Walking Delusions

a/n: A new reader! Much happiness for me, the authoress, who was surprised to find anyone liked it at all. Thanks so much to Starcrossed for reviewing!

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Five: Sacrifices

A being, a creature within me,
It has been sealed, locked away.
Still I fear, I worry, I cry with the pain.
The voices, they whisper, taunting and calling,
Telling me to do, think, believe.
And still the golden eyes watch,
Never ceasing in their gaze.
Does he know all that I am,
That I run from his hands,
Run from his mind, present gaze?
It scares me, frightens me, seduces me.
It is wrong; it is right; it is everything I dream,
Hope for, deny, gain and lose.

By the time we arrived at the inn, Vincent had returned as well. He and the others were waiting patiently in the room for us. Along the way, I had incessantly picked at the bandages over the tattoos so by the time we made it to the inn, I had ripped them off in annoyance and they were quite obvious. Everyone knew that I could understand them.

“Finally,” Ivory announced, the first to greet us. “We were beginning to worry.”

Ryou shrugged. “Yeah well, that is partly my fault,” he said wryly. He entered first, and I followed on his heels.

Vincent was reclining on the bed, arms folded behind his head, one leg propped over one knee and kicking to some imagined beat. Ivory sat on the floor, again sharpening and honing the blade of her axe. She must have some obsessive-compulsive behavior or something. Melath was standing in front of the fire, gazing into the flames. He hadn’t even bothered to look at us when we came in.

“How is that?” questioned Melath, giving us a brief glance over his shoulder.

I found myself a seat somewhere away from everyone else, on the floor. I sat with my arms propped over my knees, watching everyone, not exactly going to speak up for myself. Ryou stayed near the door, shutting and locking it as he leaned against it.

Vincent gave a great sigh and answered Melath’s question before Ryou could even open his mouth. “It was because of the wards, wasn’t it?”

The monk crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes, and now we have a bigger problem than we did before. Archbishop Constance is not going to let her leave Donnil.”

“Damn,” Vincent swore, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He frowned intently. “I should not have used the strongest seal.”

“There was not much time. Do not blame yourself,” Ryou interjected, though it didn't appear that his words placated Vincent in the slightest.

It was at this point that I forgot my vow to myself not to speak up and made myself known. “Wait a minute here! I have no idea what is going on so somebody better start explaining themselves,” I declared, standing and holding both hands up in the air to gain attention.

Four pairs of eyes immediately swiveled towards me and I instantly felt like I was on stage at the biggest rock concert on the planet. I gulped nervously. “Uh, please?”

Melath sighed as he turned to face us, brushing a stray strand of silver hair from his eyes. “Who are you?”

“My name is Anne Jones, and…” I trailed off. I was not sure what else I could tell them. It was obvious that I was not in my home planet or era or anything. Whatever else I said might just confuse them.

“And?” persisted the blue-eyed elf.

I scowled and snapped. “And nothing! I don’t know anything else!”

Emerald eyes turned towards me though the sound of the scraping of her whetting stone against the blade did not cease. “Where are you from?”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you,” I mumbled.

I sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, realizing how utterly idiotic I sounded. I nervously began to tap my foot against the floor, eyes straying to rub self-consciously against my bandaged arms.

Melath moved towards the end of the bed, plopping down with a grace that I envied next to Vincent. “This is strange indeed.”

“Look,” I began, wanting to clear up a few things. “I appreciate everything you have done for me, saving me from the Ectows and all, but you don’t have to keep me. Leave me here in Donnil and go on your merry way.”

I was beginning to feel just a bit like baggage and I couldn’t help but wonder why they even bothered with me. Not that I wanted to be lost in this world and completely on my own. But faced with Vincent’s suspicion and Melath’s curiosity as well as Ivory’s somewhat coldness, I thought it might be better if these people never saw me again. Not to mention I hated being indebted to people.

Ryou laughed, though it came out a bit nervously. “Miss Anne, we would not do that to you.” He was trying to assure me. He missed the exchanged glances between Melath and Vincent.

“I do not think that everyone agrees with you,” I mumbled in response, gesturing to his friends. His attention instantly turned to them.

Brown eyes widened, clearly shocked. “You mean to leave her here?”

“It might be for the best,” began Vincent. “After all, I know nothing of her and the wards I put up might not be strong enough.” There was an uncomfortable silence.

