Shadowed Hearts Series
Prologue
By: Dream Lover
~
Tori Landinburg stood at the edge of the small cliff overlooking the newfound city of Bysdan- or so deemed by the other archaeologists. It was a small, quaint city to say the least. The buildings constructed into the sides of the huge Amazon trees weren't spotted from above. What she didn't get, though, was why wasn't the tomb seen from arial view? From all four cardinal entrances to the city, the huge earthen-colored rock tomb loomed above all else. Why wasn't it visible, then? Was there some kind of ancient tribal magic protecting it from view or something to that extent?
The teenage girl laughed out loud at this. No sooner than was the idea sprung from her head than it was shot down. There wasn't any kind of magic or such in this world. What had she been thinking? It was probably just that no pilot bothered looking close enough. Tori quickly decided that she had been in the Sun for too long. Knowing she should go back, she berated herself as she stood in awe at the city.
Oddly enough, the cliff she was on was just the right height to see the grand structures with the trees and appreciate the effort put into them. She could now see that the means of transportation in this city was both on ground and through the trees, as there was some wooden bridges connecting trees - - some of the paths landing right on top of a building - and some harshly beaten paths on the ground below. With a small sigh of wonder, she let her eyes roam over the city once more. Before she could stop herself, Tori laughed, thinking of how great an achievement this truly was- and that she had been included in the discovery.
From about ten feet back, another figure stood watching Tori. Laura Robinson had been greatly appreciative of her best friend as the days in this city- no- this country grew longer and harder. She wasn't the one to complain though. What could she say? That she was living her dream and that she and Tori had been there when what could have been one of the most important archaeological discoveries for centuries was made? Ohh, heavens no! That would be preposterous! She shook her head, sending a wave of shoulder length lilac hair with silver streaks around her. She was living her dream. Even if this hadn't been Tori's desired profession at first, she had kept an open mind when Laura was telling her about discoveries and the magnificence of archaeology. What followed, however, was an absolute surprise. Tori had become so engrossed in the subject that they both had became archaeologists.
Hearing a small laugh from her best friend, Laura decided to make her presence known. "Laughing at air, eh? I do say, my partner, that you have been in the sunlight too long."
Tori spun rather unnervingly. She hadn't known that anyone was around. When she noted that it was Laura, though, Tori relaxed. If not anyone else in the world, Tori knew she could trust Laura. After all, she was her best friend as of ten years now. She smirked. "I was thinking along the same lines. C'mere."
Laura stepped up with ease beside her friend and for a moment, just examined her. She was deeply tanned- that was what the Amazon sunlight could do to one, though. Her hair was dark blue with green chunks, cut to where it was shoulder length in the front and raised until about eyebrow length in the back. It brought out her midnight blue eyes rather well. Boy, how things had been so different when they were in school - still two years above their class - but carefree and happy. That had changed, though, when the Forest made them realize the danger of their profession by using Walter White. Tori's eyes had grown so much darker after that. When Laura realized those same eyes were looking at her inquiringly, she quickly amended. "I'm sorry, Tor, I was just thinking about how the Amazon rain forest changes people. It's done a bunch to you."
"Yeah, I guess it has." Tori looked back toward the city, deep in thought. "But I wouldn't change it, Laura. You know that right?" When she received no answer, she continued. "I love it out here, and I owe it to you that I'm here."
Laura shook her head. "You would have found your way out here somehow."
Tori looked at her, uncomprehending. "Do you mean to say that I would have came out here without you teaching me all about archaeology? I highly doubt that."
The lilac haired girl smirked- a rather sad smirk. "Oh, so your telling me that you - my best friend - would have left me out here with such little protection?"
For a long moment Tori didn't answer, the same tall tale signs of a smirk playing on her face. "I guess your right. You are like my sister and you do need my protection."
Both girls remained silent for a long moment. After what seemed to be forever, Tori met Laura's black eyes and grinned. In unison, both girls burst out laughing. The sound resonated off of trees and the forts built around those trees. In their moment of distraction, neither girl noticed a figure watching them, contemplating what was to become.
