According to Belarus's Desktop Buddy appearance, Belarus is a rather good fortune teller.
Tell me a tale of the fortune teller Natalia and the heroes that have passed by her humble home.
This is a really open ended prompt, she doesn't even have to be a major character in whatever plot bunny that pops into A!Anon's head. I just really want to see her tell someone's fortune
I-Will-Love-You-Even-After-The-World-Ends-Bonus: Fairy tale style! (I love myths, legends, and folk tales, and all the fics I see with that style make me squeal with glee. I need more.) Bonus 2: She always refuses the first time someone asks for a fortune.
Anon who offered before is here, hoping that this is what the OP was interested in! :D And there will be several stories in this thing. ^_^ --------------------------
"In Fukien, the Yung mountain range towered to a height of many miles at the peaks. A giant serpent, which inhabited a cleft in the northwest part of these mountains, had terrorized the people of the region for nearly a decade. Wider than the span of ten hands and over seventy feet long, the monster was unappeased by offerings of oxen or sheep, and already many officers and magistrates from nearby town had been killed." - Li Chi Slays the Serpent
---
Fortune, Luck, Favor - call it what you will, it is a difficult sea to navigate. A single choice, an act of serendipity, a meeting, a word, or anything else could change it from good to ill. There are few who know the ways to turn for the best fortune.
Once upon a time, a girl by the name of Natalia could do just that.
---
In a town far from her home, at an inn she did not bother to know the name of, she rested. She had traveled far, so very far that day, and knew that there would almost certainly be even more distance to cover in the days ahead.
She did not care how long or how far she had to go. The most precious parts of her life were missing. She had to find them.
As she pondered where next to search, her gaze raked over the other visitors at the inn. The town was located near a well-traveled trading route, so people of many different backgrounds gathered there. No one thought it odd if they saw a young woman like her, with white hair and dark, purple eyes. Nobody stared.
But no, that was not true. One person was staring. Or rather, one person was heading towards her, with intense focus.
It was a woman who approached her, with long black hair and an unusually stern expression on her face. "Excuse me!" the woman said. "Is your name Natalia?"
Natalia - for that was indeed her name - gave the woman a bored look. "And if it is?"
"If you are Natalia, I am in need of your help."
"And what makes you think I could possibly help you with anything?"
"Because," said the woman, "I understand that you are a fortune teller."
Several seats down, there was a clatter as a young man nearly fell off of his barstool. It took him several minutes to steady himself. "Oh, excuse me," he said sheepishly, when he noticed the two women staring at him. "I'm afraid that took me by surprise."
"Stop listening in," said Natalia.
"Are you really a fortune teller?" the man asked, either not hearing what she said, or ignoring it completely.
"She is!" said the woman.
"How are you so certain of that?" asked Natalia.
"That does not matter," the woman replied. "You must read my fortune!"
Natalia turned away. "I will not. I have difficulties of my own, and I intend to deal with them before I am bothered with anyone else's."
The woman's eyes widened. "No! Please! You must help me!"
"I do not."
"Perhaps you should help her," said the young man, pulling his chair closer. "It surely can not be so difficult to read a fortune."
Natalia huffed. "That is none of your business."
"I beg of you!" cried the woman. "My entire village may die if you do not!"
"There! Did you hear that?" asked the young man, looking stricken. "Miss Natalia, would you just sit there and let an entire village be killed?"
Natalia glared at the man. "If Mister -"
"Toris Lorinaitis, ma'am,"
"If Mister Toris Lorinaitis would like to keep his limbs intact, he will never call me things such as 'Miss Natalia' or 'ma'am' again. Does Mister Toris Lorinaitis understand?"
Toris paled, but managed a nod.
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (B)
Natalia turned back to the woman. "I see no reason to help, if I will get nothing from it. If I stop to help you, I will end up stopping to help countless others. That will only slow me from my own quest."
"Well," said the woman, "if it's a matter of payment..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out something bundled in a handkerchief, which she carefully laid it on the table for Natalia to inspect.
It was a pendent, hung on a length of rope. Natalia could see it was in remarkably good condition for something owned by a person who had clearly been outdoors for some time. Upon picking it up for closer inspection, she saw that the pendant had been molded in the shape of a sunflower.
"Is it enough?" asked the woman, when Natalia said nothing. "It is the most valuable thing I own, I'm afraid."
"The craftsmanship is extraordinary," said Natalia. "Where did you get this?"
"I bought it from a merchant who passed through the village not so many days ago," said the woman. "He had many things for sale like that."
"I see." The fortune teller pocketed the pendant. "It is settled."
"You'll read her fortune?" gasped Toris.
Natalia gave him a sharp look, before turning to the woman. "The fortune of the future is shaped by the circumstances of the past," she said, taking the woman's hands into her own. "Tell me the events that led to your finding me."
"Y-yes!" said the woman, evidently started by how abruptly they were beginning. "My name is Lien, and I have come from a small village near the mountains..."
---
Lien was a small child when her parents died of some illness or another. She never learned the details, because the rest of her village considered it bad luck to talk about such things.
This did not trouble Lien in the slightest. She had been so young when her parents died that she could hardly remember them. She did not love or hate them. She simply did not think of them in one way or another. Instead, the one she loved best was the man who took her in.
Her foster father was one of the few foreigners in the village. He came from a land where the people had paler skin, with hair as golden as the sun and eyes as blue as the sky. He came to the village with nothing but the clothes on his back and his name - Francis Bonnefoy. In spite of this, he worked hard and soon was named the town magistrate.
Francis was a good man. He loved the village and he loved Lien. He did everything in his power to care well for both. But for all his kindness, there was nothing he could do when the dragon came.
No one knew from where the monster hailed. It was not even known when, exactly, it arrived. Its presence was only known when it began to rage, shaking the mountains and stirring avalanches.
The people of the village were naturally afraid. The mountains were not so far from their homes, and who knew what the dragon had planned? If it wanted, it could easily crawl down and eat them all in their sleep! They had no idea what it wanted.
Not so very long after the dragon made itself known, a stranger found himself at the village. This would not usually be so odd. The village had had its share of travelers passing through or, in rare cases like Francis's, staying for good. However this stranger proclaimed himself to be an immortal magician who was well-learned in the magic arts.
The stranger - Arthur Kirkland, he said his name was - claimed that it was within his power to magically contact the dragon and find out what the creature's intentions were. He requested enough food and drink, the finest available, to fill him for the three days and three nights of meditation it would take. He also asked to be given a number of precious stones, to amplify his powers for the task. Upon being given those things, he retreated into the room Francis offered for visitors. Under no circumstances was anyone to question Arthur's methods or watch what he did.
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (C)
Natalia raised her eyebrows at the last part. "And you really didn't question this?"
"I did not know anything about it," said Lien. "Father tried to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. He did not want to needlessly worry the villagers. I only knew that a magician named Arthur was staying with us, and that he could help the situation."
"But he didn't, did he?"
---
When Arthur emerged from his room, he told everyone that the venture had been successful. He had contacted the dragon, and knew what the monster wanted.
"Everyday," said the magician, "we must send a girl into the mountains to be fed to it. That is the only way to keep it satisfied. If we do not, it will come down and kill everyone in this village!"
Naturally, the villagers were not happy to hear this. Francis, with all possible tact, asked what proof Arthur possibly had that that was what the dragon wanted. Or, for that matter, what proof there was that Arthur was a magician at all!
Arthur scowled and shouted warnings of dire consequences that would arise, should they not listen to his wisdom. With each word that passed his lips, clouds gathered overhead. Lightning ripped across the sky. Thunder deafened them all.
When he saw how the villagers all cowered before him, Arthur smiled. With a wave of his hands, the storm stilled and the sky cleared. All was peaceful, for the time being.
"And that," he said, "is proof of my might. None can rival me. Let it never be said that my magic produced an incorrect solution."
---
"Lies," said Natalia.
"You mean from the magician?" asked Toris.
"Of course I do. He may or may not have had actual magical powers, but he certainly was lying about how strong he was. If he were as powerful and immortal as he claimed, why not fight the dragon himself?" The fortune teller glared at Toris. "Also, why are you still here? Go away?"
"I wondered the same thing," said Lien. "About the magician, I mean. I tried to get other people to agree with me, but they were all afraid."
"What were they afraid of?" asked Toris, not noticing or not minding the venomous looks Natalia shot at him.
"He said that while he wielded infinite power, the dragon was an immovable creature. If they fought, all the surrounding land would be destroyed in the battle. Our village would be flattened."
Natalia decided that trying to get rid of Toris was a wasted effort. She focused on the fortune-telling again. "And what was Arthur getting out of this arrangement?"
"Power," said Lien. "He convinced everyone, my father included, that he was the only one who knew which girls would please the dragon. The first sacrifice has not even been chosen, and already he has been bribed with good food and many valuables from families who do not want their daughters chosen."
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (D)
"I see," said Natalia. "And what of your fortune to you wish to know?"
"Can't you see that for yourself?" Toris curiously asked.
"I can see much of her future, but it is undefined," Natalia said. "If I know what specifically to look for, I can give clearer answers."
Lien cleared her throat. "I will not let any girls die horrible deaths, if it is within my power. The first sacrifice will be sent up tomorrow, at noon. I plan to meet the dragon before then. Even if it truly is unkillable, I must try." She fixed Natalia with a steely look. "I wish to know what the outcome of that choice will be. Will I die? Is it all futile? What will come of it?"
Natalia closed her eyes and held Lien's hands tightly within her own. As Lien and Toris watched anxiously, she gently swayed from side to side. Finally, her eyes snapped open.
"Your fate tomorrow hinges on how hard you are willing to fight," the fortune teller said. "Victory is not impossible, but it is not a guarantee. You must also be sure you have ahead's advantage before returning to her village."
---
Lien thanked Natalia and left the inn.
As soon as the customer was gone, the fortune teller turned to Toris. "Have you any money?"
He blinked. "Money?"
"That is what I just said! If you have no money, do you at least already have a room here?"
"I...do have a room here, yes," said Toris. "But why?"
"I will be renting a room of my own," said Natalia. "Tomorrow, I will go to Lien's village. I think that place is the next step on my quest."
"But why wait until tomorrow?" Toris asked. "Wouldn't it be best to follow her right now?"
