Chapter 7 Delving in Evil
This one's a
bit short, but its to the point. Next chapter will shine more
light into that which is really happening in Forget Me Not
Valley. Oh, and as for the Harvest Sprites, well if you haven't
noticed they aren't exactly evil, but they are lost and confused.
They follow Thandrana because they are in denial that she isn't the
loving mother that they picture her to be. There are many people
in this world like that, people who live in a fantasy world that
they've created for themselves and dont' allow themselves to see the
truth. Oh yeah, and for some reason I am now unable to add lines
in to divide up the point of views, so I've left streams of
llllllllllllll. Sorry.
The swamp waters rippled quietly under the dark night sky. Slowly a dark shadow approached it. A figure, blackened by the darkness, stepped forward and kneeled before the waters.
"What is it that you want?" the shadowy figure asked.
'What do you think I want? I want this village. I want this valley. I want this island.'
"But you also want..."
'Blood.'
The man stiffened, unsure of how to respond.
"What will you give me?"
'A chance to delve into you're dark fantasies. A chance to dabble in the realm that few mortal men get the chance to. A chance to become that which you are.'
"That which I am?"
'The only way to find good is by understanding evil. To understand evil you must experience it.'
"I think I understand."
'Through learning about evil you will also learn about good.'
"Yes."
'Through your willingness to give in you will discover who you truly are.'
"Yes."
'Now go! But leave no traces.'
The figure stood slowly, and disappeared into the night as the rippling water began to glow neon green as a powerful spirit was suddenly given power. Then the glow disappeared, and silence reigned.
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That morning I was jarred awake by a loud screaming, thrashing, and the sound of glass breaking. I jolted upwards, falling off my bed in surprise. I grabbed that which was nearest to me and held it up in self defense. I jumped to my feet, my hand banging the radio and knocking it off of the nightstand where it clattered to the ground. The noise stopped. I hesitated, waiting for it to start again. That's when I grew suspicious. I put the radio back on the nightstand and turned it on. Once again I was blasted with the loud screaming, thrashing, and percussion.
It was a hard rock song. Now how had my radio gotten set to a hard rock station? I turned the song off immediately and twisted the volume switch way down. Then I realized that when I had fallen over I had grabbed a pillow in self defense. I sighed and threw it down. What a grand awakening.
I finished my morning chores quickly and stopped by the bar for a quick drink. Life in the town had definitely changed ever since Thandrana had come. It seemed like everywhere I went I saw those flowers. Everyone was giving in and following her. But what wasn't to follow? She'd promised to help them. But what of the people who had died because of her. What of the dark presence that had grabbed me when I was near the Turtle Swamp? Celia and I were the only ones who knew how dangerous this creature really was.
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Nami awoke to find herself lying on the beach. She must have fallen asleep last night while she was watching the ship as the storm brewed around it. Slowly she lifted herself up from the sand and looked about. The ship was nowhere in sight, and obviously had not come to Forget Me Not Island. Unless of course it had gone up to the Forget Me Not Harbor which was on the other side of the island. Nami shrugged and slowly stood up.
Just then her attention was caught by a piece of wood floating towards shore from the sea. She strained her neck further and glimpsed an arm wrapped around the wreckage. Her eyes widened in shock before she dove into the water and began swimming out to the tattered wood. Nami found a young brown haired man clutching tightly to the wood, shivering uncontrollably from the cold. His eyes were squeezed shut and he appeared to be unconscious. She immediately dragged him and the wood to shore. Nami put her ear next to his mouth and listened for breathing. Nothing.
"Somebody help me!" Nami shouted.
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I was just walking out of into the village when I heard someone shouting for help. I immediately ran for the beach to see Nami kneeling beside a waterlogged young man.
"He's not breathing," Nami said.
"Do you know mouth to mouth resuscitation?" I asked.
Nami nodded nervously.
"Then the two of you have a lot of catching up to do," I said. "I'll go get Dr. Hardy, you perform rescue breathing."
Nami looked up, about to protest, but I was already gone. Immediately she breathed twice into his mouth, watching his chest rise and fall before continuing to perform rescue breathing. After a little bit the boy began breathing on his own, so Nami stopped, breathing heavily from the exertion.
In a few minutes I returned with Dr. Hardy. He was a strange old doctor whose left eye was blackened and scarred by some sort of accident.
"Is he alright now?" Dr. Hardy asked.
"Yes," Nami said panting. "He started breathing on his own just a minute ago."
Hardy nodded, and looked the man over.
"We'd better get him back to my office," he suggested.
I helped Hardy carry him back to his house.
