Blood of the Abyss

Chapter 1: The Calm of a Storm

Lysandra

Trees flew past me while I sprinted through the orchard. My feet thundering beneath me on the dirt path. My heart thundering in time with my feet, my hair whipping around me, occasionally obscuring my view of the path ahead. I knew these roads, knew these paths like a mother recognizes the cry of her own infant. This was my home, my land, my territory. My breath, heaving gasps into my lungs to propel me forward. I am faster, and will always be faster. Assortments of fruit hung from the trees, baskets resting against the majority of the trees where ripe fruits hung, ready for the harvest. Soon, the fields would be full as the Orchard of Eodanor would be harvested of its fruits. The leaves on the trees began to take on the deep, ruddy reds, the vibrant oranges, and even some still held that warm tinge of green. Some leaves turned the dull brown and now littered the orchard floor, crunching under my boots as I ran.

In this moment, running faster was all that mattered. Gulping in air, filling my lungs, ignoring the burning sensation building in my calves. Faster. I told myself. You are faster. My feet thundering harder against the ground, pushing me further and further ahead of my pursuer, who was stomping behind me, trying desperately to catch me. I stole a glance over my shoulder hoping to see my pursuer. Looking back, I saw nothing but the trees and harvesting implements. Slowing down, I looked around trying to see where they could have gone.

'Where did he go?' I thought. Cautiously, I started to jog further into the woods. 'Maybe I will be able to get my chores done in peace for once.' I pondered.

Suddenly I ran into something firm, arms wrapped around my torso effectively pinning me into place. A brief moment of panic before I heard a hearty laugh and felt a kiss on the top of my head. I relaxed briefly before starting to wiggle, trying to free myself.

"Get off of me, you oaf." I said exasperated, wriggling. His laugh rumbled through his chest, the vibrations caressing my face.

"Too slow again," His deep voice reached my ears, as he pulled back a fraction to look down at me. "Though, you were quicker this time."

"It's because you have freakishly long legs... and you cheated." I stuck my tongue out at him, and he smirked. The smallest flick upward of his lips made my heart thunder against my chest, and his eyes lit up, recognizing that beat of my heart that only he could cause. I shoved my face into his chest to hide my blush, hoping he thinks I'm pouting. He pulls back a bit again, his calloused fingers catching my face under my chin to force my eyes upward. He tilts his head at me in curiosity and wonder, a blush also forming on his own face.

"What?" I managed to speak, forcing my voice to remain firm, despite the shaking I could feel throughout my entire body. He gave me a warm smile as he arched his face toward mine, pressing his lips gently to mine. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, all that existed was him, all that mattered was him, all that would ever matter was him. He broke away first, but pressed our foreheads together.

"Despite what you may think, I definitely won more than this race." He grinned, flashing his brilliant white teeth down at me. I snorted and pushed myself away from him.

"Rude." I said, sticking out my lips to further my point of pouting. "Think whatever you want, darling. You may have won this race, but I stand by the fact that I will always be faster than you."

He laughed again, while I glowered at him. "Mon amour. You may be faster but I will always find a way to keep you in my arms." His eyes glimmered with a million unsaid words, love and familiarity shone through them. I wanted to melt into his rich gold eyes. Eyes that rival the gold colors of the orchard in autumn or the grasslands in summer. It had always been this way between us, from the minute he had arrived in Eodanor, till now, I remained enraptured with him. He held a magnetism that drew me in, first as friends, and as we grew older, into something more. His deep brown, almost black hair glinted in the sunlight. It had grown long in the years he had been here, it now being tied back in a half-up half-down fashion. His dark tanned skin is a stark difference from the paler version of my own. He tucked a loose deep, red strand of my own hair behind my ear.