Attanya

Kali

Melody

The night turned to day again, though this night was spent tossing and turning. Melody couldn’t seem to rest, something constantly nagging at the back of her mind. By the time the sun began to wake she was already building up the fire to fight off the chill. It didn’t take long for her to coax the embers from last night into a raging fire, even less time to melt some of the snow she had packed into a pan last night. Her fingers were warmed by a mug of tea when Dirik began to stir.

            At this stop they had a small house to sleep in but it was not big and had very few of anything in it. Two cupboards full of either wood or dried food, a single bed with a bunch of blankets and candles.

            The walls were made out of thick wood with little to no gaps, the floor was matched together stone, the roof was flat with a small ladder to get into the storage above them that the blankets were stored. There was no color or personal design to any of it.

            Melody still had thousands of tiny thoughts running through her mind and decided to take a walk so she could sort through them a little while longer. She snuck pass the sleeping bodies of her traveling mates, careful to let as little cold air in as possible. Touching the heads of both Kaleigh and Naif whom slept near the door outside, before walking away, she felt her heart warm at the sight of the two white beings cuddling together.

            But something drew her from that sight, an overwhelming need to walk north. When her eyes left the sleeping forms she found herself walking quickly, almost running, to a circle of stones. Eight sitting stones surrounded one stone in the middle, the center holding a glowing patch of snow. In a daze she found herself reaching out and brushing off the centerpiece, beneath the snow was a quarter moon that hummed to life at her touch.

            Her mind felt like it was being dragged through a tunnel, her perceptions warped. Her soul felt like it was looking at a mirror in a carnival fun house, she lost track of where her body was and where her mind was.

            “Wake up.” A woman’s voice vibrates on her mind, echoing from miles away. “Wake up Melody.” Her voice was louder; a laugh forced her eyes open though not her physical eyes. Before her, Melody only saw white. Slowly, the odd shapes solidified into bodies. “There you are.” When the child could see clearly she found herself sitting on a bench with a woman in a blue-white dress standing before her. Long brown hair pulled back into a braid that went well pass her rear. Melody clung to the bench when meeting her eyes, while she slowly tried to understand what happened. The woman kneeled in front of her; she grabbed Melody’s hand in hers and smiled. “Welcome, it’s been a very long time since your last visit.”

            Now that she could see clearly, Melody looked around but could only see fog and random glowing lights floating midair. Sitting straight, she looked down and saw her new uniform hadn’t changed. “Where am I?”

            The lady stood, releasing Melody’s hand. “This is the Moon-lands, the world that began life in this universe.” She smiled, though her voice was coming from far away she felt so close and natural. “You were able to come here through the stone you touched, the stone resembling a moon. Do you remember?”

            Pushing the nausea down, she rubbed her forehead. “Who are you?”

            The woman smiled, and raised a hand. “An old friend.” She nodded and waved her hand, a video of a filthy man in destroyed clothes played before them. “There isn’t much time; I brought you here so you may do me a favor. Are you interested as a Rider Apprentice of the Attanyan nation?”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “I have a job, and only you can complete it. Interested?” Her solid gaze stayed on Melody as the man beside her screamed things that they couldn’t hear.

            A deep understanding filled her heart, whispering words of encouragement. The split second decision that she had been doing so far pushed her to reply. “What is the job?”

            A bright smile crossed her face before she turned around and pointed at the floating screen. “There is a child, a girl, this man is trying to find. By the time you arrive he will be in an argument, you will help him. Save this girl and you will save two.”

            In one fluid movement Melody stands, walking away from the woman. Melody wasn’t sure if it was indecision or fear that caused her to move or react. “Why do you just assume that I will do what you say? I don’t even know who you are.”

            A smirk crossed the lady’s face, raising an eye brow the woman reached out and touched the moon necklace on her neck. “I think you do but you don’t realize it yet.” For a long hard moment Melody stared at her and yet a feeling deep in her gut told her to comply. When Melody didn’t respond she smiled a knowing smile, waving at the floating image beside her she made it into a map. This was a map of Attanya, the familiar shapes and roads told her so. Although Rider Samsel had shown her a handful of times, she was familiar with what Attanya looked like. “Half a candle mark south of your current location, the city Parkford exists. On the east end, near the tallest building, is where this man is. Let your Seeker deal with the situation, however, when the time comes you will understand why I have sent you there. I have already woken your team and they are ready to depart, I am sending you back now but you will be summoned again before winter ends.”

            A ringing filled her ears while fog rushed toward her, before she lost sight of the woman she waved. “Oh and Melody, when you have the chance bring your friend by. I’ll be waiting.”

            Pressure under her arms woke her up; slowly she was able to see the snow covered forest around her. Beside her were her team mates, Rider Samsel the closest to her, supported her slumped body. She couldn’t remember the return journey from where ever she had been but she could remember what the woman said to her. “Rider Samsel?”

            Seeing that she was conscious, he let her rest against the cold stone and held out some dried fruit. “Traveling to the Moon-Lands is exhausting; you need to eat before we leave.”

            “What?” Her mind couldn’t seem to settle back into her brain comfortably. She was all too aware that her body wasn’t sitting around her correctly.

            He pointed to the shifting stone; the light flickered at the mention of it. “The Watchers gave you a mission, correct?” When she nodded, he sighed. “It’s pretty normal for Riders to be given missions from the stone, its best if we don’t ignore it. What did they say?”

