Somewhere I
Belong
Chapter 2
The Search
AN: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They all really made my night! Special shoutouts go to Fae the Queen, Mad-Idina-fan98, Elphaba-WWW, NiatheWickedLover, L8lzytwner, Elphaba'sGirl, woodland95, and Ravencurls. You guys are all awesome! Thank you and God Bless!
Atlas left the Chamber of Mysts in a daze, for not only was the Savior of the Alliance here, but was a girl on top of it! He couldn't believe it, the warrior who was destined to lead the Forgotten, the Condemned, into battle against the Wizard, was a woman! Stumbling, he turned and made his way down the hallway, his thoughts miles away, a chaotic storm brewing within his skull, thundering and crackling like silver fire.
What if this woman was wicked…what if she's hideous…with inhuman powers…what if she's a demon sent here to drag the souls of the innocence into the darkness of the abyss! What if she's ugly! What if…Stopping, he shuddered, before shaking those abhorrent thoughts away. He was being ridiculous, and he knew it, and yet…
There was very little known regarding the "Savior" the Elders spoke of, only that the Savior would appear in a crimson flame, harkening the coming of the Turning of the Tides. A new revolution would be born from the ashes of the Dead, the dawn would set in flames, and the Silent Shadows would fall, shattering the darkness falling upon the land.
Growling, Atlas's hand reaches down and fists the ends of ebony cloak. A snarl and he turns, throwing the end of his cloak behind him as he marches down the half darkened hallways; half lit by the crackle of oranges, mingled in violent yellow flames. If there was one thing he absolutely detested, it was a search and rescue mission. Made worse with not knowing exactly what this "woman" looked like only complicated things all the more, plus rising his already growing frustrations.
Grumbling, he muttered beneath his breath, whispering silent curses towards the Elders that he dared not voice out loud, for fear of punishment. He became so lost in his own thoughts, that he barely registered where he was going, or who was coming. Turning the corner, his thoughts shatter the moment his body slams into something… or someone.
"Ozdamnit!" roars Atlas as he crumbles to the ground. Rubbing his sore head, he pitches forward, eyes blazing at the insolent twerp who dared plow into him. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"
A shift of movement and the two figures slowly lift themselves off the ground. A growl and the two turn, and glare back at Atlas. Fiery hazel shimmering, glimmers of emerald could be seen by the light of the flickering flames, which intensified her glare, a trait, she had mastered over the years, a sigh and Atlas turns only to meet darkened hazel glaring back at him, the flicker of flames dancing within her eyes.
Growling, one of the figures pulls herself to her full height. A huff and her hands rise and cupped the edges of her cloak. A flick of her wrist and the hood falls away. She was tall, slender, her face the perfect almond shape. Her long, raven black hair spilled over her shoulders in majestic waves of silk and satin. Huffing, she folds her hands on her hips and glares.
"Aeryella!" cries Atlas shocked. A grumble and his gaze shifts to the ground. The other figure wobbly rises to their feet. A groan and her hands rise and grasp the edge of her hood. A flick of the wrist and the hood falls away. Long, hazel hair falls over her shoulders; a few loose strands twirl against her forehead. "Chrystilena!"
"What was that again?" growls Chrystilena, her voice low, and dangerous. Her dark, hazel eyes bore into Atlas's, making him shiver. Oz, she stood a good foot or two below him, and yet with one look, she could reduce him to that of a four year old child caught stealing cookies in the cookie jar. Oz, how he loathed those eyes.
An acidic smirk, pulled at the tips of Chrystilena's slender lips as she continued to glare back at Atlas. A huff, a quirk of an eyebrow, and she rises to her full height, the darkness in her eyes shimmers in the flicker of the firelight.
"That's what I thought" An icy giggle, and Chrystilena offers her hand to Atlas. For a moment, he stares at it, fear sparkling in his eyes. "What? It's not like my hand is going to bite you or anything"
"No" starts Atlas slowly. "But it can turn a person into a human popsicle" growls Atlas.