“But…what about my vision?” Ryou stuttered, looking straight at Melath.

He raised his hands in minor defeat. “You know how much I trust your sights, Ryou, but this is beyond us. We are not heroes.”

Ivory snorted. “Hell, we are not even what others consider ‘good’. I’m wanted in ten different regions.” I was beginning to seriously wonder just who these people were and how such an eclectic gathering could become friends.

“It does not matter what we think we are. All that matters is what is foreseen,” Ryou argued, determined to keep me close. It was strange, how quickly he became attached to my presence.

“Hold on a minute, “ I interrupted. “What is going on here? Don’t I have a say in any of this? I have no idea who you people are, or what you do. I have no idea where I am or why! I don’t understand anything!” My voice was becoming shrill and I instantly clamped my mouth shut.

“We are mercenaries basically,” answered Ivory stiffly. “Swords-”

“-For-Hire, I know,” I finished before she could. I already knew what mercenaries were, I was no stranger to fantasy fiction, thank you very much. “Then that solves it, you don’t need me tagging along. So before you go all into details about visions and heroes and such, let me make this clear, you do not need me.”

Ryou immediately protested, face flushing with sincerity. “But Miss Anne--”

“No!” I cut him off, my voice quickly rising in volume. “I don’t know how to fight. I’m a coward basically who will run at the first hint of danger, I promise you. Archbishop Constance said I could be dangerous, though I’ve no idea why, and--”

Vincent interrupted me. “It is because of the wards.”

“What wards?” I asked, exasperated.

I was really beginning to get annoyed by this whole wards business. Every seemed really obsessed about these things and I had no idea what they were. It felt as if the whole world was in on some joke and I was the one they were laughing at. Paranoid? Maybe, but considering the circumstances, I probably wasn’t being paranoid enough.

The golden-eyed male looked at me as if I was no smarter than a monkey. “The ones I cut into your flesh,” he explained in a voice that implied I was a child. “Which will heal, but the scars will always be there. You tried to attack us last night, if you recall, and damn near succeeded in killing us.”

I sighed, running an anxious hand through my hair and seriously feeling like pulling it out just to ease my frustration. “And I don’t even understand why that happened either!” I argued, waving one hand around to emphasize my point. “It was like I wasn’t in control of my body, like I was a puppet and someone was pulling my strings…” My mind wandered to what I remembered of that night.

A lust for blood, a desire to destroy, something trying to claw its way through my skin. It made me shudder with the memory.

Ryou shook his head grimly, his voice solemn. “That is why Constance wanted you to remain; blood wards signify that you are in contact with the Anura horde. You could lay the entire planet to waste with only a quarter of your power if you were who he thinks you are!”

“Runihura din…” I murmured, remembering the strange word that I had been called. It gave me a strange sort of foreboding, the same that I felt when Ryou just spoke. “That’s what he called me.”

“Who?” Melath interjected, suddenly seeming very interested. He took a step forward. “Who called you runihura din?”

My eyes flickered between him and Ryou, feeling nervous when faced with their earnest expressions. “In my dreams, when Tucker knocked me out to put the tattoo on my neck. A man or creature I am not sure which, with sulfurous breath that stank of death, called me that. He said I belonged to him.” Just the thought of that creature sent shivers down my spine.

Vincent and Melath exchanged worried glances. The two of them always seemed to be communicating psychically. It was kind of creepy. “That settles it,” announced the elf, his decision ultimately made with that statement. Almost as if he feared me or that creature that had claimed me.

“They will kill her!” Ryou protested vehemently.

Kill me? I gulped at the thought, though a small part of me was somewhat relieved. Perhaps by dying I would be free from this place and I would return to my old life. Or maybe that would move me on to the real Heaven. Either way, I was going somewhere else, even if it was nonexistence. Ugh... that doesn’t sound too good either.

Then again, if I this thing inside of me really was going to destroy the world, perhaps it would be better if I did die. And since suicide was not an option... I would hate to be the person known for destroying the world. Wouldn’t look good on my list when I reached the pearly gates. It would be more than trash duty; it would probably be straight to the burning abyss. Oh, joy.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” I mumbled under my breath.

The background swish of the blade-sharpening stopped as Ivory gaped at me. “You cannot be serious.”

