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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Dec 29, 2007 12:53:56 GMT -5
It was a starless night, the moon had yet to rise, and the sun had disappeared and taken it’s warm glow with it, but sound was the one thing that was not missing. Shouts, pounding boots, sharp intakes of breath echoed across stone as the soldiers pursued a single young girl down a dank, rough street. They chased the girl through the poor, struggling part of the kingdom. The King’s castle loomed over them, a distant emblem of wealth that those in these parts could only fantasize about, but could never possess even in their wildest daydreams. The lucky ones lived in crumbling shacks, and some had no homes at all. The young girl fleeing down the crumbling, trash-laden streets was obviously one of these. She sprinted away from the soldiers in their bright redcoats, the standard uniform of the king’s followers. Her own outfit was dark and simple, blending well with the dark shadows pressing in around her. A black tank-top and dark breeches with many pockets hung loosely across her skinny, malnourished frame, covered by a dark hooded cloak. The hood shrouded her pale face with shadows, but her bright eyes glowed luminously out into the night. They darted around anxiously, looking for an escape route. Her black, lace-up boots splashed through a puddle of muck, but she paid no attention to the wetness seeping across her feet. The girl’s breath came in ragged gasps now, and several times she stumbled on the rubble that supposedly made up a road. Once in a while she would cast a wild glance over her shoulder, picking out the red splotches that were the ever-closer soldiers. She turned her gaze forward again, skidding slightly around a sharp corner, and then shuddering to a halt as she stared up at the stone wall before her. It was a dead end. She started to back up, but froze in mid-step as she heard the shouts of the soldiers behind her. The pounding of their boots became louder and louder, closer and closer, and she glanced around wildly, desperately searching for escape. A shout rang out from behind, and the girl leapt for the shadows, hoping they might pass her by as a trash heap. She felt her way along the crumbling brick wall, clinging to the darkness. The only downfall was that now she couldn’t see either, the thick blackness pressing in around her, but also keeping her concealed from prying eyes. The girl shuffled forward another step, painfully aware that now the soldiers were turning down the alleyway, only yards from her makeshift hiding spot. She ran her palms along the brick to keep her surroundings clear, and suddenly her hand fell away into empty space. Her pale eyes widened in the darkness, and she groped around in the pitch blackness, trying to find the wall again. She’d been quite sure that the building went right up to the wall and joined with the stone, completely solid the whole way. She reached out a bit further, and it was a whole four or five feet before her hand met the other side. Glancing back, the girl’s eyes widened when she realized that there was a soldier headed right for her little pool of shadows, and without another thought, she slipped into the gap. She felt her way along in the strange, mysterious little alley, finding that it reached back several yards. She looked over her shoulder after a few steps, wondering if the soldier had discovered she’d escaped down yet another hidden alleyway. But he’d moved on after peering into the shadows for a few moments, apparently oblivious to the gap in the wall. How odd, she muttered to herself, but then brushed the thought away as she turned once more. The girl took another few faltering steps forward, and stepped into a shaft of light from the moon, which was now rising above the tumble-down buildings. Right away- well, as soon as her eyes adjusted to the sudden harsh glare- something caught her eye. It was a dark form sitting on the wall on one side of the alley. She squinted, and realized it was somewhat shaped like a cat. It moved what seemed to be it’s head, and suddenly two yellow eyes glared back at her, glowing from the shadows. The girl swallowed hard, trying to stand still in case it suddenly decided to attack. It was rather large for a normal stray cat, with bulging muscles and long claws tipping every paw. It opened it’s mouth slightly, revealing sharply pointed fangs, and the girl winced backward slightly, a shudder running the length of her spine. The cat, or whatever it was, stood, arching it’s back in a stretch before turning to face her, eyes narrowed to slits. She was sure she was about to be mincemeat, but instead of