I saw nothing but darkness. In this black void, I desperately clung onto whatever senses I could use. There was a shrill ringing in my ears as my head throbbed and ached dully. I could feel something warm and wet running down my face. A strong metallic smell mixed with a hint of smoke entered my nose and made me nauseous. I tried to move any part of my body, but I was paralyzed with what felt like ten thousand tons on top of me. I should have been frantic, panicking; but I couldn't find the energy to fight. I laid helpless, floating in emptiness and simply wishing that the growing pain in my head would just stop.
"Help... please, anyone…"
A faint voice broke through the constant ringing noise. Over and over, it pleaded the same phrase in such a pained way that my heart broke listening to it.
I'm right here. I wanted to say but I couldn't will the words out of my mouth. I struggled to open my eyes and find the source of the anguished voice, but it was no use. Eventually, the voice died down and I was once again in a sea of nothing. Strangely, the pain began to ebb away little by little as well. I felt a strange sensation of being weightless and so… hollow. What's happening to me…
Chapter 1
Naveah.
My eyes suddenly seemed to refocus. Straight in front of me a set of eyes stared intensely into mine, making me jump in surprise. My shock immediately subsided into annoyance as I roughly shoved away the face that was now smirking smugly.
"Ever heard of personal space, Lucah?" I muttered. Was that just… a dream?
"Just making sure that you aren't having a stroke." Lucah leered. "What was that about?" He straightened up and looked down at me, cocking a brow in amusement.
I ignored him and looked around me, still feeling lost and disoriented. We were atop of the green hill overlooking our small town of Elmire - the same hill Lucah and I had been coming to since we were young kids. The sun was just beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the hilltop. Lucah and I had been tasked with constructing the last piece of the spell to create a protective barricade over Elmire when I had suddenly been pulled into that bizarre state of mind. I quickly gathered my thoughts and tried to concentrate in manifesting akri.
"It's already done, Navi." Lucah said, waving his hand flippantly.
I whipped my head around and narrowed my eyes in scrutiny. After a few minutes, I saw the barrier shimmer gold against the sunlight and enclose the entire perimeter of the town and its near outskirts. My magic began to dissipate at the sight of Lucah's work and I immediately went back to thinking about the strange vision.
Perhaps I was fretting for no reason. But this wasn't the first time I had experienced something like this… Somebody needed help but I didn't know how or why. I gnawed on my bottom lip nervously.
"Navi, are you alright?" Lucah asked and knelt down again. Concern replaced all traces of sarcasm in his eyes.
I looked up at him, seeing my reflection in his clear gray irises. Lucah's black tousled hair blew gently with the wind, stray strands artfully falling upon his forehead. His dark hair contrasted deeply with his fair cream skin. Looking at him this closely made me feel odd, distracting me for a fleeting moment. I realized that the Lucah that I had known as a child was gone; he now had a strong, chiseled face pronouncing his cheekbones and jawline. The translucent outline of Jebiah's Crest, the mark bestowed upon a mage or sorcerer, gleamed a faint gold on his forehead. His shoulders had broadened more, and lean muscles accentuated his tall body. The only remnant from his childhood years was the small diamond shaped birthmark on his left upper cheek.
I playfully poked the spot on his face and gave him a small smile. "Just feeling a little out of it." I said. Again he raised a brow as if he was in doubt and sat down beside me.
"Did you see something?" He asked quietly.
I nodded slowly. There was no point in trying to hide things from Lucah. "What did you see?" He pressed.
"Well I didn't really see anything… it was just dark. But I felt paralyzed and all I could hear was someone begging me to help them. It smelled like there was fire and blood." I crinkled my nose at the memory.
"Do you think it's foresight?" Lucah asked hesitantly. I stared at the ground and fiddled with the grass beneath me.
"I can't say for certain." I sighed. "A lot of these visions end up feeling like deja vu. I can't seem to really distinguish them from foresight or a simple dream until it's too late." I ripped a blade of grass out in frustration. Lucah then grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently.
"It's something that needs practice, and no one is expecting you to be a prophet. It's okay if you don't get everything right." He said softly. "There's no one screaming of fire or bloodshed right now, right? So let's not agonize over something that hasn't happened." He added. I rolled my eyes but laughed. Although it still bothered me, Lucah was right in that there was little I could do right now.
I then suddenly realized that his hand was still holding mine. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I slid my hand out from under his. My heart fluttered briefly and I couldn't understand why. The vision must be making me feel off in all sorts of ways, I thought in embarrassment.
"W-We should go back. Hester and the others are probably waiting to hear from us." I said, standing quickly to my feet. I glanced back at Lucah. He also rose to his feet and ran his hand through his hair awkwardly. Was he blushing?
"Yeah, let's go." He cleared his throat and motioned me to lead the way.