Well, this was getting depressing. One guy was trying to push me out the door towards my death. Another was completely indifferent. Ryou was trying desperately to save me, while Ivory pitied me. How pathetic.

Somehow, I tried to keep my dignity. “Listen. I am not part of your little group, I have no delusions about that. I’m not about to have you all risk your lives, and Ryou, his eternal soul for that matter, over me. I am practically a stranger. As you said before, you are not heroes.” There! Take that, pride! At least I sounded vaguely confident.

Ivory frowned. “It just seems wrong. We are sending you to your death. And not even in battle for that matter. How humiliating.”

I flushed. “Better me than the whole world,” I responded, attempting a confident smile that ended up lopsided and more of a grimace.

There was a moment of contemplative silence where we all tried not to look at each other before Melath finally spoke. “Who will go to the temple with her?”

“It is decided then?” Ryou demanded, one last attempt at saving me. “She is to return to the temple and we are to go about our merry way, forgetting we ever knew her?”

He was making this so much harder than it needed to be. He hadn’t known me long enough to be this attached. Was there something that I didn’t know about going on?

“It is for the best.” I said soothingly.

I moved over towards him and placed my hand on his shoulder, to comfort him. Of everyone gathered, it was Ryou I felt closest. He was the nicest and for a while, the only one I could talk to.

“I don’t know anything about who or what I am. Perhaps I am this great danger or maybe not, either way, it will be safer for me to be in the care of the monks at the temple, than wandering free and useless with you all. Do you understand?”

He looked away from me, as if he could not stand to see what was behind my eyes but I knew he had accepted my words. Could he really speak against my own wishes? I turned back around to face the rest of the group.

“Well then, who is going to go with me to the temple?”

“I will go,” Ryou volunteered quickly.

I didn’t even have time to protest before Melath spoke up. “No, Ryou. I do not trust that you won’t do something chivalrous,” he said, shaking his head. He nodded towards Vincent. “He will go.”

“Of course,” Ryou muttered bitterly. “He is the only one of us cold-hearted enough.” He turned on his heels and left from the room, obviously upset.

Ivory shook her head. “He is so emotional at times,” she intoned, a strange glint to her cerulean eyes. Her gaze never left the door, as if watching avidly for Ryou’s return. Yet, another bit of strange behavior from this eclectic bunch.

“I… I didn’t mean to upset him,” I said apologetically.

Vincent snorted. “He’ll get over it. Come, it is time we left.” He rose up off the bed and strode towards me, buckling his cloak over his body, and concealing most of him from the outside world.

“Well, thanks for all your help,” I managed, turning my eyes towards Melath and Ivory, though my thanks was somewhat lame. I didn’t have anything to offer them. They nodded their assent, gazes looking at everything but me, as if they were ashamed of their decision. “Good luck.”

Vincent moved past me, grabbing my arm as he headed for the door. “Good bye.” I managed to get out before I was pulled out the door.

“Hey, why so rough?” I protested, trying to yank my arm from his solid, steel-like grip. He was much stronger than I gave him credit for, his fingers feeling like iron clamps around my upper arm.

Vincent glared, golden eyes sharp and unyielding. “The longer you stand there looking all innocent and self-sacrificing, the easier it is going to be for those fools to fuck authorities and try and save you,” he hissed angrily, pulling me down the stairs and through the common room. I had no choice but to stumble after him, feeling much like an unwanted condom. We flew out the door of the inn and started hurriedly walking down the road.

“Can’t wait to be rid of me, huh?” I snapped rhetorically, irritated by his behavior. Just because I didn’t want to destroy the world didn’t mean I was happy to be marching towards my death. He didn’t have to be so rude.

Vincent stopped walking abruptly, whirling around to face both my wide-eyed stare and me. His eyes gleamed with an inner fiery anger. “You know nothing!” he snarled, though I had no clue what he was talking about.

“Of course I don’t,” I growled in return, giving a token tug on my captured arm, but he was unrelenting. “No one does!” For a moment our eyes met, and strong will met strong will, a battle of resolve.

People milled about us, giving us a two foot radius but no one seemed interested in our little spat. It was he who broke, though it must have looked silly for a man of his greater height and stature to be staring down at me in my five-foot non-glory.

