The Atheil Chronicles: A Call to Fire

Chapter 1

She made her way through the darkness slowly, her breath coming in harsh bursts as she tried to calm herself. An unnatural chill hung in the air, its icy grip like a hand around her throat, constricting her airways so that her fear mounted with each step forward. Her hand stretched out in front of her, she grasped at the air for anything, anything at all, to give her some idea of where she might be. Beneath her bare feet, cold, rough rocks slid precariously on an uneven ground, the crunch like the sound of a whip cracking in the stillness around her.
Finally, after what felt like forever, her fingers met with something solid and she rushed the last few steps forward before realizing that something warm and wet was running over her hand. Shocked, she withdrew it quickly, scared of what was now dripping ominously from her fingertips down onto the ground in slow, fat plops.
With a sudden burst of bright light, the world around her flashed into view and she blinked wildly as her eyes began to adjust. As soon as she could focus again, she saw that she was standing before a rock wall, its rough hewn surface turned red from the blood that flowed slowly over it. Horrified, she took a step back, her eyes finding the blood that still dripped from her own hand, and she let out a petrified scream that seemed to echo around her, getting louder and louder until she thought it might drive her mad.
In the next instance, the scene shifted and she fell back onto a bed of soft grass, hundreds of vivid blue flowers moving gently in the field ahead of her. She looked down at her hands, shaking, but saw nothing but her own pale fingers there, the blood somehow having disappeared from her skin. Even though it was gone, though, she still felt the warmth of it lingering there, the feeling of hot wetness sliding over her fingers-
    A loud noise made her turn around suddenly and then she sat up in bed, her hand still outstretched before her as in her dream. She rubbed her eyes groggily, the fear dissipating with each second that ticked on. She looked around the room, searching for the source of the noise that had pulled her from her slumber. Beside the bed, Henry sat on the nightstand, his golden eyes fixed on her unblinkingly. She reached over, petting him as he leaned into her hand, his whiskers tickling her palms as they skimmed them. As she scratched his ears lightly, she glanced down at the floor where her cup now lay empty next to a puddle of water. 
    Ariana sighed. "Really Henry?"
    The cat jumped down lightly from the nightstand, settling next to the puddle as he peered up at her. Still a bit shaken, she threw her legs out of bed and stretched as she let out a yawn, looking warily around the dark room as her feet met the floor. Down on the ground, Henry wove his way between her legs, brushing up against them as he purred loudly in the quiet of the room.
    Standing up with an effort, Ariana picked up the cup before heading down the hall to the kitchen. She set the cup lightly in the sink, careful not to make a sound, and grabbed the dish towel off of the drying rack before turning to make her way back down the darkened hallway. Once she had closed the door gently behind her, she saw that Henry sat waiting in the same spot, his paw playing absentmindedly in the puddle as he sent ripples throughout it. She dropped down to her knees beside him, soaking up the water with the towel before throwing the entire wet mass into the hamper beside her dresser when she was done.
    Looking out the window into the darkness, she sighed heavily before standing up. On her way to the door, Ariana leaned down to scoop Henry up, carrying him down the hallway to the front door before slipping through it quietly, letting it shut softly with a thud behind her. As she settled down onto the top step of the porch, she felt Henry wiggle his way out of her arms so that he could plop down beside her.
    Outside, the yard was half lit with the light of the moon, the dark sky splattered with thousands of twinkling stars just beyond the roof. Ariana closed her eyes, trying to remember what she had been dreaming about before Henry had woken her up, but the dream was already beginning to fade away, only the memory of the blood on her hands remained.
    Despite the warm air outside, she shivered, still feeling the hot wetness as it ran over her skin. Out of nowhere, Henry brushed against her side and Ariana reached down to pet his head, glad for the distraction. While it wasn't uncommon for her to have these types of dreams, she still felt the same sickness that always came afterward, the feeling of disgust and fear that hounded her even after the dreams faded away into nothingness. Time could make her forget what she had witnessed in them but it couldn't erase the feeling of dread that it stirred within her heart or the unease that it inspired.
    She would stay like this for a long time, just as she did most nights, a solitary figure perched on the top of the steps as the night wore on around her. It was as if she were waiting for something, what, she did not know. She sat as if in a silent vigil, her eyes trained on the trees ahead as they swayed gently in a warm breeze, the fluttering of their leaves one of the only sounds to be heard in the quiet of the night. It was only once the sky began to lighten somewhere beyond the trees, as the sun finally inched its way into the sky, that she would move.
Reaching down, her fingers met the silky strands of Henry's fur as she let her hand move over his back, the two of them watching as the darkness slowly disappeared into the light.
