~It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence,
we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a
dream. (Edgar Allan Poe)~
The sun is warm on my back as we walk. We are lucky to be chosen to be in the imperial army. You must have certain abilities to be chosen. I am a map maker and my instructors say I'm the best in my class but my maps never look quite right to me, as if something is missing. There is always something missing in my maps but then again I haven't been everywhere there is to be so I wouldn't know what it is.
The feeling of strong arms wrapping around my waist and lifting me up pulls me out of my daze. Whoever it was that picked me up sets me down. "You almost fell." I turn to be faced with a familiar man. He was tall, nearly 6'8". He was well built as any man should be, though he was muscled, he was also very slender from years of hunting and running. His hair a dark brown, cropped close to his head. His lightly tanned skin made his gorgeous pale blue eyes stand out.All of this was very familiar but I still remember that boy he used to be. He no longer held that boyish charm for now he was a grown man. "What were you thinking about, Stells?"
I quickly write down my response, 'Must you frighten me like that, Mills?' Mikeel and I have been best friends since we were in diapers. He has always been around and he's always taken care of me.
He flashes me a dazzling smile, one that I have grown used to seeing over the years. "Well that's what I'm here for."
'Yes of course, I almost forgot.' I straighten my green tunic and glare at Mikeel.
"Have I angered you? Why must you keep up this charade of being mute?"
I shake my head and sigh, he always gets this way when we 'talk'. First he's worried about how I'm holding up then he's irritated when I don't actually speak. I have my reasons and I've told him them time and time again but he still asks. 'No, you haven't angered me. And I am 'mute' because it makes things so much easier for me.'
He sighs and shakes his head, "Okay, fine but you could at least talk to me."
'We are walking with the imperial army and both of our higher ups could pass at anytime and I would much rather not speak. They shouldn't have let me in because I'm mute but, as they say, I have an exceptional skill set so they have. I like my position and I don't want to be caught talking to the best tracker they have. I would prefer not to find out what the punishment is for this lie.'
"Okay okay. Sorry." Mikeel's smile turns into a worried frown, "The Abyssus Manes is coming up, we will cross it tomorrow. You okay?" I have had these nightmares about the Abyssus Manes for quite a long time.They started when I was young at first I would only see the gaping emptiness that was the Abysses Manes but after Mikeel and I crossed all those years ago to attend the execution of the queen they got worse and would see razor sharp teeth. We never actually saw the monsters of the abyss, we never even heard them. It was calm and silent but it was frightening and I never wanted to cross the abyss ever again.
A shiver runs through my body at the thought of that place. The Abyssus Manes is the home of the Astibos. Creatures with leathery wings, long talons, razor-sharp teeth, and they eat humans, but I've heard they go after the incantators more often than they do us normal people it probably has something to do with the power that washes off them, but the thing that frightens me most is that they eat each other. 'I will be once we get away from there.'
"I understand." He looks behind me before his eyes widen, "Watch out!"
I move out of the way in time to just barely miss getting run over by one of the incatator's carriages. Many carriages pass each one holding several incatators. I watch them go by then a black carriage with a moon pendant in the window passes. I bow my head in respect to the man within the carriage, Oscuro. His colours are black and gold, his sign is the moon. As the incatators carriages passed some of the girls, every one of them gorgeous, looked out and directly at Mikeel. 'Looks like you have some fans.' I smirk at him, 'Mikeel how many of them have you slept with?'
"Oh stop it." I shake my head letting a smile spread across my face, "I haven't slept with any of them."
'That doesn't mean you won't. I know that they have invited you many times.'
"You have one dirty mind." He laughs and shakes his head at me.
"HAULT!!" Everyone stops moving as we are commanded, "SET UP CAMP AND GO TO YOUR DESIGNATED AREA!!" Everyone around me sounds off a yes sir and scatter to do whatever needs to be done.
After an hour or two I walk into the mapmaker's tent. "Where have you been Stella?"
I turn around slowly to face the instructor, 'I was helping set up the mess hall.'
My instructor places his hands on his hips. Ever since I enlisted I have been late to the tent each time we stop for the night and I think he has finally had enough of it. "Stella I find that highly unlikely. I hate to disturb Oscuro but I cannot have you lying and thinking you can do whatever it is you want whenever you want." He grabs my arm and drags me to the incatator's tent. The incatators are all sitting on the plush pillows, laughing and talking to one another. Oscuro is sitting on the other side of the tent in a huge black chair that almost looks like a throne. I bow my head in both respect and fear. "Oscuro this young woman has lied to me about her whereabouts since she entered my division and she is always late into the tent by at least an hour." The instructor lets go of my arm like I had burned him.
