Etude 6: Allegro Energico
Okay. I had a friend over, which meant that I was hanging with him instead of writing. (Mostly.) This also involved staying up way too late and getting my sleep schedule thrown out of whack... Also felt kinda demotivated, ugh. So... Etude 6. I tried posting this yesterday, but Blogger threw a tantrum and refused to post it.
Meanwhile, there's now a villain (probably)! Yay!
Another note! I wrote a bit more to finish up this chapter... It wasn't that much, so I'm just tacking it on here instead of giving it another post.
Armand stared at the collapsed form of Sarah beside him. She had managed to do something, something that made the grass return to its original position. He wasn't about to kick it again, even though he wanted. Just like a girl to faint... He looked at her again. Her skin seemed paler than usual, almost transparent. No, it wasn't just weakness that made her pass out. She did something, and the effort made her pass out. I felt the tension. He looked suspiciously at the grass. I think I'd better get her off this stuff before it decides to grow again. Otherwise there's no way I'm going to get out of here. He stepped over to her and grabbed her arms, starting to drag her. But the grass seemed to snag at her, and he couldn't get her very far. This is not working. He took another experimental tug at her. Okay, I think she's actually kinda light... Maybe I can carry her. He knelt, and got his arms around her, then lifted. There was a moment of tension, as the grass tugged at her passively, and then she was free. And surprisingly light. But I don't think I can carry her like this... He tried slinging her over his shoulders. That worked much better, even though he felt like a hunchback. He shifted her around until she was balanced evenly, and started walking off towards the forest.
...
Beneath the plains, the great one stirred. He had felt the conflict above, as his guardians attempted to capture an intruder. And then the burst and release of the power only a nexus held... And now, something else, another power that was unfamiliar. It and the nexus were moving towards the forest, away from his territory. But there would be time later to fix things. Time to claim the nexus for his own.
Sarah didn't wake up until they reached the forest. The trees were bright green, almost painfully so. There seemed to be butterflies flitting about here and there. Armand, tired from carrying her, left her propped up against a tree. He wanted to kick the tree, but decided it might be a bad idea. Damn it, isn't there anything here I can hit? He eyed the butterflies warily, but they seemed harmless enough, their wings sparkling in the sunlight. Sarah began to stir.
"What happened?"
"You fainted." His voice communicated what a sissy he thought she was.
"Oh. But the grass..."
"It diminished until it was normal size."
"Good." She tried to sit up better. "Ow, my head hurts."
"Have you seen this area before?"
"Yes, a little bit... I remember the butterflies."
"Good or bad?"
"I'm not sure. They warned me when the light came..." She struggled to her feet. "Yikes, that made me dizzy. I must have gotten up too fast."
"So where to now, oh expert guide?"
Sarah looked around at the forest. "I don't know. The last time I was here... It was in a dream, and there were butterflies. And then a light appeared and chased me, over the plains and into the mountains." She paused for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. "There was a clearing in the forest that was filled with butterflies. But when the light appeared, the butterflies turned evil..."
Armand looked at her, exasperated. "Fine, let's go to this clearing. It's at least somewhere to go to."
She nodded hesitantly. "Okay." She waited for him to go.
"You know the way."
"Not really..."
"Fine. This way seems as good as any." And they headed off.
It was not long before they arrived at the clearing, but Sarah was already out of breath. "This is the place," she said. "I can feel it."
"Where are the butterflies?" There were none in sight.
"I don't know... The last butterflies you saw... Were they metallic?"
"No."
"That's good." She stopped to rest against a tree. "I'm so tired... I don't know why I feel so tired already."
He glared at her, then his expression softened a little. "I guess we can rest here for a while."
"Good... Resting... That sounds so good." She sat down by the tree, slumped against it. "I wish I could just sleep and not have to take care of anything anymore."
Armand wasn't really listening to her. He was looking around suspiciously. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept seeing butterflies flitting about, but they always disappeared when he looked straight at them. He turned back to Sarah.
"Sarah?" She was fast asleep against the tree. He could feel a wave of sleepiness rush through him, but he fought it. At least one of us has to stay awake, he thought. It returned, harder and faster. He stood, digging his nails into his palms. This isn't natural. It feels like an attack. Well, I am not going down. The drowsiness came over him again, but he fought, head swimming from the effort. Black spots passed before his eyes as he tried to keep them open. He dug his nails in deeper. "I will not surrender!" He shouted. The butterflies seemed to be swarming closer now. He spun around quickly, trying to catch them, but they were too fast for him. The beating of their wings sounded almost like menacing laughter, mocking him. "Come here and fight! Cowards!" Then the sound of wings faded, and the butterflies swirled into a glittering mass at the center of the clearing. Brilliant light gleamed off their wings, blinding him for a moment. When the light disappeared, there was a delicate young woman standing in the center of the clearing. Her hair was multi-colored and shimmered, and she had two antennae. But most striking were here wings -- they were the wings of a butterfly, magnified many times over, with glorious traceries of colour in intricate patterns.
