Nychta - The Bloodrose Kingdom

Chapter 2 - The Raven's Gem

The crowd was back to their usual routine, unfazed by this sudden commotion. A thief being chased by the guards was already a common scene here, and I was the subject of that for three times already.

The clinking of the metals and the sound of the horse’s hooves made my heart race.

“Come back here you filthy scum!” one of the guards said.

They were quickly chasing me because of the speed of their horses. I bumped through different people, linens and the smell of sweat meeting my face. I threw several tables and stalls that blocked my way, fruits and food spilling in the pavement. It made the path slippery, causing the horses to stall for a little while.

The cold rush of the wind hit my face, and my unbraided hair flew freely into the air, black hair flying behind me. I ran as fast as my legs can take me, my weak figure barely making me faster.

They guards were now chasing fast ahead.

It was now time to do one of my tricks.

I pushed and shoved more people, which resulted to annoyed shouting and cursing. I made my way towards the outer gate of the town, the dark forest being straight ahead me.

The metallic sounds of the guards were now increasing greatly, the horse’s neighing becoming heard all around the area.

Instead of heading towards the gate, I went to the side of it, where a giant red tarpaulin of the queendom’s symbol was hung. It was tattered and torn, but it was enough to carry someone of light figure.

The guards were now on my back, just three seconds more from catching me.

I took a heavy breath, body crouching for a second, and sprung highly, aiming for the tattered cloth. In an instant, my right hand caught the dusty tarpaulin, with all my fingers grabbing. My body gently hit the bricks that held the wall that was on the side of the gate, but I now had an advantage over them.

The guards panicked as they saw what I did, some of them being too late to realize what I have done. Three of the horses hit the wall hardly, making the wall vibrate in response. I was barely able to continue to grip the cloth, sweat running through my temples. Adrenaline was now racing through my arms and heart.

“You little rascal!” a loud voice said.

I used my left arm to grab on to the cloth, and then the other. Iclimbed quickly, foot grasping the cloth in the middle of my thighs.

I was very fortunate that they didn’t bring an archer for today.

“She’s climbing the wall!” A voice said.

Curses and roaring were heard from below, as I gripped on the cloth like it was the only thing keeping me from dying, which it probably was.

I was nearing the top of the wall when one of them had an idea.

“Burn the cloth!”

Instantly, a fire started from the bottom of the cloth, rushing quickly to catch my pace. I climbed faster, my muscles aching in refusal. Just a little more, I thought.

Black fumes of a putrid odor filled my nostrils as I felt heat from below. Gods save me, I thought.

I was now near the end of the top when the flame finally reached my boot. I reacted instinctively, left hand loosing grip on the cloth. In an instant, my body moved backwards. I felt cool air rush against my back.

Luckily, my reflexes grabbed on the cloth again, but it was the burning end that I touched. I screamed in pain, but I managed to grab on until the top of the cloth. My hands were burning in agony, a red, dangerous color covering my right hand. It did not look fatal, but it surely did damage it. It would take days for it to heal.

At the top of the wall, the cool wind became stronger, with my balance barely being able to hold on. The top was only wide enough for one people to walk on it, which was usually just for archers during hold out. My two arms stretched out on both sides, each reaching for an imaginary ledge.

My fingers were aching from both the pain and terror. I dared to look below.

Still below the wall is the guards, each of them gazing above.

This was it. I escaped jail time or possible death from the hands of the guards but then found myself in such a demise. I escaped only to be killed by the height of the wall. How come I did not think much before I climbed it, when I could have just easily blended in the trees of the forest which I had taken quite a skill from?

I crouched from the top, hoping that the guards will lose interest after a while. They would not wait to see me falling after all, for they had more to do than that.

My trembling hands touched the cold, rough surface of the wall. I was now breathing in rapid successions, the panic making me wild. The thoughts of falling from the high place terrified me, and it almost happened earlier.

I reached from my rucksack and took one loaf. I savored every bite, the slightly burned bread giving a taste in my mouth before I die. At least I got to eat some of it. My hands were now covered in starch.

It took quite a while before I looked again, only to see that the guards have now left. They’ve left, and yet, I was still in danger while in here.

I breathed deeply. It was either I died being a coward here or I died being smart and finding a way to escape. A rush of air entered my body, and relaxed my mind, my body stopping to tremble.

I stood up again, barely maintaining balance as my posture quickly changed from crouching to standing up. I surveyed the area.

