Dangerous Obsession

Thunder crashed in the sky as heavy rain poured down on the empty artery. Thunderbolts clapped, and trees fell. The shrill first cry of a child was remonstrated with the heavy downpour. The thunderstorms announced the beginning of an exceptionally tragic life. “Take her away,” a strident voice muttered. A young woman rose immediately and held the child, shaking her head vigorously in disapproval. “She is my child!” The woman lamented as the child grasped her forefinger. “If she stays here till dawn then she will die.” “Do not forget that only the Mark of vanity can save her,” the woman with the strident voice warned. The warning echoed into the agonized mind of the young woman and she slowly whisked her fingers out of the baby’s strong grip. She brought out a turquoise necklace and handed it to the midwife. “Take her away,” she muttered and kissed the baby’s forehead, weeping silently. ********** Asher woke up in a start, beads of perspiration covered his forehead. He winced and rubbed his head. “It was a dream,” he muttered, sighing loudly. He looked around the dimly dark room, its source of light came from the white crescent hanging outside. He stretched his hand to the bedstand, picked a candle and lit it. “What are you still doing here?” he asked as he felt a presence in the room. “The general commanded me never to let you out of my sight,” he replied. Asher rolled his sapphire eyes and strode out of the bed. “I wish to be alone.” He slipped off his robe. “I’m sorry, your highness, but I cannot oblige to your request,” he replied, cautiously glancing at his bare back. “You wish to obey the command of your general to that of your prince?” Asher turned and faced his aide. “You’re yet to recover, my Lord, the general will have my head if anything should happen to you.” Asher groaned and nodded, straining his neck out of the window to view the surrounding outside his room. “Where is this place?” he asked. “Shanmar, my Lord,” Ramon replied, uneasily. Asher turned from the window and Ramon shuddered as he witness his eye color change. Asher noticed his fright and swerved his neck to his direction. “Is anything the matter?” he asked, staring at his young, undertrained aide intently. Ramon shook his head and Asher shrugged “If you wish not to tell me, I will not bother.” Ramon battled behind his head on whether to tell him of the shocking revelation he witnessed, his thoughts soon got distracted as Asher plodded across the room to a water jar. He closed his eyes and formed a symbol with his fingers, bubbles of water slowly floated out of the jar and Ramon gapped at the magical scene. The bubbles floated around Asher and he opened his eyes, the once beautiful sapphire eyes changed to a scarring gold. Ramon gazed in wonder, he giggled childishly as Asher directed the bubbles towards him. He pricked them, watching them burst, he let out a shrill laughter as they dropped on the ground and changed to their original state. Ramon couldn’t guess the last time he had a good laugh over a childish scenery. He never expected the prince to be a kindhearted person. As if he heard his thoughts, Asher strode over to him and glanced at the water on the floor. “You have a lot of cleaning to do,” he said, and Ramon nodded, eagerly. “Is there anyway that I can preform it?” he inquired. Asher stopped walking and sniffed the air. “You seem to have luck on your side.” He sat on his bed and massaged his wrist. “The blue mushroom must be around here, I can perceive its scent,” Asher said and Ramon sniffed the air. Asher glanced at him, amused. “What’s a blue mushroom?” “It’s a magical plant that grows in a bud, it is very rare and can never be more than one in a place it is chanced to grow.” Asher knew it would not satisfy his curiosity, he proceeded, “It fulfills a person’s wish.” Ramon couldn’t contain his happiness as he grinned from ear to ear. “If you want to perform what I just did, we will have to find the mushroom,” Asher said and sniffed the air again. “I will find it!” Ramon declared “No, I will find it,” Asher muttered and Ramon widened his eyes. “But…. But you’re yet to recover, I can’t let you go, besides you do not know this place,” he stuttered. Asher scoffed and muttered, “You think you know this place more than me?” Ramon swallowed and moved back. “The general…” Asher waved him shut. “You will take my place until I return.” “But…” “You will say no more for I will get it myself!” * * * Leaves rattled loudly as feet bounded through the dark wood. Heavy breathing polluted the quiet surrounding and oak scent lingered around where ever she ran past. Indira reduced to a fast stride as she