Fool of Knight 1: Strength

Epilogue

I opened my eyes to the full moon above. Mixing smells of pumpkin and lavender tickled my nostrils.

"That woman!" I hastily sat up, preparing my worn legs to run.

Soft, vibrant orange grass covered the riverbank I lay in.

"Was that a dream?" I heaved my body up, using most of my breath to initiate the action. "Zelle," I pushed out in a shallow breath.

A thin layer of misty humid air surrounded, giving a washed color to everything in the distance. To my left were thin trees too gathered to walk through that allowed a shining blue river to flow from its entanglement. In the opposite direction was a path that followed the river further down, leading to an opening.

I looked to the forest of discolored trees behind me, struggling to keep myself up. "Is this where I came out from..." "Zelle," I weakly screamed, waiting for a response.

The broken crescendo of frogs croaking peaked and rescinded.

"How long have I been laying here... Did she need help!?" "Zelle," I screamed again, shifting to my knees, and gazing into the river.

Its depths seemed endless as the water continued into an abyss of dark blue hues.

I stared at my dim reflection, finally able to look at the black symbols inscribed on my face.

Just as Zelle drew earlier, five slanting symbols stretching from the top of my forehead to my left cheek. A symbol in the middle ran through my eye, carving a lighter shade of grey to my dark pupil's streaking across my iris. My course hair was curled from the humidity. The chip under my slightly buggy eye ran into the top of the fourth symbol, slightly deforming the lid. I grazed my fingers across its rigged surface. "Is this what she meant?"

Looking past myself, I focused on its depths. "Would I have to swim down to get back?" I placed my hand in.

The waters consistency was like mud grabbing my hand and forcing it deeper. Chi seeped from my submerged hand and forearm, somehow increasing the pull. The feeling was unexplainable.

"Is this to make sure I don't go back!" Taking a breath, I pulled against the nothingness. "It's not working! Why don't I feel anything?!"

It continued siphoning, dulling me into complying with its drag.

"What if Zelle's coming up while I'm being dragged down..."

A bright light emitted from the river.

"Is it pulling me back!" I tiredly struggled.

The surface of the water exploded, forcing my hand away in a hard smack.

"What was that?!" "Zelle?!"

I eagerly sat my body up as Zelle's broken sword fell from above, hitting my forehead with its flat surface. My teeth chattered together with the fade sudden shift to black.

#

"Why did you do that" I yelled, sitting up.

Zelle's broken broad sword sat in the grass next to me, stained with the blood from my forehead.

"How long was I knocked out?! ...Did only her sword come?!"

"I haven't regained enough of anything to fight without-"

"...Abi?!"

I looked to her with wide eyes. "Zelle," I called in a long breath.

The crescendo of croaking peaked again, beating my voice immediately.

"Zelle!" Taking another breath, I screamed again, straining my voice as the frogs reached new volumes. "Are they getting louder!?"

I waited, listening to the ribbited sound of the plain. Water flowed from the river, crisply letting off a soft churn that pleased my ears.

"It feels kind of..."

The moon light sparkled off the water, somehow illuminating a comfortable warmth. Various shades of orange tiger lilies bordered the grass around the river's banks.

"Misleading..."

To be continued.