Stranger (The Aevyanthis Chronicles, Book One)

Chapter Two

Sitting beneath a low hanging oak tree, Fallon watched as the thick clouds rolled towards him. He sat alone, cross-legged, scarcely aware of the thick droplets of rain that pelted down against his black cloak, his eyes turned to the sky. The billowing gales that screeched through the forest were only a faint whistle to his ears, the thunder that shook the ground muted and dull. He was half seeing, half dreaming: that is the way of the elves when they sleep, a gift from the Forest Lord himself.

In his peaceful reverie, he could focus his mind. He had watched the first leaf fall earlier that morning, a quiet harbinger of autumn. He recalled the faint spatter of brown that tarnished its edges, creeping towards its veiny green belly as it drifted to the ground. In the morning, he planned to hunt for more food; he had seen enough winters to know how scarce it became, and this winter was arriving much sooner than he had prepared for.

Something drew his attention and he blinked. What was that? He thought, tearing himself away from his meditation. The storm was now upon him; it writhed with rain and thunder and magick. Somewhere above the world, the twins Artem and I'athane were hidden, their light unable to pierce the raging darkness.

He scanned the sky for a long time, before he sighed and closed his eyes and mind to the outside world.

No.

Perhaps it was a flicker of a dream, something that crept into his thoughts when he wasn't concentrating. He almost believed he saw something fall from the sky.

***

Emm awoke with a spasm, as if she had dreamt she had hit the ground. Her eyes stung as she wiped the sand from them, her hair matting her face like salty tendrils. Every muscle in her body ached as she rolled over, shielding her face with a weak hand; sunlight was bursting through the grey clouds overhead, piercing through her hazy vision.

"Where am I?" she mumbled, easing into a seated position. She didn't remember Grey Rock having such a vast beach; in fact, she had never remembered seeing such a place before. The once golden sand was now pale, opalescent, like a blanket of shimmering crystal. Instead of jagged cliffs and jogging trails, she could see dense woodland creeping upon the shore. The crashing waves were bathed in a deep teal, with swirls of lavender raging under the surface. It was a wild and pristine sight, untouched by human hands.

Visions of wolves flooded her mind, and for a split moment she remembered those bloodshot eyes piercing the darkness. She stifled a gasp as panic set in.

"Luke? Sara?" she called out. Maybe they woke up before her? They could be looking for her, or worse, they could be hurt. The... thing... that had become Blue Blazer had thrown Luke through the window as if he were tossing trash in the bin. Her thoughts drifted to Luke lying on the ground, dying amongst the broken wood and glass, before deciding never to think it again.

Patting the sand off her dress and standing up, she struggled to make sense of it all. Her memory was blurred, as if reality and dreams melted together. She studied the back of her right hand. The once glowing symbol was gone, her skin pale and unbroken. Was it... a dream? She thought.

A giggle from behind caught Emm off guard. Spinning around, she saw a woman sitting in the sand, her ink black hair clinging like a shower curtain against her naked marble skin. Around her, a group of seals were lazing in the whitewash, their oily grey skin reflecting back the sunlight.

The beauty was watching Emm, smiling.

"Um, hello," Emm said, trying not to stare. "Could you please help me? I don't really know where I am."

"Names change over the years, but the humans like to call this part of the world Agon," the woman replied. "These selkies found you in the Serenis and brought you to shore. You fell from the sky."