Earth Eternal Chapter 2 Part Two
Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 10:25 pm
Earth Eternal
Chapter two part two
Disclaimer: I really don't own the peoples. I own the concept. And some string cheese.
Many thanks to Lars's crazy skank self for telling me that I SUCKED and needed to fix some pukk pre-posting. ^_____~
She merely tilted her head at his amusing stance. For, like she knew she drew breathe, she knew he would not kill her.
Not yet.
She closed her eyes as she drew in a breath deep enough to keep her alive under water. She released it slowly and delicately. It reminded him, oddly, of a blooming flower.
?I?ll kill you,? he said.
So plainly.
His tone was neither harsh nor loud, but it held with it an invitation to fear and a mild pain that nagged at her heart. She watched his eyes for the truth behind his words. His callous tone was not what struck her heart; his eyes were. Yes, he would kill her. His eyes said it plainly.
Simply.
She would die by the hands of this human. Strangely, however, she had no qualms. No tear escaped her eyes. No look of sorrow marred her delicate white features. Not even a hint of hurt flashed in her orbs of crystal blue.
For a moment, they were transfixed on each other?walking on a journey through each other?s eyes and souls?when she slowly ended their journey by closing her eyes. Her ears twitched at a sound but a few yards away. His picked up on the intrusion as well.
There was a human in the wood.
******************************************
He watched her unicorn body poised with grace move away. Her muscles were tight and lean, and her bones gave her a curve that framed the essence of nature?s beauty. For even he as a child had dreams of unicorns?even he-the one who had sworn to destroy her kind-could marvel at all they were. He followed her?curious to see how she would handle another human in the woods.
She stopped at a small brook where an infant waterfall played mirthfully with water that eventually lapped at the shore. The grass was as pure as an emerald in color, he noticed, and the trees danced lazily in the wind. The few birds that stopped to sing their illustrious melodies were perched overhead, and the lazy breeze caught seeds from nearby dandelions and they melted into the forest floor.
It was perfect.
Except?for a woman. She skewed the perfect-ness of the scene in front of him--as she sat on the forest floor by the brook, head bowed, face in hands, crying. Her noise disturbed the tranquility of the surreal space around her, and the hunter cringed and moved behind a sturdy bush away from the tears. The unicorn, however, stepped towards the woman. His eyes widened as the unicorn reached the woman and rubbed her muzzle against her cheek.
He could only imagine how soft the unicorn felt.
The girl, in turn, removed her head from her hands. Her dirt-streaked face was smudged with her tears, and her hair neither dance nor billowed in the afternoon breeze. Her clothes, covered in filth, were tattered and unfit for use. Her hands shook as she reached out for the pure white soul that stood in front of her.
?You came??she whispered.
The hunter, confused, watched them embrace. One would stroke the other in an act of comfort while the other would try to embrace even more?As if they could be skin. The unicorn?s eyes twinkled at the sight of the girl.
And the girl?s tears were dried.
And surely he did not see a tear transformed? A tear in the corner of the eye of his enemy? As if?as if the girl?s tears were now the unicorns?
As if they really were one.
******
The hunter continued to stare in wonder at the scene that played out so delicately before him. A voice startled him?he never heard her approach.
?Well, well, well. A human in the wood.?
He turned, startled, to look at the voice?s host: a panther.
Her fur was as sheer as the black night sky. A gleam from the sun found its way to her hair and hugged it. Her teeth, which were like that of a saber tooth tiger, were a blinding white. They were perfectly sharp, he knew?more so than his weapon that the unicorn had destroyed.
She smiled at him?a toothy manipulative smile. He told himself to blink more than once to make sure there was really a creature in front of him?
Who, if he read her correctly, knew who he was?or was she speaking of the wom?
?You, hunter. You are the one of whom I spoke,? her voice was hoarse-sounding. It rattled within her body and came out at an octave low for what he thought she should sound like. It was soft, though, and made him unsettled, though not afraid, to be near her.
His eyes widened a fraction, however, at her ability to read his mind.
?You?re confused, hunter,? she sneered, ?Simply look at her. Study her.?
