dimensions | original

Mountain Cave

Let us pause our story for a moment.

Let us slow our reading for a moment, and give ourselves (and our heroes) rest.

This is an exhausting story indeed, and I do hope you've got the energy to move on. I know that seeing our beloved heroes in such emotional peril can be tiring indeed, and so I believe it's time to rest.

So let us have a moment...

Are you ready now? (Even if you aren't, that's too bad. I'm ready, and I'm the narrator. There are upsides to such a career.)

Let us listen in to them now...

***

"Match?" Keme's astonished voice made Mark flinch. He hadn't lost the village accent (Mark chose to cover it up), and his rich voice saying Mark's old nickname pained him in a way he could not explain. "What? Why?"

Mark just swallowed. He wasn't sure how to start. He glanced back at Asha, who gave him a quick reassuring smile, and mouthed go for it.

Right after they had landed by the mountain cave entrance, Asha had pulled Mark aside and wished him luck. Mark, in a panic, asked her if it was really necessary for him to ask Keme. After all, Mark wasn't the most diplomatic, and he and Keme really had left things in a bad spot last time they saw each other. But Asha had revealed that Vitae had some unfortunate political issues going on regarding magic, and that this was not a good time to ask members of the magical community for assistance. At this, Mark had rolled his eyes. Really, what was the point of a high-tech, advanced, rich, program if they had no decent alliances?

But that wasn't important right now. Well, no, it was very important, but first things first.

"Keme, I need your help." Mark stopped himself. He felt awkward and afraid, and he knew that stating that so bluntly probably wasn't the best way to introduce himself, judging the way that Kinglyn had flinched out of the corner of his eye.

"That much is obvious." Keme answered his voice venomous.

Mark blinked, opening his mouth to try and explain, but Keme interrupted him.

"But first, we need to talk." He stepped out of the cave entrance, revealing him to be dressed in a long cloak, dark tunic, and a fur belt. A knife hung from his waist, and Mark noticed that his right hand clenched the bronze-colored hilt tightly.

"Who are these people?" he questioned Mark, coming even closer. "Why have you come to me? There are other choices of spirit-speakers."

"I... May we come in?" Mark asked nervously. "There's a lot to talk about."

Keme narrowed his eyes, considering. After a tense minute of silence, Keme nodded. "I take it that you will bring no harm no me or my home, seeing as you need my help. But if you do, I am not afraid to curse your soul."

Keme led them past the curtain and into a rough-walled stone hall. They entered into a cavern room with a high ceiling and a low couch and oak table. The walls had built in shelves, black curtains covering certain wall sections that Mark assumed were doorways.

"Sit." Keme offered, gesturing to the low, rich brown couch. "No, not you." He caught Mark by the arm, making the werewolf stiffen at the touch.

"Why?" Mark asked cautiously.

"Because we must talk. Preferably alone."

"How do we know that you won't hurt him?" Carressa asked. Along with Carressa, Kinglyn, Emersyn, Asha had all come to accompany Mark and Luma.

"I give you my word. Despite the history we may have, I have no desire to hurt him. Truth to be told, I don't know if I could."

Kinglyn narrowed his eyes. "How long will you be?"

"It could be a while. Just to safe, we shall bring the girl, so I can monitor her progress and make sure she stays in control."

"And what we do as we wait if it will take such a long time period?" Kinglyn persisted, obviously not wanting to leave the two boys and Luma alone. Although Mark couldn't blame him. Even though the Vitae seemed to have relaxed the rules regarding him now that they had Mark's so-called "master," Mark was still powerful, and he knew that both Kinglyn and Carressa weren't very trusting of him. He knew Emersyn was- he could tell that she was very trusting by nature. As for Asha... Well, they were friends now. But still, Mark knew that she was the opposite of Emersyn in that sense. And besides, he still had a lurking suspicions that she didn't trust him. Centuries of hate had made him second guess others' actions over and over until they gave up on gaining his trust.

"I'm sure you all have many things to discuss." Keme's voice turned icy cold and hard, and Mark could practically feel the mood darken. "Particularly the unfair rights of magic beings and deities. I know you all have much to say on that matter."

Kinglyn noticeably grimaced and pressed his lip together as if to try and prevent himself from saying something in response. Asha sighed and shot Mark a look.

Well, I guess you were right on that matter. Mark channeled to Asha.

"Conversations behind my back?" growled Keme, glaring at Mark in anger.

"What?"

"I'm not dumb, nor ignorant, nor powerless."

"I was simply verifying something about the magical rights debate. I've been unaware of such happenings for quite a while." Mark answered just as formerly.

"I see." Keme narrowed his eyes, and Mark was, not for the first time, taken aback by his unique eye coloring. While his right eye was a light brown color, his left was a startling clear icy blue.

Keme walked over to Luma, and with a wave of his hand, she rose, asleep, into the air. "Whatever the case is, we must talk. There is a lot to catch up on, wouldn't you say, my dear old friend?"

A/N: Well, double update I guess?