            Melody cleared her throat then she sat up. “She said that there was a man in Parkford that will be in a quarrel, the eastern side near the tallest building. She said to let you deal with it but I would know what I needed to do when the time came.” Snow was falling, looking into the sky she saw that a storm was over head and the sun up. “How long have I been sitting here?”

            Rider Samsel put an arm under her and pulled Melody to her feet. “Long enough for the Watchers to warn us to be ready when you wake.” He pulled Melody toward Kaleigh, her white form dimmed by the little flakes of snow spotting her body. Next to her stood Dirik and Naif, the wolf stood to his elbow while his head was at Dirik’s chest. She hadn’t noticed how large the Shifter was until now, or how little she knew. All of the questions were piling higher and higher.

            She was by Kaleigh’s side rather quickly, before the boys helped her wobbly body onto the great Dragon’s back, Kaleigh craned her neck to look at Melody. One blow and all of the snow that was settling onto Melody’s head was gone. :Now you’re ready.:

            Melody’s body seamed sluggish as she reached for the tether, her movements were too slow for Rider Samsel. He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her up. “Up you go, we are in a hurry so tie yourself down quickly.” She looked down at him from her height and nodded.

            “Rider Samsel?” He nodded mid lunge onto the back of Flyer Felix. “When we land for the night you will explain everything that you haven’t been telling me.”

            Dirik climbed up in front of Melody, and strapped himself in. “I’ve told you what I can, the rest you will have to learn at the Collegium.”

            A while later they land in a courtyard not too far from the disturbance. There were two men a very tall and lanky once handsome man and a middle aged chump with swirls of graying hair. Behind the fatter one was an equally fat lady just shorter than him with slightly neater, brown hair.

            They yelled at each other, not even aware that of the large group. Rider Samsel is the first to dismount and make his way over to them. It is not until Rider Samsel is a few feet away from them that they take notice of him. “Excuse me, gentlemen, what is the problem?”

            They look at him at the same time, one with confusion and hope, while the other with irritation. The fat one had on clothes that looked like they cost a fortune while the other looked to be wearing scraps.

            That set them off on a rant that lasted for nearly half an hour before the Rider finally got to the point. The shorter man was a Merchant; he had been making money by transporting goods across the border. The tall man was one of those caravan workers that had lost his daughter and wife while transporting the Merchants goods. They were on the last leg of the journey when they were attacked and the girls kidn*pped. The caravan man had spent the better part of a month looking for them when the daughter of the Merchant found him and gave him the necklace of his missing daughter.

            That girl now stood with her head hanging behind her mother.

            “Charles, are you sure that it is your daughters?” Rider Samsel spoke to the caravan man.

            He nods vigorously. “I made it meself, her mother had same one.”

            The merchant, whom refused to give his name out, pierced his lips. “Our children play, they may exchange jewelry.” His accent was thick, a harsh tone.

            “She never do that. She never throw away gift.”

            This went on for another few minutes before the little girl was thrown between them. She stumbled to catch herself, she was then hounded by both sides about irrelevant things that she couldn’t answer.

            A soft touch alerts Melody that someone is trying touch her mind, when she smells the familiar scent of Naif she let it talk. :I am in the lower level, there is a child by the name of Emilee that is tied and gaged. Perhaps this is of some use?:

            Frowning, Melody answers with her first thought. :When did you get in the house?:

            He chuckles before nudging her mind to tell Rider Samsel. :That is for another time.:

            Clearing her throat, she takes a step forward and touches Rider Samsel on the elbow. “I don’t know if this is much use but Naif found a young girl tied up downstairs, she says her name is Emilee.”

            The reactions of the duo told all. Charles eyes lit up with hope while the Merchant’s flashed anger. Rider Samsel raised his eyebrows then looked at the merchant while holding up his hand to Charles, silencing him. “Now that makes me curious, why would someone that doesn’t deal with human trade, as you have reminded me multiple times, have a little girl tied up in his house? Perhaps she is another daughter that you neglected to tell me about?”

            Obviously caught in his lie his face got a deeper shade of red as he scrambled for a way out of his lie, before he could sputter a reply Rider Samsel turns to Melody. “If you don’t mind bring the child to me to confirm or deny her identity, I would be in debt.”

            “That be my house no one enter… what.. unhand me now!” Without prompting, the local guard detained the Merchant. As Melody slowly walks pass him, he spews insanities while trying to fight off the much younger and stronger soldiers.

            Once pass the angered man, Melody walked quickly into the house. It was small and easy to find the entrance to the basement, standing at the crooked frame she looks down. The stairs are an uneven dark wood that had piles of merchandise on both sides and at the bottom was a mess of it. She slowly descends the stairs however at the bottom she is forced to either jump over it or move it. Sighing she braces herself against the walls before arching her feet over the box while pushing herself forward. She put too much force into it so she lost her balance and fell onto a pile of what seemed to be jars of liquor.

            With a loud crash she falls to the floor, shockingly the glass jars stay intact. That riles up a quiet sob not too far away. “Well at least I know where to not go.” She stands slowly and holds her arm; she landed on her shoulder which now throbbed earnestly. Walking in the direction of the sob Melody soon finds the girl whom is now curled up next to Naif.

            Whispering calming things, she convinced the girl to let her be untied and carried to the stairs. The next few hours are a bore. Melody is shuffled from one official place to another until it is dark. There are many things that Rider Samsel has yet to finish yet the only thing that is circling Melody’s mind is the last words of the kidn*pped girl.

            Before she is taken by the guard she ran to Melody, frantically grabbing her hand. “Don’t leave her, please protect Kali. Please.”