"No," replied Natalia. "If we got here now, all of the villagers will be too upset to talk to any strangers. Best to give them until afternoon at least, before we go there."
"And if you including me in that 'we', as I presume you are, why are you bringing me along?"
Natalia snorted. "You seem so desperate to see my fortune telling at work."
"But I already -"
"That was only the prediction. You must see how it turns out. Do you want to see my job only half done?"
"N-no!"
"Good," said Natalia. "Then be up at daybreak tomorrow, or I will leave you behind."
---
It was dawn when Lien began to climb the mountain. She carried with her only a cooking pot, some rice, and a sword. A hunting dog led the way, sniffing out the strange scent of the dragon.
When it was nearing noon, she reached the mouth of a cave. The hunting dog growled at the entrance, and she knew this was where the dragon lived.
Without wasting a minute, she set down the cooking pot and lit a fire under it. She poured the rice in to cook. As it bubbled and boiled, she hid with the dog behind a large boulder.
Before too long, the mouth-watering smell of the rice wafted through the air. Lien tensed her body, knowing it would not be long before the tantalizing scent drifted into the cave. Sure enough, seconds later, the dragon roared and came charging out. It sniffed the air, trying to find the source of what it smelled. When it saw the cooking pot, it paused in confusion. That was all that Lien needed.
"Go!" she called, urging the dog to move.
Upon hearing her cry, the dog ran at the dragon. Barking and howling, it sank its teeth into the dragon. Though the monster was coated with strong scales, the dog ripped and tore until none were left on the neck.
That was what Lien had been waiting for. The instant she could see the flesh of the dragon's neck, quivering and exposed, she drew her sword. With a battle cry, she threw herself at the dragon. Once, twice, three times, she hacked at its neck. Each swing tore deeper and deeper into the flesh, until it at last was split in two.
She did not dare lower her blade until she saw the head roll across the ground.
She cleaned her blade and called the dog. She was about to return to her village, when she remembered the fortune teller's warning. Lien had been told to have ahead's advantage when she went back to her home. And so she bundled up the dragon's head and brought it with her.
The village was silent when she returned, save for the cries of terrified people. The chosen girl sat outside of her home, silent and white-faced. Around her, her family and neighbors sobbed.
This was the sight that greeted Lien when she returned from the mountains.
Everyone stared as she drew nearer. She knew they could think of no possible way she could have gone into the home of the dragon and survived.
Ignoring them all, she calmly walked until she found the home of the village magistrate. She knew Francis would be standing outside, struggling until the very end to find some way to save the poor chosen girl.
When he saw Lien, Francis gasped. "My dear, where have you been?" he asked.
In response, Lien lay the dragon's head at his feet. "This is my gift to you, dear father," she said. "You need not send anyone into the mountains to die."
Word spread like wildfire. Neighbor whispered to neighbor, passing along the miraculous news - Lien has slain the dragon... Lien has slain the dragon... Lien has slain the dragon.
The entire village ran out and gathered around her. They asked to see the sword she used. They petted the dog, still ambling at her feet. They cheered her name and wept.
It did not take long for word of Lien's deed to reach Arthur. When he learned that she killed the dragon, his heart was seized with fear. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he would be decried as a fraud and chased from the village, or worse, executed.
The solution he thought of was simple. The sooner he rid the village of Lien, the less likely it would be for anyone to cross him. With her gone, he could easily pretend that she incurred the dragon's wrath. A live dragon was terrifying. The possibility of a dragon's vengeful ghost was even worse.
And so he retreated to his room, where he found a beautiful goblet of gold, encrusted with many fine jewels. He filled it with a fine wine, one of the many things he'd been gifted since his arrival. Then, he mixed into the wine a small amount of liquid of his own invention.
And with that, he was ready.
He met Lien at the center of town, with the rest of the villagers. The way to the heroine was quickly cleared. Everyone was curious as to how a meeting between their savior and their would-be savior was going to go. Arthur himself was not concerned. With any luck, it would be a brief interaction.
"Dear Lien!" he cried, when he reached the woman. "Through your strength and bravery, you have found another way to save us all! I truly did not think it was possible to kill the dragon, as you have."
"How very odd indeed, for a man so learned to be so ignorant," replied Lien.
Arthur's face grew warm, but he continued. "Come, my dear. We shall drink to your victory!"
He held the goblet out to her, with a smile. She had only to sip it once, and she would trouble him no longer.
Lien stared at the goblet. Finally, she spoke. "Great magician, you honor me with such a fine gift. But I am confused. You said that 'we' shall drink to my victory, yet you have brought nothing for yourself."
"It matters not," said Arthur. "I can have something later. This fine drink has been prepared for you. Please, have it."
Lien gave the magician a cold look. "I am not so inhospitable," she said. "Here, do not go thirsty. You drink first."
"What?!"
"Yes," said Lien. "Go on, have the first taste. It is your wine, and you deserve it. Or," she added, as he sputtered, "is there a reason you are so desperate to not have any?"
"No!" he insisted. "There is - no! No reason at all!"
"Then drink!" she insisted. "You disgust me," she snarled, when he made no motion to do so. "You come here, you rob us all, you would have had us kill our daughters and sisters and wives, and now you try to poison me!"
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (F)
An angry buzz broke out, as the villagers began to hiss and whisper amongst one another. Did they hear that? Was it true? Would the great magician really do something like that? Why else would he not drink?
Arthur was desperate. He knew something had to be done, and as quickly as possible. He dropped the goblet on the ground, paying no heed as it rolled off into the mud. It was time to try a new tactic.
"How dare you?" he cried. "What right have you to judge me? You have no grounds to accuse me! None at all! You come in here and say you killed the dragon, but where is your proof? How do we know that you are not the liar? I have seen the dragon in my vision! None of you can say the same! How can you say that dragon's head is real?"
Without a word, Lien picked up the dragon's head and held it towards Arthur.
"What are you doing?" he asked, trying not to stammer.
"You say you are the only one who saw the dragon," she said. "Judge it for yourself. Have a closer look."
She walked towards Arthur, the dragon's head clutched in her outstretched hands. Arthur's eyes widened as the grotesque thing was shoved nearer and nearer to his face. He tried to back away, but the villagers formed a ring around the pair. There was nowhere for him to run to.
The head was closer now. Closer still. It was nearly touching his face.
"What do you think?" asked Lien. "Is it real?"
"I - I cannot say," Arthur whispered. He felt faint.
"Be sure. Tell the truth."
"IT CAN NOT POSSIBLY BE REAL!" the magician screamed, losing his nerve at long last.
At the sound of that last lie, the dragon's head twitched. Its eyes snapped open. For a moment they rolled in the socket, until finally they came to rest on Arthur.
For a moment, all was silent save for the sound of Arthur's terrified gasps and the dragon's breaths - but how did it breath it was dead it must be dead it was impossible - so deep and slow.
Then, it jerked forward out of Lien's hands. Snarling and growling, it sank its teeth into Arthur's throat. Arthur flailed, but could not break free. He feel to the ground with a scream that quickly became gurgling and finally became nothing.
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (G)
The wicked magician was gone, the dragon was dead, and all was well. To honor Lien's victory, Francis declared that a celebration would be held the very next day.
That night, Lien was awoken by a sound. It took her a moment to realize what it was.
Someone outside was whispering her name.
The voice was not one she had heard before. She could not tell if it belonged to man, woman, or child. In fact, it did not seem to come from any person at all. It felt as if the voice hung ghostlike in the air.
In spite of that, Lien was not the least bit afraid. Perhaps it was because her victory against the dragon convinced her that she could defeat anything, or perhaps she felt something in the voice that reminded her of kindness. Whatever the reason, Lien rose from her bed and went outside to find the source of the voice.
She did not have to travel far. The one speaking to her stood right outside of her house.
He looked like any of the other villagers, but Lien had never seen him before. His demeanor was calm, as if it weren't odd at all that he had come to her in the middle of the night.
When he saw that she had come outside, his face lit up. "Good evening, Lien," he said gently. "Please do not fear me."
"How do you know my name?" she whispered. "We have never met before."
"We have met once," he assured her. "On a lonely mountain, outside of a cave, that was where you found me."
Lien blinked as the implications sunk in. "You're...but you're not...you can't possibly!"
"And yet I am," said the man, with a smile. "It takes more than cutting off my head to kill me, Lien."
A million questions flitted through Lien's mind, but she could not voice any of them. Finally - "Wha... who are you?"
Said he, "I am Aegaratt, dragon god. I have long searched for someone strong and brave enough to wed. For that reason, I traveled the land while pretending to be an evil monster. Lien, you are the greatest warrior I have ever met. You once knew me as a vicious dragon. I come to you now as a man, asking if you will be my wife."
He held out his hand to her. Lien looked at him for a moment, thinking carefully. "If we were to marry, what would become of me?" she asked. "Would you carry me away, never to see my father or my home again?"
"Never," said Aegaratt. "If you wish it, I would live here forever with you."
"When I fought you," said she, "a hunting dog fought just as bravely as I did. Would you abandon that dog and throw it out on the street, because it ripped off your scales?"
"Never," Aegaratt said again. "The dog fought valiantly for you. For being such a loyal companion, I would see that it was well-cared for, as long as it lived."
"Last of all," said Lien, "I still have the sword I used to cut off your head. I wielded it as if it were a part of my own arm. If we were to marry, would you have me hide that sword away and pretend that I never used it for my victory?"
"Never!" cried Aegaratt. "Why would I ever ask you to do such a thing? Have you hide away your victory? If I would have you do anything, it would be to hang the sword on the wall, so that you could tell your tale to anyone you pleased!"
Lien smiled and took his hand. "You are powerful, Aegaratt, but you are good and kind. Let us be married and find a home in this village."
"With the dog and your sword," he said, taking her in his arms. "Oh Lien, my beautiful, clever Lien! Your spirit shall live forever!"
"She had no sooner touched the spindle when the magic curse was fulfilled, and she pricked herself in the finger. The instant that she felt the prick she fell onto a bed that was standing there, and she lay there in a deep sleep." - Little Briar Rose
---
Any decision, no matter how great or small, affects one's fortune.
Once upon a time, a beautiful young girl learned that the hard way.
Thinking herself very clever for it, she ran away from her island home. Through some means or another, she found her way in a strange, new country.
