A Walk

I Am Stone Made of Water

I peel my eyes open. I am still me. I am still Ember. Kay is dead. Alex is dead. Another two to add to the list. A sigh shudders through me. I pull myself to my feet. I walk forward one foot in front of the other. Following the path burned in my mind from my dive into Phoenix's memories. 

Soon the cart comes into view. I climb into the back and sit letting my feet hang absently swinging them. My mind is flipping the words that Kay had said before jumping in the water over and over in my mind. Why would one so young understand the depth of what had happened? That was simply to big and serious of an action for her age. What she did speaks for one of long years not a little girl. A curiosity settles over me......Why did she do what she did? 

I search the cart. Opening crates and bags. Making my way to the front, I remove a small box. It's decorated with elaborate drawings in black ink. "Bingo," I whisper.  Opening it, I see what I knew I would see, two long pieces of wood with rounded tips. Runes and elegant lines burned into them. Wands. I sit back with the box in my lap, waves of realization running over me. They were of the Welfen Clan.....witches. That's why Kay reacted the way she did. She was a witch, able to read any situation or mind if she wanted to, but with her brother dead she had no one to feed power from. She was useless to her clan and did what any Welfen would, eliminated herself for them. "Damn!" Phoenix single handedly killed off two more of the dying Welfen clan. "Gods help us if we ever come across another......we're dead" I say shaking my head. A tear escapes my eye as I realize that I now carry the weight of killing two of the last family of the fast expiring healer race.

I take the box into the woods and find a willow tree. Burying the Welfen's wands under it I say a short prayer and leave, taking the children's cart with me. 

An hour has gone by and the giant is starting to pull down the sun once again.  Squinting in the dying light I can faintly make out the skyline of the city. Avarett....... 

I can't stop now. I'm so close. I can make it to........wait no don't say the name. A code name think of a code name.........Balance. Yes I can make it to Balance. I just have to stay focused. I can't let her in. Not now, not when I'm so close. 

The stars twinkle and the moon chases me as I inch closer to the city. I can faintly make out each individual building now. I stop the cart and hop down from the front to stop and eat. Making my way around the back of the cart goosebumps rise on my skin and my hair stands on end. I rub my arms as if I'm cold or rather trying to convince myself that I'm cold. A sense of foreboding sinks down around my shoulders like a heavy blanket. Reaching the back of the cart I climb into the back, but keep myself facing the open end and the night. My eyes search the darkness trying to seek out the cause of this paranoia. 

My heartbeat drums in my chest..... fear creeps up my throat. My senses are all trained into the night searching for the source of my terror. A rustle to my right send me jumping to  my feet.

Another closer to the road to the left. Then a scuffle in front of me. My breathing turns into gasps like I've been running. More noise seems to surround me, suffocating me, circling me.  Unable to hold my fear in a whimper slips between my lips. The noise seems to be encouraged by that and sounds out louder still, closer still. "Who's there?" my voice squeaks barely audible. The only reply is the scuffling which is now so close that I can identify it as footsteps and other body movements.....coming for me. 

My hand fumbles for the lantern in the bottom of the cart to my right, I'm desperate for light. My hands are shaking so bad that the lantern slips from my grasp and crashes to the ground splintering my slim chance at throwing light on this oncoming foe. With the sound of the cracking glass the footsteps and rustling have stopped. It seems that the world stands still and I find myself holding my breath. I tense my muscles and go automatically into a defensive stance and focus every sense into relocating where the noise had gone.

There it is again, steadily moving closer. Then I can see it. I can see something moving. One has reached the back of the cart. It's in front of me. Two on either side of me brush the cart. A thought drifts through my mind with a familiar sarcastic tone, "At least you hope there's only three little sis."

 I shake my head and reestablish my defensive stance. I'm shaking, my breathing is ragged, my heartbeat screaming out of my chest. It sounds like blades are sliding along the sides of the cart joining the movement directly in front of me leaving me trapped. 

  Phoenix you might be tough as stone, but your other half is made of water. Shapeless and useless and in serious, serious danger........  

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Hey guys I know it's been awhile! Please forgive me had a huge case of the writers block, but I'm back in business. So as usual tell me what you think!!!! Always and forever guys!!!