He watched the unicorn grant her touch to the woman.
?Why?? he asked the panther. ?Why does she give her soul to a human??
?Surely you?re aware that this girl is not her first??
He remained silent.
?When but a few hours ago, she joined her soul with yours.?
His eyes widened.
The way he could feel her heartbeat?
Her slow breathing within his ears?
Her senses sparking his?
They were joined.
?Do you know, hunter, what the purpose of a unicorn is?? she smiled. That despicable grin pricked at his nerves. Her ears maneuvered with the breeze and her nose twitched to and fro--picking up his human smells, no doubt.
Her eyes, curious things, were sharp and gray?but the fur above her eyes were strangely devilish?They forked to the sides and turned upward in a defiance of gravity. He turned his head away from the best and focused on the clearing in front of them.
?I know she has power that should not have been handed to her.?
The panther relaxed herself on a rock, and moved a claw to flex on the stone. Her claw must have been made of metal the way it tore at the rock. Friction caused sparks to fly around them, and the noise?it could only be compared to his villages? blacksmith?s habit of dragging the hook on his right hand across his anvil?The hunter?s body twitched from the noise.
?What feeds that pond, hunter??
He glared at her.
?Unicorns are like the water that feeds the pond. You cannot see the source, but it is there. It aids in the existence of the pond?the existence of the grass and wood. It might move the water around a bit, but never floods the pond?nor does it dry it out. It is neither corrupt nor manipulative. Its power is necessary.?
?What do you mean? I exist because of a unicorn? Her power aids in my life??
Such things, he knew, were simply untrue.
?They do aid in existence?not in creation. But that you will find from your transformation, I?m sure,? she said. He kept his solid glare.
?That woman??he whispered, looking at the embrace the girl and the unicorn still shared.
He could feel the woman?s skin upon his own?molding into himself and pushing into his heart. He hardened his heart. It was merely a weapon for the unicorn, he summed. His weak spot, as it were.
?People will spend their entire life looking for her?trying to find a hope that other human hearts try to diminish. Therein lies her power.?
He snorted in defiance. ?Humans live off emotions that are placed on them with time. Finding solace in a creature that only exists to corrupt and mislead?it makes a man weak. Her power is feeding off the emotions of the weak-minded. I was a fool to see it for anything else.?
The panther?s cackles rang deeply in his ears. ?Is that how you see her, hunter? Does she corrupt? Is she plotting against the girl right there? And you, now a unicorn, how did you come to be? A strong wind blew away your human skin?? she continued to laugh.
?She has power, and she uses it. In a way, she is like man. Gaining glory from power. Using her magic to transform her into a deity of sorts?but I have seen what her people are like?of what they are capable. No magic in the world was ever that strong?no magic in the world was ever that black. They use their strengths for evil.?
The panther smiled at his ignorance.
?Your hatred is an emotion that blinds you, hunter. She?s not responsible for the deaths you saw.?
?What would you know?? he seethed.
?Perhaps,? she said leaning her head to her paws, ?you fear that she will kill you when she grows weary of keeping you as her pet.?
He glared.
?Or maybe, dear hunter, you know that you are wrong?and that something with more power than a unicorn killed your family.?
?Could it be, also, that you are afraid that she may corrupt you as well? Will you be a slave to her in the forest castle??
His horn began to glow a hue that even the stars would envy. His anger magnified ten fold.
?But that cannot be it, can it? You will kill her when she least expects it. After all, she is the last, isn?t she? After she dies?you will have your retribution. Your family?s blood will be repaid.?
Nostalgia hit him as hard as sleep had earlier. Suddenly, he could no longer see the wood around him. Only his loved ones that he had lost.
?What more could a human ask for than vengeance? What more could make a human,? the panther said as she slowly dissolved to welcome the night, ?a man??
He turned to question her, eyes widened with rage and uncertainty, when he realized, too late, that she had left him.
And, there, in the clearing, but a few feet away, sat his prey.
With no one to save her soul?no one but a lost girl.