attacking, the cat opened it’s mouth again, and out came a deep, rumbling voice, almost like a growl. “Far usth mar ine?” The cat gazed at her questioningly, and at first all the girl would do was gape. Then she blinked, stumbled backward, and fought to stay upright, using the wall behind her for support. Had she hit her head? Surely she was hallucinating. The cat glared at her impatiently and repeated the strange words. “Far usth mar ine?” The girl shook her head, mumbling, “Great, just what I need. Now I’m going crazy!” The cat sighed in exasperation, obviously having heard her words, and rolled it’s yellow eyes. Then it was silent, as if battling it’s own tongue, and then tried to speak again. It’s words had an odd, guttural accent, but the were just barely understandable. “I am real. You are not dreaming,” it announced, and the girl’s eyes widened even more. “Wh-what?” she choked out. “I am real. You-” the cat started, and then cut off, shaking it’s head impatiently as it saw the disbelief on the girl’s face. “You mortals believe nothing you have not been taught to believe,” it muttered. “So ignorant!” The cat hopped down from it’s perch on the wall and trotted over to stand by the girl’s legs. It’s head was about as high as her knee, and she stared down at it dumbfoundedly. Then, quite suddenly, so fast she could barely comprehend it, the cat’s forepaw darted out, long claws lashing across her calf. The girl cried out in pain, glaring down at the blood welling from the thin slits in her flesh. “What was that for?” she demanded, scowling at the cat. It gazed back at her, expressionless, and replied simply, “To make you believe.” She blinked in amazement, realizing that now she had no doubt the cat was real. Was the pain stinging in her ankle not enough proof? The girl glanced back down at the cat, and finally said, “So what’s your name?” Immediately the thought jumped into her mind, That was a dumb thing to say, but nonetheless it seemed like the right thing to do. And she couldn’t think of something better at the moment, so instead she just waited. The cat seemed to ponder this, and then replied, “Now that’s a rather personal question...” The girl raised an eyebrow, confused. “Why?” “In some worlds, your name is much more valuable than you might think. If someone knows your true calling, they have power over you,” the cat explained. The girl nodded slowly, not really understanding, but accepting the theory all the same. “Well... Then, what am I supposed to call you?” she finally asked, and the cat smiled a small, smug smile. “Ah, so you accept the fact that I am not going to disappear any second?” She nodded slowly. “Then you may call me Myron.” She nodded again, and smiled slightly as well. “I’m Jeneva, but you can just call me Jen,” the girl replied, and Myron’s grin grew wider. “Very pleased to meet you, Jeneva.”
Jeneva shuffled her feet, staring down at the cat for a few minutes. Myron glanced away from her, seeming deep in thought. Finally he looked back up at her, apparently having come to a decision. “I need your help,” he stated in that same deep, foreign voice, though now it was closer to a purr than a growl. Jeneva blinked, and asked blankly, “With what?” Myron seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, and then replied vaguely, “I cannot tell you everything at the moment. But I need a guide to get me through this world. I must get to the castle of this Kingdom before the sun sets tomorrow. You must know these streets well, or else you would not have been able to find this little... Portal, I guess you could call it. A walkway between worlds. A little glitch, a crevice in time and space which allows us to travel through different dimensions.” Jen’s eyes widened slightly at this. “You mean... Here, where we are. It’s not in Aerinsth? It’s not part of the Old Kingdom?” The cat shook his head back and forth, a gesture which looked rather strange for a cat, so human-oriented. “No. Where we stand is a Crossway, a gap in reality which allows being to travel between worlds,” Myron replied. Jeneva gave him a confused look, and he sighed, shaking his head again. “Perhaps you will understand in time... But in the meanwhile, don’t worry too much about it.” Jeneva raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged and waited for him to continue. The cat closed his harsh yellow eyes for a moment, and then murmured something incomprehensible to himself. Finally the glowing orbs flashed open again, gazing up at her intently, guarded with great care. “Do you know how to move about this kingdom without attracting attention?” She nodded. “You know every secret pathway, every back street, that can get me to the palace without