With no money or friends, she was forced to live on the streets. There, she fell in with other people under similar circumstances. They were cold, with cruel eyes. With them, she was left miserable.
She huddled on a street corner one evening, when a young man walked by. Taking pity on her, he brought her home and cared for her.
With that one chance meeting, her fortune changed.
But those with cruel eyes continued to watch her.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (B)
"And with that," said Natalia, "my fortune-telling is complete. Are you satisfied?"
"That really was impressive!" said Toris. "I've never seen anything like that before. But what you just showed me... your pendant..."
"What of it?" Natalia dismissively asked. She knew what it was that had him so worked up. No sooner had they set off at dawn for Lien's village than she took the pendant from her pocket, turned it over, and showed it to him. Though the pendant had mostly been sculpted by clay, the back had a strange crystalline sheen. As Toris stared at it, he saw the events of Lien's adventure play out.
The two had used the pendant to watch the entire story unfold. For whatever reason, Natalia insisted they remain out of sight, even when in the village. They stood behind a run-down house for most of the day and all of the night, watching the fate of Arthur and the meeting between Lien and Aegaratt. When it was over, Natalia had quickly reclaimed the pendant and seemed more than a little smug at how overwhelmed Toris was.
"May I ask you how the pendant does that?" Toris asked, as Natalia hung it around her neck.
"No, you may not."
"Ah."
The pair were quiet for several minutes. Finally, "So, what next?" Toris asked.
"What do you mean, 'what next'?" Natalia replied. "The fortune-telling is over, as I said. You can go do whatever you want. I have business to attend to."
"Business?"
"Are you hard of hearing?"
"I - I mean, what sort of business?"
"Why do you ask so many questions?" snapped Natalia. "Am I really the only interesting thing for you to bother with?"
"I think you are, yes," said Toris. "Very interesting, I mean. Not the only interesting thing. I mean I - I could probably find other things. I just really am interested in you, and -"
"Oh, be silent," Natalia growled. "If it means that much to you, you may come with me and watch."
"Thank you!" said Toris, grinning so broadly that Natalia could make it out even in the dark. "I will not trouble you at all!"
She snorted, but said nothing to this but, "You will have to wait several hours. The person I must find is not yet awake, it looks."
"Several hours is not so long," said Toris. "We can pass the time by telling each other -"
"No talking."
And so they passed those hours in complete silence.
The villagers rose with the sun. It was not long before the streets were crowded with people running this way and that, planning for the celebration in honor of Lien.
Natalia paid none of this any mind. She marched determinedly through the mess, scanning the vendor carts that lined the roads.
"What are we looking for?" asked Toris. The crowd seemed to make him skittish, and it was all he could do to keep up with the fortune teller.
"'We' are not looking for anything."
"Then what are you looking for?"
"A merchant selling jewelry." Natalia frowned, still focusing on the carts. "It must be a traveling one. Not a store here."
"You mean like that one?" Toris asked, pointing towards a cart down the street.
It was a rickety thing, so warped and creaky that it was a wonder its owner got it from one town to another in one piece. It was stocked with the most unusual trinkets imaginable - toys, baubles, and of course jewelry.
"How did I miss that?" Natalia muttered. "Fine." She ran towards it, leaving Toris to catch up.
---
The vendor was silent as they approached him. He sat propped against the cart, limp and unmoving. A large, circular hat decorated his head, dipped at an angle that obscured his face. He did not look unlike a large mushroom.
"I suppose we should make sure he isn't dead," Natalia deadpanned, upon seeing how unresponsive the merchant was.
"I'm sure he's not dead," said Toris. "He is likely just sleeping."
"Very nearly right," said the merchant, speaking suddenly. "I was meditating. It is a strenuous activity, which requires complete silence, stillness, and relaxation on my part."
"Then there is little difference between that and sleep," said Natalia, with a sniff.
"Sleep rejuvenates the body. Meditation heals the body and soul. And my soul has been... troubled, as of late."
"How terrible for you," replied Natalia, waving her hand dismissively. "I have questions I need you to answer."
The merchant smiled peacefully. "I will answer all I know, but not right now."
"Excuse me?"
"Trade is my business, my friend. If you wish for information, I must ask for information in exchange."
"In other words, payment in kind," Toris cut in.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (D)
"Precisely," said the merchant. He turned and looked Natalia up and down. "You are not what I expected a fortune teller to be, however it must be the case -"
"How do you know that?" Natalia snapped. "Who told you I was a fortune teller?"
"Erm, Natalia? He may want payment for that as well," Toris whispered.
"Indeed," said the merchant. He looked pleased that Toris caught on so quickly.
Natalia snorted at this. "What sort of information do you want as payment?"
"Oh! Forgive me for not being clear." The merchant gave a low bow, somehow managing not to lose his balance from the giant hat. "I wish for this young lady to read my fortune, and advise me on a matter that has been troubling me."
"Absolutely not," said Natalia, turning to leave.
Toris caught her by the arm. "Why will you not do it?" he whispered.
Natalia begrudgingly admired his courage, or at least that he was not afraid of dying. Greater men than he did not dare to touch her. "I do not frivolously tell fortunes for anyone who asks," she said, snatching her arm away.
"But he has the information you need!"
"He says he does. For all we know, it's useless."
"But suppose it isn't? Aren't you looking for something very important to you? How is it worse to tell a fortune than to miss a valuable clue?"
He had a point, though she hated to admit it. Scowling, she turned back to the merchant.
"Very well," said Natalia. "If that is what it will take for you to speak, so be it." She took his hand in hers, with more gentleness than she'd shown at any point prior. Her eyes turned slightly glassy as she gazed upon him. "What is it you wish to know?" she whispered.
Kiku Honda was the merchant's name, and he traveled the world for his trade. He had peddled bolts of silk in every color imaginable and spices of every conceivable flavor. He had acquired objects that were common, and some so rare he could hardly believe he held them in his hands. With all of the places he'd been to and all of the wonders he had beheld, Kiku thought that there was nothing left in the world that could possibly befuddle him.
And yet, three days ago, he encountered such a thing.
He had been traveling all day, until he entered a certain forest in a certain country. He found nothing odd about any of this at first. He had traveled through more forests than he could count, and this one seemed perfectly normal. A bit more quiet than most but he was a quiet man himself and found this appealing.
After traveling for some time, he grew weary and knew he would have to stop for the night. It was not the first time Kiku had ever had to go without the comforts of four walls and a bed while he slept, so it did not bother him in the slightest to tie his cart securely to the nearest tree and make himself comfortable on the ground.
But when he closed his eyes... that was when everything went strange. ---
"Is that it?" asked Natalia. "I'd think you could figure out for yourself that dreams can be strange. Do you really need a fortune teller for that?"
"Forgive me. We are not yet at the part that is strange," said Kiku. "Please, will you allow me to continue?"
"Not much point in refusing you now," Natalia replied. "Continue." ---
That night, Kiku dreamed of a man. There was nothing about the man that seemed out of the ordinary. He was dressed simply, with neatly-combed blond hair and a pair of spectacles delicately balanced on his nose.
Though Kiku stood right next to this man, he gave no sign of seeing the merchant. Instead, the man began to walk at a calm, steady pace through the forest.
Kiku began to follow the man without a second thought. Perhaps the man was just that compelling, or perhaps it was the sort of strange whim that strikes all dreamers. Whatever the case, Kiku believed it to be vitally important that he not let the man out of his sight.
This went on for some amount of time, with the man going wherever he was going and Kiku following after. The man stuck to the path the entire time. They eventually reached a place where the road they walked on curved suddenly, and here the man began to stray off of the road.
Well! Kiku had no idea what to make of this! He walked more quickly, determined not to lose sight of the man. Not now, not when the road was behind them and he could so easily be lost! In spite of his efforts though, the merchant found it nearly impossible to watch the man. The trees grew closer together the father in they went, and Kiku found himself constantly brushing branches and leaves out of his face. Finally, after making his way around a particularly difficult tree, he realized that he could no longer see the blond man.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (F)
Kiku's heart began to pound. He was lost in the forest, with no clue how to go back or how to press on. His cart had been left behind, and how he had nothing. If he did not do something, he would surely die.
Since nothing useful could be done by just standing in one place, Kiku set off. He would walk until he found the path again, or until he reached the edge of the forest. Either way, he would find his way out.
As he walked, something peculiar began to happen.
His vision began to blur.
Seeing as this was a dream, Kiku did not wonder what was causing his eyesight to fail. Instead, he was irritated that yet another obstacle had come to overcome on his journey. He nearly cursed Fate for conspiring to leave him lost in the forest, but thought better of it. Even his dream-self knew that it never bode well to be ungrateful to Fate.
Even as he pondered what to do though, his eyesight cleared. Every tree, every branch, every leaf stood out perfectly. Everything as it was. Kiku cried out in joy, for now there was nothing to stop him from continuing his search for the blond man.
But the dream was not yet through. As Kiku set forth, he realized that something had changed while he was deprived of his eyesight.
Strung through the forest now were countless colored strings.
They were wound around the branches and tree trunks, taunt and in some unseen pattern. There was nothing unusual about them, besides their location. If they had been wound into spools, Kiku would not have thought twice about them. As it was, they were strung around him as if a large spider had been through the area and Kiku was left wondering where it all came from.
He did not wonder for long though, and quickly took this strange event in stride, as people often do in dreams. Somehow, in his dream-self's mind, it stood to reason that the strings all had to lead somewhere. All he had to do was pick the right one, and he could use it to guide him to where he had to go.
This left the question of which string to choose. There were so many colors, he feared he wouldn't be able to decide! There were ones that shimmered gold and silver, like the bangles and rings and necklaces he peddled. There was a green one that almost perfectly blended in with the plants around him. There were yellows and purples and oranges and blues that reminded him of the clothes he'd sold.
He gazed upon the countless threads, trying to make his decision, when one caught his eye. It was so thin he nearly missed it, but it was there.
It was a string of red thread.
This string, out of all the ones there, commanded Kiku's attention. He had been raised to consider red to be lucky, for it was the color of the sun and it was said that his home country was where the sun rose from every day.
Upon seeing the red string, there was no longer any doubt in his mind which he would choose.
