Rated 12+ for fantasy and violence.
Missed Part 1? Find it here.
It was only then that the words “and behind you is my husband” sunk
in. Cautiously, Anna turned to see a huge lion lying there, fast
asleep, his large, knotted mane resting on his crossed paws.
Anna looked slowly back at Sympa, who seemed to have much relaxed
since realizing Anna could understand them.
“Where am I?”
“In my home, of course.”
“No, I mean, how’d I get here?”
“You mean you don’t know?” she questioned calmly.
“I wouldn’t be asking if I knew,” was the heated reply.
“You arrived here, in a flash of colors and light . . .” Sympa looked
off in the distance, her eyes sparkling as if remembering some far-off
memory rather than something that had just happened. It was only then
that Anna realized she could have been out for more than a few minutes.
“How . . . how long ago did I come?”
“A few days, perhaps,” Sympa said slowly and soothingly. Her
uptightness seemed to have relaxed as soon as she learned Anna’s name,
and she stretched out lazily and looked over her children, whom had by
now already lost interest in the human and were playing out on the
field--all except for dazed little Cyladminnie.
A few days! Anna marveled at it all. Talking lions, some sort of
magical transportation . . . is this all nothing but a dream? But it
hurt too much to be a dream.
And they don’t want to kill me, either, Anna realized, noting Sympa’s
carefree figure. If they wanted to they would have already killed me.
Unless they like their prey to struggle. Yet even as Anna considered
this, she was never once worried or questionable about her safety
around Sympa. She began to ponder why that was, when Sympa’s voice
suddenly interrupted.
“Are you hungry?” Anna half-excepted her to be
talking to her cubs, but her eyes shined deliberately at Anna.
Anna’s stomach suddenly ached, but she only retorted, “Are you?”
Sympa studied her, as if trying to figure out her thoughts. “No. We
just ate.”
Anna crossed her arms stubbornly. It seemed as if her senses were
coming to her slowly, because it was only then that she got the
nauseating smell of raw meat. She could guess that it was behind her,
but she didn’t want to see the fallen animal. “Well, I refuse to eat
some gazelle if that’s your meaning. I’m not some cruel-hearted
creature who goes around eating other animals in means to survive.”
Sympa did not get angry--in fact, her serene composure never changed.
“There’s a berry bush down by the river. I’ll take you there, if you
want.”
“I am perfectly capable of going there myself.”
Now amusement lit her face. “Fine then. Go.”
“I never said I was hungry, and I’m not,” Anna lied. She knew that she
couldn’t get to the river on her own, because she had no idea where it
was, nor did she trust her legs to carry her that far. But she would
never admit that to Sympa, no, because she was much too stubborn and
prideful for her own good.
“Well, if you’re not hungry, you still need to go to the river for
your thirst,” said Sympa very simply. “And you can’t hide that from me,
human. Your lips are bleeding just from dryness.”
Carefully, Anna licked her rough tongue over her dry lips and cringed
slightly from the pain. It was nothing compared to the pain that was
consuming every inch of her body, but it still shocked her. She looked
at Sympa with fixed eyes and finally gave in.
“Fine. Which way is the river?”
“I’ll take you.” Anna opened her mouth to argue, but Sympa said,
“Listen, human, I’m raising three cubs and keeping a five-hundred and
fifty pound lion in line. I wouldn’t mess with me if I were you.”
She’s stubborn, but not as stubborn as me, Anna decided, refusing
Sympa’s help to get off the ground and slowly rising on her own. The
world danced before her eyes, so she stood there, letting it slow down.
She can’t and won’t scare me. I’m Anna Blissil. Nothing can hurt me.
‘I wouldn’t be so carefree if I were you,’ a voice interrupted her
thoughts, startling her.
Sympa saw Anna jump and stared at her in suspicious bemusement. “What
is it?”
“Nothing,” Anna grumbled. Sympa, with a tilt of her head that seemed
to imply a shrug, led the way to the river. Anna walked after her
very slowly.
What are you, listening in on my thoughts?
‘Well, seeing as I’m in your mind, it’s not really that hard.’
Anna nearly stopped in her tracks. Is my insanity talking to me?
‘No. You’re not insane.’
Well then, who are you?
‘We’ve been through this, Anna.’
The words very greatly startled her. Who are you, and how do you know
my name?
‘I’m Magic, remember? And I know you very well. Darell named me after
you.’
Anna watched Sympa’s form walked bravely ahead of her, and suddenly
the world blurred before her eyes. Darell. The name brought pain to her
heart, sudden and fast. She felt breathless, dizzy, sick to her stomach, and terribly afraid. The pain was so much so that she felt she nearly tripped over her own two feet.
D... Darell. But, I don’t... I don’t understand! You just said your name was Magic!
‘It would take too long to explain, and we don’t have much time now.’
What are you talking about? We have all the time in the world!
‘Anna, I think you need to get some rest. This is all happening much
too fast for you.’
“No!” Anna cried aloud. “I want to know what’s going on.”
Sympa stopped, giving her a look. “I’m taking you to the river.”
“I’m not talking to you!” Anna snapped.
Sympa gave Anna a skeptical glance before moving on.
‘Anna, you’re not insane. Don’t make people--especially people that
can help you--think you are.’
Tell me what’s going on! I’ll . . . I’ll . . . I’ll hurt you if you
don’t!
‘We’ll talk tomorrow, when you feel better.’
I’m fine! Did you hear that, Miss Whatever-Your-Name-Is? I’m fine!
‘Don’t lie,’ she said sternly, and then she was gone.
“No! Talk to me now!” Anna screamed and hollered at the voice that had
been talking to her, but it never responded.
Finally, Anna arrived down at the river. She found herself feeling
suddenly weak and tired, and tripped over her own two feet, falling at
the water’s edge. She slurped messily and quickly, and saw right above
her head a bush full of raspberries. Despite her previous words, she
stuffed the berries in her mouth, grateful for the food.
Part 3
