The One

Chapter 2 - Into The Woods

The next morning I wake up, looking around the room until I spotted Ember sleeping near my head. I smiled and petted him, he started purring which made me giggle slightly. I looked at my clock and it said 6:30, I sighed and whispered to myself, "At least I get time to bathe...yesh!" I get out of bed and head into the bathroom, I turn on the tub and take off my clothes. I get into the water and sit there for a bit, ripples of water form with each movement I make, "Heh...this reminds me of when we were in the river..." I say to myself, "That was fun-......FUUUCCKKK!!!" I realize that during the "meeting" with Zachary, I. Didn't. Have. My. Hood. On! "UGH! Whatever...I'll just...deal with it." I sigh and look out the window, seeing the ocean waves crash against the shore. I finish my shower and go back into my room to find Ember awake and playing with my boots, I laugh and pick him up, "No no Ember...those are not for playing..!" He looks at me sad but that's when I go to my bag, grab a piece of bread, and let him eat it on my bed. I get dressed in this but with out the mask:

I look in a mirror and see my reflection, long black hair, purple eyes, and my necklace, I can't help but grin and then put my hood on since it was long enough to cover my face, knowing that some people may never see under the hood. I whistled and Ember jumped onto my shoulder, having my bag in his mouth, I grabed my bag and my weapons and ran out of the house and back to Scourging Fire. 

Once I got there, I saw one face that made me smirk.....Zach. I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder, he turned and smiled a heart melting smile, "Hey Seeker. What's up?" "Nothing just looking for a jo-" before I could finish my response, Rose came over and smiled at me. "Hey Seeker....Zachary..." she said as she glared at him, "Hey Lady Rose..." Zach responded as he bowed. I swear I heard him whisper to her, "Remember our deal...." this got me thinking if they  have a bet going on, but then a different thought popped in my mind... Are they a couple? They sure do seem like one... I couldn't help but smile at the two when I noticed they're wearing matching rings, they're rose gold with red and white diamonds wrapped around it. When Zach stopped bowing, something triggered in me, "I-I'll be r-right back...Ember...stay with Z-Zachary...." Ember jumped onto his shoulders as I ran to the gates and into the woods. When I ran away from Rose and Zach, I felt them staring at me with an expression that's quite familiar to me. I keep running until I reached a pond, I got on my knees at the very edge of the water and wrapped one arm around my stomach as my other hand went near my mouth. A burst of red liquid shot out of my mouth and onto the grass and some in the water, turning some of it a light red. I looked at my hand, my body shaking, my eyes wide with no glare of light to be seen, and then  touched my lips that were now dripping with blood. I started to feel scared. That's when I screamed at the top of my lungs, blood flying into the air as the noise rushed out of my mouth like a tsunami of water. Next thing  I knew.....I was in endless black.

I open my eyes to see a endless hallway, orange, black....and blood stained. I got up and walked endlessly for what seemed like hours until I reached a door that was red, glistening with opal shriveled flowers. I opened it and saw a small obsidian box surrounded by shriveled flowers from jewel like purple, to the darkest black, to blood red, to the whitest white. The box was carved with vines and small buds of flowers, each bud had an opal, a type of gem, or amethyst or some type of blood red jewel. I walked over to the box and knelt down to pick it up, that's when I started hearing someone yelling my name, "SEEKER!" I looked back through the door way...no ones there...I bring my attention back to the box and stroke the lid with my hand and prepare it to open. I hear my name again, more than one person saying it now, but I shrug it off and open the lid slowly. Once it's opened, I see a necklace. The necklace has a rose gold chain and a opal oval with a black ring surrounding the center, the center looks like a lid decorated with a small amethyst diamond with line indents that connect to blood jewels. I take off my other necklace and put the one from the box on. That's when I start shaking, I scream in pain and start crying at the same time, my body falls to the floor in a puddle of blood...light starts surrounding my vision until I completely see white.

I wake up and start panting with sweat dripping down my face. I look around and see I'm not wearing my hood, this scares me and I look around the room for it, I spot it sitting on a chair with Ember peacefully sleeping on it. I notice that I'm not in my room, the room's walls are shaded from a dark blue to white, the bed is covered in white and blue sheets with blue and black pillows, the window was facing out to the village and beyond with blue curtains, a white desk and sofa like chair, and two drawers next to the bed with a music box on the right one. I sit up and sit on the edge of the bed, wondering where I was until I hear footsteps closely closing in towards the door. I lay back down and close my eyes until I hear a familiar voice, "H-Hey....Seeker...wake up will you...?" Zach..... I odpen my eyes and sit up facing him, ".....Hey....." "What happened to you? You made me worried sick!" he exclaimed while kneeling in front of me, holding my hands. "I don't know...but...is this your house? Did anyone see me without my cloak? Why are you so worried?" "Well one, yes, this is my house. Two, no one else saw you without your hood...I brought you in the house while you had it on and before I took it off a few minutes ago. And three...did I say me? I ment Rose and Jack....Tracker.....Sammy...........Andrew..................Bryce.........."

I giggle, "Jealous?" "NO!" he responded as if offended. Well obivously he'd be offended....he is married after all. I can't help but feel sad at the thought but I hold in my emotions and just smile at him, "Ok ok....gawd you need to learn not to be offended." I say as I try to get up, "Nope!" he pushes me down to the bed and tucks me in, " Your staying here until I figure out what happened, understood, Seeker?" he asks, looking at me as he heads to the door, "I'M A GOD DAMN GROWN WOMAN! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" I yell. But he shut the door before I could even get up to slap him. I snicker and grab my cloak, wake up the sleeping Ember and put him on my shoulders, and then jump out the window and land on my feet and hands. I sprint to Rose's house and knock on the door. She answers and shouts in excitement, "SEEKER!" that's when she pulls me inside and hugs me so tight, it feels like an inhuman hug. I smile and ask, "How are ya?" "Good good...but it's even better now!" "Why?" "BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO RECASTIC!!!" "To where...?" "Recastic! One of my best friends is there and is the commander of the Dragon Jury. Very tough and very VERY sister like." Rose responds as she smiles with glee. "Who's taging along?" I ask while leaning against the wall, crossing my arms, "Well, Zach, Jack, Andrew, Emily, and Tracker." "Cool! The librarian's coming!" I say as I remember seeing her sell books in the plaza. Ember purrs and brushes his tail across my left shoulder. "Well....we're leaving today so pack your stuff!" "But Zach said-" "Don't worry, I'll convince him to let you go!" "Ok...well then.....LET'S GO TO RECASTIC!"