being seen?” Again Jeneva nodded. The cat dipped his head as well, and mumbled, “Then you will do.” The girl hesitated, and then opened her mouth to ask what she would do for, but before the words came out, Myron hopped to his large paws and sauntered off down the alleyway. He glanced back for her over a broad shoulder, and called, “Come.” Jen blinked, but then quickly gathered her scattered thoughts and hurried after him. At the end of the alley they paused, peering out of the shadows at the streets and houses beyond. Jeneva glanced at the cat, who was kneading the ground impatiently, waiting for her to give the signal to move. The girl stepped forward, and gestured for him to follow. The soldiers were nowhere to be seen, and Jeneva silently thanked whatever gods might be watching them for their good fortune. However, she was still wary as she lead the way down one street and up another, strategically picking roads that were otherwise deserted. They traveled in silence, keeping to the shadows and avoiding any prying eyes that might be watching. After a while, however, Jen knew that their good luck would hold no longer. They were reaching the outskirts of her part of the kingdom, where most people just kept to themselves, and didn’t wander about very much. Soon they would come to the more largely inhabited parts of the city, and there would be people on nearly every street, not to mention more guards patrolling the area. Jeneva slowed, chewing her lip as she thought. The quickest way to the castle was through the markets that filled the center of the city, but there would be many people there already, even though it was barely past dawn. Many more would be heading that way every minute, making the surrounding streets crowded as well. With so many flocking to the city’s middle, there would be hardly an empty street anywhere, limiting the possibility of sneaking past without notice. The other option was to work their way around the outside of the city, where there were less prying eyes and more places to hide, but that would take much longer. Jen wanted to reach the castle by dusk, because then she’d have time to examine all possible entryways in the daylight before trying to enter in the cover of night. She glanced at Myron, pondering their options. He was staring straight ahead, eyes narrowed and expression grim. Apparently he was having the same thoughts as her, or just reading her mind. “We have to get there as soon as possible,” he muttered, voice strained. Jen nodded, swallowing hard as she realized she’d have to go among other humans, and great numbers of them by the looks of it. Suddenly, for the the first time during this little adventure, she was a tiny bit scared. She shuddered involuntarily. “Let’s go,” she croaked, taking a few stiff steps forward. The cat padded silently after her, face stoney. He obviously wasn’t looking forward to the hot, sweaty crowd of pressing bodies that lay ahead of them either. They made their way down into the city, weaving among the houses and shops. The streets here were better cared for, the overall look of the area brighter. The houses and buildings were simply made, but sturdy and kept up to date on repairs. Occasionally another human would cross their path or join them on their trek through the city, but Jeneva just ignored them, keeping her head down and face blank. Myron trotted along next to her, doing a fairly good job of acting like a normal cat. Soon the streets thickened with people, all trudging toward the markets. Some carried empty baskets to put their purchases in, or filled ones with goods to sell and trade. There were even a few wagons loaded with merchandise, with everything from food and household supplies to jewelry and clothing, or even small livestock in cages. Jeneva ignored them all, walking along and trying to blend in. She did attract a few odd glances, as she was dressed poorly, and obviously malnourished, definitely not from this flourishing part of the kingdom. Her raggedy clothes and skinny frame stood out in this group of clean, well-fed commoners. After a while the multitude of people grew, flooding into the markets. Jeneva eyed the guards posted throughout the streets uneasily, but forced herself to trudge past anyway, avoiding the notice of most. These ones probably hadn’t been warned of the young thief who had been stealing food from the guard’s lunches back in the other half of the kingdom. To both Jen’s and Myron’s amazement, they managed to slip by practically unnoticed, and finally the throngs of people began to thin. They continued onward, the castle now towering over them, closer than ever. Soon they would reach their destination, and the real work would begin.
