I don't own Heralds Of Valdemar; all the words, ideas, and most of the characters belong to Mercedes Lackey. ^_^ However, Sera(phim), Lani, Meriol, Celeste & any other original characters that I've created at (c) me, so please ask if you happen to want to use them! Thankies!
Oh! Important! Read this, ne? I DECIDED TO DIVIDE THIS STORY INTO TWO SECTIONS, AS THERE'S GOING TO BE TWO STORY 'ARCS'- AFTER THIS CHAPTER, SERA'S STORY WILL BE CONTINUED IN "DEVIL, MINE", SO LOOK FOR IT!
Question, though; should I switch POV for "Devil, Mine" and write from Sera's Chosen's POV, or stick with Sera? I've been thinking about doing that, but I can't decide. Let me know....
Dedication: To everyone who's reviewed or emailed, and everyone who's been so supportive throughout this somewhat difficult fanfic (which, of course, isn't over yet! lol) A special thanks to Kierseth, who emailed me recently with a reminder that people WERE still waiting for a new chapter. ^_^;; *hugges* Love you all!
KEEP READING ABOUT SERA (& co.) IN "DEVIL, MINE"!
Whoo! New chapter!
Second, minutes, hours....it all blurred together as I ran, my hooves flashing. My wings were plastered to my sides, held there by the force of the wind; behind me, I could vaguely hear Meriol's hooves as they clashed against the cobble stones of the Karsite roads.
He couldn't catch up to me.
But I was running out of desperation....
Really, if I stopped to think about it, I was glad to have him with me. Of course, there was nothing he could do that would help, but his presence was- or would have been, had I not been practically incoherent in my fear- comforting.
::I didn't mean it....::
The Voice....the Soul....what had been a frantic mindcall for help had continued to fade, falling from screaming to pleading and finally to a whisper. I could barely hear her....HER, because as I came closer to her, I was sure that's what my Chosen was....I could barely hear her anymore....
:Sera, slow down! Please!:
:No, Meriol.:
I ignored him and kept racing, my heart hammering in my chest. I hadn't said more than three words to him since the scream for help from Her, and I knew that we'd have quite a bit to talk about once everything was over.
But for now....
The people I passed, streaking through the Karsian villages, were staring, some with obvious distaste that bordered on hatred. Others stared with shock and amazement. Some with fear, and others with awe. The feeling of the Karsites were mixed, now that they had an alliance with Valdemar, and they didn't know how to react to a Companion, still....
:Sera! Where are you going-?:
I ignored him again.
I have to hurry! If I don't-
::No....I don't....I don't want this....please....I....::
Wait for me. Just a little longer....
::....I'm sorry....I take it back....just don't....don't....::
Despite the screaming of the muscles in my legs, I pushed myself to run faster. Behind me, Meriol shouted something incoherent toward me, and I could hear him stumble, trying to step up his pace.
Companions are fast, yes, but running as fast as we were is trying....
Villages after villages, and cities after cities flew past. Trees blurred into a thick line of green. The clouds in the sky were streaked across the blue because I was running so fast. Nothing was relative anymore.
The feeling in my heart....
It was....
Stronger....
Than before....
:HERE!:
I skidded to a stop, my sides heaving, only to have Meriol nearly run into me from behind. As it was, he barely stopped in time, kicking up stones, and had to turn to the side to avoid slamming headlong into my backside.
:Sera, what-?:
:It's here.: My Voice was no more than a whisper, and I barely even realized I'd spoken. I wasn't paying attention. Instead, I was looking around wildly, trying to get my bearings. The Soul I was searching for was close....too close for comfort, and I could Feel that something....something....
Whatever was frightening her, it was almost too late.
:Where are we?:
A clearing in the middle of nowhere....trees....and....
:A temple?: Meriol sounded confused.
Of course. A temple. And inside was She whom I was looking for.
Still breathing heavily, I reared slightly and then jumped forward again, thundering toward the front doors of the sacred haven. The Son of the Sun was housed here....this could- most likely WOULD- cause an....incident....but I didn't care. I burst through the doors, shattering the thick wood in every direction.
Splinters slashed through the skin of my ankles as my hooves connected with the pine, but I hardly noticed. The Voice in my Mind was almost gone now. I could barely Hear Her at all, but now I could rely on my ears as well.
Crying....weeping....
She was in there, I could tell.
