The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Waverly's POV

I woke up again, only this time I knew that I was still in the void. It was like I was getting used to being stuck inside my mind. At least I think I am stuck in my mind. I do feel better than I have felt, like I am healing faster now since those memories flashed across the void reminding me who I am and what I went through. I was sitting down, when I heard in the distance a very faint beeping sound. I frowned to myself, why is the sound so much farther away now. It has never been that far away, all of my progress or what I hoped to be progress to get out of here was for nothing. I guess those memories pushed me back farther in my mind. I sighed and got up, I guess I am starting over I thought. I slowly started walking, thinking about the memories and those eyes, those forest green eyes. I wonder if they belong to the one who whispered sweet nothings to me oh so long ago. How I long to see him. The beeping was still far away but I kept going, not like I had anything else to do.

After a while I started feeling commotion around me, not that I could see it but I could feel tension and panic coming from where the beeping is. I wonder what is happening to me in the real world. As I continued on the tension and panic was getting heavier with each step, a light tingle by my left hand made stop and look down. It was like someone touched me and let go all at the same time. As I was looking at my hand turning it back and forth, the beeping stopped. I jerked my head up fast, the beeping has always been there most of the time loud enough to know it was close but not reachable and even now it was farther away but it was still there. Why had it stopped? Now the panic I felt from the outside world was covering me, only I knew it was my own panic not theirs. This scared me, I slowly sat down holding my left hand to my chest as if it was now the only thing that reminded me I was still alive out there. Could it be that I am dying, it would make sense from the feelings I could feel around me, before my own panic set in. I felt a tear run down my cheek, I was really dying I thought.

I don’t know how long I sat there holding my hand to my chest. I was still staring at where the beeping sound used to be, desperately wishing it would come back. "Please come back." I whispered into the void. My whisper echoed all around me, causing my heart to squeeze in pain at the desperation I could hear in my words. Another tear escaped running down my cheek, as I slid down onto my side cradling my hand and curling into a ball as I let myself silently cry my heart out for myself this time. My sobs echoed around me, until something else broke through.

'Wa..ver..ly', a soft whisper swirled around me. It was like the wind carried it. I could feel the breeze it came on swirling around me causing my hair to softly tickle my face. I opened my eyes, and sat up quickly looking around me. That was new and the wind is still hear. "Hello" I called out, panic still filling my voice. The wind swirled harsher around me as if letting me know something was there. The wind started to tighten around me, not in a suffocating way though, like it was wrapping me up comforting me. Then the wind shifted forward pulling with me still in its tight embrace, a feeling that it wanted me to go in that direction. I didn’t hesitate I just stood and allowed it to guide me. Every now and then the wind would shift indicating me to go into a new direction and with each shift my name was whispered, beckoning me to come to it. I followed determined to find out who or what it was. I couldn’t feel the tension or panic after the beeping stopped, I guess I am dead. The voice must be pulling me to the other side, even though I don’t want to leave I also don't want to stay stuck in the black void all alone forever either. Sorrow filled my heart at the thought that I was dead and would never get to see the person who made me want to wake up. The only reason I tried to get out of here to get to the real world. I sighed heavily out loud, finally dropping my left hand as I have come to terms that I won't be able to go back.

Suddenly the wind started to become erratic again. Just swirling around me in all directions, making me stop in my tracks and look around. I was still in the dark void no light to be seen. "Which way do I go?" I said out loud to whatever it was guiding me. "HELLO" I yelled after getting no response, just the wind picking up and getting more erratic and louder. My hair whipping all around me, panic started to fill me along with fear. "HELLO!" I yelled out again, "Are you still there?" still nothing came. "Please don't leave me. I don’t want to be alone." this was just a whisper, barely audible and more to myself than anything. As defeat and more sorrow filled me, the wind stilled and disappeared.  Panic again as I reached out in hopes to hold onto the invisible wind, the only companion I had here. "Please don't go. Please" I begged as my voice cracked with sorrow and pain. 'Shush child, all will be alright.' I was frozen by the words that came from behind me. My hand still out stretched trying to grasp the wind that was once with me. I am sure my eyes were wide, in shock. I slowly turned around to see who the voice belonged to.

She was beautiful, smiling softly at me. She was like a ghost but she moved with the wind that was just around me. More like she was the wind that was around me. She had long black hair with blue highlights throughout. They were glowing just like her bright blue eyes shining like crystals as she stared at me. Her eyes look just like mine and I have never seen anyone with them or with black hair like mine, only without the blue streaks. 'Hello little one, my name is Eden. Most people call me the Goddess of Light.'  her voice was angelic, soft and kind. "Am I dead?" I asked my voice cracking a little. 'No, you are awakening. You are a very special being little one. There are many things you don’t know of yet, but you will.' she said as she motion me to follow. 'Come little one. I have much to show you and only so little time.' with that she walked past me and I followed.

"What do you mean by awakening?" I asked as we walked her just ahead of me. Still within the black void. Suddenly she stopped and turned to look at me. 'You little one are one of my chosen called Guardians. There is an evil that wants to destroy all good not just in your world but the whole universe. This evil is known as the God of Darkness, his name is Ravannah.  What you need to know is, you are the first Guardian. With your birth it marks the beginning of the of the Great War. I have given you my power to keep, humans and all of the Larkins safe.' she paused and watched me carefully, her soft smile never leaving her face. "Umm, I am supposed to protect humans and Larkins. Ok…First what are Larkins and why me?" I just didn’t know what to think, me a protector or guardian. I couldn't protect my friends how could I protect all of those people. 'Larkins, are the name we were all called back on our home planets long ago before the Great Migration. Werewolves, vampires, dragons, Sirens, witches and Seresses. These are all the Larkins.'