And beside him sat temptation itself--ready and willing to lead the hunter to his final kill.
Chapter two part two
Disclaimer: I really don't own the peoples. I own the concept. And some string cheese.
Many thanks to Lars's crazy skank self for telling me that I SUCKED and needed to fix some pukk pre-posting. ^_____~
She merely tilted her head at his amusing stance. For, like she knew she drew breathe, she knew he would not kill her.
Not yet.
She closed her eyes as she drew in a breath deep enough to keep her alive under water. She released it slowly and delicately. It reminded him, oddly, of a blooming flower.
?I?ll kill you,? he said.
So plainly.
His tone was neither harsh nor loud, but it held with it an invitation to fear and a mild pain that nagged at her heart. She watched his eyes for the truth behind his words. His callous tone was not what struck her heart; his eyes were. Yes, he would kill her. His eyes said it plainly.
Simply.
She would die by the hands of this human. Strangely, however, she had no qualms. No tear escaped her eyes. No look of sorrow marred her delicate white features. Not even a hint of hurt flashed in her orbs of crystal blue.
For a moment, they were transfixed on each other?walking on a journey through each other?s eyes and souls?when she slowly ended their journey by closing her eyes. Her ears twitched at a sound but a few yards away. His picked up on the intrusion as well.
There was a human in the wood.
******************************************
He watched her unicorn body poised with grace move away. Her muscles were tight and lean, and her bones gave her a curve that framed the essence of nature?s beauty. For even he as a child had dreams of unicorns?even he-the one who had sworn to destroy her kind-could marvel at all they were. He followed her?curious to see how she would handle another human in the woods.
She stopped at a small brook where an infant waterfall played mirthfully with water that eventually lapped at the shore. The grass was as pure as an emerald in color, he noticed, and the trees danced lazily in the wind. The few birds that stopped to sing their illustrious melodies were perched overhead, and the lazy breeze caught seeds from nearby dandelions and they melted into the forest floor.
It was perfect.
Except?for a woman. She skewed the perfect-ness of the scene in front of him--as she sat on the forest floor by the brook, head bowed, face in hands, crying. Her noise disturbed the tranquility of the surreal space around her, and the hunter cringed and moved behind a sturdy bush away from the tears. The unicorn, however, stepped towards the woman. His eyes widened as the unicorn reached the woman and rubbed her muzzle against her cheek.
He could only imagine how soft the unicorn felt.
The girl, in turn, removed her head from her hands. Her dirt-streaked face was smudged with her tears, and her hair neither dance nor billowed in the afternoon breeze. Her clothes, covered in filth, were tattered and unfit for use. Her hands shook as she reached out for the pure white soul that stood in front of her.
?You came??she whispered.
The hunter, confused, watched them embrace. One would stroke the other in an act of comfort while the other would try to embrace even more?As if they could be skin. The unicorn?s eyes twinkled at the sight of the girl.
And the girl?s tears were dried.
And surely he did not see a tear transformed? A tear in the corner of the eye of his enemy? As if?as if the girl?s tears were now the unicorns?
As if they really were one.
******
The hunter continued to stare in wonder at the scene that played out so delicately before him. A voice startled him?he never heard her approach.
?Well, well, well. A human in the wood.?
He turned, startled, to look at the voice?s host: a panther.
Her fur was as sheer as the black night sky. A gleam from the sun found its way to her hair and hugged it. Her teeth, which were like that of a saber tooth tiger, were a blinding white. They were perfectly sharp, he knew?more so than his weapon that the unicorn had destroyed.
She smiled at him?a toothy manipulative smile. He told himself to blink more than once to make sure there was really a creature in front of him?
Who, if he read her correctly, knew who he was?or was she speaking of the wom?
?You, hunter. You are the one of whom I spoke,? her voice was hoarse-sounding. It rattled within her body and came out at an octave low for what he thought she should sound like. It was soft, though, and made him unsettled, though not afraid, to be near her.
His eyes widened a fraction, however, at her ability to read his mind.
?You?re confused, hunter,? she sneered, ?Simply look at her. Study her.?