"Welcome to our glade, stranger," she said. The wind whistled through her voice. "And we apologize that we activated our defenses against you and your companion. We thought you might be agents of the enemy, but from the texture of her dreams, and your own strange powers, we realized that you could not be such."
"And just who are you?"
"I am Lysshander, a guardian of the butterfly people. I watch over our borders and ensure that none pass who should not."
"And what would you have done if we had been agents of this... enemy of yours?"
"After the two of you had succumbed to our defenses, we would have taken you to the edge of the forest and left you there. It is not in us to harm others."
"I still don't trust you."
"I have told you only the truth."
"Then wake her up." He pointed to Sarah. "Show me that I can trust you."
Lysshander nodded, and walked over to Sarah. She began to whisper in a low voice, fluttering her wings over Sarah's sleeping body. A fine glittering powder seemed to fall from the air, sparkling as it settled over Sarah. It gleamed once more, and disappeared. Sarah yawned and opened her eyes. She started at the sight of Lysshander, but Lysshander murmured something to her and Sarah nodded.
"Sarah?"
"I think it's okay, Armand. I feel like I've seen her in a dream before..."
"Just now, as you were sleeping, I touched your mind, Sarah."
"No, I know I've seen you before, but I don't remember when..."
Lysshander stood suddenly, as if listening to something only she could hear. Her antennae bobbed up and down gently for a moment, pointing in several directions. "Someone else is coming through our domain. We must hide you, or you may be in danger. Will you take my hands?"
Sarah nodded, stood, and took Lysshander's hand. Armand looked doubtful, and then threw up his hands in a helpless gesture and took her other hand. Lysshander's wings beat around them in a swirl of light, and then they were gone.
The black wolf prowled through the forest, its jaundiced yellow eyes flickering back and forth to stare at the trees. It stopped beside one and sniffed. Normally, it would never have come this deep into the forest, so far from its normal hunting ground. But at the moment, it was obeying the commands of a greater being, a being it knew only as Master. The trail it had been following ended abruptly here, as if the prey had disappeared. It crouched low and whined. Master would not be pleased that they had escaped.
Meanwhile, there's now a villain (probably)! Yay!
Another note! I wrote a bit more to finish up this chapter... It wasn't that much, so I'm just tacking it on here instead of giving it another post.
Armand stared at the collapsed form of Sarah beside him. She had managed to do something, something that made the grass return to its original position. He wasn't about to kick it again, even though he wanted. Just like a girl to faint... He looked at her again. Her skin seemed paler than usual, almost transparent. No, it wasn't just weakness that made her pass out. She did something, and the effort made her pass out. I felt the tension. He looked suspiciously at the grass. I think I'd better get her off this stuff before it decides to grow again. Otherwise there's no way I'm going to get out of here. He stepped over to her and grabbed her arms, starting to drag her. But the grass seemed to snag at her, and he couldn't get her very far. This is not working. He took another experimental tug at her. Okay, I think she's actually kinda light... Maybe I can carry her. He knelt, and got his arms around her, then lifted. There was a moment of tension, as the grass tugged at her passively, and then she was free. And surprisingly light. But I don't think I can carry her like this... He tried slinging her over his shoulders. That worked much better, even though he felt like a hunchback. He shifted her around until she was balanced evenly, and started walking off towards the forest.
...
Beneath the plains, the great one stirred. He had felt the conflict above, as his guardians attempted to capture an intruder. And then the burst and release of the power only a nexus held... And now, something else, another power that was unfamiliar. It and the nexus were moving towards the forest, away from his territory. But there would be time later to fix things. Time to claim the nexus for his own.
Sarah didn't wake up until they reached the forest. The trees were bright green, almost painfully so. There seemed to be butterflies flitting about here and there. Armand, tired from carrying her, left her propped up against a tree. He wanted to kick the tree, but decided it might be a bad idea. Damn it, isn't there anything here I can hit? He eyed the butterflies warily, but they seemed harmless enough, their wings sparkling in the sunlight. Sarah began to stir.
"What happened?"
"You fainted." His voice communicated what a sissy he thought she was.
"Oh. But the grass..."
"It diminished until it was normal size."
"Good." She tried to sit up better. "Ow, my head hurts."
"Have you seen this area before?"
