The Severaine

Chapter Twelve The Parasite Research-1

Chapter Twelve

The Parasite ResearchThey searched the tiny treetop cabin from top to bottom, but there was nothing that provided them with any help. Most of the books seemed to be stories of heroes and legends. His master had been a great enthusiast of such tales, but there was very little they had actually learnt from the texts. As for his journal, they had found it without problem, yet it appeared to possess nothing helpful.

Eiji had many fond memories of lamp lit evenings, watching his master sit at the small table and write in his journal while recounting to him endless tales of wonder. Obviously this was a different journal. Leafing through these pages he found nothing more than notes, assessments of his achievements, training ideas, and seemingly random musings which made little sense to anyone but the author.

There was one day in particular Eiji sought, the day his master had returned with tales of the gnomes. But his entry for that day gave an account of his visit to an old lady and helping her with repairs, with no apparent means to pay him she had traded his labour for an old scarecrow, complete with moss-ridden hat. Eiji paused, his vision rapidly scanning the rest of the text only to find a note about paying homage at Poseidon's temple. It was the day, of that he had no doubt. He read it again in disbelief, his master's greatest quests seemed nothing more than a footnote to be forgotten.

Leaving Acha and Daniel pouring over the books Eiji pulled the hide rugs from the alcove and took them outside to beat the dust away, before laying them on the floor. He arranged their blankets near the door. His home was small, and whilst his master and he could share the alcove, it was too small for the three of them. The area he had arranged was barely large enough, but with the cold weather seeming to approach quicker this year the extra warmth from such closeness gave no cause for complaint.

Eiji saw Daniel hunched over one of the books, his breathing deep and heavy. Not wanting to disturb him he touched Acha's shoulder motioning in his direction. She gave a nod, producing a delicately folded bindle between her fingers and motioning towards his plate. They had discussed this between them earlier, but her actions had been so guarded even Eiji had failed to notice her dosing his food. Carefully Eiji lifted him, knowing there was little concern of rousing him from slumber.

* * *

Zo awoke with a panicked start. She had no idea where she was, and for a brief fleeting moment even who she was. She felt heavy, tired. Her chest burnt as she fought to breathe through the crushing weight which seemed to bear down on her. Was this the result of a curse, had she been bound, drugged? It took tremendous effort to finally force her fingers to move. An effort which, unlike her breathing, became slowly easier. Her body began to tremble as if her mind had suddenly become aware of its presence. She felt cold, but the shivering seemed to help with regaining movement. Her panicked eyes scanned the room to take in the surroundings, she dared not give away any advantage. She could feel another person nearby, but without moving her head could see very little aside from the huge drapes of the bed. Her peripheral vision saw the outline of a figure who lay slumped forward near her.

Her heart pounded so loud she feared they would hear it. All that had happened to her lay fresh in her mind, and with such knowledge came the understanding wherever she was, whatever had happened, was unlikely to be anything good. She moved her head slightly, slowly so if anyone, or anything, watched her the movement would not be considered unnatural for sleep. She needed to get a better look at her captors, only then could she gain an understanding as to her place in the underworld. She had unleashed disaster on the mortal planes, was there even a place for one who caused such c*****e, would Tartarus be enough? Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. Her hand moving slowly to cover her mouth and stifle the involuntary sob which threatened to escape her.

As her eyes rested on the auburn-haired figure, she allowed herself a sigh of relief. The tension in her body, in muscles she had been unaware of, released and another sob welled up within her. It seemed he had been watching over her for some time. His head rested upon his arms as he slept. Even before drifting to sleep, when he had leaned forwards to rest on the mattress from the chair, he had still ensured his vision stayed upon her. His hair spilt from his ponytail, its shorter layer falling down over his face, framing his delicate features. She sat slowly, silently hushing the heavy bed covers as they whispered tales of her motion, threatening to betray her movements to her sleeping watcher.

The damp cloth, which once clung to her forehead, fell free to land on her lap. She placed it carefully on the pillow as she slid slowly from the bed to stand. At least, that was her intention, but beneath the weight her legs had unexpectedly buckled, causing her to fall. She pulled herself up slightly using the bedpost, enough to ensure Seiken had not been roused before taking a further moment to rest.

She had so many questions, but now was not the time for such things. He was sleeping so soundly, and despite her fear and confusion, the thought of waking him never even entered her mind.

Using the bed for support she stood once more. Her legs shook and trembled in an attempt to support her weight. Finally she began to move one foot in front of the other, stumbling across to the wall that would support her journey to the door.