I can feel Oscuro staring at me, then he speaks in a deep, enchanting voice. "Look at me and tell me what exactly you are hiding." Are you kidding? He just heard it from my instructor. Maybe he's hard of hearing and honestly didn't hear what my instructor said, I doubt that though. I slowly look up at him, his dark blue eyes that almost black bore into mine. His face, much like the rest of his body, is slender. I rip my eyes away from him before my mind gets lost in the thoughts of the masterpice I could create with him as my insperation. I pull out my brush and paper, "I told you to tell me not write it."
'I am truly sorry but I do not speak.' All of the incantators gape at me, no one goes against Oscuro's wishes for fear of what he is capable of. If you cannot walk, must less stand, and he commands you to stand you do it but I have no choice I must keep up appearances.
Oscuro reads what I wrote and narrows his eyes, "I'm sure I can make you speak" His words hold not only a threat but also a slight tone of teasing as the corner of his lips curl into an evil grin. He turns his attention to my instructor, "She will cross the Abyssus Manes with me and I will accompany the mapmakers. For now, take her to her tent."
The instructor nods and grabs my arm again. He drags me out before speaking, "Stella why wouldn't you just talk? Now you are going to be hurt for sure." He shakes his head and pushes me into the tent, "I'll have someone bring you food."
The next morning we take down all the tents and we are herded onto small boats to cross Abyssus Manes. I was in the line to get on one of the boats when I feel a hand grab my wrist and electricity surge up my arm. Without thinking I turned around ripping my wrist out of the grasp and kneed the person in the stomach before knocking their legs out from under them and pinning the person to the ground. I hear many gasps from those around me and I looked down to see it was Oscuro I had pinned. I jump up as soon as this realization hit me and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I am so so so sorry Oscuro. 'I did not know it was you. I would never had done that if I knew. I'
He stands, towering over me, and holds his hand up as he takes the page, not letting me finish scribbling my frantic apology. His deep blue eyes scan it quickly, "Stella… that is your name correct?" I nod my head slowly, "Do not worry about it you will face no consequences as of now. I should have warned you that I was behind you."
One of the incatators step up, scanning his body for any sign of injury. "You aren't hurt are you, Oscuro?"
"No, I am perfectly fine." He takes hold of my wrist softly, sending more electric shocks up my arm, "Let's get on the boat."
He walks onto the boat still holding onto my arm. I suck in my breath, reeling in my panic, and walk onto the rickitty skiff. The boats push off and we are soon engulfed by darkness. Fires are lit in the center of each boat, giving us a small amount of light to see by. We move slowly across the Abyssus Manes, the boats cutting through the tar-like water. Everyone is talking in quiet voices to one another, trying to ease some of the fear welling up in us.
I watch Oscuro. He is just standing there, his head held high, his black tunic swirling about him, his waist length black hair tousled by the wind. His dark eyes scanning around the ships, as if he was looking for the monsters. The astibos are the only ones that attack humans. There are more terrifying creatures that live within this space where darkness is tangible but none bother humans, they have often been depicted as eating the astibos and I sure hope that's true.
I know we aren't even halfway across when I hear terrible, ear piercing shrieks. I look around to find where it came from and then hundreds of astibos descend upon the ships. They have leathery skin that looks as though they were a piece of hide left out in the sun. Wings like that of a large bat, stretching out several feet. Long talons protrude from what you can only assume to be their hands at the ends of each wing. Their gaping mouths reveal four rows of razor sharp teeth that were made to rip the flesh and meat off their prey. As they shriek you can smell their breath which holds the scent of their last meal that I'm sure consisted of rancid, rotting flesh. Their skin looks to be barely hanging onto their bodies. All I can do is stand there, at Oscuro's side, and watch as these beasts descend on the people. There are screams coming from all around as the beasts choose their prey. The fire incantators are throwing balls of flame, trying to scare the astibos away. The monsters fall back only for a short time before they realize the reward of their daring may be greater than a burn.
I feel a terrible ripping, searing pain shoot through my shoulders and legs. Oscuro grabs a hold of my arm. I let out a shrill scream as the pain runs through my body, the astibo attempts to lift and take me away from the ship. I can feel its tallons ripping through me and in an attempt to hold onto its meal it clamps its jaws onto my throat. At this point the pain is the only thing I can feel. I can no longer feel Oscuro's grip on my arm but I know he is still holding on. I can no longer scream, I can no longer hear the others scream. Everything seems to slow, the pain melts away, and everything starts to go black when a hot burning light flashes, knocking the beasts away and killing many of them. I fall to my knees, as the beast is incinerated, hitting the hard wood of the ship. Oscuro picks me up and starts shouting commands to the incatators that control wind to make us go faster.
"We will get you to a doctor Stella. Why did you not tell us you were Sol'eta?" His soft, worried voice was the last thing I heard before I passed out in his arms. Why did they come after me?