The roads curved toward the main street that lead up to the castle gates. The rest of the area surrounding the castle dwindled into forest. Jeneva lead the way through the trees, breathing a soft sigh of relief that they were out of the masses of shoppers. The sky was darkening as they neared the castle walls, and she shimmied up a nearby tree to try her luck at finding a quick entry point. She swung up onto the next branch and paused, noticing a few open windows almost level with her tree, on the second floor of the castle. “You aren’t afraid of crawling out on thin branches to jump through windows, are you?” she asked, glancing down at Myron. The cat scowled at her, clawing his way up the trunk of the tree. “Of course not,” he snapped. “I’m a cat.” She just shook her head, hiding another smile. “Alright, so, you want to go first?” she asked, recomposing herself. He nodded, focusing on the nearest window. The cat padded evenly down the branch, barely making it bend, for all his large frame and heavy look. He sprang, neatly landing on the windowsill, and looked back for Jeneva. She narrowed her eyes, concentrating hard as she edged down the branch. It swayed alarmingly as she reached out for the window, and she let out a little squeak. “Steady, steady...” The cat’s soft murmur was right next to her ear, and Jen realized that she clung to the stone edge of the window, staring blindly down at the hard ground below. She scrambled up, flopping into the hallway that stretched in either direction from the windows. Doors lined the hall, some, to her confusion, placed in the side that was the outer wall, with nowhere to go. She frowned, got to her feet, and started in one direction, examining them closely. Shaking her head in amazement, but not wanting to get into more trouble by opening one, she turned to face Myron. “Where now?” she whispered. He shrugged, glancing around. His ears twitched, along with his whiskers, and his tail waved idly. “There are people coming this way, from over there,” he murmured finally, flicking his tail in one direction. “Let’s go this way.” He hopped to his paws, heading off down the hall in the opposite direction. Jen had no choice but to follow.
Their path lead into the palace, weaving a labyrinth through the stone structure. Several times they crossed other halls, and twice their hall passed stairwells, one leading up and the other down onto the first level. Myron lead the way past them, still excited by something unseen as he hurried forward. After a while, the pair came across a large oak door, and the cat stopped abruptly. He stared up at the brass doorknobs in wonder. “Here, I can sense it,” came the soft hiss. Jen nodded, reaching for the doorknob, but Myron jumped in front of her. “It has a spell,” he explained, turning to face the door again. He muttered a few words, sketching a sign in the air with his paw. The door handles glowed brightly for a moment, and then went back to normal. He nodded, and Jen reached forward again. It opened without a sound, admitting them into a large, surprisingly empty room. There were no furnishings of any sort, and the walls were made of some strange metal material, as were the floor and ceiling. A single small door, with no sign of a doorknob, was parallel to the one they had come through. Jen stared around, taking in the strange room. Myron, however, had noticed right away the shadow heaped in one corner of the room, and the trail of feathers leading to it. His fur bristled as the shadow shifted, and unfolded into a great feathered beast that glared at them coldly with large golden eyes. Jen swallowed hard, eyes widening. The bird-like thing stalked forward, clacking a sharply pointed beak. It towered over them, a rising a good three or four feet above the girl’s head. Wings were curled neatly at it’s flanks, with feathers of a bright flaming red. Feline paws, armed with rather long, sharp-looking claws, carried it silently across the room, a lion’s tail lashing angrily behind it. “Who is this?” it hissed in a harsh, demanding voice. “Who dares enter my chambers, disturb me, interrupt my work?” Jeneva gaped, and croaked, her mouth dry. She could not find words, or trust her voice. Myron glanced at her, and stepped forward. “We have come to take what is rightfully ours: the object which you guard, that the king of this lands has stolen from my master. We wish to reclaim it, if you please, Great Guardian.” He bowed his furry head slightly, and glanced at Jen. Numbly she did the same, nearly losing her balance. The griffin looked them over, considering the pair with sharp eyes. He