Carefully, he gripped the string in his hands. Though it looked thin and fragile, it was surprisingly strong and did not snap. He followed the string as it wound through the trees, determined to see where it would take him.
And, after so much time passed in this way and that, the string lead Kiku to a clearing.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (G)
The first thing Kiku noticed was that he was not alone. There were two others who were already in the clearing.
The second thing he noticed was that he knew one of the figures already. It was the blond man, who he thought he had lost long ago.
The third thing he noticed was that the string was leading him to the figure he had yet to identify.
Kiku was not sure as to whether or not he should advance towards the pair. The blond man was sitting on the ground, with the other cradled in his lap. The idea of interrupting such an intimate scene made him very uncomfortable. On the other hand, something told him that if he left without investigating further, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Something told his dream self that it was vitally important for him to decipher the riddle of this scene.
He wound the red string around the fingers of his right hand and gripped the remaining length with his left. For some unfathomable reason, it was vitally important that Kiku not lose his grip. Not here, not now! Clutching the string as if it were his life line, he began to follow it to the middle of the clearing.
Kiku drew closer and closer to the two figures. The one resting in the blond man’s lap was clearly asleep, given the deep, steady rhythm of their breathing (His? Hers? It was impossible for Kiku to say).
As he walked even closer, Kiku noticed something stranger yet. The red string led him directly to that third, sleeping stranger. In fact it was wound around his own hand, wrapped around his little finger. As he struggled to make sense of it all, he awoke and -
---
“It was Fate,” Natalia interrupted.
“Excuse me?” asked Kiku.
“That is what your dream meant. You and the sleeping figure in your dream are destined to meet.”
The merchant did not look entirely convinced. “Are you certain? I have never even seen him before I entered the forest.”
Natalia impatiently shook her head. “That doesn’t matter,” she said. “There is something magical about that person, making them reach out. Somehow, they are reaching you while you sleep. You’ve had this dream more than once.”
“Indeed, I have,” said Kiku. He looked impressed. “How did you -”
“That is the way those sorts of things usually go.” Natalia dropped his hand and looked thoughtful. “Do you still have the dreams?”
“I do not. They stopped when I left the forest. But for all three of the nights I traveled through those woods, I did have them.”
“Then that is where your friend is.” She fixed him with a steely look. “Do as I say, and you will learn the meaning of your dreams. You must travel deep into the woods, until you find the stretch of road the blond man led you on. When you reach it, leave the path the way you did in your dream. Wander deeper into the forest, but do not fear getting lost. Fate’s hand will guide you. You will go so deep that no light from either the sun or moon can shine through the trees. Eventually, you will reach a clearing where the moon can be clearly seen. There, you will find your answers.”
“Domo arigatto, honorable fortune teller,” said Kiku, bowing deeply to her.
“Save your ‘thank you’s,” snapped Natalia. “Tell me what I wish to know. Then, we shall be even.”
“As the honorable fortune teller wishes. What shall I tell you?”
“First,” said Natalia, “I wish to know who sold you this!” She pulled out the sunflower pendant and held it out so Kiku could see it properly. “Spare no details on the transaction. I want to know exactly who this person was. Second, I wish to know who told you I was a fortune teller!”
Kiku looked pleased. “Nothing can be easier, for the two people you speak of are one and the same! I was told about your talent by the figure who sold me the pendant."
“I see,” said Natalia. “And this person was…?”
"I truly do not know. The person kept themselves cloaked and spoke to me in a low voice. I could not tell if they were man, woman, adult, or child. All they told me was that there was a young woman in the next village over, with pale skin and hair like snow. They said I might be fortunate enough to meet her soon and if I did, I was to be sure to ask her if there was anything I wished to know. I found this information intriguing, though I mostly kept it to myself."
"Come away, O human child!/ To the waters and the wild/ With a faery, hand in hand,/ For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand." - The Stolen Child
---
It was an act of fate that gave a little girl a gift she could not control or understand.
She did not know why she saw flashes of things whenever she touched the hand of another.
All she knew was that the more people spoke to her, the more sense the images made. So she talked to everyone, as often as she could.
She spoke the most to her family, and thus knew quite a lot as to what would happen to them. She was able to tell her father where game could be found in the forest. She was able to tell her mother when to bring in the washing before it would rain. She was able to tell her brother and sister which mushrooms would make them ill, which tree branches were safe to climb, whether or not they'd be scolded for something when they came home.
Her mother and father dismissed it as coincidence. At best, they thought that she was a precocious child who was more observant than most. They said it only meant she would do great things when she grew up, being the clever girl that she was.
She knew it was something different, but did not press the matter.
Her life was happy. The only thing that troubled her was when she saw that the fortunes of a person could not possibly be changed. She hated feeling so helpless.
So when she held the hands of her mother and father and saw them wasting away from some illness or another, there was nothing to do but weep.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (B)
The forest was pitch-black. The branches groaned and owls shrieked. Somewhere in the surrounding darkness, creatures could be heard speaking in an unknown tongue. Things crept between the trees, staring at trespassers taking the only safe path through their domain, and licking their lips.
Natalia paid it no heed as she marched down the trail, head held high. Toris kept close behind her, his eyes darting from one side of the path to the other.
"It is a pity we have no light to guide us," he whispered.
"There is no sense in wishing for what we cannot have," Natalia replied.
They were once again blanketed by the silence of the forest. Toris swallowed hard and furtively looked about. He managed a weak smile for his companion. "Suppose we found something to talk about, to pass the time until we find the cabin?"
"I don't know," was the clipped reply. "Suppose we did? What would we talk of?"
"Many things," said Toris. "Where are you from, for instance?"
"Let us talk of other things."
"But why? I wish to know more about you."
"If you insist on being so dull, I shan't speak with you at all."
Toris was glad of the darkness for hiding his face, which was now heating from embarrassment. "Then perhaps you'd prefer to talk to me about that lovely pendant of yours," he suggested.
Natalia's footsteps slowed, and there was a faint rustling as she pulled the sunflower pendant out from under her dress. "What of it?"
"Why is it so important to you?"
"I am a poor traveler, and it is a fine piece of jewelry. And besides, you saw the properties it had. Why would I not consider it valuable?"
"I think it's valuable to you for more reasons than how many coins it would fetch," said Toris. "You recognized it immediately, I know. You knew how to use it. And somehow, I think you'd sooner starve to death than sell it. Please, tell me why that is. It is a pretty thing, but after all, it is only a trinket."
"It is not 'only a trinket'!" Natalia cried out. She raised her voice so suddenly and unexpectedly that Toris jumped and gave a shout. She paid this no mind. "Do not speak of things you have no understanding of!"
"Forgive me," said Toris, regaining his balance. "That was not my intention. But to spare yourself the anger and myself the fear, perhaps you could help me understand it."
Natalia fell silent, and for a moment, it appeared she still refused to answer. Just as Toris gave up hope of learning anything...
"It's handmade by an amateur," she said.
"That? Surely not! Such a thing could only have been made by an expert jeweler! Or else -"
"Pay attention!" she snapped. "You are right. I recognized the pendant the instant I laid eyes on it. There is only one person in the world capable of making such a thing. I ought to know."
"And who is that?" asked Toris, his eyes wide.
Natalia snorted. "Oh no, you shall hear no more from me. Not until you tell me something of yourself, at least."
"Are you really interested in me?"
"Not really, but it does appear that I'm stuck with you. I might as well, with that being the case."
"Oh." Toris scratched his head. "I'm not the most interesting of people..."
"I know that already. Still, you must have at least one thing you could tell me."
"I...Well, I have two brothers!"
"Oh?"
"Yes, though I do not see them as often as I'd like. I love my brothers deeply, but I had to make a choice, and left them to go on my quest."
"I - I see..."
Silence fell once more. This time, however, it was peppered with small noises from Natalia, as if she were clearing her throat to say something. This went on in one way or another for several minutes. Finally, "Why did you leave them?" she asked.
(Fffffu! Still updating, guyz! Sorry! D:) ----------------
There was no reply, and she feared that her companion somehow did not hear her. "Did they want you to leave? Or were they...that is to say...did they not want you to go?"
"Of course they did not want me to go!" Toris said, sounding shocked by the very thought. "What sort of brother wants to see his own family leave?"
"It happens," Natalia murmured, so softly that she was sure Toris could not hear. Louder, she said, "You did not answer me. Why did you leave them?"
"I told you, it was for my quest."
"Which is?"
"Now, now," said Toris, gently. "You have yet to tell me more about yourself. Speak more, and I will answer."
It was now Natalia's turn to be grateful for the darkness, as her cheeks burned. "There's nothing I could possibly say that would be of interest to you!"
"I'm sure you can surprise me. Go on!"
She fussed and she sputtered. Finally however, she spoke. "The pendant was a gift from my older brother," said she. "He made it himself."
"Then your brother is a remarkable craftsman indeed!" Toris exclaimed. "That was generous of him, making you something like that! But tell me, why didn't you have it with you when we first met?"
"Because, I left it at home."
"Why did you leave home? And how do you suppose Kiku came to possess the pendant?"
"I have no clue how that merchant came by it," said Natalia. "I intend to find out."
"If you don't mind my asking -"
"It doesn't matter if I mind or not. You'll ask, regardless."
"Yes," said Toris, with a sigh, "but if you don't mind my asking, why is it so important that you find who this mysterious seller is? Isn't it more important that you have the pendant back now?"
Natalia glared at him. "Why should I tell you that? Now you are the one to owe me information about yourself!"
"Very well," said Toris. "You wanted to know why I left my brothers? It wasn't by choice, certainly. It broke my heart to leave my home, but it had to be done. I...I was betrayed horribly by someone."
"Betrayed?" Natalia tried to sound bored, but could not stop her eyebrows from rising.
"Indeed. And now, I have other option but to go out into the world and see that everything is set right."
Natalia was not sure how to respond to this. She knew that she ought to try imparting some sort of comfort onto Toris, but the best way to do that escaped her. She hadn't had many chances to learn from experience, after all.
She was fortunately saved from the awkward situation when she noticed they were nearing a small house in the woods.
It was a run-down thing, the cottage. Ivy grew along one of the walls and, as the pair drew closer, the wear of many years could be seen on the stones that built it. In spite of the age though, the house stood straight and proud. Whoever built it had clearly been very meticulous. Looking behind the place, Natalia saw a garden. There was limited variety in the crops (they appeared to chiefly be tomatoes and potatoes), but it was just as well-tended as the house appeared to be.