"Oh it just happened once" whines Chrystilena. Oz really? That happened, like months ago! You'd think the members of the Resistance would have forgotten that incident by now. Turning, Chrystilena eyes Aeryella, who had turned away from the two, hands folded neatly behind her back, head tilted as she whistled a jaunty tune. Obviously not.
"I swear…I won't turn you into a human popsicle" sighs Chrystilena, to exhausted mentally and physically to continue this mindless banter.
"Or make a bubble of water appear over my head" eyes Atlas.
Sighing in irritation, Chrystilena's other hand rises, and her eyes roll to the right.
"I Chrystilena…Spryte and Master of the Water Crafts do solemnly swear to not douse Atlas…the Mage of Magick and Elemental Trickery…anytime whilst trying to help lift his fat ass off the floor"
"A little more class than that" smirked Atlas, enjoying the moment.
"You know…I can still have Bonileea turn you into a gravel taco again" growls Chrystilena.
"Oz no!" gasps Atlas. "I'll behave…just…don't let Bonileea use me as her human guinea pig again!"
"And what exactly did she do to you again?" despite herself, she couldn't help but giggle. No matter how refined, how elegant she may appear to be, Aeryella was still very much a child at heart; once you chipped through her outer barriers that is.
Reaching up, Atlas grunts as Chrystilena helps pull him to his feet. Letting go, his hands lower and brush off the nonexistent dirt from his uniform, before returning his dark, emerald eyes back at Aeryella, who was trying yet failing, to keep her bubbling laughter under control.
"She wanted to "experiment" with this new spell she had learned from the Rock Trolls…" starts Atlas in a huff.
"And she asked…more like pleaded with Atlas to help her" snorts Chrystilena.
"The rest…is pretty self-explanatory" sighs Atlas.
Silence follows as both Atlas and Chrystilena stare at Aeryella. Her eyes widened and her hands rose and cupped her mouth. A faint, dark hue spread across her cheeks, and bubbling tears, sparkled in her eyes. Slowly, Atlas and Chrystilena lean in closer, both fearful to what the elder Spryte would say or do.
A pregnant pause and Aeryella bursts into a fit on uncontrolled laughter and snorts. Startled, both Atlas and Chrystilena stumbles away, fear sparkling in their eyes, for both were thinking the same thing; the elder Spryte had finally lost it.
"She!" snorts. "She rolled you literally" snort "into…into a taco!"
"Yes" grumbles Atlas, not enjoying being laughed at, especially by Aeryella, a woman whom he had great respect for.
A snort and Aeryella falls to the ground, laughing hysterically. Her arms wind tight around her slender waist, as her legs kick out in front of her.
"Uh…Areyie?...You okay there buddy?" asks Chrystilena.
"Y…y…." Chrystilena quirks an elegant eyebrow, watching her superior makes a most accurate portrayal of a laughing hyena. Never, in all her years of knowing this noble Spryte, following her into battle, into missions that would have put them six feet beneath the ground ages ago, laugh so uncontrollably…or snort. "YES!" snorts Aeryella at last.
"I think she finally cracked" whispers Atlas as he leans in closer to Chrystilena's ear. Frowning, the young Spryte raises a hand, and smacks Atlas upside the head. "Hey…what was that for?"
"For speaking ill of my superior" growls Chrystilena.
Regally, Aeryella rises to her feet, hiccupping. A giggle and she wipes away a tear from her eyes. Coughing, she returns her gaze back to Atlas, but once she sees him, she once again dissolves into another fit of laughter.
"Now who's the mature one hmm?" smirked Atlas.
"You want another one?" growls Chrystilena, raising her hand up in the air.
"Not the hair!" cries Atlas. Chrystilena watches a satisfied smirk on her soft, painted lips watching as Atlas's hands rise and cups his hair.
"Good boy"
"Alright" giggles Aeryella, gaining control "So" snicker. "What's got your undies in such a twist?"
"The High Elders have sent me out on a recon mission" growls Atlas, his foul mood returning, which puzzled both Sprytes.