*        *        *        *        *
It was early afternoon when Ariana finally made her way out of her room, her light auburn hair frizzy and wild around her shoulders from her restless night of sleep. Somewhere beyond her door, she could smell the remnants of breakfast in the air, the hint of bagels waiting for her at the table. Yawning, she headed to the bathroom, barely taking in her surroundings as she went about her morning routine.
Detangling her hair was its own task, taking her much longer than she cared to admit and involving far more swear words than her mom would have liked. At the end of it all, though, she was finally able to tame it and it cascaded down her back in waves as she tossed it carelessly over her shoulders. As she turned to leave, however, she caught a glimpse of herself over the bathroom sink and she leaned in, taking in her tired features in the mirror as she brought up a thin hand to touch her cheek.
Her ivory skin was flushed along her cheeks and neck, her round features looking much more puffy than usual due to her lack of sleep. As her eyes moved up to meet her own, she stared into the hazel depths there, trying to discern from them where she might have gone wrong. She never slept well, that much was true, but this had been different, more intense, somehow. If Henry hadn't woken her up...
At that thought, she turned her head toward the door, listening carefully for the trademark shuffling of his large form as he made his way across the wood floors. When she heard nothing but the silence of the house, though, she furrowed her brow, exiting the bathroom with a frown playing on her lips. She began her search of the house for him, even shaking his treat jar to try to lure him out, but he was nowhere to be found.
Grabbing a bagel off of the table as she passed, Ariana made her way outside, stuffing it in her mouth as her light hazel eyes scanned the yard ahead. She slipped on her mud flaked shoes beside the door, dropping crumbs as she jostled them on over her heels. After a moment of struggling, she felt them fall into place just as she finally saw what she was after.
Just past the porch, a woman knelt over a bed of different colored geraniums, her brilliant orange hair hanging in loose curls over her freckled shoulders. Even now, her skin was beginning to turn pink from the sun that was shining down in golden waves over the yard. Ariana headed toward her, barely making a sound as she finished off the last few bites of her bagel. Once directly behind her, she reached out a hand and tapped her gently on the arm, eliciting a gasp of surprise as the woman turned her head toward Ariana, piercing her with a pair of bright green eyes.
"Why is it," she said, standing up and dusting off her knees, "that you're always sneaking up on me?"
Unbidden, a smirk crossed Ariana's face. "Not sneaking, mom, just walking."
Her mom waved her off, a hand laid flat against her chest as if trying to calm her racing heart. "Whatever you want to call it, it's still sneaking to me. I can't tell you how many times you about gave me a heart attack growing up..." She trailed off, pushing her curls back from her face and leaving a trail of dirt across her pale freckled cheek there. "Now, what was it that you wanted?" She asked, sounding somewhat offended at being pulled from her gardening.
Ariana glanced down at her arm, flicking a ladybug that had been crawling there and watching as it landed somewhere among the geraniums. Finally, she looked up. "I was wondering if you've seen Henry today."
"Henry?" She repeated, sounding puzzled.
"Yes, mom, Henry." She said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "You know, the fat gray tabby cat that sometimes inhabits our house?" Despite her sarcasm, though, Ariana felt worry begin creeping into her. She glanced over at the surrounding trees with a curious expression. "I haven't seen him all day. I think he left sometimes during the morning."
Her mom waved her off, smiling now. "He's fine, Ariana. I'm sure he just wandered off to explore again." She chuckled lightheartedly at the thought. "Heaven knows he needs the exercise."
"But mom," she said impatiently, "where do you think he keeps going? This is the 3rd time this week." For whatever reason, Ariana felt uneasy about the growing consistency of Henry's absences. Yes, he'd always been the type to wander off, but this felt different. Every time Ariana saw his large form making its way back into the yard by the last light of the day, she scooped him up in a hurry, feeling a certain desperation to keep him close.
Seemingly obvious to her distress, her mom shrugged. "Maybe he's finally learning to hunt. Isn't that supposed to be a natural instinct in cats? I can't say that I've ever seen him so much as chase a fly."
Ariana looked at her with an exasperated expression. Why didn't she seem to care where he was going? "Mom," she said, sighing, "aren't you even the least bit worried?"
Now her mom sighed, too. "If you're really that worried about it then go find him." She said, giving her daughter a pat on the cheek and leaving a smudge of black where her fingers brushed against her skin. Ariana turned her face away, wiping her cheek with the edge of her shirt and rolling her eyes at her mother's lack of help. With a shrug, her mom turned back to her geraniums, throwing her tangle of curls over her shoulder. "I'm sure he hasn't gone that far."
