Disclaimer: I do not own the name Magatama. It's from the Manga 'Dream Saga' written by Megumi Tachikawa. I only took the name because I needed something special. But the Magatama of the Manga and mine are not the same. I don't take over the plot of 'Dream Saga'.
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Chapter 05: MysteriesShe raised her head and closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. Storm. There would soon be a huge storm. There weren't any signs for it yet, but she somehow felt it.
She shook her head in confusion and tried to concentrate at the task at hand. Digging deeply into the soil with her bare hands, she examined every single stone brought to the daylight.
'No. That's not what I'm searching for. But I'm sure that I felt something … wait a minute. What's that?'
She felt like hypnotised from the first moment she laid her eyes at the dark brown crystal shimmering in the even darker soil. Trembling she reached out and took it into her palm carefully. Suddenly her face went pale and she gasped shocked.
The minute she had touched the stone she felt like being buried alive. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She felt the weight of the soil and smelled its scent. It was an overwhelming sensation. Peaceful, calm serenity, despite the fact that she couldn't breathe, but yet powerful, eternal.
The feeling stopped as suddenly as it had appeared. She slumped down on her back, trying to catch her breath.
'Damn. What the hell is it with those stones. It's the fourth time this week. I'm here to search my Magatama, not some strange crystals which don't belong here.'
As soon as she was able to get up she took out a little leather bag she had knotted to her belt. She opened it and took out the three crystals in there. There was a red, a blue and a transparent crystal, with the brown one she held now four round balls at the size of walnuts in her hand. She shuddered at the memory of the times she had found those. When she had found the red one she had felt like burning and the blue one had made her feel like drowning. The transparent one which looked like made of glass was the only one which didn't give her such a bad feeling. Sure, she had felt something intense, something she couldn't describe properly, but she had felt somehow refreshed, more alive than ever.
Still trembling she put the crystals back into her bag, knotting it back at her belt, making sure not to loose it. She didn't know what was the meaning of this, but there was one thing she had learned during her year of the probation: A magical tool is never to be left behind. If the gods thought that it was her task to find these stones, she would sure as hell not rebel against their decision.
On her way back to her camp the wind suddenly grew stronger, enwrapping her. She heard it whispering into her ears. There were people in the forest. She could hear them. Still they were far away. But they would be here soon, it was only a matter of time.
She shook her head tiredly. Somehow she could feel that there was trouble ahead. It was not usual that people were that deep in these forests. She hoped that the village wasn't in danger. It had been a whole year since she had seen her family, a whole year since she had been sent away. But soon, hopefully very soon she would be able to go back. She only had to find her Magatama.
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Karigan felt like frozen in place. The could feel the vibration of the drumming hoofs on the ground the noise of swords being pulled out of their sheaths. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She looked down at the boy's distorted face. She noticed the fear and despair in his chocolate brown eyes, urging her to run away, to save herself. Once again she looked up at the two approaching men, and made a final decision. She grabbed the boy's arm, pulled him up and started to run away, dragging him after her. She heard the boy gasping in pain and felt a panic building up in her stomach. 'We don't stand a change. They have horses and he is hurt.' She forced herself to calm down. 'No, panicking won't help. Think, Karigan, think.' Suddenly a thought struck her. 'Use the terrain against them, chose a way which is hard for them to use on their horses.'
The drumming sound of hoofs was nearer than good. She made a quick turn towards a group of bushes and trees with low hanging branches, taking the men and the boy by surprise. The latter seemed to catch himself more quickly, he indeed increased his speed so she didn't have to drag him the whole way with her.
They haven't come far when her senses warned her of the danger. She tried to stop, but the boy didn't see it coming and ran directly into her, pushing both of them down the abyss.
Karigan watched the glittering surface of the river coming near in slow motion. She heard the men shouting and cursing before the cool water enveloped her and the stream took her away from her persuaders.
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Her head jerked up. She had though that she had heard a scream. She shook her head angrily. 'That's it. I'm hearing voices. I need more human company.'
Suddenly fear gripped her heart, letting it beat frantically, pumping a strange sensation through her veins. She slowly rose from the stone she had just sat on, like in trance. The wind enwrapped her once again. They were here! The storm had finally arrived. She narrowed her eyes at the news. She didn't question them. She didn't fight it anymore. Whatever happened to her, it was real, and there was someone who needed her help.
Taking a deep breath the turned and started to run, faster than ever before, the wind leading her towards her destination.
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Karigan coughed, nearly choked by the water. She had made it to the bank. 'Oh, Great Mother Goddess , thank you! I'm alive. And people wonder why I dislike swimming...' She heard a coughing sound next to her. 'Ahh, seems like he's fine as well. Good. Now I want answers. Good ones.' She raised her torso slowly, fighting a light dizzy feeling that sent her head spinning. When her stomach started to join that sensation she lay back on the ground, groaning out loud. "OK, my friend, as soon as the world stops spinning you better give me some answers." She only got a grunt for an answer. She turned her head very slowly and noticed that the young man's face was white as a sheet. She smirked satisfied. 'I'm not the only one who has disliked this little trip, it seems.' She continued staring at him while waiting for her body to calm down. His unruly brown hair was now plastered to his face and his dark brown eyes shining large with confusion.
"Th… thank you." He breathed out. "I owe you my life. And more. More than you know."
'Nice voice. Cultivated. He has got some education, that's for sure. I wonder who he is?' She cleared her throat from the rest of water. "Why do these people hunt you? Who are they? Who are you?"
