more respect. Though it did not make sense, when she thought about it, that she should expect Syaoran to change his attitude about her. He hardly knew her, after all, had only seen her around the castle; she was a servant, even here and now, and he was the king. She sighed, still not satisfied, but knowing that she could do nothing to change things.
With a pile of firewood nearby and stomachs full of wild raspberries Sakura had found, she and Syaoran slept by the fire. After a time, however, Sakura suddenly awoke. The fire had diminished to some glowing coals. She tried to look around to see what had awakened her, but the surrounding darkness was complete, save for the stars, a sliver of moon, and the remnants of the fire. Now wide awake, Sakura stood up. She reached for the Clow Book without knowing why. Then she felt it, the way she had felt something before, but a different feeling. There was something nearby.
She walked over and knelt by Syaoran. "Wake up, Master Syaoran," she whispered. "Something's here."
Syaoran rolled over, away from her. "I didn't hear anything or I would have--" Suddenly he quieted, standing up. "Do you feel that?"
She did. And, apparently, so did Syaoran. So she was not the only one with these strange feelings.
"This way," Syaoran stated, and began walking toward the forest, away from the creek.
"Wait," Sakura replied nervously. "Do you really think we should--?"
The glare Syaoran shot at her, daring her to defy him, silenced her instantly. Face burning, she followed him silently, still clutching the Book of Clow, feeling increasingly uneasy as they walked into the darkness of the forest, closer to whatever it was they were sensing.
After a few minutes of walking, all traces of light from the fire were gone. Syaoran paused, murmured, and suddenly a small flame lit on a strange-looking piece of yellow paper he held. Sakura stared, eyes wide. Magic?
As they continued walking, her mind raced. Syaoran could do magic. Magic was real, it must be, she had seen it with her own eyes. Magic must also be what had brought them to this place. The blue-haired boy, then, also knew magic, used it to talk to Sakura. He must have been the one to send them here with his magic. But why would he do that? And her necklace- the key- and these strange cards, did they also possess magic? But Sakura knew no magic. Until this moment, she had not known even that magic existed!
So lost was she in her thoughts that she nearly ran into Syaoran when he stopped walking. "It's here," he said under his breath, as if to himself.
Sakura paused, concentrated. Yes, it was here, whatever "it" was. She could sense it, sense its- magic. Yes, that's what it was. Could everyone sense magic? It must be so, she reasoned, for I know no magic. She wondered why she had never encountered it before, if the king himself knew magic.
They waited in the darkness, silent but for the pounding of Sakura's heart, deafening in her ears. She had never been so afraid. What did Syaoran expect her to do? Fight this magic? But she had no means to fight anything! What would happen to her?
After a moment of tense silence, Syaoran's little fire suddenly went out. Sakura fought the urge to scream. She heard Syaoran muttering again; then she saw the blade of a sword glinting in the moonlight. Magic again.
Then, all at once, a bright light lit the area as if it were day. Syaoran tensed. Sakura whimpered involuntarily, hugging the Clow Book to her chest tightly. The light dimmed, but something now stood before them, glowing.
It appeared to be some kind of massive cat. It had to be at least twice as tall as Syaoran, even on all fours, Sakura thought, and Syaoran was at least six feet tall. It glowed a strange, eerie blue. Its ears were longer and thinner than those of a normal cat, but other than that, it bore a very strong resemblance to an ordinary house cat. That was, until it opened its eyes, which were massive, taking up half its face with a strangely beautiful metallic lavender. Then she noticed massive, sharp claws on each paw. Then, very suddenly, she saw that, at the end of its tail, there was a scythe-like blade.
Everything began to happen in slow motion. Syaoran stood his ground, holding a defensive stance with his sword. The cat glanced at him momentarily before looking at Sakura. The beast made eye contact with her, and she felt herself strangely unable to look away. She was terrified, shaking so violently that she fell to her knees, still unable to look away from the cat's metallic lavender eyes. She noted in the back of her mind that its eyes had no pupils. This strange, magical beast... why was it here?
All this passed in the course of a few seconds. She was suddenly able to look away; she found herself staring at the sharp, shining blade at the end of the beast's tail. Before she realized what was happening, the beast twitched its tail, and the scythe headed straight toward Sakura.
Author's Notes: Am I evil or what? What a mean cliffhanger! But don't worry; it's actually a good thing. It gives me someplace to start with the next chapter. Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions! They were very helpful. I love suggestions, though I don't guarantee I'll use them, but they do sometimes give me ideas. ^_^ so you have to review! The more reviews I get, the guiltier I feel, the faster I come out with the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Ja ne!
Syaoran did not speak a word to Sakura until it was almost nightfall. "We'll camp here," he declared, seeming to forget that he was leading only one person. They stopped under the shelter of a huge tree with leaves unlike anything Sakura had ever seen. While Syaoran stood silently, Sakura built a fire, struggling due to her unfamiliarity with the job. Fires were not allowed to go out in the castle, even during the night. After she was relatively certain the fire would not go out, she left to a nearby forest to look for more firewood and also for something to eat, as directed by Syaoran. Tears stung at her eyes. "Even now, while we're in this strange place all alone, I'm nothing more than a servant."