Down the left side was the town, a twinkling mass of lights and nychtas. To my right was the dark and mysterious Gray Forest, a big and massive group of old trees with chunking branches and a phantom-like color of green and gray. It was where I spent my time usually, up in a treehouse I built in the middle of it. I still haven’t explored the whole forest, for the creatures that lived there was not to be disturbed.

For there was barely any light there, I had always brought candles and flames, for I did not have my own gem yet to be able to conjure light. It had been lonely living there, I admit, but it was better to be there and write stories and hunt for food instead of running around the town. The library where I slept at usually closes at half-day ten, the time when I usually sneak in.

I decided to choose the latter.

It was a good thing that the tarpaulin that brought me above was also present on the other side, giving me an exit route.

With trembling hands and tense muscles, I grabbed the cloth hardly, its dusty texture making me flinch. I climbed down, switching hands as I went below.

It was an effort not to lose balance as I jumped down.

At the first contact with the ground, I immediately ran to the forest, my guts telling me to go to the treehouse.

At first sight, the forest was terror to anyone who would see. Ebony trees of a massive height was bundled in an uncoordinated mess of large roots and a silver, eerie fog that slightly covered the blue-green color of the vegetation.

There was life inside the forest, but it was certainly that of the evil kind. Entering means submitting yourself as a prey, but I was no longer fazed for I had practically made the grounds my territory, even though I had barely explored the whole area for fear of encountering ancient evils which was stronger and powerful than anything I’ve ever faced.

To rest my body, I looked above and saw past the dark canopy. The abundant stars was present in the ever-present night sky. They were scattered in the distance, shining like tiny gems. It gave me some sort of comfort to look at them. I had a short sense of relief.

That sudden relief became a burden in an instant.

“There she is!” the guard said. It turns out that they have waited after all, which was a rare occurrence for them. They usually left me after a while of chasing, but they were quite persistent this time.

Damn, I thought.

I turned my heels to the path ahead me, a dizzying maze of trees, roots, mist, and dark leaves. There was even vines that hung across the canopies, from the trees that freely grew without the obstruction of the nychtas. They were older than us, present even before the division of the nychtas from Bloodrose, the land of the evil, and Gaia, the land of the good.

I started to run. Quickly.

The roots tried to hinder me, but my agile, skilled legs knew their way around the dark corners of the forest. They touched the parts of my thighs which were not covered, my leather shorts barely being able to cover me. I felt a wet and cold liquid, but ignored it out of haste.

The men behind me was new to the environment, given the immense amount of roaring and huffing that I heard from my back. I was tempted to look back, but I did not risk it. It has been ages after all since the War of the Divide that lead to the division of the lands. They had barely enough to do in the Red Palace after all, which often lead them to abuse the citizens for pleasure instead. If I was a filthy scum, then they were of another breed, a worse one.

After a while of running, I found myself in front of the treehouse I built by scratch. Standing on a heavy branch of a very large and old ebony tree was a house made of ragged brown wood and plain red paint. It stood lonely there, the moonlight illuminating what little decorations I put, which was mostly bone trinkets from the animals I had hunted in the forest. There was a ladder that led up, having three steps missing. It was simple in design, for the time I spent there only depended on the amount of candles that I stole, which mostly came to only six hours. Those six hours were spent on reading and writing whatever I can take from the library, before I can sneak back in and sleep there. The library I slept in was abandoned, and nobody knew that it existed, all the people here ignoring the amount of literature that our forefathers made.

I was not taking the risk to stay at the house, for they might capture me there.

Given the amount of danger hidden here in the forest, I took a dangerous decision and decided to go further into the woods, an action that I did not dare to do ever. For the forest was the home of the worst creatures that have been put to sleep long ago.

But I did not have a choice. I decided to discard all my sense of caution and went further right of my treehouse.

The path there was uncharted. The vines that covered the forest earlier grew thicker here, and the roots that I stepped on became more and more large. I continued running, even when the temperature gradually got cooler and the fog became thicker. The blue green hue of the forest was gradually replace with a gray that resembled a ghost’s.

To my surprise, there was even sharp rocks present in this part, one which slashed against my ankle. The sudden surprise made me scream sharply, my voice echoing around the area. I did not manage to muffle my scream, for I was surprised and hurt. A buzzing noise of different animals and the sound of rushing water was heard, each of them making the environment more tense.

The guards heard my scream, given the sudden increase of noise towards my direction. They were growing slower by the minute, but I did not let my guard down. The hazards of the forest can keep them for some time only.

Cold air enveloped me gradually as I ran faster.

I was breathing loudly when a sudden whizz came by my side, taking some of the strands of my hair. I took a sharp breath as my eyes widened when I realized that they had archers now. Their back-up was increasing in count, which made me more panicked. There must be something going on today, as the fervor of the guards was increasing by time.