"But…don't you normally enjoy missions the High Elders send you on?" asks Chrystilena confused.
"Normally yes" growls Atlas.
"So…why's this so different?" asks Aeryella frowning.
"Wasn't it just the other day that old Atlas here was complaining about it being dull around here?" asks Chrystilena, turning to face Aeryella.
Aeryella's mouth opened, and her lips pursed. Pausing, her hand rises and cups her chin, a frown flickers across her face as her eyes lower to the ground, and for a moment, she stood like this, in silent contemplation.
"Yes" replies Aeryella at last.
"And?" asks Atlas, not quite understanding where these two Sprytes were going.
"Your finally going on a mission…bye bye boredom…get it?!" exclaims Chrystilena, hitting Atlas's forehead with the palm of her hand.
"Hey! Watch it!"
"Oh stuff it you…there's nothing up there to damage in the first place" laughs Chrystilena, knocking on his forehead for affect.
"Keep it up" growls Atlas.
"So why are you so modified about this mission?" asks Aeryella, deciding to end the shenanigans now…before someone or something got hurt…or broken.
"The Savior has finally shown up" sighs Atlas.
"The Savior…the one we've been waiting for?" asks Chrystilena, hope sparkling in her eyes.
"No the Savior for the Ducks of Swan Lake yes the Savior…the "Chosen" One" spats Atlas sardonically.
"The One who is to lead our forces into battle…strike the Silent Shadows from this realm…and herald the Light" whispers Aeryella.
"Yes…that one" sniffs Atlas.
"So…?" asks Chrystilena, drawing out her words.
"So what?"
"So why are you so modified about this mission…you should be honored! I mean really Atlas…you get to go and bring our Savior here! What an honor"
"I guess" shrugs Atlas.
"No guess!" snarls Chrystilena. Angrily, she smacks Atlas upside the head again.
"Ow…will you quit it!"
"When you admit that you're just as excited about this mission as the rest of us!" snaps Chrystilena.
"Fine…I'm oh so excited to be going out into Oz where the Gale soldiers…let alone a powerful witch who is out to eradicate our cause…is wandering the land…in search of our hidden base" snaps Atlas.
"You're a powerful mage" sighs Chrystilena.
"Your point?"
"You could easily handle the fish woman…and the Gales soldiers" sighs. "Honestly Atlas…you can be just as bad as an overly hormonal teenage girl"
"I resent that remark" growls Atlas through clenched teeth.
"Atlas…what's really bothering you…I know for a fact that the threat of Morrible or the soldiers have never deterred you away from a mission…so why now?" asks Aeryella softly.
"Our Savior turned out to be a woman" sighs Atlas.
"And?" asks Chrystilena, not understanding the significance regarding the gender of the Savior.
"Oh Atlas" whispers Aeryella softly. Slowly, she steps closer to Atlas's shaking form. A sniffle and she throws her arms around the muscled warrior. "I'm so sorry"
"Am I missing something here?" asks Chrystilena, scratching her head.
"The Savior is a woman" replies Aeryella, as she turns to face the younger Spryte.
"Again…I get that…so why is it bothering muscle for brains over here?"
"Have you forgotten Mariela?" asks Aeryella softly.
"Mariela…oh yeah! She was…" Chrystilena's voice trails off, as the full realization of her slip up slams into her full force. "Oh Oz…Atlas I'm sorry"
"It's alright" sighs Atlas.
"Would you prefer Chrystilena and myself to go and find her?" asks Aeryella softly.
"No…the High Elders charged me with this mission…the horrors of the past…cannot prevent me from accomplishing what we had started…no matter the pain"
"Atlas…take heed…do not let your emotions…your feelings of the past cloud your judgment nor your strong sense of conviction in this mission" warns Aeryella.
"I won't…and thank you" smiles Atlas. Leaning down, he presses a tender kiss to Aeryella's cheek.
"What was that for?" asks Aeryella stunned.
A wink, and Atlas turns and walks away, the ends of his cloak billow around him, kicking up small stones and dust into the air.