Sakura had never before realized how much she hated being a servant. She had kept all her emotions in check for so long, knowing that change was hopeless. But now, in this strange, new environment, alone with the king, she longed for more, maybe a little bit more respect. Though it did not make sense, when she thought about it, that she should expect Syaoran to change his attitude about her. He hardly knew her, after all, had only seen her around the castle; she was a servant, even here and now, and he was the king. She sighed, still not satisfied, but knowing that she could do nothing to change things.
With a pile of firewood nearby and stomachs full of wild raspberries Sakura had found, she and Syaoran slept by the fire. After a time, however, Sakura suddenly awoke. The fire had diminished to some glowing coals. She tried to look around to see what had awakened her, but the surrounding darkness was complete, save for the stars, a sliver of moon, and the remnants of the fire. Now wide awake, Sakura stood up. She reached for the Clow Book without knowing why. Then she felt it, the way she had felt something before, but a different feeling. There was something nearby.
She walked over and knelt by Syaoran. "Wake up, Master Syaoran," she whispered. "Something's here."
Syaoran rolled over, away from her. "I didn't hear anything or I would have--" Suddenly he quieted, standing up. "Do you feel that?"
She did. And, apparently, so did Syaoran. So she was not the only one with these strange feelings.
"This way," Syaoran stated, and began walking toward the forest, away from the creek.
"Wait," Sakura replied nervously. "Do you really think we should--?"
The glare Syaoran shot at her, daring her to defy him, silenced her instantly. Face burning, she followed him silently, still clutching the Book of Clow, feeling increasingly uneasy as they walked into the darkness of the forest, closer to whatever it was they were sensing.
After a few minutes of walking, all traces of light from the fire were gone. Syaoran paused, murmured, and suddenly a small flame lit on a strange-looking piece of yellow paper he held. Sakura stared, eyes wide. Magic?
As they continued walking, her mind raced. Syaoran could do magic. Magic was real, it must be, she had seen it with her own eyes. Magic must also be what had brought them to this place. The blue-haired boy, then, also knew magic, used it to talk to Sakura. He must have been the one to send them here with his magic. But why would he do that? And her necklace- the key- and these strange cards, did they also possess magic? But Sakura knew no magic. Until this moment, she had not known even that magic existed!
So lost was she in her thoughts that she nearly ran into Syaoran when he stopped walking. "It's here," he said under his breath, as if to himself.
Sakura paused, concentrated. Yes, it was here, whatever "it" was. She could sense it, sense its- magic. Yes, that's what it was. Could everyone sense magic? It must be so, she reasoned, for I know no magic. She wondered why she had never encountered it before, if the king himself knew magic.
They waited in the darkness, silent but for the pounding of Sakura's heart, deafening in her ears. She had never been so afraid. What did Syaoran expect her to do? Fight this magic? But she had no means to fight anything! What would happen to her?
After a moment of tense silence, Syaoran's little fire suddenly went out. Sakura fought the urge to scream. She heard Syaoran muttering again; then she saw the blade of a sword glinting in the moonlight. Magic again.
Then, all at once, a bright light lit the area as if it were day. Syaoran tensed. Sakura whimpered involuntarily, hugging the Clow Book to her chest tightly. The light dimmed, but something now stood before them, glowing.
It appeared to be some kind of massive cat. It had to be at least twice as tall as Syaoran, even on all fours, Sakura thought, and Syaoran was at least six feet tall. It glowed a strange, eerie blue. Its ears were longer and thinner than those of a normal cat, but other than that, it bore a very strong resemblance to an ordinary house cat. That was, until it opened its eyes, which were massive, taking up half its face with a strangely beautiful metallic lavender. Then she noticed massive, sharp claws on each paw. Then, very suddenly, she saw that, at the end of its tail, there was a scythe-like blade.
Everything began to happen in slow motion. Syaoran stood his ground, holding a defensive stance with his sword. The cat glanced at him momentarily before looking at Sakura. The beast made eye contact with her, and she felt herself strangely unable to look away. She was terrified, shaking so violently that she fell to her knees, still unable to look away from the cat's metallic lavender eyes. She noted in the back of her mind that its eyes had no pupils. This strange, magical beast... why was it here?
All this passed in the course of a few seconds. She was suddenly able to look away; she found herself staring at the sharp, shining blade at the end of the beast's tail. Before she realized what was happening, the beast twitched its tail, and the scythe headed straight toward Sakura.
Author's Notes: Am I evil or what? What a mean cliffhanger! But don't worry; it's actually a good thing. It gives me someplace to start with the next chapter. Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions! They were very helpful. I love suggestions, though I don't guarantee I'll use them, but they do sometimes give me ideas. ^_^ so you have to review! The more reviews I get, the guiltier I feel, the faster I come out with the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Ja ne!