“Come!” he demanded, turning back on his heels and gave another great yank on my arm. He started walking towards the temple, even faster than he was before. I followed after him, having no other choice, my clumsy self barely avoiding trampling over my own feet.

“You're afraid of me, aren’t you?” I gasped out, more guessing than anything else. I winced, biting on my tongue when he gave a vicious pull in response.

I barely heard his muttered response. “I fear no one.”

“You are probably right,” I mused quietly, “that it is not me you fear, but what is within me.”

He did not respond but I could see that his chin set in anger and I only assumed that he was gritting his teeth. He reminded me of someone, but at the time I could not remember whom.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, him refusing to release me from his iron grip. It made me angry how he treated me as if I did not matter. At least Ryou appeared to have some heart, wanting to protest my destruction. And even Melath and Ivory appeared on the edge of reconsideration. But this cold-hearted bastard acted as if my life meant nothing and death was all I deserved. Who was he to judge?

Beyond me, in fact, beyond the town itself, the sun was setting on the horizon, turning the lavender blue sky a brilliant streak of gold and orange. It was quite breathtaking and I could not help but watch it Was this my last sun set? Or, was that even my sun? At least, we would make the archbishop’s deadline.

Finally, we arrived at the temple, Vincent immediately beginning to climb and drag me along with him. But I'd had enough. I stood my ground and put my strength into one full yank, finally managing to break free from his grasp. Vincent turned and looked at me, surprise registered on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to it.

Pulling out all the dignity I could muster, I swept past him, climbing the stairs on my own. “Thank you very much but I believe I can face my own death.”

He stared, eyes little more than narrow slits. I heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that he was going to leave me alone, until I heard the sound of him following me up the stairs. “Just to be sure, I will watch you enter the temple.”

“Do you think I have no honor?” I hissed in response, pretending to the world as if I did not have a six-foot shadow dogging every step of my ascent.

He sniffed. “You yourself said you had no courage, and yet you walk to what may as well be your death,” Vincent pointed out smoothly, as if he already knew what our conversation would be.

“I may be a coward, but I stand by my word.” I heaved with the exertion of climbing the stairs.

Never was I so grateful to see the twin statues that signified the end of my climb. I grasped one thankfully, allowing myself a moment to rest. I closed my eyes and breathed deep, my innards trembling with the fear of what was to come. I hoped that my anger masked my true feelings and that Vincent could not tell that my butterflies danced a merry jig in my stomach as my legs turned to jelly.

“Who are you, Anne Jones?” asked Vincent suddenly, reaching the crest of the stairs and standing behind me, watching my every movement.

I laughed at that question; it was quite ironic. “I have no idea, but tell you what, when I do figure it out, you will be the first to know.”

“I hope that is sometime soon,” he intoned softly. His words confused me so I opened my eyes and looked at him. Golden orbs bored through me, heading straight for my soul. “For all our sakes…”

A shiver wracked my body and a feeling of foreboding swept through me. I was completely speechless. Isn’t that what I was doing? Coming to this temple for the sake of everyone else? I wanted to live dammit!

But could I live knowing that the world would come to an end? I didn’t really know and frankly didn’t want to try. Plus, I was afraid, I admit. I didn’t want to face what was within me, so I took the coward’s way out. I did whatever I could to make sure that those monks destroyed me. That being that desired blood and death, it frightened me, especially knowing it was inside of my body. I feared not being myself.

I sighed in response to Vincent and heaved myself off of the cool metal of the statue. I faced the door to my future, or lack there of, and breathed deeply. Reaching for the handle, I dared one last look over my shoulder, and a few parting words.

“I never asked for this, you know. I never asked to be me.” And with that said, I turned the knob and ducked into the cool dark gloom of the temple, effectively shutting the door behind me. Shutting Vincent out and myself in. Parting is such sweet, sweet... victory, hwa ha ha.

I blinked, adjusting to the abject dim of the foyer. The temple was much emptier by this time with more shadows along the walls. I took a deep breath and stepped further into the foyer, trying to locate someone who could help me. What few monks available were carrying on a personal conversation in the far corner. I would have to interrupt them and I hated to do that. I contented myself with waiting patiently, eyes casting all around.

“I see you have returned and without the fallen monk.” Constance’s voice reverberated from behind me, no longer warm and welcoming, but cold and hard. Frightening.

