Restless
Isibeal looked around in fear. This wasn't right, where was the forest she knew? Where was the village, her friends, where was her family? Where was her father, he should be running up to chase all the bad away! But, all she saw around her was a twisted, mean looking forest, full of thorns and thistles, briar patches and twisted, ugly, almost menacing looking trees. Isibeal felt like the forest itself was after her, and no matter how fast or what direction she ran in, that deep, dark evil laugh pursued her.
“Daddy!” She cried out, but noone answered, none but that evil laugh. She ran and she ran, there was a clearing ahead, perhaps it was the end of the dark forest she had somehow stumbled into?
She ran headlong into the clearing, and then stopped short in fear. This was no peaceful clearing, and certainly not the end of the forest. And, there, in the center, she didnt know what she saw, but she knew she didn't like it.
“Where is Papa!?” she cried aloud, only causing the laughter to begin again, that deep, bone chilling, frightening laugh.
“Papa can't help you now little one, Papa cannot follow you here. “
Isibeal tried to run, but found that thorny vines had entangled her feet, she could not move. She didn't understand, where was she, how had she gotten here? last she remembered, she and the other younglings of the village had been playing in a forest clearing near the village, and she had layed down in one of her favorite spots for a nap...and had woken up in this evil forest. Surely the others would notice she was missing, Papa or Crimthann or one of her brothers would be searching, they would be here soon. She sat down defiantly, she wasn't going to be afraid, Papa must be nearby, he would chase this badness away.
The laugh again “Papa isn't coming child, he can't help you, but....you can help him, save his life perhaps...”
Papa? Save Papa? Nothing could hurt him, nothing could even scare him
“He goes to his death, you see little one, your Papa is trying to fight me. Oh yes, yes little one, he has been fighting me for a long time now. Yes, yes, your hopes are rising, perhaps this will cheer you up more?”
Where the red eyes had been in the middle of the clearing turned into a hazy cloud, and then appeared almost as a clear, round puddle. Isibeal saw her father and mother, brothers, Crimthann, her uncle Alsandair, and some others she didn't recognize, surrounded on all sides, fighting for their very lives against horde after horde of creatures she had never seen before, all with the same menacing, glowing red eyes she had grown to hate from her dreams. Then, as she watched, one by one, they fell, she broke into tears as her dear Papa, standing to the last, was cut down
“PAPA!!” she screamed through her tears. She wouldn't believe it, Papa couldnt fall, they couldn't die, she fell to her knees, shaking with sob after sob
“Poor, poor child, I didn't want to show you that, but, you must know, if your father continues to fight me, he and all who fight with him...will die” The voice...though still dark and cold...seemed almost...kind, in a dark, menacing way. She didn't understand
“Why? Why must you kill them? Why does he fight you? If Papa fights you, you must be bad, Papa only fights bad things!”
“Child, dear child, you can save them all, your Papa won't have to fight me anymore, you can save your precious family. It's really....quite simple” the voice spoke softly, yet coldly.
“Wha- what do you mean? I'm a youngling! And why would you help me. I know what you are, Papa and the others have told me of you, I've seen you in my nightmares.”
“Child, they lie to you! I am not evil, I seek merely to bring peace to the world, but your friends insist on battling me, dear child, I don't wish to fight, but, I must protect myself. Now, all I ask, my simple request, is you serve me, help me, and I shall spare your Papa..he won't have to die”
Isibeal jumped as, from the edge of the clearing, a large figure ran towards her, clad in silver armor, the silver eye of the Source emblazoned on his breastplate, shield, and helmet, and the largest sword she had ever seen in his right hand. This was not Papa, but, she knew him, and she ran to him.
“You will not have her!” The man called in a booming voice
“You cannot interfere here!”
“I Am”
“She is mine!” The dark voice hissed, and where the red eyes had been, a dark, menacing cloud began to grow and float towards them.
Isibeal watched as her rescuer began to chant and pray in the most beautiful language she had ever heard before. From the dark mist, a large figure ran towards them, clad in dark red, shiny armor, nothing showing from his helmet but glowing red eyes
“Go child, you are safe, he cannot touch you!”
Isibeal rose and walked towards the edge of the clearing, in the direction her friend had pointed. She looked back to see the two locked in battle, and then she ran down the path.
Isibeal awoke with a start, her father, Crimthann, and Anshelm standing over her. She looked around, she was in the Shrine to the Source, what were all the clerics praying about? Why was she here? Then she realized...it had all been a dream, a nightmare. She wrapped her arms around Detric, she knew her Papa would save her.
Anshelm turned to the gathered clerics “Brothers, the evil has released its grip on the child, but remain alert, it will return, this evil is determined, we must prepare ourselves for a war of the soul and mind”
Detric strode from the temple, his daughter clinging to his neck, Crimthann not far behind, to Jaci, Aedan and Artegal outside.
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Aedan prepared for sleep, and thought about the events of the day. His father and Crimthann both seemed to react oddly to his little sisters recount of her dream..or..vision? They had hid it well, but when she recounted the Silver knight, they had both shared an odd look. He didn't share that he to had seen the same figure. His dreams were different, entirely different, but...could there be a connection? He wondered about it as he drifted off to sleep
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“Where is he? Aedan! Why don't you come?” The voice drifted in and out of his head. Who was this girl calling to him? Where was he to go?
“I'm right here” He answered “Who are you?”
The girl continued to look around, continued to wander about, confused. as the dream kept coming back night after night, he began to understand her surroundings a bit better. Each time, she was running down a hallway, a stone hallway, each time looking over her shoulder in fear. What was chasing her? Why was she in his dreams, what did all this mean?
“Gabriella, I am here!” Gabriella, who was that? The girl? how did he know her name, and why could he hear her, but she didn't seem to hear him?
“She cannot hear you son, you are not there, but you must go” The same silver knight stood before him, the fainting vision of the girl now gone. He found himself standing in a peaceful clearing, possible the most beautiful he had ever been in.
“Go where?”
“Head north, you will know as you go, you must find Gabriella”
“But where...where is she?
“North”
At that, he awoke. It was still night, but Aedan found himself wide awake. He couldn't shake the feeling that he must go...now. He packed his gear and weapons, and began to walk north from the village. He hadn't gone far when he heard someone approaching behind him
“You didn't think you could go off on an adventure without your brother did you?”
“Artegal...”
“Brother, you aren't the only one who gets odd visions...so, north right?
“Then..you've seen her to?”
“Her? no..Ive seen you going north and getting into all kinds of fun, why..her? thats what this is all about, you dreaming of some girl? Dad would be proud”
“Shutup little brother, if you're going to follow me”
“Little brother? just because you were born a moment sooner-”
“Makes you my little brother, now, shall we, or are you going back to bed? It is past your bedtime after all”
Crimthann watched the twins bicker their way north, and prayed to the Source to protect them. He wanted to go with them, but...they must do this alone, for now at least. Crimthann went back to sleep, he would need all the rest he could get to stop Detric from tearing off after his boys.
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