panted loudly. “I can’t let you die,” she muttered as tears threatened to cloud her eyes. The last gift of her mother was lying almost cold beside a cackling fire in the Sun Hil clan. She looked around the woods and sighed loudly. “The valley must be close, I’m very sure the mushroom must still be there,” she uttered loudly, and walked faster. She half ran and half walked to the deep valley. She hopped into the valley and cautiously walked to the rocks circled around the valley. Indira gapped at the plant that was said to fulfill wishes. “I will get you and save my little binu,” she muttered and began climbing the rock. After a hard climb, she finally got close to the mushroom and stretched out her hand towards it. But the next moment she looked, it was gone, she looked down and frowned deeply. Asher smiled darkly as he stared at the mushroom in his hand. He made to fly off when an angry yet sweet voice stopped him. He turned around to find an exhausted, young girl glaring at him. He studied the little one before him. Her dirty and disarrayed hair was lazily tied into a bun, ringlets covered part of her face. She was wearing men’s clothes which was awfully unfit for a lady. Nothing attracted Asher to her aside her angry turquoise eyes. Asher believed her to be a man, the only conviction he had was the peaches sticking out from her shirt. He stared at it for a while but waved the temptation away. He isn’t into these kinds of women. “Are you deaf?” Indira’s yells brought him back to the present reality. He looked at the angry eyes staring into his own. “The mushroom belongs to me,” she admonished. Asher glanced from the mushrooms in his hand to the crazy girl before him. “Oh creator, why did you put me up with this deaf trouble!” she cried. His eyes darkened on hearing her taunting. “I’m not deaf,” he said calmly. Indira tried not to acknowledge the intoxicating voice she heard. “Well…. The mushroom belongs to me. I got here before you,” she repeated. Asher smirked evilly and raised the mushroom. “This? You’re wrong, you will not have it and besides, slow people like you don’t always have the chance to get good things.” Asher eyed her and she gasped. “I ran all the way down from my clan to get this, you can’t come from nowhere to get it!” Indira felt hurt, anger boiled ferociously in her veins. She lusted to rip him apart and mix his blood with the crystal clear water. Indira glared at him and gnashed her teeth angrily, ready to kill a life, to save a life. Asher scoffed and turned to fly off, but Indira’s kick sent him flying to the ground. He groaned and rolled up as Indira advanced towards him. He caught her feet and twisted it, earning a yelp from her. He pushed her away, but received a blow on his face. “I’m not the type that beats up women,” Asher warned. Indira yelled and ran towards him, her hand ready to strike. Anger filled her heart as she rushed towards him, the thought of losing her mother’s squirrel was agonizing and she will do anything to save it. Asher caught her fist, but couldn’t stop her leg which sent him crashing into the water. He stood and tried to step on to the rock was between the water but something refrained him from moving legs. He looked at the water and noticed a green climbing plant tied around his legs. “What’s this?” He asked. Indira broke into smiles as she watched his condition. “It’s the climbing eater, it’s going to have you for dinner,” Indira laughed. Asher frowned and thought of a way to get out. “I will leave you to die with the mushroom,” she said, but the thought of her dying squirrel couldn’t let her leave. “Help me, I promise to give you the mushroom if you help me,” Asher pleaded. “But… I can’t help you, if I step into the water, it will get me too.” Asher sighed and grimaced in pain, Indira pitied him and cut out a harmless creeper on the rock. She threw the end to him and held the other end. Immediately Asher touched it the climbing eater freed his legs and went away from him. He smirked and watched Indira pull hard. “Please, pull harder,” he mocked and Indira pulled till her palm ached. Asher flew out of the water and Indira fell into it. She gasped and scampered to her feet, but before she could get out, the climbing eater rolled itself around her legs. She looked up and cursed under her breath. “Bastard, you can’t break your promise,” she yelled and Asher scoffed. “I will leave you with an advice, never trust anyone.” And with that, he was gone. The tears finally sprang out and ran down her cheeks. “How am I going to save Binu? How will father and Jordan find me?” she muttered. “Somebody help me!” she yelled and a creeper was thrown down to her.