“Give everything you’ve got!” the leader of the guards said.

A huge flurry of arrows went quickly through my sides, my body being barely being able to dodge them. Some hit the vines while some missed me entirely.

As I ran faster, a continuous stream of arrows went. There was something wrong with the guards today. The fury and the rage that they are experiencing are being passed on to this mission. Of all the days I chose to be caught, this was certainly the worst.

I looked at my environment. From the gray hues of the safer parts of the forest, the colors here changed gradually again. A crimson shade painted the trees and their leaves, with the vines gradually disappearing. There was huge path that lead to the unknown here, a big gaping mouth with trees at its side. It was like a path that someone made. The path was watery, fumes swirling on top it.

My mouth widened as I saw a huge cage by the side of the path.

Covered by a big iron cage of rust and metal, a sleeping giant slept.

There was a giant, red, and scaly dragon of a size that can easily devour a hundred men in a second. Its body was lain on the floor, its two arms serving as a cushion to its large head. It was snoring loudly, mist coming off of its nose. Its scales was slightly damaged, scars being all over its body. Horns of a numerous amount covered its head which was slightly bent to the right. It was peaceful in its sleep, but it was definitely a nightmare while awake.

I dashed past the cage, my feet stepping on wet ground. Whoever put the beast in such a cage was an information nobody knew and nobody dared to. Evil creatures truly swarmed this area, and I barely knew of it after sixteen years of existence.

The path was a river of a dark blue after all. Waves that were illuminated by the moon rippled in the distance. It reflected the tall trees beside it. It lead a to the dark path on front of me, an unknown area in the forest. The waves reflected the image of the moon, its full and round body standing serenely in the sky.

The footsteps I made as I ran made a sound that I wished never existed, for each sound made the dragon have less snores. What made it worse was the sound of a group of men in heavy, clinking red armors and the sound of the horse’s hooves hitting the soiled ground, chasing after me.

My breathing was getting heavier, a cold tug pulling my heart. I was slightly dizzy now. I only had one bread for this day, after all.

I ran quickly deeper through the river, ice-cold water hitting my thighs and eventually my chest. Wet and slippery plants of an unknown kind was felt by my hands. But it was not a time to be bothered by such trivial matters. It was now or never.

I took a deep breath, my chest getting the most that it can as my face hit the murky water. I swam into the deep unknown, desperate to hide from the guards.

It was a mistake, for the cold waters drained me of whatever courage I had earlier. The coldness spread through my hands, my chest, and eventually my heart.

I opened my eyes and tried to see whatever was underneath. I barely saw anything, moonlight barely being able to illuminate underwater. It was a bluish-green image, with decreasing light as it went further below.

I grabbed on whatever I could, whatever would help me stay underwater until the guards left. I swam further and further, deeper and deeper through the waters, which was eventually killing me.

I was surprised when I saw that down the water, deep inside its hearth, a sparkling stone was present. It was black and small in size, but it sparkled even with barely any light.

It was a gem stone! The gem stone that made contained the power of nychtas. The gem stone that held a fragment of power, of unknown and great power that I never had.

I made my way deeper within it, reaching it even when I was gradually losing consciousness. Just a little swim.

I took hold of the gem, my hands touching on its smooth surface. In a second, I felt a power reverberate from the gem, my hands trembling at the power of the stone.

Whatever made it possible for me to be born without a gem is now giving divine justice to me. Black was a symbol of power in Bloodrose, even stronger than its queendom color of crimson red, for it was a strong color that symbolizes the dark that balances the light, the night that embraces Bloodrose. It was the black that gave life to us.

The only dilemma now was if the gem was really mine, if the gem and I were one and if I was its true owner.

I closed my eyes as the power of the gem overcame my senses. In a second, my eyes lost all sight, the power of it giving me goosebumps all over my body. My body was trembling and shivering, mind overcame with a thousand images that I knew nothing about. Black ink-like mist that covered a town, a bloody war that painted the pavements with red, and a crown that was levitating in the middle of nothing but black. They were all racing through my mind like ravens in full speed.

My senses was now completely shut. I opened my eyes as a last effort to keep them awake, and I gazed at the stars and the night above me. It was all blurry and moving. The water covered my sight, but I saw a last glimpse of the night before a coldness I never felt before made me lose my consciousness.

Down the river, the tiny raven fell

Down the abyss of magic and mystery untold

Down the well of secrets, of horror and wonder

Down the ice cold waters of the Black Gem