“Yes, I have,” I answered, turning around to face him. He was flanked on either side by two rather burly men. Apparently, he wanted to make sure I would not get away. “I always keep my word.”

He grinned, thin lips pulling back to bear his teeth, much like a tiger taunting its prey. “Then there may be hope for you yet.” I shivered deep down inside. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

“Now what?” I asked, my eyes nervously darting between the three men in front of me. “Are you going to go ahead and kill me?”

Constance laughed, loud and mocking and echoing around the foyer. The other monks carrying on their conversations began to disperse in hurried movements. “You are far too valuable to just slay, Anne. Your power is greater than anything I have ever dreamed of. I have been waiting for you, ever since the day that you appeared.”

My eyes widened almost comically. “Appeared?” There was something going on here. No one knew that I had just appeared, no one. And he was speaking of a power covetously. No, something did not smell right. “What do you mean appeared?”

He laughed again, finding my confusion funny. “You have no idea what you are!” Constance cackled louder. “You don’t know how long I have waited. Jerrol! Orinth!” At his demand, the two men darted forward, instantly wrapping meaty arms around me before I could even think about fleeing.

“This is not for the sake of the world!” I spat, sudden realization dawning upon me. I had been tricked. I had power, yes, and it was dangerous, too, but he wasn’t trying to save the world by restraining me, no, he was trying to rule it. Damn my ignorant nature!

“No, but it was quite the clever ruse, wasn’t it?” asked Constance with a cocked eyebrow. He turned away from me, heading for a stout wooden door in the far wall. Orinth and Jerrol followed, pulling me between them.

I struggled of course, and tried my hardest to get from their grasp. I was not a strong person and I didn’t really have much weight to throw around, so there was not much I could do. I tried kicking the two men, that didn’t seem to faze them. So I tried going limp. They simply hauled my body as if I weighed nothing more than a feather. I gave up.

My mind instantly went to Ryou and his friends. Not that I expected rescue or anything. They had all thought I was going to prevent the end of the world. Instead, I was aiding in its destruction. How ironic. Did they even feel guilty about sending me away? Or did they brush it off by saying it was my choice?

Constance pressed the wall next to the door and a small electronic console suddenly appeared. That shocked me; I did not think that this world was that electronically advanced. I was sorely mistaken. He input the lock code, fingers moving so fast I could not catch anything but a seven and a weird letter I did not recognize. The door popped open with an affirmative three-toned bleep. He entered it without another word, the two henchmen following along soundlessly.

I kept my mouth shut throughout, mind working too hard to process everything that it could not even formulate a coherent sentence. The door led us into a wide brightly lit hallway. It was very sterile seeming, with metal walls that glinted of steel. I could not see any doors but then again, the archbishop blocked much of my view. Halogen lamps hung from the ceiling at planned intervals, easily lighting the entire hallway.

There was a low soft hum that resonated throughout the hallway, like that of a generator or something. It felt as if the whole hall vibrated. The walls appeared seamless, even with the floor, as if it had all been created in one solid unit. My heavy shoes clomped unattractively on the metal, a sharp contrast to the soft shuffle of the slipper-like shoes of the three monks.

I didn’t understand how or why such a backwards-seeming place could have electricity. Or was it all magically powered? I couldn’t even guess simply because I didn’t have enough information to work with.

We followed the archbishop down the relatively short hallway until we reached a door on the far end. To my surprise, this door was actually an elevator, and a quite advanced one at that. The buttons on the outside showed that it only went down. Great, some sort of secret basement laboratory. How cliché.

Inside the elevator, I looked at the buttons, memorizing them, just in case I got the opportunity to escape. Apparently there were only three levels. The one we were about to leave, and two lower levels, including one basement. Constance pressed the button for the basement and I could not help but roll my eyes. Oh, the predictability of evil doers.

The elevator headed downwards with a low hum and the occasional clank that did not sound too safe to me, but no one else seemed worried so I kept my mouth shut. The archbishop appeared to be humming to himself as he danced from foot to foot. Apparently, he was pretty pleased with the outcome of the day. Glad one of us was. With a sudden disastrous thump and clunk, the elevator stopped at its destination, the basement floor.

