Hola! This is the second chapter of ShadowDance, and here you will find more information that you did the first chapter. Sorry about all the questions, but I cross my heart you'll get them eventually! Enjoy!
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My life wasn't always so chaotic. In fact, it was once quite normal. Hard to believe, I know. Before you judge me on how I chose to begin my story, I shall tell you this. I am not a traitor, but I am indeed Turned. There is an organization called the Esgyrn that is the bane of all of Illia, my home, my world. But I'm getting ahead of myself, the confrontation with Xenos, my love, is not the beginning of my story, nor is it the end. All will be explained, but first I shall start with a simple day that changed my entire life.
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I was perched precariously atop a rafter in our large barn. The grimy window in front of me allowed me to observe the entire valley. Sometimes I pretended I was a great hawk who ruled over the vast land. Today I was hiding from my father, who desperately wanted me to feed the chickens. It was a little game of ours. As soon as he could find me, I'd do my chores. I knew he would never find me up here, but I would do my chores eventually anyway.
"Lira," my father called out, "You are simply too good at this, my harp." His voice came from below me, but after a minute of me holding my breath, he walked out. I inwardly smiled at my nickname. My Papa would always say, "Lira, my harp, you shall be the music that brings peace to our world." He would murmur it to me sometimes, and as much as I loved the sound of it, I could not fully understand it.
I stood up easily and tiptoed my way across the rafter, knowing that the chickens really did need feeding by now. I'd avoided doing it for thirty minutes, but Papa would have other things he needed to get doing before sunset in a few hours. I pushed my long, curly black hair back from my face so I could concentrate on reaching the platform the held the ladder I used to get up to my hiding spot.
I was twenty feet away from the platform when I heard a loud hissing sound coming from behind me. Instead of turning around, which would have probably caused me to fall; I looked up at the window near the platform I was trying to reach. It reflected back a horror I'd never seen before.
It looked like a large scaly lizard with two curved horns erupting brutally from its skull. It could barely fit on the board and I could feel its weight behind me. That's when I saw how it managed to get up here. It had two large black wings not unlike and eagles, sprouting from its back. In color, it was a dark green, but that's when I saw the most horrific part. The eyes were a brooding dark purple, literally radiating light. The air was growing cold near this beast, and as it took a menacing step towards me, I ran, still looking at the window.
My first step missed the rafter entirely and I felt myself quickly tumble off towards the ground three stories below. Just as I had lost my balance and started to fall, the rooster gave out an incredible crow that rang throughout the barn, echoing in my ears. The creature behind me, or currently above me since I was falling at this point, screamed. I didn't have time to think why, since I was around only two stories now.
For some reason I was not scared. I made a mental picture of the ground and of me stopping just before I hit it. Every fiber in my body loosened, and I closed my eyes. I did not even wait for the impact, because the mental picture was growing stronger. I knew the ground had to be nearing me by now, but instead of waiting for the pain, I waited for the soft landing.
"Lira!" My dad shouted as I knew impact was imminent.
A great flash of light flashed throughout the barn, illuminating my closed eyelids. I had not hit the ground. I carefully opened my eyes. Instead, I hovered a few inches above it, surrounded in gleaming brilliance. Waves of light lapped around my form and occasionally spirals of gold would curl around me. Inside me, a feeling of utter power flowed through my veins like lightning.
To my right was the creature. It stood on the ground with its head held back in a position of horror. I quickly jumped to my feet, the light leaving me, and turned to run. Instead, as I looked at it, I could see it had turned to stone. My jaw dropped in disbelief. My father stood at the edge of the barn, his eyes wide in horror.
"Lira," he whispered, "this does not bode well for you." Through his eyes I could see his heart. He was deathly afraid.
"Papa, what has happened to me?" I asked. I could still feel the power that had pulsed through me. His dark brown eyes glanced at mine, and I saw him take a deep breath.
"There is no way to hide you now, you'll be found out soon enough," he said sadly. I didn't understand what he meant. What would be found out? What could I even do?
"Look at your eyes dear," he whispered. I walked over to the nearest cow trough and peered in. My eyes were glowing silver with large purple flecks. I could also tell the changes in my face. It had perfected itself. My nose was no longer a little too large, and my eyes weren't too squinty as they had once been.
"Papa, who is coming?" I asked desperately, turning away from my haunting reflection.
"The Esgyrn, dear. You're coming of power will have signaled them. I should've seen this coming since your fifteenth birthday had just occurued." He walked over towards me and took my hand.
"But who are the Esgyrn?" I asked.
"We are the ones for you. We control the same powers," a dark voice said. I turned to the barn, seeing a robed figure leaning casually against the door.
"Dalius," the figure said, "How did you truly expect to hide her. Tsk, tsk, I'd suggest calling the water brigade because it's about to get hot."
A single spark appeared in the midst of all our hay. That was what we were counting on for our monthly payments. My father's eyes grew wide, but then they softened.
"My dear," he said, staring into my eyes, "I love you, so do your brothers and your mother did too. Be the song that brings peace." He kissed my forehead before walking over to the figure.
"She's yours now," my father said. The fire that had enveloped a fourth of our hay suddenly stopped, and the man chuckled.
"She always was and always will be," the cloaked man replied. He strode over to me and grabbed my hand.
"Come on Lira, we have dark corridors to travel through," he said. I had one last glimpse at my simple life before my world was enveloped in darkness.
