Bella sat, legs crossed, across from her aunt Elizabeth (who was, by all rights, only older than Bella by a few days.) playing a game of rune sticks.
Elizabeth cursed under her breath as the runesticks turned against her, and she pushed a part of her cookies towards Bella. Bella flinched, and stared for a long moment.
A huge jolt had gone through her body as Elizabeth grew frustrated. The frustration, irritation, and mild amusement hit her like a brick. She blinked.
"Are you alright, Bell?" Elizabeth asked, looking at her with a frown. Bella barely had time to nod before a knock sounded on the door. Elizabeth pursed her lips, and stood, brushing dirt from her skirts. She crossed to the door and pushed open the piece of wood that served as a door. Outside stood a woman a full head shorter than she was.
She had blonde hair cut jaggedly, as though with a hunting knife. Her green eyes glowed like a cat's.
"Can I help you?" Elizabeth asked. The woman pushed by and crossed her arms, looking around the room. Her eyes looked back and forth between Elizabeth and Bella for a moment.
"You are to come with me," she said, then turned to walk out the door.
"Excuse me?" Bella asked, standing up slowly.
"I'm Angela," she said as though it was obvious. "Come with me."
"Um, I don't know you," Elizabeth said. "Do you, Bella?" Bella shook her head.
"Just come with me before I use force," Angela said with exasperation.
"Uh, yeah, I don't think so..." Bella said, reaching into a bag she wore around her waste over her skirt, and slowly removed a dagger.
With a great big sigh, Angela raised her hand, fingers extended, and uttered some words under her breath. Energy rushed up through the earth, and knocked them off their feet. The force of the magic knocked them out and the world collapsed to darkness.
"Great," Angela uttered under her breath. "Now I get to carry a whole bunch of dead weight."
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Chapter 6:
Alexander woke in a darkened room, side by side with all his siblings. The room was unfamiliar, and the walls were made of stone; there was a dingy iron gate as one of the walls and beyond it he could see a dim corridor lit with sparse torches. A silhouette was outlined by the torches. The man tilted his head and light fell across his face.
He was no older than twenty, and well muscled. Around his bare upper arms were golden arm bands with animals carved into them, and around his neck was a golden torque carved in the shape of a hawk.
"Fur'es'tos?" a voice came from down the hall. "Have they awoken?" Another man appeared, probably the same age as the first man. His eyes cast around the cell, and saw Alexander was awake.
"Only the one," the first man-- Fur'es'tos-- responded. "The eldest. Perhaps you didn't do as good a job at knocking the others lightly over the head as I?" The second man scoffed.
"May I inquire as to who you are, and why you have taken us?" Alexander said, his voice carrying easily to the two men. They blinked, seeming to realize for the first time he was indeed conscious and could hear every word they said.
"Oh, yeah," Fur'es'tos said. He looked stupidly at the other man. "He'd probably want to know that."
"I suppose," said the other man. Both of them looked as though they had assumed Alexander would just KNOW. Obviously, he didn't. "My name is Karrow. This is Fur'es'tos." When he didn't elaborate, Alexander prompted him again.
"And why am I here? And just where is 'here'?"
"You're here because..." Karrow just stared at him for a long moment. "You honestly don't know?"
"I have a sneaking suspicion," he said dryly, remembering the book he had been reading before. "Something to do with my mother?"
"Well, sort of," Fur'es'tos said uncomfortably. He seemed to register that Alexander was in a cage. "Oh, would you liked to come out of there to speak? Out of the cellar, perhaps? There's a room upstairs, and I am sure we have tea somewhere."
"Cellar?" Alexander asked stupidly.
"Yes, this is.... an underground corridor. It's called a cellar. Would you like to come above ground?" he explained. Alexander looked worriedly at his siblings.
"They shall be fine," Karrow said. "No worries. We just wanted to make sure you would listen."
"Very well then," Alexander said. He most certainly did not entirely believe that, but he felt relatively confident he could overcome one of them and run for help before the second one caught up.
"Please don't run until you let us explain everything," Fur'es'tos said, as though reading his mind. The door was unlocked and slid to the side with a creak. Karrow offered his hand to help the younger boy up, but Alexander ignored it and stood, brushing himself off and walking out of the cell with as much dignity as he could muster.
They walked down the corridor and up stone carved stairs into the upstairs. For the first time in Alexander's life, he was finally going to get some straight answers.
He was no older than twenty, and well muscled. Around his bare upper arms were golden arm bands with animals carved into them, and around his neck was a golden torque carved in the shape of a hawk.
"Fur'es'tos?" a voice came from down the hall. "Have they awoken?" Another man appeared, probably the same age as the first man. His eyes cast around the cell, and saw Alexander was awake.
"Only the one," the first man-- Fur'es'tos-- responded. "The eldest. Perhaps you didn't do as good a job at knocking the others lightly over the head as I?" The second man scoffed.
"May I inquire as to who you are, and why you have taken us?" Alexander said, his voice carrying easily to the two men. They blinked, seeming to realize for the first time he was indeed conscious and could hear every word they said.
"Oh, yeah," Fur'es'tos said. He looked stupidly at the other man. "He'd probably want to know that."
"I suppose," said the other man. Both of them looked as though they had assumed Alexander would just KNOW. Obviously, he didn't. "My name is Karrow. This is Fur'es'tos." When he didn't elaborate, Alexander prompted him again.
"And why am I here? And just where is 'here'?"
"You're here because..." Karrow just stared at him for a long moment. "You honestly don't know?"
"I have a sneaking suspicion," he said dryly, remembering the book he had been reading before. "Something to do with my mother?"
"Well, sort of," Fur'es'tos said uncomfortably. He seemed to register that Alexander was in a cage. "Oh, would you liked to come out of there to speak? Out of the cellar, perhaps? There's a room upstairs, and I am sure we have tea somewhere."
"Cellar?" Alexander asked stupidly.
"Yes, this is.... an underground corridor. It's called a cellar. Would you like to come above ground?" he explained. Alexander looked worriedly at his siblings.
"They shall be fine," Karrow said. "No worries. We just wanted to make sure you would listen."
"Very well then," Alexander said. He most certainly did not entirely believe that, but he felt relatively confident he could overcome one of them and run for help before the second one caught up.
"Please don't run until you let us explain everything," Fur'es'tos said, as though reading his mind. The door was unlocked and slid to the side with a creak. Karrow offered his hand to help the younger boy up, but Alexander ignored it and stood, brushing himself off and walking out of the cell with as much dignity as he could muster.
They walked down the corridor and up stone carved stairs into the upstairs. For the first time in Alexander's life, he was finally going to get some straight answers.
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