A Mess of a World: the Etched Stone

1.1) Alessida

Knowledge is the best thing in the world. The confidence in the truth, the smugness of your intellect. It was a state of mind Alessida had known once, but now felt alien and unknown.

Her present feelings couldn't be more opposite.

Stupidity, helplessness, uncertainty... those feelings burned inside, no matter how hard she tried to make sense of everything.

Warped images flitted through her mind, as if trying to help her remember something; her name, her home, people she knew, places she'd been... Anything.

But no answers were given and questions flooded her brain.

Alessida recollected the images from her last dream again, the only thing she could remember.

I remember a woman calling, "Galebend!"

I had been sleeping but arose at the sound of her voice. I opened my weary eyes. I heard the splash before feeling the creamy substance ooze down my face and sink into my skin. I tried to rub it off, but it was too late.

"Run!" The same voice yelled.

My ears picked up the sound of pounding, followed shortly by a large crash.

Wait! Where am I? Who am I? Why can't I remember? What's going on? Who's the woman?!

Loud voices trumpeted from downstairs.

"Find the girl! Keep her alive!" One hollered over the noise of his companions.

"Hold it! D-did you see that?" A different voice asked.

They're getting closer.

I scrambled off of the bed, feeling a sense of urgency and somehow knowing that if the men got to me I'd be doomed. 'What's happening?!' I wondered.

"Boys, look! It's her! A Dragon-hunter! Witch! Get her!"

My breathing stilled, but they weren't talking about me.

"You men follow her! We'll get the girl!"

I flew to the windowpane and pulled it up. My heartbeat marked off the remaining seconds I had left.

I squeeze through it just as the door to the room shot open, large splinters flying in every direction.

I look below me, trying to figure out how to get down, when one of the men reaches me and grabs my wrist with one hand. With his other he strikes a blow that leaves a thick crimson liquid rolling down my forehead.

I go limp and he pulls me back into the house.

"Why is she glowing?" One of the three men asks in fear, but the others don't care.

The burly man who hit me lifts me over his shoulder and leaves with the others. My vision is blurry and a metallic scent is filling my nostrils.

They pulled me down the stairs and outside, out where the cold is bitter and biting. I think that we have left the house, but I can hardly see. The man puts me onto my feet and forces me to walk.

My legs buckle and I fall unto the cold and wet ground. I hear a soft clank of metal from a little ways behind me, but my captors don't; they are focused on something else.

I feel a wave of heat and hear the crackle of flames as they turn the place I had just be in to cinders. "A fire!" I gasp, the words tumbling from my mouth into a small murmur.

I hear chaotic shouts and in the surrounding confusion, the men momentarily forget about me. I can't seem to move. My legs are lead and my eyes are dim.

I feel a rough tug as someone drags me to who-knows-where and then feel weightless as a fall down into an even chillier place.

The air is thick and damp and before I can start to worry about the landing I am caught on something soft.

The confusion above quiets down, and then many accusations start. "Where- Where's the girl?!"

My eyes roll back and my body goes limp, lulling me into a deep fitful sleep that merely replayed the events over and over again.

I wake up a few times, but only for a few moments before falling back asleep. Once I saw a young girl, but was too tired to make out her features.

I feel a light tap on my face.

"I need you to wake up!"

That was when she had fully regained consciousness but had pretended to still sleep while her mind actively tried to make sense of what all that had been.

What was that? A dream? A memory? Ergh! I can't remember!

And not being able to remember anything had given her that feeling of utter hopelessness.

She had replayed the scenes of chaos nearly a hundred times, but still had no idea what it meant or what had really happened.