04-30-2020, 09:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-30-2020, 09:09 PM by Rowan Finnegan.)
Rowan did nothing to hide her shock at the revelation. Armande was so nonchalant about the Pope’s involvement in – whatever they were doing. Rowan still wasn’t entirely sure. Armande had been extremely vague about the whole endeavor, but then again, so had Vale. That map from Rasputin, it held the secret to the location of some weapon, or some secret, that would aid them in saving the world. There had been talk of a tool, but Rowan couldn’t remember what was said. She wasn’t even sure she was remembering it correctly.
All of this was right, though. She hadn’t had a vision to confirm that notion, nor had Vale, but it just felt right – this whole excursion halfway across the country.
The other thing that had felt right was Rowan’s hand in Vale’s. They sat there for a while, in silence, in each other’s presence. It all felt right. Even Armande.
After, what seemed like Ages, Armande rose from his space to the other side of Vale. He held his hands out to them both and bid them to follow. Rowan blushed despite herself. This man was finally starting to lower his guard around her. Ever since that initial meeting, he gave off this aura that said ‘I-don’t-really-care-for-you.’ Although, over the course of their time on the road together that had melted. He was downright amicable now.
Oh, Armande had definitely preferred Vale, but then again, this was not a competition. True, Rowan wanted to be wanted and she liked to be looked at, but that was not why she had signed up for this. That was owed entirely to her vision of the multiple paths the future might take. So long as she stuck the course, the future would play out in the most favorable – for her at least – which was to say that she survived in this ‘timeline.’
Everything else was a means to an end.
Vale though? Vale was different. When Rowan had met her, it was like finding the piece that fit into that weird hole in your soul. They had come from vastly different backgrounds, but they had just ‘clicked.’ There was an unspoken understanding there that neither had acknowledged, but it was something that even Armande had taken note of. It was all so mysterious and etheric. It was eternal. It felt deeper than what Rowan had with Aiden – and that was saying something. That was something to pay attention to.
There was this movie that Aiden had shown her, years ago, that dealt with that - finding one’s ‘other half’ – that was what Vale was – Rowan’s other half. Which was all well and good, but Vale was with Armande.
In the stories, one’s other half was meant for them and them alone. Armande proved the wild card in that equation. Where did he fit in to all of this? Clearly, Vale was Rowan’s and Rowan was Vale’s, but still, Vale held to her ties to Armande. What was Rowan to make of him? Considering everything else, she was to follow him; that required a certain degree of deference. That didn’t mean she was his slave – not by any means. She was perhaps just beholden to him. Her visions said as much, if she was to survive, she was to follow his command. That thought alone had not sat well with her initially, but her view was rapidly changing.
In the weeks since they had taken to the road, Armande had proved to be a real live man. Regardless of mythical prophecies, he had a past, a present, and a future. Armande had favored foods and hobbies just like any other person. He had hopes and dreams like she did. That endeared him to her. He was more than the sum of his parts. Rowan could live with not having Vale to herself, so long as things kept progressing smoothly with Armande. Time would tell.
Vale went up and then Rowan followed suit, accepting Armande’s support. Even his touch felt different. It was not eager – per se – but close enough. Perhaps something had shifted inside of him. Rowan sprung up from the green ground with renewed vigor – that’s when a large splash echoed throughout the air.
As soon as Rowan was up, she was down.
Pain shot through her leg. Rowan’s hands shot down to her thigh and they came back bloodied. She found herself frantically looking from side to side. More splashing. Rowan felt the urge to move. Without thinking, she spun on the ground, off to the left. A long, imposing spear was standing point down at the exact spot Rowan had just moved from. Wet, hot blood trickled down to her toes.
She whipped her head towards the lake and saw the water roiling. The torso of – what appeared to be – a woman rose from shimmering surface. Her skin was green and covered in harsh lines of red and black. A crown of spikes all but erupted from the thing’s skull, and innumerable tentacles flared out behind the spikes. A clawed, spindly hand rose from the water, clutching another one of those thick shafted spears.
In seconds, the spear was sailing through the air, directly at Vale. Rowan did not think. Rowan did not speak. She embraced the Power and wove Air.
A large, thick wall of Air sprung up at the lakeshore, shooting high into the heavens. The spear collided with it unceremoniously, the weapon clanging against the weave and then falling back into the water. The thing shrieked and went back beneath the surface of the water, coming back up not a minute later, throwing another spear at the trio.