“Do you suppose this is the place Kiku spoke of?” whispered Toris, as he joined Natalia in the garden.
Before Natalia could respond, there was a cry of “Ve! Who are you?!”
The pair turned and beheld the speaker. It was a woman, with hair like autumn leaves that curled ridiculously to one side. She was thin of face and form, but her stomach was swollen in a way both the travelers were familiar with. She was with child and, by the way she looked, it would not be long before the baby was born.
“Ludwig! Ludwig!” cried the woman, hurrying for the cottage. “There are people here and one of them has white hair and Ludwig, help!”
A second later, a man charged out of the cottage and pointed a hunting gun at the pair. “Who are you?” he barked. “What are you doing in our garden?”
“Please sir, we are not here for trouble,” Toris began. “We were merely traveling in the forest, and -”
“You!” snarled Ludwig, pointing the gun at Natalia. “How long have you been in this forest?”
“We began traveling this morning,” she said. She nodded at the cowering woman. “Why is my hair frightening her?”
“My baby, my baby!” the woman wailed. "Don't take my baby!"
“What would I want your baby for?” asked Natalia. She took a step forward.
“Stay where you are!” Ludwig ordered. There was a click from his gun.
A second later, Natalia felt herself being shoved sideways. As she fell to the ground, she saw Toris run past. “No!” she screamed, as Toris grabbed the gun and struggled to pull it from Ludwig’s hands.
She dared not blink, fearing that Toris would be killed the instant she lost sight of him. As she stumbled to her feet though, her companion gave a cry and wrenched the gun away! Before Ludwig could respond, Toris grabbed him around the waist and tackled him to the ground.
“Stop it! Stop it right now!” shouted Natalia, running to them. She struggled to clear her head. Ludwig was shouting threats, Toris was still keeping him well-restrained, and the pregnant woman was now giving an ear-piercing wail.
Natalia grabbed Toris and, with all of her strength, managed to pull him from Ludwig. “ENOUGH!” she screamed, as all four of them moved apart.
All was silent for several seconds, save for the woman’s hiccupping and Ludwig’s gasps. Finally, Natalia decided it was time to put an end to all of the nonsense.
“If my companion and I have offended you in some way, we are sorry,” she said. “We have not been in this forest for long, and you are the first people we’ve seen. We never intended to frighten or harm you. My companion apologizes for what he did.”
“O-oh, yes!” said Toris. “Please forgive me, for I was only acting in defense of my friend!”
“We did not come here for trouble,” Natalia finished. “I only wanted to find the one who sold my pendant.”
As she finished speaking, she pulled the sunflower pendant from under the collar of her dress.
“Ve! So pretty!” gasped the woman.
“I have never seen anything like that before, and I’m sure no one else in our household has either,” said Ludwig, rubbing his throat. “Why do you think we sold it?”
“We have it on the word of the merchant who purchased it that it came from this part of the woods,” said Toris. “Have you seen anyone about? Anyone in a dark cloak, perhaps?”
Ludwig turned to the woman. “Feliciana, go inside,” he said. “See how your sister is.”
“Have you seen the person we seek?” asked Natalia, when Feliciana was inside.
“I have not,” said Ludwig, shaking his head. “There is only one person we have seen in the forest, as of late, and we desperately hope he is not still in these parts.”
“Oh?” asked Toris, shaking slightly. “Who would that be? Not a bandit or cutthroat, I hope?”
“Neither of those. It is a madman who has gone wild living in these parts.”
Toris blinked. “I see.” He turned to Natalia. “Surely that is not the one you’re looking for?”
“Certainly not,” she said. “As if a wild man would come into possession of my pendant, much less have the wits to sell it.”
“I’m sorry I could not be of more help,” said Ludwig. “Do you plan to continue searching the woods?”
“Until I find the one I seek, yes,” Natalia replied.
“In that case, please spend the night here. It is small, I know, but it is shelter. These parts are not safe to travel after dark.”
Toris and Natalia looked at each other and nodded. “Thank you for your kind offer,” said Toris, as Ludwig led them inside.
“Yes, thank you indeed,” said Natalia.
It was no mystery as to why Toris accepted the offer. Natalia could see the fear in her companion’s eyes, and knew he would never want to go through the woods at night.
As for herself…she had reasons of her own to stay.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (D)
It was cool and dark inside of the cottage. It was sparsely decorated with furniture and the room they were in was cramped, but it seemed well cared for.
Ludwig said nothing as he put away his gun. Beside Natalia, Toris twitched and stared around the room. Natalia wondered if silence in general upset him this much, or if it was just the current atmosphere. If it was the former, that at least would explain his constant need to talk.
At that moment, there was a piercing wail.
Toris nearly fell over in his shock. “What was that?!” he cried, as he regained his balance.
Natalia did not wait for questions or answers. She ran in the direction of the wail and the sobs that were following it up. There was something familiar about the crying, and if it was who she thought it was, her quest could be over. After all of this time, she might very well have found them!
And then she entered the next room, the only other one in the cottage, and stopped short. “No,” she whispered.
The place had been set up as the bedroom, with two beds squeezed side by side. A woman lay in in one of the beds, her head in her hands. It was she who had been crying. Kneeling at her bedside were Feliciana and a dark-haired man who was stroking her hair tenderly.
It was not who Natalia was looking for. She should have known it couldn’t possibly have been so easy. But for that one brief moment, she had hoped.
“Ve! Cheer up, Lovina!” said Feliciana, desperately trying to divert the crying woman’s attention. “We have a guest, see? This is Miss Natalia!”
“Why the hell should I care?” Lovina sobbed. “I don’t want to see anyone! Antonio, make her go away!”
Antonio rose from Lovina’s bedside and held out his hand to Natalia. “I’m sorry, but my wife isn’t feeling well right now,” he said, with a nervous chuckle. “Perhaps you would like to wait in the kitchen?”
Natalia ignored him and walked to Lovina. What had happened in the little house was none of her business. The people had no knowledge of where her pendant had come from. They were completely irrelevant to her quest. And yet, as she gazed into Lovina’s tear-soaked eyes, she knew she couldn’t do nothing. Not when she had seen him look at her in such a way before…and the other man…no. There simply was no way she could ignore Lovina’s distress.
“What happened to you?” asked Natalia, kneeling where Antonio had been before. “Please, tell me.”
“What’s the point?” asked Lovina. “Nothing can be done!”
“Allow me to be the judge of that. Will you take my hand?”
“Ve,” gasped Feliciana, “Sorella, she is a fortune teller!”
With a gasp, Lovina dried her tears and held out her hand. As Natalia examined the woman’s palm, she drifted deeper and deeper into the tale…
---
The sisters and their husbands had lived in that house for many years. Through stubbornness and unfortunate circumstances, they never had the opportunity to move to a more prosperous location. The four were tenacious enough to make do though, and so they managed to support themselves.
And then, Lovina learned that she was with child.
There was confusion, of course. The house was small, with no cradle. Where would the infant possibly be able to sleep? How were they to handle the daily workload, especially as they neared the day when Lovina would give birth? How would they find enough food for it, especially if Lovina had to stay inside to care for it? And there was one question that none of them dared to voice: suppose the baby did not survive?
It was not for nothing that the four lived for this long, and they knew they would find a way. Lovina swore right and left that no child of hers would starve or cause trouble or - again, this was never said outright - die on them. Antonio smiled and held her and did whatever he could.
And he did. Whether it was taking his wife’s share of the chores or doing what he could to help her rest, Antonio did what was in his power. Feliciana and Ludwig helped out as they could as well, but they had business of their own preoccupying them - it had not been long after that they learned Feliciana was expecting a child of her own.
The days passed. The baby grew. Before Lovina was fully prepared (though was there ever a mother who was?), it was time for the child to be born.
Amidst the cries and sobs and sweat and blood, the baby came into the world. It was a boy, as fine and healthy as any could hope for. Holding him close, Lovina and Antonio could only weep for joy.
The months passed happily, if busily. Lovina cared for her baby with as much love and devotion as a mother could, while Antonio was as proud a father as there ever was. Things were far from perfect. Lovina was sorely missed, unable to do her share of the housework, and she needed to rest and eat well enough that her body could continue to give milk. The child often fretted in the night, waking everyone, and fell ill for several frightening days. Yet no matter what, Lovina cared for the child as best she could.
But three months after the child was born, disaster struck! She awoke in the middle of the night to see - her baby! Her baby! It was -
“Antonio, what are you babbling about?” Lovina snapped. Tears were running afresh down her face. “I hadn’t finished!”
Antonio hung his head. “Forgive me, my love. I thought…never mind.” He sat at the edge of her bed and held his wife tightly. “I’m sorry for interrupting,” he added, to Natalia. “I heard from Ludwig that you and your friend have been traveling since this morning. Perhaps you and your friend would like to rest in the other room, until things settle?”
The hospitality of the family was impressive. In spite of how run-down everything was, Ludwig saw to it that Natalia and Toris had the best chairs in the house. The chairs were as rickety as everything else, little better than a bundle of sticks, but the care put into the gesture made them grander than any throne.
As Natalia and Toris rested in the corner, Ludwig set about fixing dinner. The pair watched as he was joined by Antonio, who had no doubt calmed Lovina as best he could.
“There is not enough meat,” they heard Antonio murmur, as he searched their shelves, his forehead creased. “Few vegetables, too. Ludwig, at this rate, we may not -”
“Nein,” hissed Ludiwg, casting a worried glance at the guests. “It will be fine.”
Dinner proved that Antonio’s concerns were not unfounded, in Natalia’s opinion. There was a stew that consisted mainly of water and a piece of bread for each of them. The food was cooked to perfection, and Natalia could never remember eating anything more delicious, however there was so little of it that it was a wonder the family hadn’t starved yet. Natalia thought back to what Lovina told her, and privately agreed with the family’s concerns. There was hardly enough food in each serving to nourish a healthy adult. How could it possibly also feed a hungry baby?
Ludwig and Antonio were the only ones who dined with Natalia and Toris. Antonio apologized for the absence of the others, but their wives were feeling unwell. Lovina was still recovering from her shock from the fortune telling. As for Feliciana, between the sheepish explanations from Antonio and the meaningful glances he gave to Ludwig, Natalia suspected there would be an eight person staying in the house, before very long.
