Word Play

Chapter 2

He was sure his heart had stopped. He was certain of it. He had thought he had died. Then they were there. He recognized the way they were shaped, the way they were formed, how they looked. They were words.

He didn't know how to read. Not many people knew how to read now a days. Reading material was hard to find. Books were a strange thing to come across, being so rare. But he recognized the words, from when he would sneak books from the library shelves. He would study the shapes and way they formed together. marveling in the different ways they seemed to group together. He would softly trail his hand over the ink lines with the strange designs and characterizations that formed the marvelous words.

They had surrounded the monster. Floating around it, looking almost as if they were dancing. The words were not black like in the library books, no they were colored. The colors looked like a shining yellow, almost gold. A faint blue outlining them.

Then he saw her. Standing there, her back to him, but he recognized her just fine.

Her arm was outstretched towards the strange monster, words wrapped around it, and slowly dripping off like water. Her hand was a caramel color, her nails slightly long and pointed. Then he heard her voice, and was frozen at the sheer force and power hidden within it.

"A demon of no choice, born from hate and mislead faith, fall to your knees. As your body is torn to shreds and burned, may your soul be cleansed and returned to the great one. Burn."

Aidan didn't understand what she said, but he felt something burning in him. He felt something crawl up his spine. He felt his head buzz as she finished her words. The monster caught fire. The flames which danced upon the monsters skin, ate away at its flesh and bones. Tearing the monster apart as it screamed. The fire burned a  strange blue and soon the monster disappeared with a strange mist that blew away.

He felt his chest heave as he took a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He fell to his knees and gasped on his breath. A hand appeared in front of his face. He looked up and saw her. Her slanted yellow eyes watched him carefully, like he was some sort of creature she was to study and take notes of.

He took her hand carefully, and was surprised when she lifted him to his feet instantly and effortlessly. Standing he took notice that while she was thin, she was not overly so. She was lean and stood taller than him. In fact, she seemed rather tall compared to the average height of the women in his village. It was easy to tell she was not from here, that she was a traveler of some sorts.

She had tan caramel like skin, stood tall and lean. Her eyes were a strange slanted yellow. She wore dark fitting clothes and a cloak that reached the floor with it's hood casting a shadow over her face. But even with that hood up over her head, her eyes stood out and caught his attention.

She was not from here.

She was not normal. She had words floating around, she used those words to get ride of that monster. He had no proof of that of course, but he couldnt shake the feeling that she had. She words hd been wrapped around her arm, they had burned that monster. All this left a burning question in Aidan's mind.

What and who was she?

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt himself being dragged away. She was tugging him along behind her as she walked away. He tried to pull his hand back but her grip was too strong. "Excuse me could you let go?" He tried to ask, but she turned and looked at him. Her eyes seeming to say 'Why? You were chasing after me only moments ago, and now that you are allowed to follow me you have something better to do?' So he shut his mouth and followed silently behind her.

It wasn't too long before he recognized where they were going.  They were heading to the market place. But why? There might still be monster running around. When he tried to warn her, she jerked him in front of her and pushed him ahead. IT was then that he noticed their surroundings.

The monsters were gone.

there were hardly any people, save for a few who were walking around lost and in a daze. They stopped at a stall where an older man was picking up his merchandise. He sold dried meat and bread. The woman tapped his shoulder, he looked at her. She pointed to three different meats and four different breads and held up two fingers. He gave her a confused look.

"Excuse me, can i help you?" The man asked politely, though Aidan knew it was forced. He wanted them to leave, he wanted to be left alone so he could go over the loss and damage the monsters had caused him.

Aidan turned and looked at her. He opened his mouth to ask her what she wanted here, when she pointed again. He  stopped and his eyes widened as he realized: she didn't speak their language.

"You...wanna buy some meat and bread?" He asked with a slight pause. She blinked her slanted yellow eyes at him, and pointed again.

"If you aren't here to buy somethin' i suggest you get." The older man said, his annoyance showing clearly.

"Yeah, we're gonna buy some bread and meat." He looked at her and she pointed out what she wanted again. The man eyed them wearily, but wrapped their order in some spare cloth he found. Aidan looked to the woman, to see her holding out some strange coins.

"Is this some kinda joke?" The man snapped angrily, his face flushing red. The woman blinked startled, then, as if realizing her mistake, took out the money their village used and paid the angry man. He took the normal coins with a huff and shooed them away.

As they began walking, Aidan glanced at the woman to see her looking at him. He blinked and looked away.

Well, if this wasn't strange.......