Everglow

Chapter 9

I lurched forward as the ship pulled into the dock, stretching my arms high above my head though I could feel the strain in every muscle from the night before, and though I was happy to be on land, I couldn't deny the emotional toll my trip was taking so far. I grumbled in agony, though his it well with my steely expression, the skin on my stomach ripped and aching beyond belief. 

Boy, could I chug a gallon of my finest, or most gasoline-like, vodka right now. 

Even still I persisted on as I walked down the rackety runway of the ship, my legs begging to stop, though if I did I doubted I would be able to stand again. Despite this, I couldn't help but feel completely overwhelmed by the scenery around me. Never had a seen such beauty and the sublime power of nature so perfectly preserved. I could feel the undeniable pull of the magi powers within me begging to break free at the power that rushed through this sacred place. I had no doubt in my mind that such a place was not meant to be inhabited by a single soul. 

"Pretty spooky huh?" I heard the softest of voices next to me as I caught a flick of pink hair in my vision, finding even turning my head to be quite the task at the present moment. Marigold's irridescant wings flicked in and out of my line of sight as she began to look around. Though bruised and tired, I could feel that she had fared far better than me from the events of the night prior. 

"I think there's a serene beauty in this place, don't you think Flynn?" Ero questioned me softly. I could feel within him too, that he knew of the power of this place, not to be disturbed or tormented by anything. Yet something within me knew that this place was home, it drew me in and told me that I was safe, that the Magi blood that surged within me was a passport to every part of this glorious realm. 

"I must agree with Ero, I feel at peace here," I whispered into the fog that surrounded us, and rolled out toward the sharp mountains that danced along the distant skyline. My feet moved of their own accord toward the thick forest laying just ahead of the dock. It was as if they knew their way and their calling. Back home. It was the only place my soul had ever truly felt it belonged, and though I didn't know why, the urge to belong was an irresistible calling to me. 

"Have you been here before?" Marigold hummed, her voice so soft that the slight breeze almost carried in completely away. The air was cold and sharp as I inhaled a deep breath, feeling the stabbing in my lungs from our precarious experience. I looked at her, and at the softness that looked so out  of place amongst towering trees and raggedy thorns that tried to ensnare us, shaking my head. 

"No never, at least not to my knowledge, stay by my side though, the magic in this place is considerably strong," I nodded, watching the treeline as the others began to gather the supplies for our long trek. I decided then that I didn't really need a guide to the land of the necromancers. My feet would take me there if I so wished it, every inch of this land was written in my head as if I had created it myself. Yet, everything in these places were inherent. If you knew then you knew. The soul had a funny way of remaining connected to all that you were, and are, and will be. 

My stomach twisted again as I felt a wave of nausea and pain rush through me and my legs buckle underneath me as I tried to catch myself on tree. I grumbled in pain, though standing felt like an impossibility as I dragged in breaths through painful lungs. It had been years since I'd used my powers, they had been practically locked away under the clasps of my aunt with their only use being in creating the bodies of my targets. My head began to spin as my pain started to overwhelm me. I had almost forgotten the sensation of a power overload. My aunt had me marked so that I could not unlock the true potential within my soul, yet in this land it was as if it had been completely erased. Never had I felt so out of control before. 

I grumbled as I pulled myself up, looking at the concern that pooled in Marigold's face as I continued into the thick underbrush. The deep scent of salty, wet earth and fragrant sage graced my nose as the small path ahead of us grew more overgrown with every step. Trees, taller than any building I had ever seen, stood in their majesty, looming over us in beautiful ashen fern and olive greens. The thick limbs of the trees seemed to reach out towards us, slightly blackened at their ends as if they had been touched by fire. Yet even still, the nature of this almighty place had persisted. 

"You have incredible strength in your abilities Flynn, do you truly know nothing of your heritage?" Ero questioned me as he passed me a bottle of something strong.  I took a deep swig, wincing at the pain as I pressed against a tree, dragging in another painful breath through aching lungs. 

"Nothing, simply that I'm half witch and half bitch," I muttered through gritted teeth as I took note of a small clearing ahead that would make the perfect camp for the night. Ero chuckled from beside me as he moved toward the clearing too. 

"Perhaps you will find more here, this land has been left largely untouched for a number of years after both the Seige of Trepas and the destruction of the holy monuments that lay beyond the hills. You are undoubtedly connected to the very roots of this place, your soul is calling to the earth," He hummed softly, confirming the feelings that were swirling within me. Yet I felt a certain apprehension in his words, did I really want to know who I was, and to what great thing I was connected to? I was more than happy to be back in my realm: with a working toilet; a perfect internet connection; vodka galore; and all of the cheese puffs I could possibly want. I had none of that here. And though I was free from the trappings of my aunt, I could not say that I was truly happy. I missed my life in the other realm and though I would do anything for Xand, I could not deny that I missed what I had. Nevertheless I was here and though I would complain, I would do what I was asked. 

"I highly doubt that Ero, regardless my mission here is not to find myself, it is to dispel a band of necromancers who threaten the existence of the realm," I grumbled softly as I began to set up a fire, watching as the others began to congregate in the small clearing too. The bubbling of a brook came from somewhere nearby, the sound a peaceful reminder that the earth would always provide. 

He nodded his head, but was watching me closely, eyes glowing with amusement as if he knew everything about me, and about the future of our trip. 

"Perhaps, but what if you cannot complete your mission without first getting to know yourself? You should not doubt the powers of the necromancers, they have wanted this for a century or more. You may have strength, there's no doubt about that, but you need to strength your mind and your powers. I will tell you now that shutting yoursled and your past away does not show any semblance of mental fortitude. Instead it proves that you are weak, if you cannot bear to face yourself then do not expect to win against a people who have steeled themselves since time began," He uttered to me, his smirk falling into a face of darkness as I could feel the sincerity behind his words. I could not deny that being here held my soul to a higher accord, but I did not know that I could truly expose what secrets my birth held. 

With a gentle sigh I moved away to be on my own, feeling only apprehension and pain once again as I laid out my blanket and took in the deep mossy smell of the earth around me once again.