Memories (Of Dreams and Demons)

The First Roll Call

This is the first rough draft for Chapter 36 - The First Roll Call - plot and action outline, needs polish and to paint the background scene.  

..all."

And as Cale's final word hangs in the air, the last of the natural emberswithin the crude fireplace Naoko and I had made fade and die. With some final wheezes, a snap, crackle and pop, the flames flicker away. Now, only the gentle glow of golden light from the sphere forged by Chi remains, humming along as it bobs mid-air between us, illuminating our space.

All our eyes are upon her as she becomes one with the light. Naoko slowly steps towards the sphere, embracing it within her grasp even as it still warms towards her in return. A mere half an inch of touching it, she begins to slowly wave her fingers around it, mimicking the patterns and movements done by Chi. The rabbit watches her a moment, placing an enthusiastic hand on her shoulder.

He nods, "you have the power to forge love's light."

She smiles up at him, her fingers weaving slightly about, catching her own little motes of gold as if sifting for gold in the fabric of space and time around her. 

Chi turns, nods to Cale, and begins to explore the edges of our little fort.  

Cale turns to me, "every moment, despite the corruption, has been leading to this."

The light and Naoko, Naoko and the light. Her mismatched eyes are locked intently upon the little sphere, tiny wisps of her hair float about as if even the rules of gravity did not apply. And she smiles, basking gloriously at what Chi has shown her, her dimples wells burrowing deep in her childish cheeks. Has the sphere grown in size?

Cale's eyes are locked on my own, green reflecting the summer fields within, returning my gaze, his sight beyond outward sense.

Do you remember? I almost fall back on to the stump behind me. His voice is inside my mind.

Cale's eyes pierce deeper still, beyond my mind, my soul; as if into my subconsciousness and beyond.

What memories pain you so? Cale continues. I'm the only one who can hear him; a deep voice reverberating inside my skull.

Chai strides between the walls and stone, leaning over to force them tighter together, rearranging them to sit snugly between crack and crevice. In many places, where stones sat loose or haphazardly placed on top of one another in a rush, they now rest stronger, as if fused together. He appears to be so engrossed in his fortifications of our little camp, but I catch him, every now and then, watching us from the corner of his eyes.

"You've brought so much into the Realm already," Cale scans the horizons from above the treeline, his eyes zipping left and right, to and fro, faster than I can follow, "so much more than you know."

Naoko nods absently, her hands slowly gaining some speed. Obvious specks of light flutter about the sphere and her fingertips, like little golden butterflies flapping about, drawn to her magic. The clearing in which we've gathered is slowly growing in not only light, but colors, lost all those years ago. The Realm had not quite revered to its original dead grey, but it had faded, slowly, in our absence. Until now.

Chi sits on a stump beside her, studying her, giving her a word of encouragement or showing her a pattern his hand draws in the air.

Cale's eyes eyes return to mine, a light wind behind him waving the tips of the pine trees behind his dark outline.

What.. terrifies you? He continues, answer me.

Losing Naoko, I think my own voice in reply, wondering if I'll get a reply, talking to an eagle silently in my mind and expecting him to hear me.