The four ate in silence. Natalia did not - could not - know what hardships her hosts faced. What could she say to them? Their business was their own business. She considered asking again about the seller of her pendant, but her own concerns were frivolous at the moment…
“How long have you lived hear?” asked Toris.
Ludwig and Antonio looked at him. By the looks on their faces, hearing Toris speak shocked them out of their reveries.
Toris blushed, clearly not having thought how he’d now be the center of attention. “I-I just meant, it’s not too close to any town, and in the middle of the woods, and you know -”
“Nein, it’s alright,” said Ludwig. “I know what you mean. This house has been in our wives’ family since their grandfather’s time. He built it himself, and his granddaughters have never lived anywhere else.”
“Really?” asked Toris. “It seems so out-of-the way here! Forgive me for prying, but how did the four of you meet?”
“His grandfather,” said Antonio, nodding at Ludwig. “We grew up in the same village, Ludwig and I. His grandfather took us hunting in these woods, and we stumbled upon the cabin when we got lost.” He rubbed his head and chuckled. “As it turned out, his grandfather and our wives’ grandfather were old friends. Imagine that! And from then on, we would sneak out to visit them…” He trailed off, giving a soft sigh.
“It seems quite dangerous out here, though,” commented Natalia. “Have you never thought to live elsewhere?”
Somewhere without wild men waiting to kidnap their children. The unsaid sentence hung in the air.
“We never had a chance to move,” Ludwig finally said, shaking his head. “And in any case, Feliciana and Lovina don’t want to live anywhere else.”
“It is their home,” Antonio added. “They were born and raised here. There’s too many happy memories for them to just run off.”
Ludwig snorted and glared at his meal.
“Do you not agree with them, Ludwig?” asked Toris.
“Ah, pay him no mind,” said Antonio, cheerfully. “The poor fool doesn’t know the joy of good memories. Hit his head on that hunting trip and can’t remember much of his childhood. Being cared for by Feliciana is the only good thing to come out of it, rea -”
“Antonio, enough!” Ludwig barked at his brother-in-law. With a sigh, he turned to Toris. “I know she loves this cottage, but I wish Feliciana would agree to live somewhere else. These woods simply are not safe, and with our child on the way…”
“What happened was not your fault,” said Antonio.
“It was. You saw the wild man. You warned us. I could have done so much more to board the windows and door.”
Natalia looked up from her dinner, her attention caught by the talk of the wild man. “You saw it, Antonio? What did it look like?”
“Eh?” Antonio muttered, looking surprised at her interest. “I did not get a good look. He moved so quickly through the forest, I didn’t see him for very long.”
“But you must have seen something!”
Antonio scratched his ear and screwed up his face. “He was very pale,” he finally said. “And…he had hair like snow.”
“Do not forget the red eyes,” Ludwig added. “You would not stop babbling about those, Antonio.”
“I see.” Natalia scratched her chin, taking this all in. Such a strange man haunted this forest, by the sound of things. “And do you remember at all when he -”
But she was never able to finish her question, for at that moment, a shrill cry came from the bedroom. When it finally died down, there were further shouts of “Ludwig! Ludwig! Help!” and “Antonio! Potato-loving fool! Come here quickly and help Feliciana!”
“We’ll wait here,” said Natalia, as the husbands leaped to their feet.
“Call us if you need help,” Toris added, as they hastily excused themselves and ran in the direction of the shouts.
“Well,” said Toris, when they were the only two left in the room. “This certainly has been an interesting evening, hasn’t it?”
Natalia snorted. The boy wasn’t able to hide the quaver in his voice. Even if it was too dark to see for certain, she was sure he’d gone pale at the sound of the cries. “Are you that upset by loud sounds?” she asked.
“Not that so much,” said Toris. He fidgeted with his bowl, staring at the miniscule amount left and avoiding Natalia’s gaze. “I…I just cannot stand cries of agony like that. When I hear someone shouting in pain, I feel the urge to run to them and ease their suffering.”
“And how much success do you have with that?”
“Differing amounts. Some are not as happy to have my help as others.” Toris looked at her. “But enough of my anxieties. What about you?”
“Me?”
“There is no reason for you to be here. You learned what you needed and could have gone on. These people have nothing to do with your quest, so why are you so interested?”
“I…” Now it was Natalia’s turn to glare at the tabletop, furious at the heating of her cheeks. “What do my motivations matter?”
“None at all,” said Toris, shrugging. “I was simply curious, given how you’ve been acting thus far.”
From the doorway, they heard Feliciana’s cries, mixed with Ludwig’s shouts of encouragement and Lovina and Antonio’s garbled directions. The screams of the mother-to-be made her feel immense pity for Feliciana, but it were the latter sounds that truly drew her attention. The “I’m here!”s and the “Bring me such-and-such”es and, most prominent of all, the “What are we to do?”s all mingled in the air, stirring up memories that she thought she’d long put to rest.
“I…I wondered if the wild man might have had something to do with my quest,” she said. Inside herself, she winced. She hadn’t meant to admit what she was beginning to tell. But Toris was the only one to hear and, to her surprise, she found the idea of him hearing everything not so unpleasant. “A man who had gone insane. A powerful, crazed man. I didn’t want to think it so, but I would have pursued this wild man if I thought he was the one I sought.”
“But you said he wasn’t,” said Toris. “So why -”
“Feliciana’s cries,” answered Natalia. “Remember when we first came here? Her screams of fear…her cries over her baby…she truly believed her child was in danger.”
“And you wanted to prevent that?”
In the bedroom, Feliciana’s screams began to ebb. Ludwig’s voice became more prominent as he did his best to keep her calm. It broke Natalia’s heart.
“To take away one’s child, to steal it in the dead of night, to kill it in cold blood,” she whispered, “I think those are the most despicable things one could do.”
She glanced at Toris and saw his face drawn up in…pity? Sympathy? A mixture of the two? What in all the world?! How dare he look at her like that? In that one instant, Natalia forgot any thoughts about confiding with Toris. He knew nothing of her life, and yet he thought he could empathize? He knew nothing! How dare he?! She did not need pity or sympathy or any other emotion he could possibly provide.
“That is quite enough of that, in any case,” she snapped.
“Forgive me,” murmured Toris, his forehead creasing. No doubt she confused him with her outburst, but Natalia did not care. What he thought did not matter. He did not matter.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (F)
The night passed, and the cries of the four in the bedroom began to die out. No sooner had they, than they were replaced by wailing from someone else. Someone whose screams and sobs were gracing the world for the first time.
“The baby!” said Toris, running to the bedroom. “Natalia, come! Let us give our blessings!”
“What blessings have we to give?” Natalia asked. Still, she followed after.
By the light of the lamp within the bedroom, Natalia could make out the bloodstains on the bed sheets. She saw Antonio busily cleaning as best he could, before taking the remains out to be buried.
Lying on the bed was Feliciana. Her face was coated with sweat and she was panting furiously, but she smiled as she held her baby close.
“Ve…” she whispered. “It’s a little girl.”
Ludwig, who knelt at the bedside, squeezed his wife’s hand and nodded. Natalia suspected that if he tried to speak, he would burst into tears.
Toris stepped forward for a closer look. “She’s healthy and strong,” he said with a smile. “She has a long life ahead of her.”
“Really and truly?” asked Antonio, his face shining with wonder.
“I believe so, yes.”
Feliciana and Lovina cried and held each other and their husbands and the baby. Natalia suspected that they'd have held her and Toris as well, but she stepped back just far enough to make her views on such actions clear.
Not long after, Ludwig managed to compose himself well enough to order everyone to bed. It had been a long day, he said, and Feliciana needed her rest. The baby needed its rest as well.
The child was cleaned, bundled in blankets, and tucked into a crude but sturdy cradle set in between the beds of the two couples. Lovina took one look at the baby sleeping there and turned her face to the wall.
Natalia understood why. A cradle like that would have taken months of craftsmanship. No doubt, it had been started some time before Feliciana even learned she was pregnant.
The fortune-teller looked at Toris, who nodded sadly. They both knew whose baby the cradle had originally been carved for.
Natalia slept restlessly that night, though this was nothing new. Her dreams were haunted by things she saw and things that would be and things that she stole from the memories of those she did readings for. When she woke in the middle of the night, for the few brief moments she could recall her chaotic dreams, she often could not remember if certain bits and pieces were hers or someone else's. Some may not have been, but she desperately wished they were. Some she knew belonged to her, as much as she wished otherwise.
It was not her dreams that woke her that night, however. She woke, gasping and shifting through her muddled head, trying to make sense of the ones she searched for and the last night she saw them both and the mob descending on that poor man and the little girl's body and someone was creeping through the house.
She dared not move a muscle as she tracked the figure's movement out of the corner of her eye. She and Toris had been given blankets and space to sleep in front of the dying embers in the fireplace, so she had a good view of the room. The figure was creeping out of the bedroom, and appeared to be holding something in its arms.
Natalia had half a second to pray that the figure was not holding what she thought it was. Then, the bundle shifted and began to wail, and yet again in her life, her prayers had been in vain.
"Stop this instant!" she screamed, leaping to her feet. "Baby-snatcher! Madman! GIVE THE CHILD BACK!"
Next to her, she heard Toris sit upright with a cry. "Natalia?!" he called.
But Natalia knew there was no time to waste. The figure had already fled for the door, the child still clutched in its arms.
"Hurry if you're coming!" she shouted at Toris before running for the door.
It was chilly outside at night, and in the back of her mind, Natalia was grateful that she had decided to sleep with all of her clothes on, including her boots. Most of her attention, however, was on the faint outline of the figure. It was running into the woods and if it got much farther away, it could be lost for good.
Natalia could never let that happen.
With all of her strength, Natalia ran after the figure. Somewhere behind her, she heard Toris call out. She had no choice but to leave him. If he could keep up, she would welcome his help. But if she waited for him, she might forever lose the chance to find the monster.
She did hope Toris would keep up. But if he could not, she would think of something to do when she caught the child-stealer.