He sighed deeply. He had to keep everything concerning his task a secret. But this girl had been willing to sacrifice her life helping him, someone she didn't know at all. She deserved some kind of an explanation. He didn't know why, but he felt the beginning of an unshakeable trust towards her, just by looking at her. "They want to kill me, because I have something they want. They have already murdered at least once, and they are willing to repeat it without regret. The real reasons behind their intentions are unknown by myself, but I do know that it has to be something serious and dangerous. I have to get out of this forest, I have to get out of this country, as soon as possible. I can't tell you much more. Do you know a way out of here?"
He watched as his words sunk in and watched her intense red-brown eyes widen lightly. She was a really pretty girl, as far as he could see. Even through her the dirt he could see her delicate yet determinated features, framed by her wild raven hair which intensified her flaming gaze even more.
Karigan thought about his words carefully. "I'm as clueless as you are. I had some kind of orientation when we met, but after that little adventure in that damnable river … I don't have the slightest idea."
Tiuri groaned at that statement. He felt the injuries he had collected over the last days burning from the water. He didn't know how long he could go on like this. His journey had barely started and he was nearly over-exhausted by now. "Great. That's just great. I must have been cursed, or something like that. Everything went wrong. Damn it!"
Karigan snorted. "You tell me! This was definitely not want I intended to happen when I …" She flinched and shut her mouth. She wasn't sure if it was wise to tell this boy why she had been in these forests.
Tiuri raised on his arms and eyed her thoughtfully. "Who are you?"
Karigan shot him an heated glare and growled. "I asked first. Don't think I haven't noticed that you didn't answer my question. These vague answers don't satisfy me. I'm not stupid you know. You are hiding something, but you will tell me, mister. I didn't jump into that … hellhole of a river, risking my life to be left in the dark about who exactly I rescued and why I had to rescue him. Now spill it, or you really get to know me."
Tiuri glared at her angrily. "My name is Tiuri. But that's all I can tell you. Do you think these people are hunting me just for the fun of it. This is a dangerous situation, and if you are interested in your health, or should I better say, in your life you should get away from here as soon as possible."
Karigan shot up, eyes burning in wild fury. "Don't you dare telling me what I should and should not do. After all it wasn't me who got us in this life-threatening situation. And isn't Tiuri the name of a noble? I think I even recognise him. Well, your arrogance is sure a prove for that! How is it that a spoiled, noble brat is travelling alone in these woods not even the best of the King's warriors have the guts to travel through? And how the hell did you get into the mess of being hunted by these brutes?"
"Why you … !" Tiuri took a deep breath not to strangle the fiery girl in front of him. "What about you? You are definitely not a mere peasant girl. What is someone like you doing in these woods, if they are so dangerous?"
Her lips closed to a thin line and she shook her head stubbornly, not willing to reveal her reasons for being here to this boy.
Tiuri saw something like pain briefly flickering in her eyes, immediately calming down at the sight of her vulnerability. Softly he asked her. "And your name? What about that. Will you tell me who I owe my life?"
Karigan blinked at the sudden turn of his voice and answered quietly. "Karigan."
Tiuri smiled exhausted. "Well, then, Karigan. I think it's best for us to join forces and to try finding a way out of here together. After that, we can walk separate ways. What do you think."
Karigan frowned and tilted her head, eyeing him carefully. After a brief moment of hesitation her face lightened and she nodded. "Agreed."
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She stood at a cliff high above a valley with a deep, wild river. She drew in deep breaths, trying to comprehend all the information that filled her head. She knew there were two people down there. She could hear them talking. A little voice in the back of her mind questioned her ability to hear words spoken miles away, but that voice couldn't convince her. She was aware of everyone and everything breathing and moving in this valley. She could even smell them.
Suddenly she threw her head to the side, narrowing her eyes in concentration. People were coming closer. People on horses. She could feel the danger in the air, alarming every fibre of her being.
She jumped down soundlessly, light like a feather, cowering briefly on the damp soil beneath the rock., listening to the murmurs of the forest, she tried to decide where to go.
She felt the need to investigate, the need to protect rising in her. She didn't even know these people, having hardly ever met anybody outside her village community. But she knew that she had something in common with those two down there, the same way she knew that they were in danger.
Feeling that danger brought her training and her natural instinct back full force. Since the day of her birth she was taught to protect, taught to listen to her instinct and to her codex. She knew that her parents never intended for her to really use her abilities other than to teach how to protect. But she knew that it wasn't in her power to refuse this call, and if she tried she would regret it, more than she could ever imagine.
Noiselessly, padding softly on the rocky floor, stalking these intruders of the forest's peace like a predator its prey, she run towards the sounds of the horses, eager to know who dared to cross this sacred land.
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This chapter was the hardest to finish ever. I've already written most of it, nearly completed the damnable thing, and then … the most inhuman case of a writer's block happened to. I've never, in my whole live, experienced something like this. I thought after passing my A-Level successfully I would have more than enough time at hand. But then I have found myself unable to write even a single line!
To be able to study what I want I have to absolve several weeks of practical training/ instruction, whatever you call it in English. Well, this keeps me busy for a while and I don't know how much time I will have to write, but at least this damnable writer's block seems to fade a bit. Hopefully I will be able to work on all my fanfictions.
Those who are waiting for a new chapter of 'A Lady's destiny' please don't be too angry with me. I have tons of new ideas how to make the story deeper and more exciting but I'm simply unable to write them down. Hopefully this will change soon or I'll go crazy.
Well, if you want to be informed of any new updates (hopefully soon), you can join my mailing lists. I have one for each of my fics. Just review or email me.