Rowan looked to the other two, “Are you both okay?” She asked frantically, clinging to Saidar.
![[Image: tumblr_mbt6xveoUa1qhttpto3_540.jpg]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbt6xveoUa1qhttpto3_540.jpg)
All of this was right, though. She hadn’t had a vision to confirm that notion, nor had Vale, but it just felt right – this whole excursion halfway across the country.
The other thing that had felt right was Rowan’s hand in Vale’s. They sat there for a while, in silence, in each other’s presence. It all felt right. Even Armande.
After, what seemed like Ages, Armande rose from his space to the other side of Vale. He held his hands out to them both and bid them to follow. Rowan blushed despite herself. This man was finally starting to lower his guard around her. Ever since that initial meeting, he gave off this aura that said ‘I-don’t-really-care-for-you.’ Although, over the course of their time on the road together that had melted. He was downright amicable now.
Oh, Armande had definitely preferred Vale, but then again, this was not a competition. True, Rowan wanted to be wanted and she liked to be looked at, but that was not why she had signed up for this. That was owed entirely to her vision of the multiple paths the future might take. So long as she stuck the course, the future would play out in the most favorable – for her at least – which was to say that she survived in this ‘timeline.’
Everything else was a means to an end.
Vale though? Vale was different. When Rowan had met her, it was like finding the piece that fit into that weird hole in your soul. They had come from vastly different backgrounds, but they had just ‘clicked.’ There was an unspoken understanding there that neither had acknowledged, but it was something that even Armande had taken note of. It was all so mysterious and etheric. It was eternal. It felt deeper than what Rowan had with Aiden – and that was saying something. That was something to pay attention to.
There was this movie that Aiden had shown her, years ago, that dealt with that - finding one’s ‘other half’ – that was what Vale was – Rowan’s other half. Which was all well and good, but Vale was with Armande.
In the stories, one’s other half was meant for them and them alone. Armande proved the wild card in that equation. Where did he fit in to all of this? Clearly, Vale was Rowan’s and Rowan was Vale’s, but still, Vale held to her ties to Armande. What was Rowan to make of him? Considering everything else, she was to follow him; that required a certain degree of deference. That didn’t mean she was his slave – not by any means. She was perhaps just beholden to him. Her visions said as much, if she was to survive, she was to follow his command. That thought alone had not sat well with her initially, but her view was rapidly changing.
In the weeks since they had taken to the road, Armande had proved to be a real live man. Regardless of mythical prophecies, he had a past, a present, and a future. Armande had favored foods and hobbies just like any other person. He had hopes and dreams like she did. That endeared him to her. He was more than the sum of his parts. Rowan could live with not having Vale to herself, so long as things kept progressing smoothly with Armande. Time would tell.
Vale went up and then Rowan followed suit, accepting Armande’s support. Even his touch felt different. It was not eager – per se – but close enough. Perhaps something had shifted inside of him. Rowan sprung up from the green ground with renewed vigor – that’s when a large splash echoed throughout the air.
As soon as Rowan was up, she was down.
Pain shot through her leg. Rowan’s hands shot down to her thigh and they came back bloodied. She found herself frantically looking from side to side. More splashing. Rowan felt the urge to move. Without thinking, she spun on the ground, off to the left. A long, imposing spear was standing point down at the exact spot Rowan had just moved from. Wet, hot blood trickled down to her toes.
She whipped her head towards the lake and saw the water roiling. The torso of – what appeared to be – a woman rose from shimmering surface. Her skin was green and covered in harsh lines of red and black. A crown of spikes all but erupted from the thing’s skull, and innumerable tentacles flared out behind the spikes. A clawed, spindly hand rose from the water, clutching another one of those thick shafted spears.
In seconds, the spear was sailing through the air, directly at Vale. Rowan did not think. Rowan did not speak. She embraced the Power and wove Air.
A large, thick wall of Air sprung up at the lakeshore, shooting high into the heavens. The spear collided with it unceremoniously, the weapon clanging against the weave and then falling back into the water. The thing shrieked and went back beneath the surface of the water, coming back up not a minute later, throwing another spear at the trio.
Rowan looked to the other two, “Are you both okay?” She asked frantically, clinging to Saidar.