By Phoenix
Face to face with him was the largest puma he had ever seen. The cat’s body was lean, sinewy, and muscular. It was a frame that commanded respect and admiration. David didn’t know why, but felt that this beast was somehow indirectly familiar. How?
Then, as if for the first time seeing them, the cougar pounced on David’s body. David tried desperately to throw it off, but its claws dug into his flesh. David could feel the blood seep from his deep wounds.
Starlight came to his aid and reared on his hind legs, larger than life. The puma, instead of being afraid, boldly lashed out at Starlight’s stomach, aggravating the horse’s stomach wound. Starlight neighed in pain. David felt his heart go out to him. He tried to rush to the wonderfully courageous stallion, but the cat barred his way.
It hissed, spat, and advanced on David, all at once. David kept backing up, not noticing that he had nowhere to run behind him.
“Go!” Starlight cried. David saw the Alphian horse twisting in agony. David knew that if he did, Starlight would be left behind and would die. He started to climb the tree behind him and heard the puma climbing up after him.
“David! What are you doing?!”
"Saving your life!” David screamed back. He reached out in front of him and grabbed the next branch. Then, after he was on, he clambered farther up and up. The cat kept advancing. Then, David almost overbalanced to his right. He righted himself, but not before realizing that somehow, there was a precipice that wasn’t there before. If he moved into a certain position, the cliff was hidden from view. He then knew what to do. It was slightly risky. He pretended to slip and caught the branch with his hands before he fell. His heart had risen to his throat. He didn’t want to think what would have happened if he hadn’t caught the branch. He checked his position. It concealed the view behind him perfectly.
As he was dangling there, the puma had caught up with him, despite all the dirt and leaves that David had kicked (though accidentally) into the animal’s face. It yowled loudly and sent chills down David’s body. The beast lunged at David’s dangling body. At that moment, David swung himself backward, out of the cat’s reach. The boy could smell the rancid breath of rotting meat coming from the beast’s open mouth. He could feel the hard body barely touch his as his heart skipped a beat.
The puma seemed suspended in mid-air as time seemed to slow. Then it dropped at an alarming rate, plummeting to the valley below. David looked at the animal and felt overwhelming relief.
David quickly climbed down the tree and went to Starlight’s side. The horse moaned. David rebound the herbal poultice, producing a sigh of relief from Starlight.
But the strangest thing happened. Green light flared around the puma’s body, slowly lifting him back up in the air. David couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Hazel eyes stared into his. They were not an animal’s eyes. They looked human.
“Starlight! Get to the cottage!”
“David! I can’t walk. I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
“We’re going together! Now come on!” David dragged Starlight to the cottage door.
“David! Look out!” Starlight yelled. The cat was almost level with them. David tried to go faster, but the cat kept coming, pursuing them relentlessly. What kind of demonic magic was this? David was almost at the threshold of the cottage. Despite the horse’s protesting, David hauled Starlight in. But the puma was now on the ground. Starlight’s body was halfway through as the cat pounced, paws in midair.
Then David felt adrenaline rush through his veins and strength flow in his blood. Although David hadn’t been able to lift Starlight, let alone drag him a few feet, suddenly, he and Starlight were making steady progress as the cat kept pouncing where their bodies had been. David made one final haul, as the cat’s paws just missed Starlight’s hooves by an inch, and dragged the horse inside. Then, David tried to get the door, but he broke out in a cold sweat and his hands were shaking. He tried grasping the door handle, but it wouldn’t come into his sweaty palms. The cat pounced, closer and closer each time, and David finally kicked to door shut, and heard a resounding thud as the animal’s body hit the wood door frame.
“That was too close for me.”
David rushed over to the horse and attended his wounds. But blood kept seeping through.
“It can’t be,” murmured Starlight. David stroked the stallion’s nose.
“What’s wrong?” David asked gently.
“I- I need some rest. I must be dreaming. It can’t be. It was an animal- not elf...can't be elf. Besides…it doesn’t make sense…” he fainted.
David sighed. Should he wake him up? Probably not. The horse had been through so much, and he needed rest for his many gashes to heal. As David looked on the horse’s body, he knew the stallion was likely come out of the scrape with multiple scars on his once glistening, perfect coat of blue-grey. Then David looked around, feeling idle, but knowing he couldn’t do anything to help the horse. Starlight needed rest.