frowned, and replied, “Very well, I will let you pass, and finish your quest, if the girl answers my riddle.” Myron looked to Jen, and she nodded slowly, regaining her composure. She straightened slightly, fists clenched at her sides. “I will try my best to answer it,” she replied as steadily as she could. The griffin nodded. Then he began to pace, obviously deep in thought. Finally he whirled around to face them again, pronouncing the riddle in a clear, ringing chant. “Riddle me this. I heard of an invading, vanquishing army sweeping across the land, liquid-quick; conquering everything, quelling resistance. With it came darkness, dimming the light. Humans hid in their houses, while outside spears pierced, shattering stone walls. Uncountable soldiers smashed into the ground, but each elicited life as he died; when the army had vanished, advancing northward, the land was green and growing, refreshed. What was it?” Jeneva stared at him, each word seeping into her brain. She frowned, thinking hard. Vanquishing army, sweeping across the land, liquid-quick... What swept across the land as fast as water? Darkness, dimming the light. Humans hid in their houses... Something that took away the light and forced humans into their homes? Fast as liquid, sweeping the land? Uncountable soldiers smashed into the ground... Each elicited life as he died... The land was green and growing, refreshed... A being that nourished the earth when it died, fast as liquid, sweeping the land, bringing darkness and driving humans to shelter...? With a click in her brain, everything fell into place. “A rainstorm.” She blinked, looking up at the waiting griffin. He nodded, eyes dancing. “Correct,” the great creature boomed in his deep voice.
The small door swung open with a soft swoosh of air, and the griffin stepped back, letting them past. Myron padded forward eagerly, leading the way into a small, dark room, illuminated only by the object on a small stone table. He grinned toothily, hopping up next to the glowing orb. It floated in space, hovering a few inches above the ground. The thing glowed brightly, almost too white to look at. Jen stepped forward hesitantly, shielding her eyes. Whatever it was, it was beautiful, she knew that. It sparkled, twinkling with it’s own energy, looking completely content just to brighten whatever it touched. “A star,” breathed Myron, reaching out a paw to touch it. The star shifted slightly, edging away from his touch, and shimmered in protest. “Take it, keep it safe. It is very valuable. Untold powers are held within, a gift of Sight,” he murmured, looking up at Jeneva with shining orbs. She reached out, her own eyes wide and glowing as well as she stared at the small star. It was warm in her palm, sending a soft tingling sensation through her fingers. She gently tucked it into a pocket on the inside of her cloak, cutting off the glow. Instantly they were thrown into darkness. She drew in a sharp breath, startled by the sudden lack of sight. “Wait, don’t panic,” Myron murmured. “Just wait a moment.” Slowly the edges of her vision blurred, becoming a bit lighter each moment. It was gradual, the dim coming of sight, like the few moments between night and dawn. After a while their surroundings became more clear. Jen gazed around, blinking rapidly. They stood in a small field of lush, thick green grass, very unlike the small dark room they had been in just moments, or perhaps hours before. “What-?” she began, but Myron silenced her with a flick of his tail. “I brought us back to my home world, where my master lives. It is a very nice place, I think you’ll like it,” he said, glancing around at the thick forest that enclosed the field. Jeneva looked around as well, taking in the serene, peaceful feeling that drifted about the area. “But what will I do here?” she asked, turning back to the cat. Myron flicked his ear, and shrugged fuzzy shoulders. “My master in in need of an apprentice, and you’ve surely proved yourself worthy. If you’d like to come work for him, I suppose...” Jen grinned widely, resisting the urge to hug the cat. “That would be wonderful!” He let out a soft laugh, rising to his paws and heading off into the forest. “Then come on, we’ve got a ways to go yet.”
Heh, my school project. A short story... This is just the beginning, so I might add more later, when I write more... ^^ Comments, pwrease? I needs to know if it's gonna make my writing teacher scream...in happiness or in horror. xD
Edit: Added sumore, and proofread the first part... Though there still might be some mistakes. xD
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