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Nami sat by the beach for a while, wondering about all that had happened. Was the boy from the ship she'd seen last night? And if so, what had happened to the ship? Had it been destroyed in the storm. Finally she gave up thinking and stood up to leave. As she passed the Turtle swamp something caught her eye on the beach. Five small figures dressed in black crawled out of the ocean, coughing up salt water and shivering from the cold. Then the swamp began glowing neon green and a strange girl materialized above the swamp.
Nami's eyes widened and she ducked behind a tree to watch. The woman had green hair cascading down over her shoulders and serious eyes. Her skin was pale as if she'd never seen the sun and her soft, bare feet floated just inches above the water. Her eyes flashed as the five little men approached the swamp. The five men slumped before her, a few of them crying, but one in the back stood solemn faced.
"It was you who called to me from over the sea," the woman spoke suddenly.
The five men nodded faintly.
"I was expecting some of the Spirits left over from the massacre on Mineral Island," the woman said again. "But instead I find five of my Sprites. Where are the other two?"
"Don't you remember?" the solemn faced Sprite spoke suddenly, his eyes brimming with anger. "The Right Hand killed Staid, and Chef was struck by lightning during the attack. You killed them!"
The other four men looked over at the solemn faced one, their eyes begging him to stop. The woman's eyes flashed suddenly.
"Bold," she said calmly. "Staid died because of all of you, remember? You guys decided to awaken the Right Hand without my help!"
"Bullcrap!" Bold challenged. "The Right Hand was the one who tore his soul from his body, not us!"
Another one of the little men stepped forward.
"Oh Harvest Goddess," he began. "We-"
"Sh!" the woman shushed him quickly.
Nami raised an eyebrow. Goddess?
"I am not the Harvest Goddess anymore," the woman said. "I am the Great Spirit Thandrana. Never refer to me by my former name."
"But... you told us never to call you by you're real name..."
"Well times have changed. Mineral Town was stolen from me, but I intend to become what I once was. I will take Forget Me Not Island for my own. And you five will help me."
"No," Bold said. "Never!"
With that he tore off his black cloak and threw it on the ground before Thandrana. Underneath he was wearing pink clothing with a small pointed pink hat. But Thandrana ignored his outburst.
"You are no longer Harvest Sprites," she said. "You will become something greater. I will make you greater."
"What do you mean?" one of the sprites asked.
"You will become the Holy Sprites of the Great Spirit Thandrana," a cruel smile arose on her cheeks. "You will wield my energies and use it to gain control of the island. For before you were weak, you were the legs of the island. Now you will be greater!"
The four sprites brightened up, but Bold still remained grim faced.
"No," he said. "You are false Thandrana. I will never allow you to control me, ever again."
And with that he turned to walk away. Thandrana's eyes flashed and she drew her hand back. Suddenly her fingernails turned dark with energy and began charging. Bold tried to run, but Thandrana was too quick. She swung her hand at him, preparing to strike him out of existence. But then her hand was deflected by something. Thandrana looked up and saw a great white beast standing before her, her fingernails stuck in the flesh of its hand. She gasped once, and tore her hand away from the creature. Thandrana stepped backwards, away from the beast, her eyes fearful.
"What do you want?" she asked, her lip trembling.
Bold looked up at the great beast thankfully before it swept him up onto its shoulder, and ran off in the direction of the forest. The Goddess watched the beast leave, the fear never leaving her eyes.
"What is it mother?" Nappy asked, touching her leg gently, like a child.
But Thandrana didn't respond, she stood riveted by a powerful fear. Nami leaned further out of behind the tree to watch.
"Oh my..." the Goddess said quietly to herself. "They know... they know..."
Then suddenly her eyes turned and focused on Nami. Nami gasped, and pulled herself behind the tree, but it was too late. Thandrana was on her like a wolf, shooting across the swamp with unnatural speed she grabbed Nami and slammed her down to the ground with her incredible strength. Nami gasped as the mighty spirit pinned her violently.
'What did you see?' Thandrana's violent thoughts entered Nami's mind, causing her to shriek. 'WHAT DID YOU SEE!'
Thandrana then jerked Nami's head back, and stared straight into her eyes. Nami just stared back, transfixed by the spirit's eyes, beautiful but deadly. Something icy went up and down her, as if reaching into her soul. Nami shivered, and tried to break eye contact with the Goddess.
"You will help me," Thandrana announced loudly, her fingers closing around Nami's neck.
It was not a question. Nami couldn't do anything but nod as the spirit began to strangle her.
'You will obey me!'
