05-03-2019, 01:03 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-03-2019, 01:23 AM by Rowan Finnegan.)
Rowan sighed deeply as Valeriya clasped her hands. She looked down at the raven-haired beauty and smiled at her, gazing upon her features with one good eye. It was strange not having complete vision. The darkness to her left made her want to constantly turn her head for fear that she might be missing something in front of her. That was foolish. Valeriya was here, her safety net, and that sulking man, Matvei, was quickly retreating from the room.
“I’m feeling much better already, dear sister. A little light-headed, but better. I never thought a rebirth would be comfortable. Perhaps later tonight you can tell me about your awakening? This is all so new to me… But it feels right.”
She wanted to ask her sister what had happened during the ritual, what was it that she had said? Ever since she opened her eye, the memories were flitting away faster than a hummingbird. There were still traces and feelings just a few moments ago, but now there was nothing at all. Rowan wouldn’t even have known she had done a ritual were it not for the missing eye. Her hand went up to feel at the gaping hole, almost absent-mindedly.
The moment was shattered when he returned.
“Valeriya. What has happened, my love?”
Rowan slowly turned to her right, the one good eye settling on Rasputin’s incarnation. Ever so slowly did she turn, until her hands released Valeriya’s, her body and face completely turned to the older man. She did not blink, did not shudder, did not breathe. Rowan simply looked at him, watching his face for any indication that he noticed her missing eye or any recognition as to what that had meant.
A flicker of lights shone above Armande’s head and Rowan felt her flesh turn into goosebumps. A slight tremor began to shake her body and she reached out for her sister, grabbing at the air behind her, seemingly unable to take her eyes off of Armande. Silky skin met her hands, lithe fingers encircling her own. The tremors subsided almost immediately.
Everything went black.
Rowan and Valeriya floated along an expanse of empty darkness. Rowan screamed, but no sound issued from her lips. It was as if the void swallowed up every word she tried to shout. Panicking, Rowan spun around to look upon her sister, not daring to let go of her small hands. Judging by the other woman’s expression, she too was aware of the reality shift.
Somewhere in the distance, the sound of leaves rustling echoed across the void. The women looked up to find a field of green erupting from the silent blackness. Grass, dirt, and moss sprang up wherever Rowan looked; and then trees, flowers, and vines exploding up and out of the newly made soil. The trees reached for the heavens, ascending high enough that the tops were no longer visible; they too were swallowed in the blackness above them.
A large, bulky figure moved about the underbrush to their left. Rowan’s head spun, but she saw nothing more than shadows receding. Sounds of footfalls on dirt made Rowan turn again, her head whipping back. A clearing had been made in front of them. Rowan gasped, and this time she heard the noise escape her.
The Ascendancy was before them, kneeling in the dirt, his head downcast. Armande stood over the other man, looking victorious. Silently, he bent to scoop up a crown that had been left discarded on the ground between him and the Ascendancy. Armande held the golden circlet aloft, glory blazing brightly upon his face. Light exploded from the crown, white-hot light, searing phantoms into Rowan’s vision. The light grew and grew, blinding them.
With a pop, the light shrunk back almost instantaneously. The crown shook in Armande’s hands. It began to melt in his grasp and Armande gave a shriek. Strings of golden liquid splashed to the ground, causing their reality to quake. The ground vibrated roughly as a large vine, as thick as Rowan’s wrist, rose up from the spot in which the gold collected. Panic flashed across the faces of the men as the vine grew longer and longer, weaving around the pair. Within seconds, the vine had grown into a large, grand cage that had captured the two men.
Reality flashed white, much brighter than the light that had come before, and the ground beneath them groaned. The void beyond the forest grew bright, blinding light piercing through the gaps in the trees. The two caged men looked to the light and began to scream. Tears streamed forth from Rowan’s eyes as everything before her was obliterated by the light. A crashing boom shook the air as the trees, dirt, flowers, and even the men were turned to ash. Everything was set alight, burned away in seconds, leaving only the cage of vines behind.
Rowan, Valeriya, and the cage floated along in the void. Panic welled up in Rowan’s throat at the sight. She looked to her sister, searching for answers, for something, but Valeriya had nothing to offer. Turning back to the cage, Rowan saw two fully-formed skeletons resting at the bottom of the cage.
Reality shook once more.
Rowan blinked.
She and Valeriya were entwined in each other’s arms, both resting upon their knees on the hard, sterile floor.
“….Skeletons in the cage,” Rowan found the words coming out of her mouth.
Had she been speaking the whole time? Narrating the vision? Or had she been unconsciously commenting to herself? Was that another vision? It had to have been. Ever since she had met Valeriya, the things had been coming upon her hard and fast; so very hard to distinguish from reality. With an effort, Rowan let go of Valeriya’s hands. They were shaking. Both of them had been shaking… And her face was wet. The tears were real.
