Yuliah found herself trapped inside the Ethereal flow, and could not leave this moment in time. The bodies of her parents had long vanished, and so did all other life. All that remained was Yuliah. She paced back and forth then chewed on her fingernail, a lousy habit she used as a means to cope, when under distress. Then she sighed.
Ryas talked about the Ethereal Spirit but only briefly and not enough to help her understand.
Going over the events that lead up to this moment they were all connected to blood. The ring she put on drew blood from her finger then called Aleric to their Manor. He talked about needing blood and drained her Mother's blood.
Ryas had mentioned life was in the blood. He healed her with his blood. The creatures drank her blood to grow stronger. It was all about blood. The way out must be through the blood as well.
Yuliah raced back to the Manor. Contemplating what she could use to cut herself with she remembered the ring and took off towards the stables.
He had the box tucked into a bag of items. Yuliah took it from the box and slid the ring onto her finger. It cut into her flesh, and she winced. The silver band then turned a dark red.
Suddenly the Manor vanished, and Yuliah found herself standing among the Cosmos. A deep voice spoke to her. "Finally the Blood Bearer has come," it said.
Startled she spun around to find nothing but darkness and the stars. "Who are you? And what am I doing here?"
"I'm the Ethereal Flow. I brought you here because your recklessness will kill us all," it sounded angry.
Offended by its words, "I'm not your blood bearer," she said. "I don't even know what that is! Or any of this!" All the magic and evil in this world, she encountered in the past few days had not been fully processed yet, but this mysterious voice started to blame her.
The voice became annoyed with her response. "You're a Blood Bearer for the Ethereal Spirit," it said. "Whether you like it or not. It's your responsibility now," the voice seemed to be shouting at her. "Stop behaving like a helpless little girl!"
The truth hit like scalding hot water to her ego. Yuliah drew back and plunked down. She wasn't behaving like a helpless girl. She was helpless.
"You're not helpless you just lack the skills at the moment," the voice said.
Yuliah's mouth slightly fell open. It knew what she was thinking?
"Yes," The voice replied. "I am the Ethereal flow. It is my duty to know everything."
"Help me understand all of this. I can't do something I have no idea about," Yuliah said. How would it use her blood? Is it a Man or a creature like Aleric - who drinks blood. She shuddered at the sight of being drained like her Mother.
"You will not be drained as Aleric did to your Mother. He's a creature that plays into peoples fears. The ring will be your guide and your blood its source. Find that ring if you want to stay intact."
Well threatening me is not going to help Yuliah glanced up.
"It's not a threat. It's a warning," the voice said.
Yuliah forgot the voice could read her mind. Blood Bearer it sounded terrible. Why her and what is the Ethereal Spirit?
"You wished to know what the Ethereal Spirit is? And why you?" It pulled her up into the darkness where visions of past and present events flashed before her.
Yuliah stood amazed when the Ethereal Spirit came to its existence. A God, with incredible raw power that brought the first Geneoshi to life. It showed her all events from the beginning of the Ethereal Spirit to the fall of Man and then to this very moment in her life.
Yuliah touched her lips and blushed. When it showed her, the moment Ryas lifted her naked body above the spring and kissed her. It happened before she forced herself on him that night. Could it mean... Her heart began to flutter away.
"Pay attention," The voice scolded her. "Aleric comes here to take the power of the Cosmos. Without the Ethereal Spirit here no one protects that power. Aleric uses it to feed his dark magic and breaths life into his creatures,"
"My blood brings them here?" Yuliah tried to clear her thoughts of Ryas.
"Yes, it is a map to the infinite power and possibilities of the Cosmos. A blood bond between the Ethereal Spirit and the first Geneoshi. Aleric and his creatures will hunt you for it. They are drawn to it," The voice confirmed.
She didn't want any of this; it was unfair to have this forced onto her. Yuliah couldn't fight; she wasn't brave and cowered in fear as Aleric murdered her parents. Now the responsibility of being a Blood Bearer to the Ethereal Spirit and keeping an army of monsters from killing her to get to this place. Yuliah sighed and slumped down.
"What do you fear?" The voice asked.
"That... I won't have the courage to be the Blood Bearer. I'm just a woman," Yuliah answered. A weak woman at that. Who could only depend on a Man for help? She was disappointed in herself.
"Did you not see the greatnesses of the Geneoshi? Or your Father the Nomen King?" The voice asked her. "Did he cower in fear when the Geneoshi marched on his Kingdom? Did your Mother hideaway when Aleric came for her?"
"No," Yuliah's voice became a whimper. "I've seen all of it, but I don't have it in me," her eyes lowered. "You picked the wrong person." They were all Men taught as boys since day one to be strong. Her Mother had the power of the Ethereal Spirit. The only skills she did well were dancing and house chores. Nothing impressive about that.
Warmth began to build and spread throughout her entire body. A comfort she had only felt from Ryas washed over her. "Strength and courage come from the challenges you face," the voice came from right beside her. "Yes they learn as young boys, but that doesn't mean you can't be taught the same either."
"Your right," Yuliah answered. All these years she had ingrained it in herself, she had segregated herself and created a lack of self-worth because she was a woman, but the voice was right. Being a woman doesn't mean she can't be more than that.
"A Blood Bearer who cannot fight or harness the Ethereal Spirit will die," the voice spoke.
"How can I harness the Ethereal Spirit?" Yuliah asked.
"The Geneoshi that blood bounded you."
"Wait. Geneoshi who blood bounded me?" She started biting on her fingernail again. Ryas!
"Now wake," The voice commanded. "And trust in the flow of the Ethereal Spirit."
"Hey I need your help still," Yuliah called but the voice disappeared. Trust in the flow of the Ethereal Spirit? Her Mother, the voice, and Ryas had all mentioned that to her before. What did it mean though? Suddenly she felt her body propel forward then dropped. Yuliah fell nonstop through the darkness at an incredible pace. A part of her wanted to scream and cry. But courage comes from challenges, and this would be her first challenge.
Yuliah dropped into her body with so much force a burst of Ethereal energy shot from her hands and body. It shredded the hair that bounded her arms and legs together. Her eyes opened to a dark cave, and she smiled.