Authors: CJ Rutherford,Colin Rutherford
13 – The Glade – Boys
Present day
Gwenyth sat next to Amilee on the branch. Their legs dangled down over the waves below, but Amilee knew for the first time in her short life, she looked at a sad being.
She couldn’t quite understand the concept of sadness. Her friend had tried to describe it to her several times, but it wasn’t until now that she’d ever witnessed it. She wasn’t sure she liked it.
In fact, at this moment in time she was sure she didn’t. If she could do anything to avoid feeling it she would. It looked...she wasn’t sure. Wrong, somehow.
“You know, we could go down to the market,” said Amilee brightly. Much more brightly than she felt, “I bet there’ll be boys there.” She sat smirking, but after a few seconds watching her friend, she admitted defeat and joined in with a sullen expression.
Gwenyth began to giggle. Amilee looked over. Sometimes her friend confused her. Her expression however seemed to amuse her friend even more as tears of mirth ran down her cheeks.
“Ami, you should see your face; it’s hilarious,” laughed Gwenyth between breaths. “You can’t do depressed to save your life. You look like you’ve got wind.”
“Oh!” said Amilee, a smile creeping back onto her face. “Remember the time you made your dad’s dog keep blowing off when he patted it on the head?”
Gwenyth giggled even more, nodding enthusiastically. Everyone in Gwenyth’s extended family knew about the prank but it had taken her father three days for the shoe to drop. After his immediate annoyance he saw the funny side, and had shrugged it off.
Or so she had thought, until the wardrobe in her bedroom had swallowed her one day and painted her bright blue from head to toe. It had taken a week to wear off. A week of sniggers and laughs as she passed her friends in the academy. A week after which she was forced to acknowledge her father as the superior prankster.
Those had been good times, she thought as she turned melancholy again. Her father hadn’t been like that in years. Lately he seemed to live under a gloom which prevented any happiness from entering.
He never laughed and never found humour in anything she did anymore. She knew within herself that her attempts to grab his attention were escalating along with her increasing ability.
One of these days, her temper might inspire her to do something completely irresponsible, and she smiled inwardly. There were more than a few out there who might consider her latest escapade just a bit over the edge into irresponsibility.
Her father being chief amongst them. The lecture she had endured this time had been harsh. She’d never imagined her father could be so cruel. His words had hurt her more than ever before and his anger had been venomous.
She struggled to remember the father who joked and played tricks on her when she was little. The man who gave the latest lecture wasn’t the same person, she was sure. Though Gwenyth was still young, she knew something was very wrong with him.
She thought her mother saw glimpses of it, but normal family was just that. Normal, if subdued. Lately her father was very careful to have their meetings in private away from unwanted ears.
She wondered whether she should tell Amilee about her fears, but as she watched her friend jump down off the branch and dance across the ground below, she knew she wouldn’t understand. Gwenyth knew she had matured much faster than Amilee, much faster than any normal being here. At sixteen she was wiser than many who were over a century old.
Her adolescent mind wondered if somehow this made her father jealous, but she dismissed it right away. What would he need to feel jealous of? She was his daughter and she loved him. How could she ever hurt him?
So it was with a lighter heart that Gwen ran after her friend towards the market. After all, Amilee had been right. There probably would be boys there.
14 – The Prison – Tenybris
Tenybris laughed with gleeful malice, as the creature the soul had become told its tale. It had been child’s play to create the physical form from the leftover carcases of the dragons trapped here with him. He’d received a jolt of satisfaction as the soul quailed in revulsion as it perceived its final resting place.
Tenybris had left just enough of the original consciousness for the soul to be in eternal torment, enough so it could witness the actions of its corrupted intelligence but be utterly helpless to control it.
Even now, as Tenybris sat listening, he could sense the misery deep inside the creature and he smiled.
He had sent his beast travelling out across the void as his mighty dragons once had, in search of this world it had come from. Weeks had passed, and each time the creature returned after a fruitless journey, Tenybris punished it with violence and pain.
For now, however, this was forgotten, and for the present at least he was satisfied, as the creature grovelled before him and recounted its latest foray. It had heard a rumour of the blue planet some time ago, and had followed the trail to its source, much to the delight of Tenybris.
The dim visions recalled by the soul, of a world bursting with such an abundance of life were brought into clarity as the creature shared its memories with its master. Tenybris hungered voraciously but it was not yet possible for him to escape his confinement.