~
Tori Landinburg stood at the edge of the small cliff overlooking the newfound city of Bysdan- or so deemed by the other archaeologists. It was a small, quaint city to say the least. The buildings constructed into the sides of the huge Amazon trees weren't spotted from above. What she didn't get, though, was why wasn't the tomb seen from arial view? From all four cardinal entrances to the city, the huge earthen-colored rock tomb loomed above all else. Why wasn't it visible, then? Was there some kind of ancient tribal magic protecting it from view or something to that extent?
The teenage girl laughed out loud at this. No sooner than was the idea sprung from her head than it was shot down. There wasn't any kind of magic or such in this world. What had she been thinking? It was probably just that no pilot bothered looking close enough. Tori quickly decided that she had been in the Sun for too long. Knowing she should go back, she berated herself as she stood in awe at the city.
Oddly enough, the cliff she was on was just the right height to see the grand structures with the trees and appreciate the effort put into them. She could now see that the means of transportation in this city was both on ground and through the trees, as there was some wooden bridges connecting trees - - some of the paths landing right on top of a building - and some harshly beaten paths on the ground below. With a small sigh of wonder, she let her eyes roam over the city once more. Before she could stop herself, Tori laughed, thinking of how great an achievement this truly was- and that she had been included in the discovery.
From about ten feet back, another figure stood watching Tori. Laura Robinson had been greatly appreciative of her best friend as the days in this city- no- this country grew longer and harder. She wasn't the one to complain though. What could she say? That she was living her dream and that she and Tori had been there when what could have been one of the most important archaeological discoveries for centuries was made? Ohh, heavens no! That would be preposterous! She shook her head, sending a wave of shoulder length lilac hair with silver streaks around her. She was living her dream. Even if this hadn't been Tori's desired profession at first, she had kept an open mind when Laura was telling her about discoveries and the magnificence of archaeology. What followed, however, was an absolute surprise. Tori had become so engrossed in the subject that they both had became archaeologists.
Hearing a small laugh from her best friend, Laura decided to make her presence known. "Laughing at air, eh? I do say, my partner, that you have been in the sunlight too long."
Tori spun rather unnervingly. She hadn't known that anyone was around. When she noted that it was Laura, though, Tori relaxed. If not anyone else in the world, Tori knew she could trust Laura. After all, she was her best friend as of ten years now. She smirked. "I was thinking along the same lines. C'mere."
Laura stepped up with ease beside her friend and for a moment, just examined her. She was deeply tanned- that was what the Amazon sunlight could do to one, though. Her hair was dark blue with green chunks, cut to where it was shoulder length in the front and raised until about eyebrow length in the back. It brought out her midnight blue eyes rather well. Boy, how things had been so different when they were in school - still two years above their class - but carefree and happy. That had changed, though, when the Forest made them realize the danger of their profession by using Walter White. Tori's eyes had grown so much darker after that. When Laura realized those same eyes were looking at her inquiringly, she quickly amended. "I'm sorry, Tor, I was just thinking about how the Amazon rain forest changes people. It's done a bunch to you."
"Yeah, I guess it has." Tori looked back toward the city, deep in thought. "But I wouldn't change it, Laura. You know that right?" When she received no answer, she continued. "I love it out here, and I owe it to you that I'm here."
Laura shook her head. "You would have found your way out here somehow."
Tori looked at her, uncomprehending. "Do you mean to say that I would have came out here without you teaching me all about archaeology? I highly doubt that."
The lilac haired girl smirked- a rather sad smirk. "Oh, so your telling me that you - my best friend - would have left me out here with such little protection?"
For a long moment Tori didn't answer, the same tall tale signs of a smirk playing on her face. "I guess your right. You are like my sister and you do need my protection."
Both girls remained silent for a long moment. After what seemed to be forever, Tori met Laura's black eyes and grinned. In unison, both girls burst out laughing. The sound resonated off of trees and the forts built around those trees. In their moment of distraction, neither girl noticed a figure watching them, contemplating what was to become.
