Crossers

Prologue

The cave was spacious, stalagmites rose up from the floor while stalactites hung from the ceiling, like the maw of a lion. It was cool, a fog shrouded the darkness like a cloak. Along the walls enormous crystals protruded outward producing light in colorful hues. Along the back wall an enormous waterfall cascaded down into blue waters so clear you could see straight to the bottom the enormous lake. It was beautiful, enchanting, and eerie all at the same time. I noticed a figure moving in the darkness, and I realized it was another person. A girl. She had golden sun-kissed skin, long black curly hair, and the most piercing blue eyes. She looked familiar. I watched as she walked around the cavern, feeling on its walls, searching for something. Decisively, I ran towards her. She saw me and gasped. "You're here," she laughed between hurried gasps of air. "I have a message for you." I looked at her questioningly. "What's going on? Where are we?" I felt dizzy as if I was speaking through water. Suddenly the air dropped. Mist gathered itself into dense pockets and frost clung to the ground, spreading like fire. "Go!" She whispered hastily, hiding me behind one of the enormous crystals protruding off the ground. I knelt down to the ground breathing as slowly as I could. My heart raced as the cold air turned freezing. The icy ground bit at my cheek. I could see the smokey breath of my respiration. I watched as the girl huddled herself together to fight back the cold. Then, I felt another presence. This one much more powerful. A beautiful feminine voice echoed off the walls of the cave, the vibrato moving me to my very being. "Young Crosser, why do you still struggle? Just surrender now. The alternative is much more painful. Now we don't want that, do we?" The beautiful voice did not sound at all sympathetic to the girls pain. The ice and fog condensed, and began the form a being. Long graceful white legs, then a torso and long white arms to match. She was easily at least eight feet tall dressed in fog and powdered snow. Long platinum locks fell down her back, and dark navy eyes contrasted against her skin. I laid there, terrified. The girl boldly sat up, brow furrowed, pale blue eyes set with anger. "I hope you burn." She spat out hoarsely. A cold energy radiated off the woman, like heat from a fire. Her eyes flashed dangerously and the waterfall behind her froze down to the pool beneath it. I knew whatever she was, it wasn't human. Her voice, while still beautiful, was now filled with anger. "You are already my pawn, regardless of what you do!" She laughed maniacally. "You fail to understand. I have your wisdom hundredfold. You are but a child, and I, well I have existed for thousands of millennium. We will have the heavens bowing to us." She took a pause from her rant, then peered deep into the girl's eyes. "While you will, personally, bow to me." A faint smile tugged at her lips, and I shivered. She whispered some words from a language I didn't recognize and melted back to ice. The cave gradually rose again in temperature. The waterfall had melted, and was spraying water onto the thawing lake. I rushed over to the girl, half slipping half falling on icy water. I felt protective of her. I grabbed her in my arms, feeling her frozen limbs as I tried to warm her up.

 "T-Tell the CTA." she muttered. "Tell t-them about the d-dream. Tell them Alayna sent you." 

"Tell who? Whats happening? Let me help you!"

"Just promise me."

I took a deep breath. "I promise." A look of relief crossed her face, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd seen her before. "Do I know you?" She just laughed. "Thank you Gabriel. Sweet dreams." She placed a finger on my forehead and I slowly lost consciousness. The last thing I could remember was contemplating how I never told her my name.