"What was that all about?" asks Chrystilena.
"A lifetime of pain" sighs Aeryella softly.
Atlas stood outside the hidden entrance to the Underground, his dark, emerald eyes scanned the horizon. The soft, midnight breeze wisps past him, tussling a few loose strands of hair. Slowly, he closes his eyes, using his magick to seek out and find the Savior, the woman who was destined to shatter the darkness, the Silent Shadows from this world and the next.
A heavy pulse, vibrated against his heart. A whisper and his eyes snap open, and darken. A hidden mist of emerald and ebony appears, skipping across the landscape, and dancing in the wind.
"The Gillikin Forest" whispers Atlas. A swish of his cape, and he disappears in a plum of ebony and crimson mist.
Days turned to weeks, the weeks turned to months and still, Atlas's search had come up empty. He had traversed almost every square inch of the Gillikin Forest, and yet he could find no trace of the Savior. The shimmery trail, the magickal signature of the One slowly grew dimmer as the days passed, worrying him all the more, for if her signature was fading, it meant only one thing. She was either dying, or she was dead, and neither was pleasant to think about.
At one point, he had stumbled across an Animal encampment, half hidden in the forest, desolated beyond recognition. A few of the surviving Animals had remained, fixing up the homes, and helping to bury the unfortunate ones.
It was there, that Atlas's hope had both been restored, and shattered, for a wise old Antelope had told him, as she was burying one of her young, to the events which had unfolded but a few hours ago.
"The Gale Force arrived…they came swarming in…like vipers…shooting their guns…riddling our people with bullets…and setting our beautiful homes on fire…those who managed to dodge the bullets…took refuge in the forest…others weren't so lucky…many were burned alive…while the Gale soldiers stood around , laughing at them…then pissing on their charred remains"
"Dear Oz" whispers Atlas brokenly.
"My children were caught in the crossfire…I was about to turn back for them…when a flicker of green flashed past me…suddenly, the screams of my people were silenced…replaced with the sounds of the Gale Soldiers. I looked up in time to see this woman…dressed in black tattered dress and cloak stand before the Gale Soldiers, throwing balls of fire from her hands…and shocking some with emerald lightning…her broom flew off on its own…knocking many of the soldiers down and sweeping them away"
"You saw her?" asks Atlas.
"Only briefly…she had beaten away the guards…forced them to retreat…but one soldier remained...he hid at the edge of our village…and waited. She turned and started walking towards me…that's when we heard it…like thunder striking the sky"
"A gunshot"
"Yes…she was wounded severely in the chest…yet somehow she managed to cover me and my remaining children…shielding us with her body from the rapid gunfire slicing through the air…she turned, and cast her broom towards the soldier…running him through" finishes the Antelope, her voice dark.
"What of she…the woman who saved you?" asks Atlas.
"She healed the wounded…before stumbling away…we tried to stop her…but she would not listen…where she is or where she went…I haven't a clue…but sir" desperately, her hoofed hands rise and grasp onto Atlas's. "You must find her quickly…the wounds she had suffered by the Gale Force will kill her…unless she is given medical attention"
"I'll find her"
That, had been a few days ago and still he had not found her. Shaking away the doubts from his mind, he kept pushing forward, his determination rising high. He would find her…no matter what.
Hours later, he stopped, his eyes widened as he beheld a gruesome sight, blood, glimmering crimson, sparkling in the sunlight. The color in his face drains away, and his heart leaps into his chest as he follows the trail.
A brush of a bush, and he stumbles upon a brook, and it was there, that he finally found her, half submerged in the freezing waters, blood spilling from her wounds, tainting the crystal clear waters a ruddy red. Her long raven hair bubbled around her, tangling around her arms and between her pale, fingers.
Running over to her, he gently lifted her out of the stream. Tenderly, he cradles her in his arms and his eyes soften, as he gazes down at her pale face. His fingers rise and press against her neck, and his breath hitches, for there was no heartbeat.
"Oz" whispers Atlas.