Ariana just stared at her, frustrated. "Fine." She said loudly, making sure to put emphasis on the word. "I'll go, then." She had just started toward the trees when she heard her mom yell over her shoulder.
"Be back before dark."
Ariana paused, glancing back at her as she bent over her flowers, her freckled fingers moving gingerly over the soil as she shifted and flattened it. For a moment, she thought about saying something snarky, to irritate her like she'd irritated Ariana, but then she stopped herself, simply nodding.
"Thank you." Her mom said without turning, lifting a hand above her head in a wave. Ariana could tell from her tone of voice that she was smiling, proud of herself for guessing, without seeing, Ariana's agreement.
Despite herself, Ariana smiled, too, finally turning and heading into the forest.
*        *        *        *        *
On both sides of her, the trees rose up like enormous towering pillars, their branches reaching far enough out to cover the top of the forest with their leaves. Every once in a while, sunlight poked through openings in the canopy there and shone down, cutting through the mostly dull light like a knife. While her mother, a long time resident of the forest, had always loved it, she had also always had a strict rule; stay on the path at all times. The density of the trees made it feel like a labyrinth; one wrong turn and you could be lost, wandering for miles before you found your way out. The night, too, held its own rule, and her mom had always insisted that they stay away once darkness fell. "Don't tempt fate." She had once told Ariana, pointing to the dark abyss which was the border of the forest against their yard. "All it takes is one lapse in concentration and you'd be completely lost, screaming yourself hoarse until daybreak came." It seemed to be the only time that her mom had any kind of negative opinion about the forest, and she had forbidden Ariana from wandering alone in there by herself after dark. 
During the day, the canopy above mostly muted the sun's rays from shining through, casting it in a shadowy blanket. At night, however, it was much worse. The air itself seemed to become thick with darkness, enveloping everything within it so that it was like being swallowed whole. It was as if the entire world was suddenly plunged into an inky black abyss, separating it from the outside world as if by a veil. This fear of the forest at night, however, was where Ariana and her mom differed. While her mom seemed wary of it at times, Ariana found the forest to be enchanting and beautiful regardless of the time of day. She had always loved the way the trees stood strong and firm, how the leaves only let in so much light, and how the wind made the branches dance lightly as if bobbing on the water. At night, the forest seemed to come alive to her. The thick darkness was almost like a weighted blanket, wrapping her in its comforting embrace and making her feel safe and calm. While her mom found that to be off-putting, Ariana couldn't help but feel at peace.
Her childhood had always centered around the forest, with morning walks being something of a ritual with her mom. Molly Lucade had always been a nature lover, claiming that just one minute outside was the equivalent of a well needed nap or a warm mug of green tea on a cold day. Her passion, though at times a little much, had always been admirable to Ariana, and she had learned to mimic that same respect that her mom had for the forest in her own life. This was her home, the place where she felt the most like herself, and she cherished it more than she could ever explain. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't picture herself anywhere but here.
The two of them had lived on the outskirts of town bordering the forest for as long as she could remember and she had always been happy there. Her mom was the only constant that she had in her life, the only person that stayed still while the world moved on around them. Despite being a kind hearted, passionate woman, her mom wasn't exactly popular with the townsfolk, though. A lot like Ariana, herself, actually. Perhaps due to their lack of proximity, or their vegetarianism in a town full of ranchers, neither of them seemed to make friends. So they stayed in their little bubble, safe from the troubles of the world but isolated from it, too.
Like all things, though, their refuge wasn't infallible, and trouble did sometimes make its way into their home, even when they thought that they were immune to it. 7 years ago, on this very same path, Ariana's mom had told her something that would shatter her entire life's view. Unbidden, and unprovoked, her mom had decided that it was time for Ariana to know the truth about herself, a truth that she had kept hidden for nearly 11 and a half years. It had been a shock, finding out that she was adopted, though in the back of her mind Ariana had felt as if a puzzle piece was finally clicking into place. Even when her hair had grown long, wavy and auburn, she had convinced herself that she must have gotten her coloring from her dad, who Ariana had always been told had run off and never come back. While her mom was tall and lanky with her pale skin, bright orange hair, and green eyes, Ariana was short with more of a curvy body, rosy pink skin and light hazel eyes. Sometimes she felt stupid for not seeing it to begin with, for keeping herself from the truth that was right before her eyes, but she had been happier not knowing.