Rowan looked to her sister, completely ignorant of Armande, “Did you just see….?”
“I’m feeling much better already, dear sister. A little light-headed, but better. I never thought a rebirth would be comfortable. Perhaps later tonight you can tell me about your awakening? This is all so new to me… But it feels right.”
She wanted to ask her sister what had happened during the ritual, what was it that she had said? Ever since she opened her eye, the memories were flitting away faster than a hummingbird. There were still traces and feelings just a few moments ago, but now there was nothing at all. Rowan wouldn’t even have known she had done a ritual were it not for the missing eye. Her hand went up to feel at the gaping hole, almost absent-mindedly.
The moment was shattered when he returned.
“Valeriya. What has happened, my love?”
Rowan slowly turned to her right, the one good eye settling on Rasputin’s incarnation. Ever so slowly did she turn, until her hands released Valeriya’s, her body and face completely turned to the older man. She did not blink, did not shudder, did not breathe. Rowan simply looked at him, watching his face for any indication that he noticed her missing eye or any recognition as to what that had meant.
A flicker of lights shone above Armande’s head and Rowan felt her flesh turn into goosebumps. A slight tremor began to shake her body and she reached out for her sister, grabbing at the air behind her, seemingly unable to take her eyes off of Armande. Silky skin met her hands, lithe fingers encircling her own. The tremors subsided almost immediately.
Everything went black.
Rowan and Valeriya floated along an expanse of empty darkness. Rowan screamed, but no sound issued from her lips. It was as if the void swallowed up every word she tried to shout. Panicking, Rowan spun around to look upon her sister, not daring to let go of her small hands. Judging by the other woman’s expression, she too was aware of the reality shift.
Somewhere in the distance, the sound of leaves rustling echoed across the void. The women looked up to find a field of green erupting from the silent blackness. Grass, dirt, and moss sprang up wherever Rowan looked; and then trees, flowers, and vines exploding up and out of the newly made soil. The trees reached for the heavens, ascending high enough that the tops were no longer visible; they too were swallowed in the blackness above them.
A large, bulky figure moved about the underbrush to their left. Rowan’s head spun, but she saw nothing more than shadows receding. Sounds of footfalls on dirt made Rowan turn again, her head whipping back. A clearing had been made in front of them. Rowan gasped, and this time she heard the noise escape her.
The Ascendancy was before them, kneeling in the dirt, his head downcast. Armande stood over the other man, looking victorious. Silently, he bent to scoop up a crown that had been left discarded on the ground between him and the Ascendancy. Armande held the golden circlet aloft, glory blazing brightly upon his face. Light exploded from the crown, white-hot light, searing phantoms into Rowan’s vision. The light grew and grew, blinding them.
With a pop, the light shrunk back almost instantaneously. The crown shook in Armande’s hands. It began to melt in his grasp and Armande gave a shriek. Strings of golden liquid splashed to the ground, causing their reality to quake. The ground vibrated roughly as a large vine, as thick as Rowan’s wrist, rose up from the spot in which the gold collected. Panic flashed across the faces of the men as the vine grew longer and longer, weaving around the pair. Within seconds, the vine had grown into a large, grand cage that had captured the two men.
Reality flashed white, much brighter than the light that had come before, and the ground beneath them groaned. The void beyond the forest grew bright, blinding light piercing through the gaps in the trees. The two caged men looked to the light and began to scream. Tears streamed forth from Rowan’s eyes as everything before her was obliterated by the light. A crashing boom shook the air as the trees, dirt, flowers, and even the men were turned to ash. Everything was set alight, burned away in seconds, leaving only the cage of vines behind.
Rowan, Valeriya, and the cage floated along in the void. Panic welled up in Rowan’s throat at the sight. She looked to her sister, searching for answers, for something, but Valeriya had nothing to offer. Turning back to the cage, Rowan saw two fully-formed skeletons resting at the bottom of the cage.
Reality shook once more.
Rowan blinked.
She and Valeriya were entwined in each other’s arms, both resting upon their knees on the hard, sterile floor.
“….Skeletons in the cage,” Rowan found the words coming out of her mouth.
Had she been speaking the whole time? Narrating the vision? Or had she been unconsciously commenting to herself? Was that another vision? It had to have been. Ever since she had met Valeriya, the things had been coming upon her hard and fast; so very hard to distinguish from reality. With an effort, Rowan let go of Valeriya’s hands. They were shaking. Both of them had been shaking… And her face was wet. The tears were real.
Rowan looked to her sister, completely ignorant of Armande, “Did you just see….?”