"Yes, a little bit... I remember the butterflies."
"Good or bad?"
"I'm not sure. They warned me when the light came..." She struggled to her feet. "Yikes, that made me dizzy. I must have gotten up too fast."
"So where to now, oh expert guide?"
Sarah looked around at the forest. "I don't know. The last time I was here... It was in a dream, and there were butterflies. And then a light appeared and chased me, over the plains and into the mountains." She paused for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. "There was a clearing in the forest that was filled with butterflies. But when the light appeared, the butterflies turned evil..."
Armand looked at her, exasperated. "Fine, let's go to this clearing. It's at least somewhere to go to."
She nodded hesitantly. "Okay." She waited for him to go.
"You know the way."
"Not really..."
"Fine. This way seems as good as any." And they headed off.
It was not long before they arrived at the clearing, but Sarah was already out of breath. "This is the place," she said. "I can feel it."
"Where are the butterflies?" There were none in sight.
"I don't know... The last butterflies you saw... Were they metallic?"
"No."
"That's good." She stopped to rest against a tree. "I'm so tired... I don't know why I feel so tired already."
He glared at her, then his expression softened a little. "I guess we can rest here for a while."
"Good... Resting... That sounds so good." She sat down by the tree, slumped against it. "I wish I could just sleep and not have to take care of anything anymore."
Armand wasn't really listening to her. He was looking around suspiciously. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept seeing butterflies flitting about, but they always disappeared when he looked straight at them. He turned back to Sarah.
"Sarah?" She was fast asleep against the tree. He could feel a wave of sleepiness rush through him, but he fought it. At least one of us has to stay awake, he thought. It returned, harder and faster. He stood, digging his nails into his palms. This isn't natural. It feels like an attack. Well, I am not going down. The drowsiness came over him again, but he fought, head swimming from the effort. Black spots passed before his eyes as he tried to keep them open. He dug his nails in deeper. "I will not surrender!" He shouted. The butterflies seemed to be swarming closer now. He spun around quickly, trying to catch them, but they were too fast for him. The beating of their wings sounded almost like menacing laughter, mocking him. "Come here and fight! Cowards!" Then the sound of wings faded, and the butterflies swirled into a glittering mass at the center of the clearing. Brilliant light gleamed off their wings, blinding him for a moment. When the light disappeared, there was a delicate young woman standing in the center of the clearing. Her hair was multi-colored and shimmered, and she had two antennae. But most striking were here wings -- they were the wings of a butterfly, magnified many times over, with glorious traceries of colour in intricate patterns.
"Welcome to our glade, stranger," she said. The wind whistled through her voice. "And we apologize that we activated our defenses against you and your companion. We thought you might be agents of the enemy, but from the texture of her dreams, and your own strange powers, we realized that you could not be such."
"And just who are you?"
"I am Lysshander, a guardian of the butterfly people. I watch over our borders and ensure that none pass who should not."
"And what would you have done if we had been agents of this... enemy of yours?"
"After the two of you had succumbed to our defenses, we would have taken you to the edge of the forest and left you there. It is not in us to harm others."
"I still don't trust you."
"I have told you only the truth."
"Then wake her up." He pointed to Sarah. "Show me that I can trust you."
Lysshander nodded, and walked over to Sarah. She began to whisper in a low voice, fluttering her wings over Sarah's sleeping body. A fine glittering powder seemed to fall from the air, sparkling as it settled over Sarah. It gleamed once more, and disappeared. Sarah yawned and opened her eyes. She started at the sight of Lysshander, but Lysshander murmured something to her and Sarah nodded.
"Sarah?"
"I think it's okay, Armand. I feel like I've seen her in a dream before..."
"Just now, as you were sleeping, I touched your mind, Sarah."
"No, I know I've seen you before, but I don't remember when..."
Lysshander stood suddenly, as if listening to something only she could hear. Her antennae bobbed up and down gently for a moment, pointing in several directions. "Someone else is coming through our domain. We must hide you, or you may be in danger. Will you take my hands?"
Sarah nodded, stood, and took Lysshander's hand. Armand looked doubtful, and then threw up his hands in a helpless gesture and took her other hand. Lysshander's wings beat around them in a swirl of light, and then they were gone.
The black wolf prowled through the forest, its jaundiced yellow eyes flickering back and forth to stare at the trees. It stopped beside one and sniffed. Normally, it would never have come this deep into the forest, so far from its normal hunting ground. But at the moment, it was obeying the commands of a greater being, a being it knew only as Master. The trail it had been following ended abruptly here, as if the prey had disappeared. It crouched low and whined. Master would not be pleased that they had escaped.
posted by Selene at 9:43 PM
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