Through the woods the shadowy form ran, the baby clutched tightly in its grasp. It moved quickly, but Natalia was just as fleet of foot and kept pace. Off the path, winding through trees, past rocks and stumps and everything else, it all was a blur! She screamed no curses, nor voiced any threats. All Natalia could think of was that tiny thing in the monster's arms, and how much more time it might have before its kidnapper grew bored and tossed it aside.
And then, she tripped.
An exposed tree root caught her foot. She did not fall, but stumbled and was forced to slow to catch herself. By the time she regained her balance, the shadowy being was lost in the darkness.
She cursed her luck. She blinked back tears. She didn't dare give up, but was at the brink of screaming in frustration.
“Natalia!” a familiar voice hissed. A moment later, Toris crept to her side, having caught up at last. “The others are coming, but I think we were separated as we ran. Where's – ack!”
“Hush,” whispered Natalia, gripping Toris's arm tightly.
Who could say how long they stood there, the traveler and the fortune teller, their eyes gazing through the darkness. Their ears strained for the slightest clue of which way to go. All was horribly, horribly silent, and Natalia nearly gave up hope. Then, Toris gently tugged his arm free and put his hand on her shoulder and while it let her feel how badly he was shaking, it was warm and comforting and helped her feel something that may have been courage.
It was while those feelings flooded through her that Natalia heard it. The gently, faint sounds of a baby's cries.
Carefully, so very carefully, Natalia took Toris by the hand and lead him in the direction of the wailing. They walked slowly, carefully, quietly, until they saw it. The shadowy kidnapper, crouched over its prey.
The baby was still wrapped in its blankets, whimpering for her mother. Natalia knew those cries, the anguished siren for someone to love and protect and come. What she did not know – did not expect – was what she heard next.
“Los pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío...cuando tienen hambre cuando tienen frío. La gallina busca el maíz y el trigo... les da la comida y les presta abrigo.”
The soft strains of the lullaby drifted from the shadow, as he tried to rock the child to sleep. And though it didn't work, he kept at it all the same. For though this shadow was a child-stealing monster, some of his heart must have held the sunshine Natalia once beheld in him.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (G)
But there was no time for wondering over such things. Without taking her eyes off of the shadow, Natalia crouched down and found a large stick. As the figure sang, she drew closer.
"Bajo de sus alas, acurrucaditos ¡duermen los pollitos hasta el otro día!"
He did not even turn as she came within reach, though she was sure he could sense her presence. “Put down the child,” she said. “We will take her back to her mother. Run far, far away and never let us catch you again. It is the only thing you can do now that will let you live.”
Upon hearing those words, the shadow did stand up. He turned and gave Natalia a beautiful smile.
“But if I leave,” said Antonio, “who will care for Lovina?”
“Do you think this is caring?” Natalia spat. “You broke her heart! What you did was unspeakable! Your own child, Antonio! You killed your own baby!”
“No,” whispered Toris, somewhere behind Natalia. “No, you didn't!”
Antonio had decency enough to look ashamed. “I did. I had no choice.”
“How could you say that?” hissed Natalia. It took every ounce of her strength not to completely lose all self-control. “There is always a choice!”
“Not here,” said Antonio. “Have you seen how we live? How little food there is? If we kept the baby, Lovina would have starved to death. And I could never have let that happen.”
“Suppose Lovina chose to starve for her baby?” asked Toris. “What then, Antonio? What then?”
Antonio paused. It took, a moment for Natalia to realize that he simply could not comprehend that question. Finally, “I could never let Lovina die,” he said.
“Monster!” breathed Natalia. She stepped forward, thinking only of putting her hands around his throat.
But the man had other ideas. His free hand flew to his belt. A second later, a kitchen knife gleamed in the moonlight.
“Natalia, be careful!” Toris cried.
Natalia would not have been deterred, if it were merely her he aimed for. But instead, he pointed the blade at the bundle sobbing in his arms.
And in that instant, Natalia swore she felt the ground fall from under her.
“I didn't mean for it to be so painful,” whispered Antonio. “I tried to hold off for as long as I could, after Lovina had that baby. I spread the story of the wild man to cover, you see, but it was months before I worked up the resolve. I was a fool. She grew too attached. I promised myself I would not make the same mistake with Felicianna's child. She has only known the baby for a few hours. Her pain will be far less. And as for you,” he added, looking directly at Natalia and Toris for the first time, “You will be lost forever in these woods. I'm so sorry, so very sorry, but your bones will be together for all -”
That was as far as Natalia had patience to listen. With a scream, she rushed at him. Toris was at her side in an instant, tugging at Antonio's knife hand, trying desperately to wrench the weapon from his grip. Natalia herself focused on the baby, ripping the child from his grip and curling her body protectively around it.
“Enough!” shouted Antonio. All of his sunny cheer was gone with the child. Perhaps it occurred to him, for the first time, that he might not be able to get away with his crimes. “Away with you!” he said, trying to shove Toris to the ground.
But Toris did not fall easily. He clung to Antonio's wrist, even as the madman twisted and pulled. Natalia felt the fear build in he chest, for she knew it would take only a moment for Antonio to free himself, and then Toris would be in a very dangerous position. “Toris,” she called, “get out of there!”
“What?” he asked, turning to her.
In that moment of distraction, Antonio pulled himself free. He struck Toris across the face, dazing Natalia's companion and making him fall to the ground. Then, he turned to Natalia herself. “And now, Senorita Fortune-teller,” he said, walking to her, knife outstretched. “I'm afraid this must end now.”
There was nothing Natalia could think to say. There was nothing she could think to do, other than back away and cling as protectively as she could to the child.
Antonio raised the knife. “Please understand, I really am sor -”
He was cut off as a horrific roar ripped through the air. Natalia could only make out a pale form throw itself from the shadows, before she was knocked back against Toris. Toris threw his arms around her to steady her, and by the time both were on their feet, the fight was nearly over. The being, human in shape, held Antonio against a tree, its fingers curled around his throat. It was white, so white, save for a patch of red that seeped from its side. The thing showed no pain or fear. It simply growled as it tightened its grip.
“No,” gasped Antonio. “Impossible!” He glanced at the bloodied knife that fell to the ground, to his niece, nestled in the grass and sobbing, and finally to the thing that held him still. “I-I only...”
Whatever Antonio only wanted, they would never find out. His breath slowed. His eyes rolled back in his head. His body stilled.
When he was released, he fell to the base of the tree, as limp and lifeless as a puppet with no strings.
Ignoring the blood pouring from the wound in its side, the figure turned to face Natalia. She stared the red eyes of this being, the true wild man of the forest, and knew what it wanted.
“Come,” she said to Toris.
“What?”
“He wants us to follow.”
“But Natalia, he just -”
“Saved the baby and ourselves. If he wanted to kill us, he could kill us. But he wants us to follow, so we shall do so.”
"My wicked mother slew me/ My dear father ate me/ My little brother whom I love/ Sits below, and I sing above/ Stick, stock, stone dead." - The Rose Tree
------------------------------
She thought she could always depend on them to care for her after her parents died, but eventually they drove her out of the house. When she found her way back, there was nothing to her home but an empty shell. She was all alone in the world.
Terrified and alone, she wandered until she found herself in a nearby town. She wandered the streets, crying and wondering what would become of her, when she met a girl with hair as black as ebony and eyes that reminded her of the ocean.
Upon hearing her plight, the strange girl took her home. There, she was introduced to a kind man who took the girl in. Everything was explained, and the man took pity on her and raised her as his own.
For some time, she lived with the kind man and the strange girl. She loved them as her own family, but the happiness was not to last. Once again, she found herself turned onto the street, without guardian or home.
And this time, she felt it had been in her power to prevent it.
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Ensamble - Belarus as a Fortune Teller
(Anonymous) 2012-12-06 01:36 am (UTC)(link)Tell me a tale of the fortune teller Natalia and the heroes that have passed by her humble home.
This is a really open ended prompt, she doesn't even have to be a major character in whatever plot bunny that pops into A!Anon's head. I just really want to see her tell someone's fortune
I-Will-Love-You-Even-After-The-World-Ends-Bonus: Fairy tale style! (I love myths, legends, and folk tales, and all the fics I see with that style make me squeal with glee. I need more.)
Bonus 2: She always refuses the first time someone asks for a fortune.
Re: Ensamble - Belarus as a Fortune Teller
(Anonymous) 2012-12-07 05:50 am (UTC)(link)Re: Ensamble - Belarus as a Fortune Teller
(Anonymous) 2012-12-07 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (A)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-11 01:58 am (UTC)(link)--------------------------
"In Fukien, the Yung mountain range towered to a height of many miles at the peaks. A giant serpent, which inhabited a cleft in the northwest part of these mountains, had terrorized the people of the region for nearly a decade. Wider than the span of ten hands and over seventy feet long, the monster was unappeased by offerings of oxen or sheep, and already many officers and magistrates from nearby town had been killed." - Li Chi Slays the Serpent
---
Fortune, Luck, Favor - call it what you will, it is a difficult sea to navigate. A single choice, an act of serendipity, a meeting, a word, or anything else could change it from good to ill. There are few who know the ways to turn for the best fortune.
Once upon a time, a girl by the name of Natalia could do just that.
---
In a town far from her home, at an inn she did not bother to know the name of, she rested. She had traveled far, so very far that day, and knew that there would almost certainly be even more distance to cover in the days ahead.
She did not care how long or how far she had to go. The most precious parts of her life were missing. She had to find them.
As she pondered where next to search, her gaze raked over the other visitors at the inn. The town was located near a well-traveled trading route, so people of many different backgrounds gathered there. No one thought it odd if they saw a young woman like her, with white hair and dark, purple eyes. Nobody stared.
But no, that was not true. One person was staring. Or rather, one person was heading towards her, with intense focus.
It was a woman who approached her, with long black hair and an unusually stern expression on her face. "Excuse me!" the woman said. "Is your name Natalia?"
Natalia - for that was indeed her name - gave the woman a bored look. "And if it is?"
"If you are Natalia, I am in need of your help."
"And what makes you think I could possibly help you with anything?"
"Because," said the woman, "I understand that you are a fortune teller."
Several seats down, there was a clatter as a young man nearly fell off of his barstool. It took him several minutes to steady himself. "Oh, excuse me," he said sheepishly, when he noticed the two women staring at him. "I'm afraid that took me by surprise."
"Stop listening in," said Natalia.
