Chronicles of the Seventh Realm, Scroll 1 : River of Blood

Chapter 3

Moving forward again :)

Traveler 

Benjamin sat up among the foliage and groaned. His head hurt and he felt like he could sleep another three days. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he pulled himself away from the foliage and leaned down to wash his face in the flowing creak. His sister's words rang in his ears, and he took a moment to search for her. Closing his eyes, he pulled on her light...nothing, so he gave up and continued on. It had been well over a thousand years now, but he remembered her words as if she'd jut spoken them.

"Light of my heart," she had said, masking the tears that threatened to take her words, "I banish you to a place where you can not touch another child of Eve. I banish you Benjamin, son of Lilith...." She paused and took a breath. "...To the realm of knowledge, where you can live out your days in peace. I banish you, my love, and I wish you only joy."

By morning she'd disappeared, and he'd tried for weeks to find her and a way to get out of this realm, but was unsuccessful. Tzofiya hadn't spoken directly to his mind since then, and Benjamin was often frustrated, but kept his attention on the constant battle at hand: staying alive. He petted the head of the beast closest to the hillside entrance, and looked out over the valley.

"I do not believe any of you will need feeding today, with all the ruckus I heard last night, there must have been three different packs you took down." The beast purred a deep rumble of satisfaction at the touch and leaned in a bit closer to him. Benjamin chuckled and petted him on the back. The beast laid his huge head on his paws and closed his eyes.

Benjamin squinted his eyes as he investigated the tree line. His eyes settled on a shadowy space for a moment, and he lowered his brows, flaring his nostrils as he tried to catch the scent of the intruder's light. The hound perked up its ears and lifted its head. Benjamin touched him reassuringly and said, "No, you've all done enough, I will take this one. Rest, you will be needed tonight." The beast dropped its head but kept his ears perked.

"Oh," Benjamin said as he picked up the scent of the intruder's light. He'd pulled on its energy and hit a brick wall. Smiling, Benjamin ran in the directions of the newcomer and was pleasantly satisfied to see him flee. "Not anymore," he said aloud. "If you hunt me, you pay the price." He increased his pace now, wishing to end the chase before it really began, but was foiled as the track suddenly went cold.

Benjamin stopped and flared his nostrils again, reaching, pulling, tugging on the creature's light, but he only got glimpses of where it was. Smiling, he ran for the direction he last sensed his light. It was a difficult task to keep up because the creature seemed to move sporadically. It was almost as of he was in several places at once.

"How is he doing that?" Benjamin asked, no one, lowering his brows. He was becoming winded, so he stopped and scanned for the creature's light again as he recovered his breath and gasped at what he felt.

There was an endless pool of energy here. "So bright," he said aloud. The rainbow of colors he felt swarming about energized him. He pulled on the endless pool and hit a wall. The force of its impact pushed Benjamin back several yards and he opened his eyes. He was confused. Searching the tree line, he saw hundreds of individuals moving about somewhat mundanely. Many of them were idly completing tasks: climbing trees, chopping down tree branches, picking up sticks and placing them about, walking from one tree to another and back. Benjamin did not understand any of it, but he was on a mission. He searched again for his intruder, and felt the creature's energy in the heart of the pool. He tried again to pull on it, and was knocked back with a bit more force this time.

"Who are you, seeker?" he asked aloud in a booming voice that was sure to carry into the pool of souls. "Why not come and take that which you seek? I am here. Come to me," he said with arms wide.

Without word or warning, the biggest snake he'd ever seen suddenly blocked his path. Benjamin searched for a way around the snake, but was stunned to stillness when it spoke to him, for the last time he'd heard an animal speak, he was in the Garden of Eden.

"Whatever you seek here, son of Lilith, you may not have these souls, for they do not belong to you. I must insist you continue on your way."

"And who might you be, creature of knowledge?"

"That too is none of your concern, but it if will help you along, I will be more than happy to oblige. I am Zelma, guardian of this pool, and you do not have permission to access it. Leave now, son of Lilith, and return to your lands or I will have no choice but to defend the souls you seek to claim."

Benjamin lowered his brows. "I do not seek to claim anything."

"Do not treat me as a simpleton," Zelma interrupted sternly. "I have felt your pull on my charges, and I will ask you only once to never do that again."

"I seek..." Benjamin continued as if she hadn't just threatened him, "only the traveler who sought to slay me." He gestured toward the souls. "He ran into your...." Benjamin stopped talking a moment and looked behind the snake into the wooded area, then said, "Pool?"

Zelma turned her head slightly, scanning the trees. Benjamin took the opportunity to seek out the intruder's light. It was faint, masked by the vast energy pool surrounding him. Zelma turned more of her coiled body toward the woods, searching it again, more intently this time.

Suddenly the light was gone and Benjamin was puzzled. Zelma turned to him with a look of uncertainty about her features, but only for a moment. "I do not see anyone here that does not belong, son of Lilith. Now go, and do not return."

Benjamin nodded and asked again, puzzled by the intruder's actions, and sure he himself would not have alerted the snake to his presence had he not reached for the energy pool: "What is this place?"

"A center of knowledge," Zelma replied and took off into the trees toward the direction Benjamin knew the intruder's light was centered just moments ago. Sure his chance at revenge was over for the moment, Benjamin settled for scanning the wooded area with his eyes, and climbed a nearby tree.

*** 

Sylvia panted as she ran, working hard to open each gateway and keep herself shielded. If she could just get to the pathway, it would be easier for her to open a gateway home. Malikye warned her of creatures like this, but she never thought she'd come up against one—at least not one she couldn't defeat...well...she hadn't so far. Sylvia panted and released her shield, then pulled deep within herself and opened a gateway at the edge of the knowledge realm.

Sprinting through it, Sylvia dove for the souls of the realm and knew she had precious little time. She could not hold a shield here, or she'd risk exposure to the guardian, so she ran as fast as she could to the pathway. With so many souls cloaking her light, she was almost positive the creature that sought her now would be lost. She dashed through trees and climbed over branches, ducking and spinning when necessary, taking care not to touch anyone she came across. That would surely alert the guardian.

Sylvia reached the pathway faster than she anticipated and was elated to see it clear. Normally it would take a bit of distracting the souls to move the guardian, but today she was gone. Things could not have been better if she'd planned them herself. She approached with caution, watching the narrow space that held the shimmering path. She opened herself up only when she reached the pathway, and created a gateway home.

Darting through, she crashed into her wardrobe and amidst the realm of Adam's blood. Panting, Sylvia vowed internally to never cross paths with such a creature again. She would continue hunting the sons and daughters of Lilith, but never again in the seventh realm. Her son's life was important to her, but she had to live long enough to keep him safe from the hounds.