Authors notes: Hiya everyone! Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been living in hell for the past few years, then I meet G-chan, the love of my life, and college started! But, I should be wrapping this up in the next few chapters, so don't despair! Please forgive the OOCness.
Warnings: Same as always. Oh yes, sadness rampant ahead!
'' thoughts
""conversation
/ passages from a letter, book, etc.
Flashback mode
- - dream mode
Large, white, puffy snowflakes slowly were drifting towards the still, snow covered ground. Everything was quiet and peaceful, at least on the surface. Silence was thick across the land. No one was speaking, no winter birds were singing, and even the thick forest was still and dead.
Dortin was used to being scared. Living with his brother, Volcan, who courted death and trouble on an hourly basis, made him accustomed to it. However, this time, the fear was so thick it had paralyzed him to his very core. He was scared for himself, for his brother, in fact…he was scared for everyone in a hundred mile radius. 'This is bad! I've never seen Orphen this upset, ever! Not even at my brother…'
Earlier that day……………..
It was snowing hard and fast. Not quite at blizzard levels, but close enough to be dangerous. Even more deadly was the emotional levels in the cabin that three young adults were sharing. It was a week until the Winter Solstice. The three young adults hadn't reached their goal, or were anywhere close to it. In fact, that was part of the problem. But it went deeper than that. For dark, sinister forces were at work, conspiring against them.
"Orphen take that back," screamed Cleao. Her eyes seemed almost red with frustration. Not just at Orphen, but at not being able to help her sister.
"No, because it's true that you're just a spoiled tomboy brat, with no manners," came the quick retort from Orphen.
Face to face, with emotional lightning bolts dancing and playing around them, Cleao and Orphen faced off. The three of them had been stuck in that cabin for three weeks due to continuous blizzards and ice storms.
Suddenly Cleao needed to get out there! 'I need space! I can't stand that stuffy, pig headed, moronic sorcerer any longer!' Grabbing her cloak before Orphen could protest, she stomped out of the cabin and into the freezing cold. Leki quickly glanced up at his bondmate. Sensing trouble, he bounded after her, only to have the angry Cleao slam the door on his poor snout.
Since Cleao had stormed off without a noisy warning, everyone but Leki was caught off guard. Rubbing his poor nose, Leki knew that trouble, and the deadly kind at that, was a drift on the cold air. Whining urgently, he pawed at the door desperately wanting to get his bondmate. Before he could convince the stubborn sorcerer to open the door, or the wimpy one to get up the courage, he felt a searing pain slice through his side. 'Cleao! She's been hurt! Screw those two! I'm going after her now!'
Eyes glowing green, Leki started focusing his power on the door before him. KaBOOM!
Pieces of door scattered everywhere, slicing the skin of the two shocked sorcerers. Yelping angrily at the two stunned survivors, he raced towards Cleao. Ignoring the wrathful shouts behind him, he teleported to where his bondmate was. Before Orphen or Majic could figure out why Leki had taken off, Cleao's dying scream filled the air.
"CLEAO!" They both screamed at the same time. Running out of the door, ignoring the biting cold, they hurried towards the source of the scream. But it was too late.
By the time they reached her, Cleao Everlasting, the youngest sister of the Everlasting Family, had died. Large, gapping wounds crisscrossed her body. Leki lay by her side, green crystalline tears sliding down his face. Majic fell to his knees by her side, eyes wide with horror, shock, and despair. 'No! I can't lose my favorite sister, I can't…please no, don't let her be dead…' Scooping up her broken, bloody body, he cradled her to his chest. Crying on her one untouched shoulder, Majic wept for his lost family.
Orphen stood a few feet behind Majic. Tears shimmered in his eyes which were rapidly filling up with anger, and hate at whom had the nerve to kill his love. 'I never told her that I loved her.' Regret also, rested in his heart, but it was rapidly being drowned out by the hate.
Before long, Dortin and Volcan came running towards the scene. Stopping in shock at the bloody mess, the two of them were speechless. Both of them weren't fond of Miss Cleao, but they never wanted to see her killed.
"Uuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh," screamed Orphen to the heavens, the tears that had been threatening to fall, finally doing so. Falling to his knees in frustration he grabbed handfuls of snow, crushing them in his palms. 'I promise you Cleao, I will avenge your death.'
End Flash back……………………………………
The ground was frozen solid, and too hard to bury Cleao in. So Majic took off his cloak and wrapped her still body with it, allowing the snow to bury her in a pristine white blanket. 'I'm so sorry Cleao, that I wasn't able to protect you,' Majic thought remorsefully. 'But I promise I'll find the Rings of Isymaar, and save Mariebella! I promise.'
Orphen had not spoken since his pained scream of loss and rage. Nor had he moved from his position on the earth. Still as a statue, and silent as one he couldn't hear a thing around him.
"Master? Master!" Majic shouted. Finally the cold was beginning to set in as the sun was beginning to lower beyond the horizon. Majic was shivering, and needed to get inside.
"I'm not your 'Master', Majic. I'm no one's Master," Orphen whispered bitterly. 'I couldn't even protect the love of my life. In fact, it's my fault she died. If I hadn't yelled at her, she never would have left.' Slowly standing up he turned and headed towards the North, away from the Isles of Isymaar.
"But, Master-," before Majic could continue Orphen had disappeared into the swirling snow. Sighing, he turned towards Leki, hoping for companion ship in his travels towards Isymaar.
Glancing desperately around him, he couldn't find Leki anywhere. For that matter, he couldn't see Cleao's body either. 'What the…?'