On the shelves were jars of airy substances. The walls were thick and grey in appearance, and gave a cozy feeling. Then, he caught sight of a portrait on the wall.
The portrait showed a graceful, tall woman, who wore clothes fit for a queen. Her eyes were a sea green, and her hair was silver, though she looked young. She could have been a few years older than himself. But what had entranced him about her, was not her radiant beauty, but how she moved against the grey backdrop of the painting. Her eyes roamed hungrily over his, and her hair seemed to blow in different directions as if there was a wind blowing from behind her.
But then, David saw a horrible face replace the woman’s. Although their faces were one and the same, the new face looked proud and haughty. The new expression was so clouded by hate, rage, and (not a trace of) the girl’s former beauty. Suddenly, an icy feeling made its way to David’s stomach.
“Starlight! We need to leave right now. Starlight?” David called out. He saw the stallion peacefully snoring on the rug.
“Starlight! Wake up!”
But the Alphian horse did not wake up. In fact, he did not stir. David started to feel panic rising in his chest, and put his hand on the stallion’s chest, and sighed with relief as he felt the strong heart beneath beating strongly, and the chest heave up and down in gentle motions. He was merely asleep.
But he still wasn’t waking up. Why? David attempted to shake and shove the horse out the door, but his muscular frame proved to be too bulky for the thirteen year old.
When he looked back at the frightening portrait, the woman inside had disappeared, only leaving behind her gray backdrop behind.
There was something very wrong with this place. Something wasn’t right. His library books had mentioned strange magic that explorers had found, something like this. And when David turned around, he saw a different girl staring into his brown eyes. In front of him was a white-blonde girl. Her cold gem eyes bore into David. David felt guilty to be standing in her house, despite all the friendly signs outside the door.
“I am David. I’m sorry that we came in your house, but-” and then David went off in a feeble and jumbled explanation of the past events. “What is your name?” he asked, though now the question hung in the air, it seemed a feeble thing to say, and unimportant to know.
“What would you give me if I give you my name? Such things cannot be given freely.” This answer took David by surprise. Her voice was high-pitched and cut the air around them like daggers. And David didn’t know that you couldn’t give your name to anyone freely. “A memory, perhaps?”
“Umm…”
“I will give you the cure for your horse if you give me your true name,” she stated. David supposed she would have been shockingly beautiful had it not been for the haughty look he saw in her face.
“What cure? What’s a true name?” She ignored him.
“Poison.” David then realized that the puma’s claws had been dipped in poison. That’s why Starlight seemed so unwell and so baffled. But why hadn’t it affected him? He had been clawed as well. He peered at the deep gashes. “Just your name. That is all I desire from you. While the poison runs through both you and your horse’s veins, it will have…effects on one who is not human,” she stated. Just then, she seemed to have suddenly warmed and she smiled. David didn’t know what to think of it.
“Why don’t you tell me?” she asked, smiling, and fluttering her eyelashes. “Please. Tell me your name.” she started to edge closer to him.
David could see that she was trying to charm him. You can lure more flies with honey than with vinegar. But he was no fly, and she should know that.
“Umm…I should be going now.” David said, and he got up with a hurry.
“But what about your horse?” she smiled as he turned around. “Stay awhile. Have some food. You look famished.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I must be going, and I’ll wake up my friend and we’ll find the cure elsewhere.” David didn’t trust her for this “cure”. What if it made Starlight feel worse? She didn’t seem to be a considerable person, for a sharpness made her eyes glint with cold.
“Surely you care more for your animal,” said the girl. This made David’s eyes widen.
“Starli-” he cut himself off. Didn’t the girl just say such things “could not be given freely”? What if that was Starlight’s “true name”? “He’s not any animal.”
“Is your name…Yarry? You look like a Yarry.” She asked, teasing.
“Why…” David asked, “…is my name so important? “Just tell me.” David was starting to lose his patience.
“I would only like to know who I have the pleasure of having in my house.”
“If I give you my name…” David began cautiously. “…you will give me my friend’s cure?”
“That is right.”
“But why is a name so significant?” he asked again.