She couldn't understand why she was here. Her temples throbbed in time with her heart, which quickened with every new question. How had she arrived here, was this what was known as a death dream, or had the entire thing been one big dream, was she even here at all? Perhaps the clear memory of Hades as his hand plunged into her chest to remove her life-force had been the dream. Perhaps she had in fact been ill, delusional maybe. Had she imagined the whole thing? If so, what fragments were real, and which were inflicted by the illness?

Her hand rested above her heart, her breathing shallow and laboured as she recalled the intense pain. A pain unlike any other, one which had hurt so much she thought she would die, and when it stopped, she realised she had. It was in that moment everything had ceased to exist, and then she awoke here. Despite her confusion she knew her memories were no dream or illusion. One of the last things Seiken said to her had been about his people thriving in their world's darkness. Was he responsible for this, had he somehow taken her from the darkness into their world?

Her legs betrayed her once more. She felt light yet heavy at the same time, as if an unknown force tugged her towards the floor. Jumbles of sounds echoed around her as each breath became a struggle. Her legs no longer obeyed and her vision swam. She pushed back the panic, trying to calm her breathing as she realised leaving Seiken was perhaps not the wisest action. She was alone, sitting in a corridor, and even the slightest movements took a heavy toll. She crawled slowly using the wall as a marker to keep her on track and focused on the bright light before her. Her mind spurred her on with a physical need to reach it, while the sharp tugging sensation in her chest drove her on despite the distortion of all that was around her.

The walls seemed to twist and spin, and for a moment she had to stop, but doing so failed to ease the pressure. She crawled on, relishing in the pressure from the wall on her side and focusing on one hand in front of the other. She had to reach the light, yet depth and distance seemed to lose all meaning as she moved.

The cold rush of air from the fractured world created by her vision cooled her fevered flesh, she drank it in hungrily. The world seemed to piece together around her until the vibrant landscape stretched beyond the vision of her clouded eyes. In the distance she could just about see the hazy image of the towering wall that protected this environment from any seeking entrance. She focused her attention on the area closest to her, in hope to force back the additional dizziness being in such a large open space had brought. There were flowers within these walls she recognised, and countless she did not they still seemed to move, sliding around within her sight until her mind finally managed to focus. Staring at them made everything better, the things around her becoming sharper and stationary as if her mind finally understood what she was seeing. The trees and shrubs were well-kempt and the small stone paths remained pristine as they wound their way through the various garden walks.

Long minutes past, and with each deep breath the fatigue eased until she felt she could stand. Using the wall of the building for support she walked for as long as her body would allow. The warmth of the sun upon her cold fevered flesh seemed to fill her with energy, and the more it gave the more aware she became. It was only then, as she lay down, she realised she wore but a knee length toga.

She focused on the grass at her fingertips, feeling its texture against her flesh, the cool fingers of the wind as they caressed her tired muscles, and the heavenly scents that filled the garden and sharpened her mind. Feeling a sense of calmness wash over her she carefully began to piece together the events leading to her being here now. She hoped this was not an illusion, that the figure she had left sleeping was more than just an image of paradise created by her mind. She tried to force her memories, recalling the events of her death, trying to capture something between then and now, but dwelling on those thoughts only hastened the spreading of pain from her chest. She forced herself to still her mind.

It was a long time until she realised she was not alone within these gardens. Some of the flowers moved by their own power, animals roamed freely, unthreatened by their natural predators, and unfamiliar creatures patrolled with purpose. Her mind was slowly clearing, and soon an understanding was formed. All the beings within these gardens were of the same race, they were all Oneirois. She was unquestioningly in Darrienia. But even reaching this understanding she was no closer to knowing how she came to be here, or even how long her visit would be allowed to last.

* * *

She had been sitting quietly, watching as life hurried around her, while enjoying the serenity, when the familiar pain once more spread across her chest. It burnt her very essence with the same radiating agony she had felt as Hades tore her from the living realm. She feared it was warning her time here was at its end. She leaned forwards her fingers digging into the ground for support as she gasped, trying to force back the pain which brought tears to her eyes and stilled her breath.

Her eyes searched for something to focus on, something to distract her mind whilst she fought to control her body. She noticed a small black and white cat had been walking past. Seeing her it had now stopped, its front paw raised as it began to pay her attention. They stared at each other. She could see its mouth moving as if quietly meowing. The harder she concentrated upon its image, upon trying to hear its tiny cries, the easier her breath became. It trotted towards her, its warm fur stroking against her arm as it nuzzled her affectionately. The deep rumbling purr soothed and calmed her, and as she calmed the pain receded.

Her trembling hand reached out as she pushed herself back to kneel, her fingers carefully tickling its neck and ears. The more contact she had with this beautiful animal the more at ease she felt. As her fingers moved down to its back it stood on tiptoes in an attempt to prolong the touch which now moved up its tail. It purred so loudly, almost as if starved for affection, grateful for any fuss, no matter how small.