He sent his minion back with orders to study and watch these beings, these humans.
The creature spent almost a year searching for the right vessel to defile. It thought this task would be difficult, but the people of this world, especially its rulers, were already far down the road to depravity. It would have been so easy to pick any number of these and pander to their greed and sin.
But its master would not settle for an easy conquest. He would want to savour the taste as the being fell from purity into corruption. It stalked through the dreams of the humans, hunting for the right qualities and traits its master would demand.
It was drawn at last to particular place. It was an island of some sort, with azure seas and golden beaches. The tiny spark inside it screamed in rebellion, but the creature delighted in this as it saw the child with yellow hair. The voice within screamed, and part of the beast was curious, as the leftover consciousness had never been so disruptive. It dismissed it with a thought and watched the girl as it decided the best way to begin the torment.
Fire, it decided at last. As the girl splashed through the waves, it bent its will to the task. The seas exploded in superheated steam as the lava bubbled from the fissures it opened all around the island.
The beast watched in evil anticipation as the girl ran in terror and the trees along the seafront ignited. It longed to prolong its game, but the corruption of an innocent could not be rushed. It also knew his master would want to hear of its progress. It was sure he’d be pleased and looked forward to its reward.
So it was that Tenybris watched as the beast itself tortured the tiny remnant of its pure soul as a reward for its success. The beast had done well. The torment of this young human would continue until she begged to be released, at which point the creature would be free to enter her mind and consume it, finally gaining a presence in this physical world of wicked beings. But it had to be done slowly. The mind needed to be stripped of all hope, all resistance, else it may regain control again over time. Tenybris smiled his evil leer. Slow torment was the kind he enjoyed the most.
15 – The Island – Revelation
Present day
Katheryne and Derren walked together, their feet sweeping through the fine sand on the beach as the waves crashed in breakers a short distance away.
Both hearts ached to take the other’s hand, to somehow affirm their love, but neither of them was quite ready to totally offer themselves up.
They were in no doubt that would eventually happen, but as Katheryne consciously thought, I’m not that kind of girl, she knew what she felt for Derren was real. And she knew not being that kind of girl wouldn’t matter a damn.
Her whole body tingled in his presence. When the initial shock of his arrival had dispersed, and he and Krista tried to explain what was happening, all she’d been able to do was look at him.
And she knew from the constant sarcastic remarks coming from his sister, that Derren’s behaviour was a mirror of her own.
Katheryne looked around. The Island was clear now. Derren had tuned the flames out fully, so this whole bay area was back to its pristine natural beauty. She took it in, drinking in the smells and sounds, feeling a sense of satisfaction. This oasis of safe haven was her creation.
As she stopped and turned around, several of her friends waved across at her and she waved back. Katheryne vaguely remembered listening as Derren had explained how he protected them from the flames. At the time she’d been too busy watching his mouth move to pay attention. She giggled inside. They had time. She’d ask him again, later.
One thing did bother her though. Walking a short distance inland to the fringe of the jungle, Katheryne sat on a fallen palm trunk. Derren followed her and stood, his impossible eyes gazing down into hers. Their intensity was almost too great to withstand, but she suffered the attention gladly as they pierced her heart and soul.
“Sit,” she said, smiling as she patted the trunk beside her.
Derren gave that lopsided grin again, causing a flutter to travel through her whole body.
“You do realise we’ve been walking for over an hour in silence, and the first word you say to me is, ‘Sit’.” He was beaming now, perfect teeth behind his perfect lips. “Most people might see this as an anti-climax.” He chuckled, the sound musical as he took his assigned position on the trunk beside a very flustered Katheryne.
“I think it’s safe to say we’re not ‘most people’,” she agreed, her own smile having a similar effect on Derren as he flushed visibly.
“I think that’s a safe enough bet.” He looked straight into her eyes and Katheryne saw the desire simmering barely below the surface of his expression. “But you wanted to ask me something.”
Katheryne’s eye widened, but she wasn’t shocked at his ability to read her thoughts. They’d walked for an hour in silence because neither of them had felt the need to talk, as if simply being with each other fulfilled their every need.
Katheryne had to break eye contact at this point. She was having trouble concentrating. Both she and Derren were stuck in a feedback loop of mutual denial, restraint, and inevitable destiny.
“I wanted to ask you what makes me so special,” she said, looking up again. “You told us last night about visiting all those other realities. Surely you must have met other ‘me’s’. What makes me so different from them?”