He watched the unicorn grant her touch to the woman.
?Why?? he asked the panther. ?Why does she give her soul to a human??
?Surely you?re aware that this girl is not her first??
He remained silent.
?When but a few hours ago, she joined her soul with yours.?
His eyes widened.
The way he could feel her heartbeat?
Her slow breathing within his ears?
Her senses sparking his?
They were joined.
?Do you know, hunter, what the purpose of a unicorn is?? she smiled. That despicable grin pricked at his nerves. Her ears maneuvered with the breeze and her nose twitched to and fro--picking up his human smells, no doubt.
Her eyes, curious things, were sharp and gray?but the fur above her eyes were strangely devilish?They forked to the sides and turned upward in a defiance of gravity. He turned his head away from the best and focused on the clearing in front of them.
?I know she has power that should not have been handed to her.?
The panther relaxed herself on a rock, and moved a claw to flex on the stone. Her claw must have been made of metal the way it tore at the rock. Friction caused sparks to fly around them, and the noise?it could only be compared to his villages? blacksmith?s habit of dragging the hook on his right hand across his anvil?The hunter?s body twitched from the noise.
?What feeds that pond, hunter??
He glared at her.
?Unicorns are like the water that feeds the pond. You cannot see the source, but it is there. It aids in the existence of the pond?the existence of the grass and wood. It might move the water around a bit, but never floods the pond?nor does it dry it out. It is neither corrupt nor manipulative. Its power is necessary.?
?What do you mean? I exist because of a unicorn? Her power aids in my life??
Such things, he knew, were simply untrue.
?They do aid in existence?not in creation. But that you will find from your transformation, I?m sure,? she said. He kept his solid glare.
?That woman??he whispered, looking at the embrace the girl and the unicorn still shared.
He could feel the woman?s skin upon his own?molding into himself and pushing into his heart. He hardened his heart. It was merely a weapon for the unicorn, he summed. His weak spot, as it were.
?People will spend their entire life looking for her?trying to find a hope that other human hearts try to diminish. Therein lies her power.?
He snorted in defiance. ?Humans live off emotions that are placed on them with time. Finding solace in a creature that only exists to corrupt and mislead?it makes a man weak. Her power is feeding off the emotions of the weak-minded. I was a fool to see it for anything else.?
The panther?s cackles rang deeply in his ears. ?Is that how you see her, hunter? Does she corrupt? Is she plotting against the girl right there? And you, now a unicorn, how did you come to be? A strong wind blew away your human skin?? she continued to laugh.
?She has power, and she uses it. In a way, she is like man. Gaining glory from power. Using her magic to transform her into a deity of sorts?but I have seen what her people are like?of what they are capable. No magic in the world was ever that strong?no magic in the world was ever that black. They use their strengths for evil.?
The panther smiled at his ignorance.
?Your hatred is an emotion that blinds you, hunter. She?s not responsible for the deaths you saw.?
?What would you know?? he seethed.
?Perhaps,? she said leaning her head to her paws, ?you fear that she will kill you when she grows weary of keeping you as her pet.?
He glared.
?Or maybe, dear hunter, you know that you are wrong?and that something with more power than a unicorn killed your family.?
?Could it be, also, that you are afraid that she may corrupt you as well? Will you be a slave to her in the forest castle??
His horn began to glow a hue that even the stars would envy. His anger magnified ten fold.
?But that cannot be it, can it? You will kill her when she least expects it. After all, she is the last, isn?t she? After she dies?you will have your retribution. Your family?s blood will be repaid.?
Nostalgia hit him as hard as sleep had earlier. Suddenly, he could no longer see the wood around him. Only his loved ones that he had lost.
?What more could a human ask for than vengeance? What more could make a human,? the panther said as she slowly dissolved to welcome the night, ?a man??
He turned to question her, eyes widened with rage and uncertainty, when he realized, too late, that she had left him.
And, there, in the clearing, but a few feet away, sat his prey.
With no one to save her soul?no one but a lost girl.
And beside him sat temptation itself--ready and willing to lead the hunter to his final kill.
).