Shrieking in protest, the metal doors slid open and Constance left without hesitation, his two brainless henchmen needing no encouragement to follow. As I suspected, we were now in some sort of laboratory. If that wasn’t evident by the cold metal of the walls or the myriad glass beakers and hospital beds, I think I would have been convinced by the different test equipment I saw lying around. Syringes, scalpels, and other such nasty things that just made me shudder.

There were only two other people down in this cramped area, Tucker, the damn bastard, and then a female, golden hair, brown eyes, not a monk but a lab technician. Both of them turned to stare when Constance came into the room, followed by his thugs and me.

“Then, she was the one?” Tucker questioned eagerly, his face lighting up as he ran to the archbishop’s side.

“I suspect so, but I won’t know until we finish with the tests. Is the room ready?”

The human female answered, her tone slightly awed. “Yes, your holiness, I finished the final touches early this morning.” She bowed deeply, head parallel to the floor. “All that is left is for you to choose the lock code.”

“Thank you, Ayame. Your diligence will be rewarded.” Constance brushed past his subordinates and walked to the only door I could see in the laboratory area. It had the words “Project 01” stamped onto it, and there was a small viewing glass. My stomach curdled with dread at just the sight of it. I didn’t want to be anyone's pet science fair project.

The archbishop pressed a finger against a tiny panel. It came out of the wall, a small keypad with a view screen attached to it. He appeared to think deeply for a moment, a somewhat comical expression though I couldn’t find it in me to laugh, before inputting the pass code. The tiny pad bleeped in agreement as the door to the room slid open. Constance stood the side, gesturing for the two henchmen to enter as the tiny keypad slowly slid into the wall. This was getting too weird, even for me.

I was very roughly and rudely shoved into the room, released so suddenly that I stumbled before I could gain my footing. I turned around angrily ready to make an angry retort when the door to the room slid shut in my face, effectively cutting me off from his decidedly mocking smirk. I banged on the door with my fists, demanding that he let me out. All I succeeded in doing was making a dull thudding. I didn’t even dent the damn thing.

I gave up the futile and pointless pounding and stood up on my tiptoes, peering out of the viewing portal. I could see the henchmen standing at attention through the slightly distorted glass, clearly awaiting orders. Constance ignored them as he spoke to Ayame and Tucker and I’m certain their conversation concerned their new pet project. Me.

I huffed and turned away from the door, knowing that any further attempts at escape were pointless. My eyes caught the hard-looking bed and I plopped down on it with very little grace. It didn’t even bounce me. It wasn’t so much that I was tired, but I was definitely in an angered snit.

That bastard...

What would it feel like to die? What would happen to me afterwards? A realization struck me like dynamite. If this was just a dream as I wanted to suspect, then how could I die? I breathed harshly, banging a pointless fist against the unyielding mattress beneath me. How was I supposed to know reality from fantasy?

The door suddenly slid open with an announcing beep, Constance stepping inside and flanked by Tucker and one of the henchmen. I did not like the look on his face at all. It was unsettling.

I stared at him suspiciously, my entire body on alert. “What do you want?” I hissed, determined to not be cooperative in any way.

He smirked, pale face reddening with his excitement. “I just couldn’t wait to begin,” he answered, voice slithering across my senses and causing me to cringe in revulsion.

I jumped to my feet, my eyes flickering to the strange way he held his arms behind his back. He was hiding something; I was sure of it.

“Stay away from me,” I demanded, though I doubted he would listen. I slowly backed away from him and his cronies, eyes anxiously darting to the door as I tried to estimate how quickly I could run to the exit.

“Don’t worry. This won’t hurt... for long.” Again with that damn smirk as he revealed his secret, an incredibly long needle and syringe, with a dark, brackish fluid gurgling unattractively within the glass. The metal of the needle glinted harshly in the fluorescent light and I gulped loudly.

The three men advanced on me as I looked around wildly for an escape. Tucker made the first move, attempting to grab my arm. With reactions born from terror and impulse, I lashed out with my foot, striking his groin. He dropped like a bad habit and I took the opportunity to dash around him, sprinting for the door as if my heels were on fire. Maybe I could get to the elevator and escape. Perhaps if I was fast enough...

With an oof! I suddenly hit the floor, that muscle head tackling me from behind and wrapping his arms around my waist. I struggled violently, bucking my body and throwing back my head trying to hit him in the nose or something with my hard skull. I failed miserably. He had expected that attack and therefore held his own head safely away from mine.