The fact was, finding out the truth had only made her question herself even more. Before, she had been happy with her little family, happy to live out her days in the sun with her mom by her side. Now, however, she felt discord creeping into her heart and the weight of unanswered questions bearing down on her soul as she considered the truth of it all. Somewhere out there were her real mom and dad, two people who had given her up without a second thought to be raised by a total stranger. She had spent countless sleepless nights thinking about them, wondering who they were, where they were, and if they still thought about her, the turmoil eating at her until she couldn't stand it any longer. Since her mom knew nothing about them, Ariana stopped asking and tried to put on a brave face, but inside she always wondered.
Ahead, Ariana saw her favorite place in the entire forest, an old oak tree a little ways off the path with a bed of soft green grass surrounding it. The roots of the tree were knotted and thick at the base, twisting and turning before diving deep into the soft earth beneath it. A small gap right up against the trunk had roots that curled backwards over themselves, creating a space just large enough for her to fit perfectly in between, the effect being a lot like a recliner with armrests on the side. It had been so long ago that she had found it and, even then, she remembered thinking then that it felt like a throne for a Queen. It was here that she had chosen to curl up and read, with picture books turning to chapter books then textbooks and homework. She had spent most of her childhood here, beneath its thick, reaching branches, basking in the silent peacefulness of the forest as the days passed her by.
Now, she stepped off of the path, heading toward it as she crossed through a flickering beam of golden light before finally settling beneath it, leaning against its rough, bark-covered trunk. It was as familiar to her as her own heartbeat, each curve of the roots at her sides like a part of her own being, hugging her so that she felt as if she were merely an extension of it. She leaned her head back, her gaze following its progress up until she found its winding branches that moved gently in the wind. It was almost as if it were breathing.
Her mom, always the nature lover and an independent spirit herself, had always encouraged Ariana to go off on her own to think. It hadn't been unusual for her as a child to spend hours out in the forest, exploring and climbing trees. While she had always been warned to never stray from the path, she rarely listened, stepping off of its well worn surface as soon as she was far enough away from the house, hidden from her moms view. Despite her warnings, Ariana had never gotten lost, somehow always managing to find her way back to the path no matter how far she ventured into its shadowy depths.
She closed her eyes slowly as a gust of wind blew in through the trees, wrapping her in its warm embrace. Above her, rays of sunshine poked through the ever-shifting branches, kissing her skin with their golden light before retreating once more behind the fluttering leaves. With her eyes shut and her breathing calmed, she could make out the sounds of the forest around her as if amplified; the slight flapping of wings, the low and gentle call of a mother bird to her young ones, and even the rustling of squirrels as they chased each other playfully up and down the trees. Regardless of what plagued her, this direct line to the life of the forest could always still her busy mind, lulling her into a state of blissful peace while the world went on around her. Even now, she could feel the familiar pull of drowsiness starting to come over her, its presence like an old friend. Just as she thought that it was going to take her, though, the wind picked up once more, lifting her hair off of her shoulder so that it brushed against her cheek ever so slightly. It was only the faintest tickle against her skin but it was enough to stir her out of her trance.
She opened her eyes, reaching up lazily to tuck the loose strands behind her ear. As she did so, her gaze was drawn to a set of bushes about 100 or so feet away, where a strange and unfamiliar shadow played between them. It was only there for a split second, disappearing almost as soon as she caught sight of it, but it was enough to pique her curiosity. The bushes were lining what seemed to be a large rock face, the sides of which rose up 15 feet before tapering off in either direction.
Now more than a bit curious, Ariana stood up, furrowing her brows as she surveyed the bushes. It had been pure chance that she had looked up at that exact moment, a mere coincidence that the wind had shifted the branches above to shine down in just the right way. She began to walk slowly toward the bushes, her heart racing despite herself as she did so. As she finally neared them, she reached out a hand, running her fingers over the rough leaves that lined its bizarrely spiraling branches. In an odd way, it reminded her of Albert Einstein's hair, wild and untamed, twisting and turning in every direction. While she must have seen it a million times, she couldn't recall ever really looking at it, never taking it in as she was now.
She let her hand trail over the branches, her fingers catching on the leaves as they passed by, causing them to pop like tiny springs. When she reached the place where the shadow had been, she shoved her hand into it, surprising herself by feeling only empty air where she would have assumed branches would be. Bringing her other hand forward, she pushed aside the brush the rest of the way, dropping to her knees as she peered curiously into it.
Somehow, amazingly, the bushes seemed to be hiding a narrow opening between the rock faces at their base. Ignoring her racing heart, Ariana shoved her way through the rest of the gap, ignoring the branches as they scraped and snagged on her hair and clothes. With one final effort, she freed herself of their grip on her, tumbling forward onto what appeared to be a small path.