The reaction from Derren when she’d finished the last sentence was totally unexpected.
He stood up and took her hands, pulling her up into his arms. He kissed her. Before Katheryne could catch a breath she was kissing him back, tenderly but with an urgency born of unendurable restraint and separation.
There was an eternity of love and passion in that kiss, and their souls joined in exultation and bliss. Katheryne’s heart pounded in her chest, threatening to burst, and as their bodies touched she felt his, beating in unison with hers.
Everything external ceased to exist as they clung desperately to each other.
They separated slowly and reluctantly, breathless but ecstatic.
“That’s not an answer, you know,” she gasped, “but I’ll let you off with it...this time.”
Derren blushed. He seemed embarrassed but completely pleased with himself as his grin lit his face.
“I didn’t think you’d believe me if I just told you, so I thought showing you may have been a better way of...convincing you,” he breathed. “I’ve never felt this before, Katheryne. I wanted to, but it just wasn’t there.”
She backed off a little. “What do you mean? What wasn’t there?”
Derren looked deep into her eyes as he spoke.
“Part of our mission, mine and Krista’s along with the other Liberi, is to find the Foundation.”
“The Foundation? What is that, a stone or something?”
Derren chuckled. “No. It’s a person, one who is supposed to save us all from Tenybris. I never knew who it was at the start, when I first began to search for it, but somehow I was certain I would be the one to find it. To find you, Katheryne.”
“Me?” Katheryne gaped. She pushed away, her palms facing Derren. “You must have me mixed up with someone else. I mean, I’m just…ordinary. I’m just…me.”
She blurted the last word out, but Derren simply smiled as he swept his arm out, indicating their current surroundings.
“How do you explain this place, then?” he asked. “This might be beyond someone ‘ordinary’, don’t you think?”
Katheryne was spooked, but Derren held his hand out to her.
“I will never hurt you, Katheryne,” he said with an integrity and intensity which banished her doubts and fears. Katheryne took his hand and allowed him to draw her into his arms again. She pressed hard against him, savouring the feeling of safety he provided.
“There is another reason I knew, however, I must say the kiss was...nice.” The mischievous grin on his face caused her to flush.
Katheryne knew he was teasing her...
Nice!
Explosions were still echoing in her chest and all he had to say was
Nice?
He’ll pay for that later
, she thought, and a part of her wondered what she meant, before surprising herself by the answer. A heat grew within her, almost overcoming her self-control, but for now she was intrigued by what he’d just said.
“So, are you going to explain?” asked Katheryne, as she ran her hand over his chest, feeling the irresistible beating of the heart beneath, “or are you expecting something else...
nice
, as an incentive?” She, too, smiled wickedly.
Derren flushed. He hardly knew anything about this girl, but the depth of the feelings coursing between them prevented any doubt about their future. All he wanted, all he needed, was to kiss those perfect lips again and never stop.
It was an exercise in iron will as he forced his arm to release Katheryne and reach inside his shirt, drawing out a folded square of paper. He gave it to her. “Open it,” he said, smiling enigmatically.
As she took it, and began to unfold the page, an image appeared on the paper, and as she looked on the unfinished picture it completed itself, drawing her in as the face fully formed. She immediately recognised her own features looking back at her, but as she watched, it came to life, emotions flooding out at her. She felt the love she felt for Derren, the restrained desire, and the complete and utter trust in him. The picture was her; there was no mistake.
“I’ve been searching for the one true Foundation for years, Katheryne.” Derren said as a tear rolled down his cheek. “In every reality I visited, I was drawn to you, but every time I met them it felt…wrong.”
He took the hand holding the drawing. “I never felt this! It was like the others were poor copies of the original.” He released her, needing her to make the final decision. Only she could accept who, and what, she was.
Katheryne’s head was reeling, confusion conflicting with joy, and as the need inside her erupted in heat and necessity, tears fell warmly onto her cheeks.
She looked at Derren. “How?” was all she managed before he swept her into his arms, kissing her again as if they had just reunited after an age apart. Their bodies responded as the desire overcame any restraint they possessed.
As they parted briefly Katheryne asked something which suddenly became very important to her. “How long? How long have you been searching for me?”
“Forever,” gasped Derren, “I’ve been looking for you forever.” His body shook in anticipation as they melted into each other’s souls.