The archbishop tsked as he knelt down near my head, barely in my line of vision. I could still see the needle, larger than one I had ever seen before. “Honestly child, it is only a mild sedative. I need you asleep, it makes things easier.”

“You bastard!” I spat, jerking my head away from when he reached out a hand to stroke my cheek.

My breath came out in sorry pants, Orinth a heavy weight on top of me. Nevertheless I took up one good breath and attempted to spit at Constance. Sadly, my projectile failed, falling harmless to the ground. It was pathetic.

He shook his head in dismay and pressed my head firmly to the ground. “Stop struggling and it won’t even hurt.” The needle inched closer to my skin and I automatically stilled, deathly afraid that the metal would break off inside my body.

I felt it pierce the skin in my neck and winced slightly. He depressed the syringe, injecting me with what he called a ‘mild sedative’. I instantly began to feel the effects as a warm feeling spread from my neck and across my body. I hardly noticed when Constance removed the needle. My body went limp as my eyes drooped, fatigue settling in every muscle.

I dimly felt the heavy weight on my body remove itself before my body was hoisted into the air, one arm beneath my back, the other beneath my legs. My head lolled bonelessly as my coherency faded to damn near nothing.

I hardly noticed as I was carried out of the room and into the main laboratory. I could tell my body was moving but my eyes refused to open. Soon, the arms were replaced by a hard and cold metal table. I dimly felt my arms and legs shackled down to it before I slipped into unconsciousness.

I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not; I couldn’t be sure of anything anymore. The recent events, I really didn’t know long because I had lost track of time, had been so confusing that I feared my fragile human mind couldn’t take it. Then again, I wasn’t even sure if I was human anymore. I had attacked them, lusting for blood and death. Vincent claimed he had to seal me with a blood ward when he sliced into my arms and chest. I wished I knew anything.

Was I Anne Jones? Or did she never exist to begin with?

All I knew was that I was in a memory, though it was a memory not of my own. I was in the body of a young female, in her head, able to see and feel and hear, but unable to take part. I saw as she saw, and knew everything she knew.

At this point in my whatever-it-was, I won’t call it a dream, or vision, or memory, because, frankly, I wasn’t sure enough to label the damn thing, the female was talking to a rather handsome young man. They stood on a bridge where the wind whistled by ferociously, looking down at the swirling churning waters of a dangerous looking river with pristine blue water, decorated by the foam of the turbulence.

I couldn’t really tell if they were lovers or not, though they obviously knew each other. From what I could tell, there was some kind of civilization in front of the young female. Behind me, I couldn’t say. There was forest all around, lining the banks of the river and surrounding the town in the far off distance. Forests of gold and green trees.

Odd enough as that was, the sky captured my attention. It was resplendent with a mixture of hues of blue and purple, swirled on a canvass that stretched out far beyond my imagination. I suppose that was how I knew it wasn’t a dream. I rarely, if ever, dreamed in color. So, how did I know that the world of Vincent and friends was a dream then? Argh! I couldn’t even understand my own conclusions.

Words began to echo around me as the woman spoke, her own voice resounding within her head and drawing my attention.

“Where will you go, Tai? Where can you hope to hide from them?” she asked, shaking her head. It was then that I saw the dark black tresses, dangling down into her face. She brushed these back behind her ears irritably though she never took her gaze off the man.

“I don’t know,” he answered her, luminescent silver eyes staring off into the far distance. He turned to the side, leaning on the railing of the bridge and gazing down at the turbulent river. “But I will not let them have it.”

Who are ‘them’ and what won’t he give up? A treasure perhaps or a sacred object, maybe an ultimate weapon. I really couldn’t even begin to fathom. Judging by the weary and almost frightened tone to his voice, I suspected it was something dangerous.

My body sighed and responded, her words soft and unsure. “Will I ever see you again?”

He frowned as he shook his head. “It would not be safe to say yes. I would not have you waiting around for an empty dream,” he answered as he kept his gaze locked on the swirling waters below, as if afraid of her expression or emotions. I could feel her anguish and fear rising up inside of her, cresting waves that knocked into my own shattered emotions.