Cursing silently to herself, she dusted off her knees, scrambling to her feet as she looked around. She was in a narrow tunnel beneath the rocks, their rough surfaces framing it on either side of the path with walls that nearly spanned the entire 15 feet upward. It was not nearly as dark as she would have expected of it, with thin beams of glittering sunlight streaming in through cracks in the roof. It wasn't much, but it was enough to break through the darkness and light her way.   
With only the slightest hesitation, she started on the path, which was very gradually making its way down further into the rocks. While it wasn't by much, Ariana could feel herself descending further and further with each step, the air inside the tunnel becoming cooler as she went. The path curved several times, throwing off her sense of direction with each twist and turn, and before long she could sense a change in the air; the earth smelled different, less damp. Up ahead, she suddenly saw a brilliant light appear, startling her after so long in the dimness of the tunnel. She knew that it must be the exit and, before she had even reached it, she felt fresh air wash over her as a cool breeze blew in from outside.
         "Finally." She said softly, brushing the hair back from her face as she looked around. She had spoken too soon, though, and she realized quickly that the path still hadn't ended. Instead, it turned into a narrow worn out walkway that ran through the trees, their trunks laying so close together that they almost seemed to form a wall on either side of it.
      For the first time, Ariana felt the hair on the back of neck rise. She wasn't sure what it was, exactly, but something about this new path gave her a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. For a moment, she considered turning back, to forget what she had seen and go back to the peacefulness that she so desired, but with each passing second she felt curiosity overtaking her uneasiness, propelling her forward onto the dipping earth that was this new path.
As she walked, Ariana glanced around, her eyes roaming nervously over the trees on either side of her. This new path was even narrower than the tunnel had been, its width barely half her wingspan, and as she tried to peer beyond the trees beside her, she realized that it was practically impossible due to the dense trunks that formed there. Unbeknownst to her, she had tread much farther than she had anticipated because suddenly the trees began to thin out, finally opening into a small circular clearing, the area around it enclosed with rock walls that rose up on all sides.
At the back of the clearing directly in the center lay a small pond, its perfectly clear water a sparkling crystal blue, almost completely still except for the occasional ripple. As she stared at it, a certainty that she could not explain washed over, a sureness that this pond DID NOT belong here. What's more, it made her feel strange in a way that she couldn't quite explain, almost as if it were both familiar and foreign to her, like a dream that she had long forgotten.
Walking slowly toward the pond, she only stopped once she was a few feet away from it, her eyes moving over it curiously. Now that she was closer, Ariana could see that it was almost 7 feet across, its outer rim made up of a perfect circle of rocks. What she hadn't seen from the other side of the clearing, though, had been the small waterfall that trickled down from behind it, the water seeming to spring from the rock face itself before emptying into the pond.
Looking at it now, she felt the undeniable urge to reach out and touch it, to run her hand through its crystalline waters and feel the icy coolness of it against her warm skin. A voice in the back of her head was urging her forward, coaxing her with the promise of its cool embrace. She took another step forward, her hand outstretched, her fingers reaching. Just as she was about to plunge it into the surface of the water, a gray mass appeared from behind the rocks, startling her and causing her to stumble backward. Her head snapped in its direction, her heart racing, and then she sucked in a breath, relief flooding her.
"Henry," she said, half-relieved, half-angry, "what are you doing here? I thought I had lost you."
Henry peered up at her, his unchanging golden eyes fixed on her own. After a moment, he seemed to respond with a single, low meow.
Frowning at him, she turned her attention back to the pond, her mind racing with questions. Why had she never found it before? How had Henry found it? Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Henry ambled over to her, using the rocks as stepping stones until he was right in front of her. He let out a soft meow, rubbing his body against her hand and purring heavily.
She looked down at him, moving her hand to pet him thoughtfully. "Is this where you've been disappearing to?" She asked him, and he meowed again as if in response. "It's beautiful." She said thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on its waters.
Henry meowed again and, this time, Ariana glanced down at him. He was staring up at her unblinking, his golden eyes serious as they surveyed her. After a minute, she placed her hand back on his head and he leaned into it, meowing softly.
     "It's time to go, now." She said quietly, leaning down to scoop him up gently into her arms. "You've had everyone worried sick." As Henry nuzzled into her neck, licking, Ariana let out a low chuckle. "Well, I was worried, at least."
    After a few seconds, Henry settled his large form into her arms and she finally turned away, making her way back up the winding path that led back to the house, leaving the clearing, and the pond, behind her as she went.