Immortals (ON HOLD)

Chapter 30

Dimitri

             I had been on edge all day. For one thing, I was still mad and confused about last night. Emrick had really pissed me off, and Kat had messed with my head…not to mention that my psychometric powers might be working again. To top it off, the Dark Elves were moving closer and closer to town, threatening the existence of us all. Scarlet, Ursula, Daos and I had scoured practically every forest in town, finding out very little. The wolves had smelled them, but there were only faint traces that turned into dead ends. And my psychometric visions hadn’t given me much to go on…they just left me wanting to throw up all of my organs. Scarlet watched me with a slight fascination as I touched various trees and spots on the ground, relapsing into my mind as I watched countless animals, campers, drunk teenagers, a few vampires and glimpses of Elves race through my head. “You should probably take it easy the rest of the day…” she advised, looking me over. I was a little shaky as I stood up from touching the forest floor, but I wouldn’t let her see. “I’m fine,” I assured, taking a large gulp of my elixir.

“Why are you having visions all of a sudden, anyway?” She questioned, watching Ursula and Daos as they pressed their noses against the ground. I shrugged, staring at some flowers in the distance. “I dunno…I was kind of hoping you’d help me figure it out.” She snorted, shaking her head. “What the hell do I know about your powers?” “I don’t know!! I was just hoping that maybe you could help me identify some triggers…” She sighed, but seeing as how we had nothing better to do, she obliged, weaving her favorite “lucky coin” through her fingers. “Last night was the first time you’ve seen something in months, right?” “Yeah. When Emrick touched my shoulder,” I muttered, a shiver of disgust running down my spine. She nodded, looking up to the sky. “Emotions. They’re a significant trigger, D. You of all people should know that.” “But I don’t remember my emotions playing a part in my visions before,” I countered, pressing my hand against another tree. Scarlet didn’t even seem to notice that I was reading the forest again, and I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. I suppressed the rising nausea, furrowing my eyebrows in concentration…

            The night was cold, and I could smell the moisture in the air. I felt the bitter breeze, though my thick skin didn’t let the piercing chill bother me. The sounds of the forest were magnified now, and every hoot of an owl or rustle in the bushes had me whirling my head around violently. My Elven eye sight was able to narrow in on objects far in the distance, like looking through a telescope. I heard others close behind, my ears twitching at their approach. It smells like rain…how long ago could this have been?? How could the wolves have missed their scent?! I thought, trying to wake myself to tell Scarlet. But my powers wouldn’t let me; they didn’t work like that. I had to either see the entire scene, or see nothing at all. My mind had to be open; it had to be willing to let the objects I touched tell the story. Faith was a powerful thing, and a key element that allowed me to do what I do. That and a shit load of concentration.  And just like that, I knew why my psychometric powers had returned. I was concentrated, devoted and confident. Ariel had made me want to better myself, and by teaching her and watching her train, it restored my faith. Sure, my anger was probably the spark that set it off, but my faith in my “gift” was what really added fuel to the fire. Unable to go back to reality, I reluctantly allowed myself to see the scene through the eyes of this foul creature, wishing I could have been there to rip him limb from limb. I suddenly felt the texture of tree bark under my bare feet, and realized I was balancing with ease on the branch of a tree. No wonder the wolves hadn’t smelled them…Smart move… The other Elves caught up with me, nimbly landing beside me. The other male was bigger than myself, his skin a dark midnight blue. His tribal tattoos swirled over the course of his body, but somehow, they didn’t clash together. In an exotic way, he looked strong and regal, his dark green eyes staring down at the ground. The female on my right was astonishingly beautiful, and I had to blink several times to realize the Elf whose eyes I was seeing through had feelings for her. Huh, I never thought it was possibly for them to feel human emotions… She had long dark violet hair that ran down her back, touching her hips. Her amethyst-colored skin glowed in the moonlight, and her light blue eyes were a strange contrast to the rest of her. Her tattoos weren’t as severe as the male’s, but they were still pronounced and striking. The male turned his gaze to me sharply, his long black hair moving with him. He sniffed the air like one of the wolves, and I mentally curled my lip in disgust. “The girl is not far from here. Lady Raksha will be angry if she is not with us by the start of the new moon,” he boomed, his Elven accent heavy. The female hissed, and she sounded even more primal than the vampires. “I can’t wait to drag her to Raksha by her fiery hair!” My blood boiled painfully under my skin, and I yearned to claw her face with my long, sharp nails.  “Who says you’re even going?!” I challenged, looking her over. She hissed again, but the other male Elf silenced her with a glance. “He’s right, Eletha. You know females rarely go on attacks.” She bared her teeth at us both, turning her cold gaze to the moon. “How are you going to get her, then? If you touch the ground, their hounds will smell you,” she warned, her ears poking through her hair. I turned toward the male, intrigued. I wasn’t going to let Ariel get snatched by some fucking Dark Elves, and if he had a plan, I wanted to hear it. “Gaelin and the others are coming at dawn to relieve you from your duties. Raksha knows what a good tracker you are, so she wants you to point us in the right direction. When the other patrol gets here, you are to go back to the caves.” “And he gets to come with you?! He’s barely able to fight off a bear! What makes you think he’ll be of any use to you?!” She snapped, digging her nails into the tree bark. Great. Not only am I a rookie in real life, but I have to relive it through this stupid elf’s eyes too. Awesome… “Kolvar is one of the strongest apprentices we have. Don’t let your envy get the better of you, Eletha…” he warned, and she snorted. “I hope you’re right, Braern. Raksha will not let either of you live otherwise.” The three of us stared out into the night, moving about every hour or so. We gracefully jumped from tree to tree, able to scale up surfaces like spiders and squirrels. I remember looking at the moon and feeling pity for Ariel. The Elf whose state of mind I was currently in only wanted to live a normal Elven life, but knew for that to happen, Ariel had to be taken away. I gritted my teeth as the nausea swept over me, and this time, I wasn’t strong enough to suppress the vomit.