“I do not understand.” Her voice was filled with anguish. “What can you hope to gain by running? It will only kill you in the end.” Her hands clenched into fists at her side and her eyes began to fill with tears, her gaze dropping away as her vision blurred.

Tai shifted suddenly. “Don’t you think I know that?” He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look directly into his silver eyes. They were mesmerizing, like the full moon on a cold, dark night. And decorating his forehead, in the same hypnotizing swirl as Vincent's were dark lines, melding and merging together.

“If I could change the future, Maya, I would. I didn’t ask for this. But if I just gave up and handed it over then they will have won. Is that what you want?”

“No!” she screamed, the sobs breaking free. I could feel her pain and it nearly broke my own cold, bitchy heart. “But I don’t want to lose you either.” She clutched at his shirt, knuckles white as she jerked him towards her. “Let me come with you. I can help. I know the forest and the secret paths. I can hide you better than anyone.”

His gaze hardened as he shook his head sadly, long blond tresses falling lightly into his eyes. “No. Your place is here, not with me. You cannot abandon them, your people. They need you.”

“And I need you. Doesn’t that count for something? Must I always think of ‘them’? When can I just be myself?” Her voice cracked, and she fell silent.

“Oh Maya, I am sorry that it came to this.” Tai drew her into an embrace.

She let go of his shirt and wrapped her own arms around him. As I shared her hearing, so did I share the warmth that she felt as she was enveloped in his touch. He placed his hand on her head, holding her close to his heart. I could hear his heart beating through her ears, strong and sure.

He began to speak again, his voice rumbling low in his chest. “You listen to me, Maya. I need you to be strong, not only for yourself, but for your people as well. Once they have found out that I am no longer here, they will come and try to get some answers out of you. Fight them Maya; destroy them if you can. And if it is lost, promise me that you will run. Put the safety of your people above anything else.”

“Tai, I can’t…” She pulled back, searching his face with her eyes.

“Promise me, Maya.”

“I…" She was going to protest once more, but seeing the look in his eyes, she gave in. "I promise.”

“Good,” he said, staring off into the sky. He traced the location of the sun before glancing behind her, at the part of the bridge that I could not see. “I have to go now. They are getting close. If they find me here, it will be harder on you than if I am not.”

She sniffed, blinking back tears. “I understand.” Maya reluctantly disentangled herself from his grasp. “Please, come back to me.”

“I will not promise anything,” he answered, reaching down and picking up a set of twin swords from at their feet. I had not noticed them before. He buckled them at his side and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Maya, but do not wait on me forever. I want you to be happy, whatever it takes.”

She sighed and reached into the little bag tied to one of her belt loops. Wrapping her fingers around the smooth object inside, she pulled it out and offered it to him. It was a small hexagonal shaped jewel, the color of sapphires but glowing softly with a blood red light, seemingly from deep within the core of it. He took it carefully between two fingers, shuddering on contact with it.

“I only hope that you can control it,” she whispered, lowering her head to stare at the ground in her sadness. I sensed that he moved, depositing the jewel in some unknown location. I could not see where because Maya was not looking at him. I wish I had been an angel sitting on her shoulder or something, instead of within her body.

She felt a hand on her chin and was forced to look up into Tai’s silver eyes. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. She closed her eyes and accepted it, and his parting words.

“Do not worry. I do not die so easily,” he said, with a teasing smile. Tai dropped his hand from her chin and leapt up onto the railing. He flashed her a big grin before diving down into the depths of the river.

Maya hurriedly ran to the railing peering over the side. She almost expected to see him slipping beneath the waves of the river, drowning beneath the swirling waters. But there was a brilliant blue flash and suddenly, in Tai’s place, there was a broad winged eagle that flew off, following the course of the river.

A fresh set of tears trickled down her face as she stared morosely at the departing speck. Words formed on her lips, words that she hadn’t but should have said. “I love you, too, Tai. More than you will ever know.”

Her heart heavy, mind filled with the cynicism that she would never see her love again, Maya turned towards the city on the other side of the bridge, to her people, and her home.

The scene began to fade as thick grey smoke began to fill my senses. What was this? A fire? My mind started to awaken, the world becoming grey though a bright light shone, pushing away the darkness.

Why did I smell…

Fire.

*****

a/n: That's chapter five for you! Feel free to point out mistakes or ask for an update or leave a comment, etc, etc. Thanks for reading!