"Wait, you mean all supernatural creatures are what you call Larkins? So what about humans?" I was so lost to be honest, just starting at her like she was crazy. Maybe I am crazy, my mind was really losing it. 'I assure you, you are not going crazy. Your world has forgotten how they came to be here on Earth. Humans were a creation from the God of Darkness. You were the result of a young God who let his jealousy and anger for not being like his older siblings get to him. In the end we were all punished for what he did to his people. Larkins who let the evil poison their minds completely were stripped of the gift of having any more children, those who saw the temptation and thought about acting on it were given children with no powers leaving them defenseless on worlds that were too harsh for them to live on. Those children became known as humans. You were punished for the actions of your ancestors. Some but very few Larkins stayed true to the light living in harmony and peace with one another and never falling to the temptation of evil that whispered to them. They were able to remain what they always were. These people are the supernaturals who live on your world today, like the voice you long to get back to.'

She had started walking again and just ahead of us was a light, as we walked through it I could hear the outside world. It was still a little fuzzy but it was reachable now. She stopped and looked at me still smiling. 'Now to answer the why. I chose a human bloodline who stayed true to the light, they held more good than bad in their soul. I knew they would be perfect for the task at hand. Your last name Cross is the bloodline that I chose. I trapped Ravannah on my home planet Aer and since he is corrupted and beyond being saved he cannot cross over in this world. I did this to insure the survival of Larkins and humans alike. He is determined to conquer it and make it a hell world just like the others. Only a child of light can open the portal that seals off the old worlds from this one and let him through. This cannot happen or your world will see a hell that they could never have imagined. He will send his own army to find you, since you are a pure source of light that he can siphon from and use it to open the portal. You must help protect the people closest to you and those who fight alongside you. This army is made up of the fallen souls on Aer, they are vampires called Shadorian's, they cannot walk in daylight and will arrive to battle at night. They are stronger than those you will protect. They will siphon the light from anyone, but you are the ultimate prize. They will need hundreds of normal people to charge the device that opens the portal, but if they get a hold of you they will only need half that to fully charge it.' I just stared at her like she was crazy, all of this is overwhelming. "I don’t think you chose the right person. I mean how can I help you. I mean you are a Goddess. I…I just don’t think I can do this." she just simply smiled like always.

'You remind me of myself. I was created to take over for my mother Theadomma the first Goddess. She and her siblings created all of us and Ravannah was the youngest. He had already started down this path of destruction before I was made. The only reason I exist is because I am the only one who can stop him. I have known my fate since I was a little girl and watched as my world turned into a nightmare filled with war and death all because of my uncle. At first I didn't want to be the chosen one, I didn’t want to fulfill  the prophecy that my mother made, but in the end watching those I love perish because I didn’t protect them like I was created to got to me. We may not want what fate has bestowed upon us, but no one else can be us. No one else can save those we love but us.' She grabbed my right wrist in her hand and soon a burning sensation like fire was all I could feel in the spot she held. I gasped and tried to pull away but she wouldn’t let me. The burning was intensifying and I desperately wanted to get away. She held me firmly in place and then finally let go, and the pain went away.

 I looked down and a line with two slightly curved ends that had three dots at one end on the top of the line and at the other end beside the curve it had two vertical lines going through it. A circle of vines surrounded the symbol as well. It was like those tribal tattoos my father would never let me get. I was studying the marking when she started to speak again but now she was slowly fading away like the wind she came on.

'That is the mark of the Guardian. Now I have brought you out of the farthest places of your mind and now that you have come out of the dark you are closer to the outside world you long to go back to. Up ahead you will journey down a road and it will show you glimpses of your future. Watch carefully as you are human even with a light that burns brighter than the darkness that will always be a part of the human species, you can still fall into the darkness' embrace. If that happens I will have to leave you to the fate all darkened souls fall prey to, you will be Ravannah's slave and live forever tortured in the hell that Ravannah rules.  Follow your heat Waverly and you will know which path you must take, but it is up to you. I have faith in you Waverly. Once the images stop you will experience a shift in yourself, and the door to the outside world will be revealed.' As she said this her image slowly left and the swirling wind blew past me. A whisper on the wind letting me know it was her the whole time. 'Once you wake up you will be awoken and feel the power of the Guardian. And remember Waverly follow your heart, it will not lead you astray. '

The wind passed and I stood now in a void with light fog but it had light and the outside world could be heard in the distance. I took a deep breath and started the journey, I wasn’t really ready to be this person, but neither was she. I won't stand by and allow my stubbornness to get others hurt when I am made to be a protector, a savior, their Guardian. As she said the journey held many glimpses of my future. Those green eyes were always there with me and we looked happy. Then it showed me but I didn’t look like me, my blue eyes were no longer there they were black. I was standing in a clearing and next to me was a man who wasn't the one with green eyes, his were black as well. He looked similar to the green eyes I long to be with but much older. To my other side was a woman who looked evil, everything about her screamed run away. She held this sickly sweet smile on her face as we all watched the people in the clearing being slaughtered. Moments later the image faded and another appeared. This one I looked like me again only I could see the power in my eyes and the way I fought these warriors who were stronger than those battling with me. The had fangs and we were fighting at night. This must be the Shadorian's, Eden spoke of.  The image faded away and there was nothing but voices from the outside world echoing louder, I finally made it. This meant I was almost out, that I could wake up.

"What is happening to her? Her wounds are all healed. Like she had never been attacked at all." That voice I longed to hear was back and I wasn’t going to let it get away. I was ready to wake up. A piercing light so bright had me squint my eyes a little. Blinking a few times, to adjust my eyes a white ceiling appeared and these sparks flying all over my body made me gasp.  Looking over there he was smiling at me, no more concern in his voice as he simply says, "I am so glad you came back to me."