The Book of Lasrin

Chapter Three: Nalin the Shadow

Several hours later…

I felt my eyes drift shut and pinched myself hard. My eyes flew open and scanned the dark horizon. Nothing. Still. I count backwards to 1000 then do the multiples of 43. 43, 86, 129, 172, 215, 258, 301, 344, 387…430? I shake my head and standing up jog back and forth in front of the entrance way. I do it quietly and after about 24 minuets I was sweating and I had to pause to wipe it out of my eyes and off of my face. I bend to touch my palms flat to the ground, count to 50 then bend backwards at the waist. I hold my knees so the back of my head touches my calves taking deep breaths. And I see Liam watching me. I finish my count and stand up right. I shake out my body before turning to look at him.

“What?” I ask quietly checking the others were still sleeping.

He just shakes his head at me before asking, “Why didn’t you wake me for watch?”

“I can do it myself! I don’t need your help.” I say a bit louder then I meant to and have to check that Isaac and Arianna were still asleep.

“Then why didn’t you wake up Arianna?” he asked his black-blue eyes glittering in the glowing light of the embers.

I shake my head, “She needs her sleep.” I say firmly.

“And you don’t?” He says lightly, staring at me. I set my jaw. I take a deep breathe and run my tongue over my top teeth trying to control my anger.

“Go back to sleep, Pace. I’m not tired.” I lie, stiffly. My feet hurt like everyone else’s after our long trek and there was nothing I wanted to do more then fall into the pallet of soft furs. But my pride told me to stay awake. Did I want Liam to think me weak? He shakes his head pityingly at me but lays back down.

I stare at him until I see and hear his breathing become deep and regular. I turn back around, my eyes scanning the horizon. I watch as pink and orange bloom on the horizon and my breath catches in my throat. It was beautiful. I sigh sinking on to my butt and crossing my legs in front of me. My eyes feel agitated and I rub at them with my knuckles until the feeling goes away. I wish I could teleport, I think, but you had to finish you Passing. I watch the sunrise and think now or never. I go and wake up everybody.

We eat a small breakfast; me and Arianna to nervous and excited to eat much. The boy’s scurf down our portions, we pack up and begin to hike through Tripsial.

I take out a long length of leather and tie us all together with a foot of space in between. As soon as we step over the boarder of Tripsial and into Myst a heavy fog descends swirling around us so thickly that we can’t see a foot in front of our faces. My arms flail around and smack in to somebody.

“Ow!” comes out of the fog. I think it was one of the boys.

“Sorry!” I call and my palm hits something else.

“Oh!”

“Sorry!” I feel hands on my back and go tripping forward. “Hey!” I land on a pile of other bodies. “Is everyone here?” I ask the pile below me.

“Here! Arianna says.

“Whose foot is this?” Isaac asks.

“Get your butt out of my face!” Liam says. “Who gave your butt permission to use my face to cushion your fall anyway?”

“This isn’t going to work.” I say. “We’ll have to go around Myst.”

“Any more brilliant ideas, genius?” one of the boys sneers.

“Stuff it Pace! You’re not even supposed to be here!” Arianna snaps angrily.

“Trust me; if I didn’t have to be, I wouldn’t be. It’s not my fault the Master thinks you can’t do anything yourselves.”

“You wanna say that again to my face, dog-breath?”

“You’re an ugly freak baby and everyone thinks so!”

“You think you’re so special don’t you? Strutting around camp like you own the world, well hate to burst your bubble, dork-face, but you’re not as good as Mumpo!”

“I’m gonna beat you so hard-”

“Oh yeah? Try it, I dare you!”

Wow. Arianna? Fighting with anyone? I realized what was going on though it was hard to order my brain to think clearly. The mist was like toxic, making us turn on each other and making us forget what we were doing. I needed to get us out, I thought, but it was so tempting to fight, like the others…no. Need to get out.

“Everyone get out quickly!” I shout, trying to get the others attention.

“Oh good idea, pimple brain.” Isaac says. 

“Well If I wasn’t the only one doing anything around here-“ I stop  panicked at how easily I had forgotten my mission. “No. No fighting. Everyone out.”

“Once again you bare your great wit! Which way?”

“The way we came in, you-”

“Which would be?” Isaac taunts. I spin around grabbing an arm in each hand, ignoring the protest and run back the way we had come, though soon I trip over something and go sprawling. Where were we?

“Good job; now were lost.” Arianna hisses in my ear, I jerk around, stumbling backwards. My tether snaps as  Claws dig into my shoulder, yanking me away.

“Let go!” I shriek. Evil laughter bubbles up close to me on the left. Claws dig into my shirt piercing my chest and rough, huge hands pick me up by the front of my tunic. They, the hands, slam me against something cold, hard and unyielding. Yellow eyes glint out of the thick white mist, leaning close to me, hot repugnant breath on my face.

“Annabella Athtano.” The voice sneers. My legs kick, trying to find solid ground but only slid through the mist, meeting nothing substantial.

“Let go!” I yell, trying to move my arms but they seemed to be pinned to my sides. “Coward! You won’t even fight me! What do you want?”

“You’re going to help me. I need something. Something stolen and you and your friends are going to sneak in and take it with out being caught.”

“Yeah right! I’m not doing anything for you! Who are you anyway?” I hiss, struggling.

“I’ll make sure you see it from my point of view; when you need me call me with this.” The right hand let go, the other still holding me pinned to the hard surface. With his left he pushed something so cold it burned onto the skin on the hollow of my neck. With a burning feeling, something slithered around my neck. “Now… you go back to your tribe and spread the word. Nalin the Shadow has returned.” And with those parting words and a deep, echoing laughter the hands turn to nothing and I’m dropped to the ground.