I started forward, trailing hunks of door and leaving a thin line of dripping blood in my wake.
Behind me, I could hear Meriol's hesitant hoofbeats against the polished wood of the temple floor.
:Sera, this....is....going to mean trouble.:
Like I didn't know that?
Sometimes he was all together aggravating.
A hundred feet and two left turns.
It only took me a few seconds to find what I was looking for.
From the down hall, I stared.
They were laying bricks into a wall, beyond which Her crying was coming from.
"I'm....s-sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! Please, just....don't do this...."
:By the Gods!:
I could only echo the horror in Meriol's Voice.
They were bricking her in....
What could she have possibly done to deserve that? Nothing was so bad that someone....and innocent....a girl who was to be Chosen....NOTHING was bad enough for her to deserve being imprisoned like that! Nothing!
:You....: I growled, anger rising to a dangerous point inside of me. :You....bastards!:
:Sera! Wait!:
My wings flared, loose feathers flying in every direction, and I screamed shrilly. Beyond me, the activity stopped and the priests -- PRIESTS WERE DOING IT! -- turned to look at me in surprise.
They shouted things at me and each other, in Karsian.
I only understood half of it.
The sobbing beyond the wall stopped suddenly.
I barely registered that fact.
Meriol was calling after me.
I ignored him again. I'd apologize later.
I Broadsent my rage, shocking the priests into speechlessness, and reared, kicking my feet out in front of me. Before they could do anything- before I could even think my actions through- I was tearing down the corridor.
Now, Companions are not violent by nature. But we'll defend those we are Soul Bound to with out own lives, and despite having not officially Chosen Her, I was willing to do just that. I tore forward, kicking and flailing, and drove the handful of priests back, leaving them to huddle in the corner, too shocked and frightened to do anything.
I Sent to Her, then; :stand back!:
The priests were silent and motionless when I turned and lashed out, slamming my rear hooves into the nearly-complete brick wall and shattering it inward in much the same way as I had destroyed the door.
:Gods! Sera!:
Meriol again. Who asked him to come along anyway?
The brick dust cleared and I stepped though the now-doorway, using my nose and the bulk of my body to shove the remaining bricks out of the way. Blinking through the haze I had created, I looked, searching....and my eyes landed on Her, pressed against the back corner.
White-blonde hair and bright blue eyes, rimmed with red.
An innocence about her that was almost angelic.
And dark tear tracks marred her cheeks.
"What...?" Her voice, though a mere whisper, was musical. She looked at me fearfully, making my heart wrench- she had been through far too much. "What...." pausing again, she swallowed and changed her words. "Who are you?"
And it was then I knew.
I KNEW....
:My name....is Sera.: I told her, meeting her eyes. Sky blue clashed with cobalt and there was a moment of timelessness. Nothing existed but she and I. Meriol, the priests and the temple were gone. We fell, the both of us, into a never ending love and acceptance, and.... :My name is Sera.: I repeated, my Voice soft, :and I Choose you, Celeste.:
"Oh...."
She didn't say anything, but the joy that welled up inside of her told me exactly how she felt.
I felt the same....
:Sera! Come on!:
Meriol's Voice jerked me back to reality, and I tossed my head up, rolling my eyes to look behind me. A few feet down the hall, Meriol was dancing skittishly, and the priests seemed to have regained some of their composure. We needed to leave.
:Get up on my back, Chosen.:
The girl simply stared.
:Please, Sister, just do as I say. We're leaving this place.:
Silence, then; "r-really?"
:Yes. Come.:
"Alright...."
Once she was on my back, I had to fight the feeling of overwhelming perfection and concentrate of moving. As I stepped through the former-wall, I cast a scathing glare in the direction of the priests, snorting.
They, who had been moving, stopped.
My message was clear.
But as I walked away, I could hear them whispering under their breaths.
We were together finally. She and I.
But still....
Meriol summed it up as we broke into a run and raced away from the temple.
:Sera....Selenay is NOT going to like this.:
__________
Me: Okie. Um, like I stated before, I'm breaking off from "Angel Wings" and moving on to the
second story arc of Sera and Celeste's, in "Devil, Mine." I still have a few plot loopholes to
work out, but I'll try to get it up and running ASAP.
You know, looking back, I think I might change some of this. ^^;; There's some MAJOR editing
needed.... *sigh, sigh*
Thanks for reading! *huggles again* Ja!