“Sorceress!” David turned. Starlight was conscious again! The meaning didn’t completely sink in, but when it did, he backed away towards a wall. He wondered what kept her from taking his soul.
Again and again, David had read about fearless adventurers that had ended because of some sorceress taking the adventurers’ souls. He wasn’t sure why the sorceresses took the souls, only that they needed them for survival.
“Wait a moment. Did you just say ‘sorceress’?!”
“Yes!”
“Wait! And she-”
“Don’t tell her your true name! And don’t ask me to repeat myself! You know what I said. Now, let’s LEAVE!”
“You cannot go! You cannot leave here!” the girl’s arms were spread like an eagle soaring in the sky. At first, David
thought she was blocking their way, but saw that the door was behind them. In between her hands there was a pulsing blue light. Her hands closed upon the ball of light and her arms suddenly flew away from the source of energy, the light spreading from hand to outstretched hand.
“Agwere!” she yelled. David suddenly felt short of breath and a sharp, ripping pain that made him gasp. The last thing he saw was something silvery escape from his body. Then, everything went black.
David was sucked into a dream where he could only see fire. There was a sweet, yet sad music in the background, yet he hadn’t the faintest idea where it was coming from. The smoke came into his eyes, and he saw no more.
He was still in half dream state, half awake stage, where he couldn’t see anything. He felt a sharp tugging urging him forward, and felt himself be dragged forward, yet there was some resistance that he could not shake off. He gave a sharp twist, and the resistance relinquished its grip.
He awoke and found himself in a metal sphere in a metal, thin framed chair. There was no sadness, no anger, no jealousy or hate, no resentment, and there was no more happiness. Nor was there any more hope left in the world.
He felt empty. Why should he care anymore? It was all hopeless, this task he was assigned, he thought inwardly. Besides, why would he care if people died? They were all going into death’s willing arms eventually. Why not sooner?
What was the point of trying to stop this war? There was no point. None at all! He looked around himself, and didn’t feel the slightest bit of surprise.
David had no idea that the reason there were no more tears or joy in the world was simply because he was now an empty shell of a boy. A boy without a soul.
“David?”
“What?” David asked, not bothering to look around.
“David?” the man said again. His voice was calm and soothing, and didn’t have any timbre in it.
“What?” David asked, bored.
“I’m here. I’m right behind you.”
“I don’t care.”
“I’m here to help.”
“How do you know my name?” David asked.
“David, relax and let me help,” the man said calmly.
“What if I don’t want your help? What if I’m well enough now? What are you supposed to ‘help’ me with, anyways?” He
said.
“You just had your soul taken from you. I’m here to help you get it back. And for that, you must walk along with me.”
“Really?” David questioned the old man, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
“You need my help, and you just don’t know it just yet,” the man said. He was being extremely patient.
“I’m not going with you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You must. You must come with me. Starlight needs you. Without you, he is like a child, unsure of what to do. You
must guide him, and assist him. Isn’t that what friendship is? The very core of friendship is selflessness and affection. Don’t you believe that it is a worthy thing to save? You are in the danger of losing yourself for eternity. Let….me…..help.”
David didn’t really know who this person was, yet felt the benevolence of him. He didn’t know what it was that compelled him to do so, but he followed the man obediently, like a small toddler following its parents.
David walked behind the mysterious man, while he led David into room after room. Some rooms were filled with little bottles with the same airy substances he had seen in the cottage, and some whole rooms were filled with gems. It was very strange to be strolling around these caverns.
“What’s inside those bottles?” David asked as they passed through another entire room filled with the airy substances.
“They’re souls, David.” As they continued walking, David couldn’t help wondering if his was among them.
After several rooms, the man stopped. They were both in the cleanest room yet. And again, this one was filled with souls. The souls kept moving and swirling around like vapor, like smoke. They curled into shapes, and one even formed into a single flower.
“Now, all we have to do is find yours.” The man said. Elegantly, he waved his arm, and the bottles soared off their shelves, neatly rearranging them in a line in front of them. “Now, put out your hand, and whichever appeals to you the most, yet it hurts you the most, pick it.”
“How does something appeal to you, yet it hurts?” David asked, slightly puzzled.
“You will see. The pain…is fleeting and momentary. I think you have nothing to fear from pain.” But David wasn’t so sure.