"Are you really a fortune teller?" the man asked, either not hearing what she said, or ignoring it completely.
"She is!" said the woman.
"How are you so certain of that?" asked Natalia.
"That does not matter," the woman replied. "You must read my fortune!"
Natalia turned away. "I will not. I have difficulties of my own, and I intend to deal with them before I am bothered with anyone else's."
The woman's eyes widened. "No! Please! You must help me!"
"I do not."
"Perhaps you should help her," said the young man, pulling his chair closer. "It surely can not be so difficult to read a fortune."
Natalia huffed. "That is none of your business."
"I beg of you!" cried the woman. "My entire village may die if you do not!"
"There! Did you hear that?" asked the young man, looking stricken. "Miss Natalia, would you just sit there and let an entire village be killed?"
Natalia glared at the man. "If Mister -"
"Toris Lorinaitis, ma'am,"
"If Mister Toris Lorinaitis would like to keep his limbs intact, he will never call me things such as 'Miss Natalia' or 'ma'am' again. Does Mister Toris Lorinaitis understand?"
Toris paled, but managed a nod.
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (B)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-11 02:03 am (UTC)(link)"Well," said the woman, "if it's a matter of payment..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out something bundled in a handkerchief, which she carefully laid it on the table for Natalia to inspect.
It was a pendent, hung on a length of rope. Natalia could see it was in remarkably good condition for something owned by a person who had clearly been outdoors for some time. Upon picking it up for closer inspection, she saw that the pendant had been molded in the shape of a sunflower.
"Is it enough?" asked the woman, when Natalia said nothing. "It is the most valuable thing I own, I'm afraid."
"The craftsmanship is extraordinary," said Natalia. "Where did you get this?"
"I bought it from a merchant who passed through the village not so many days ago," said the woman. "He had many things for sale like that."
"I see." The fortune teller pocketed the pendant. "It is settled."
"You'll read her fortune?" gasped Toris.
Natalia gave him a sharp look, before turning to the woman. "The fortune of the future is shaped by the circumstances of the past," she said, taking the woman's hands into her own. "Tell me the events that led to your finding me."
"Y-yes!" said the woman, evidently started by how abruptly they were beginning. "My name is Lien, and I have come from a small village near the mountains..."
---
Lien was a small child when her parents died of some illness or another. She never learned the details, because the rest of her village considered it bad luck to talk about such things.
This did not trouble Lien in the slightest. She had been so young when her parents died that she could hardly remember them. She did not love or hate them. She simply did not think of them in one way or another. Instead, the one she loved best was the man who took her in.
Her foster father was one of the few foreigners in the village. He came from a land where the people had paler skin, with hair as golden as the sun and eyes as blue as the sky. He came to the village with nothing but the clothes on his back and his name - Francis Bonnefoy. In spite of this, he worked hard and soon was named the town magistrate.
Francis was a good man. He loved the village and he loved Lien. He did everything in his power to care well for both. But for all his kindness, there was nothing he could do when the dragon came.
No one knew from where the monster hailed. It was not even known when, exactly, it arrived. Its presence was only known when it began to rage, shaking the mountains and stirring avalanches.
The people of the village were naturally afraid. The mountains were not so far from their homes, and who knew what the dragon had planned? If it wanted, it could easily crawl down and eat them all in their sleep! They had no idea what it wanted.
Not so very long after the dragon made itself known, a stranger found himself at the village. This would not usually be so odd. The village had had its share of travelers passing through or, in rare cases like Francis's, staying for good. However this stranger proclaimed himself to be an immortal magician who was well-learned in the magic arts.
The stranger - Arthur Kirkland, he said his name was - claimed that it was within his power to magically contact the dragon and find out what the creature's intentions were. He requested enough food and drink, the finest available, to fill him for the three days and three nights of meditation it would take. He also asked to be given a number of precious stones, to amplify his powers for the task. Upon being given those things, he retreated into the room Francis offered for visitors. Under no circumstances was anyone to question Arthur's methods or watch what he did.
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (C)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-11 03:12 am (UTC)(link)"I did not know anything about it," said Lien. "Father tried to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. He did not want to needlessly worry the villagers. I only knew that a magician named Arthur was staying with us, and that he could help the situation."
"But he didn't, did he?"
---
When Arthur emerged from his room, he told everyone that the venture had been successful. He had contacted the dragon, and knew what the monster wanted.
"Everyday," said the magician, "we must send a girl into the mountains to be fed to it. That is the only way to keep it satisfied. If we do not, it will come down and kill everyone in this village!"
Naturally, the villagers were not happy to hear this. Francis, with all possible tact, asked what proof Arthur possibly had that that was what the dragon wanted. Or, for that matter, what proof there was that Arthur was a magician at all!
Arthur scowled and shouted warnings of dire consequences that would arise, should they not listen to his wisdom. With each word that passed his lips, clouds gathered overhead. Lightning ripped across the sky. Thunder deafened them all.
When he saw how the villagers all cowered before him, Arthur smiled. With a wave of his hands, the storm stilled and the sky cleared. All was peaceful, for the time being.
"And that," he said, "is proof of my might. None can rival me. Let it never be said that my magic produced an incorrect solution."
---
"Lies," said Natalia.
"You mean from the magician?" asked Toris.
"Of course I do. He may or may not have had actual magical powers, but he certainly was lying about how strong he was. If he were as powerful and immortal as he claimed, why not fight the dragon himself?" The fortune teller glared at Toris. "Also, why are you still here? Go away?"
"I wondered the same thing," said Lien. "About the magician, I mean. I tried to get other people to agree with me, but they were all afraid."
"What were they afraid of?" asked Toris, not noticing or not minding the venomous looks Natalia shot at him.
"He said that while he wielded infinite power, the dragon was an immovable creature. If they fought, all the surrounding land would be destroyed in the battle. Our village would be flattened."
Natalia decided that trying to get rid of Toris was a wasted effort. She focused on the fortune-telling again. "And what was Arthur getting out of this arrangement?"
"Power," said Lien. "He convinced everyone, my father included, that he was the only one who knew which girls would please the dragon. The first sacrifice has not even been chosen, and already he has been bribed with good food and many valuables from families who do not want their daughters chosen."
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (D)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-11 04:01 am (UTC)(link)"Can't you see that for yourself?" Toris curiously asked.
"I can see much of her future, but it is undefined," Natalia said. "If I know what specifically to look for, I can give clearer answers."
Lien cleared her throat. "I will not let any girls die horrible deaths, if it is within my power. The first sacrifice will be sent up tomorrow, at noon. I plan to meet the dragon before then. Even if it truly is unkillable, I must try." She fixed Natalia with a steely look. "I wish to know what the outcome of that choice will be. Will I die? Is it all futile? What will come of it?"
Natalia closed her eyes and held Lien's hands tightly within her own. As Lien and Toris watched anxiously, she gently swayed from side to side. Finally, her eyes snapped open.
"Your fate tomorrow hinges on how hard you are willing to fight," the fortune teller said. "Victory is not impossible, but it is not a guarantee. You must also be sure you have ahead's advantage before returning to her village."
---
Lien thanked Natalia and left the inn.
As soon as the customer was gone, the fortune teller turned to Toris. "Have you any money?"
He blinked. "Money?"
"That is what I just said! If you have no money, do you at least already have a room here?"
"I...do have a room here, yes," said Toris. "But why?"
"I will be renting a room of my own," said Natalia. "Tomorrow, I will go to Lien's village. I think that place is the next step on my quest."
"But why wait until tomorrow?" Toris asked. "Wouldn't it be best to follow her right now?"
"No," replied Natalia. "If we got here now, all of the villagers will be too upset to talk to any strangers. Best to give them until afternoon at least, before we go there."
"And if you including me in that 'we', as I presume you are, why are you bringing me along?"
Natalia snorted. "You seem so desperate to see my fortune telling at work."
"But I already -"
"That was only the prediction. You must see how it turns out. Do you want to see my job only half done?"
"N-no!"
"Good," said Natalia. "Then be up at daybreak tomorrow, or I will leave you behind."
---
It was dawn when Lien began to climb the mountain. She carried with her only a cooking pot, some rice, and a sword. A hunting dog led the way, sniffing out the strange scent of the dragon.
When it was nearing noon, she reached the mouth of a cave. The hunting dog growled at the entrance, and she knew this was where the dragon lived.
Without wasting a minute, she set down the cooking pot and lit a fire under it. She poured the rice in to cook. As it bubbled and boiled, she hid with the dog behind a large boulder.
Before too long, the mouth-watering smell of the rice wafted through the air. Lien tensed her body, knowing it would not be long before the tantalizing scent drifted into the cave. Sure enough, seconds later, the dragon roared and came charging out. It sniffed the air, trying to find the source of what it smelled. When it saw the cooking pot, it paused in confusion. That was all that Lien needed.
"Go!" she called, urging the dog to move.
Upon hearing her cry, the dog ran at the dragon. Barking and howling, it sank its teeth into the dragon. Though the monster was coated with strong scales, the dog ripped and tore until none were left on the neck.
That was what Lien had been waiting for. The instant she could see the flesh of the dragon's neck, quivering and exposed, she drew her sword. With a battle cry, she threw herself at the dragon. Once, twice, three times, she hacked at its neck. Each swing tore deeper and deeper into the flesh, until it at last was split in two.
OP
(Anonymous) - 2012-12-11 22:30 (UTC) - ExpandAuth!Anon
(Anonymous) - 2012-12-11 23:46 (UTC) - ExpandRe: Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (D)
(Anonymous) - 2012-12-17 19:09 (UTC) - ExpandRe: Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (D)
(Anonymous) - 2012-12-17 21:15 (UTC) - ExpandRe: Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (D)
(Anonymous) - 2012-12-24 21:44 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (E)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-28 01:00 am (UTC)(link)She cleaned her blade and called the dog. She was about to return to her village, when she remembered the fortune teller's warning. Lien had been told to have ahead's advantage when she went back to her home. And so she bundled up the dragon's head and brought it with her.
The village was silent when she returned, save for the cries of terrified people. The chosen girl sat outside of her home, silent and white-faced. Around her, her family and neighbors sobbed.
This was the sight that greeted Lien when she returned from the mountains.
Everyone stared as she drew nearer. She knew they could think of no possible way she could have gone into the home of the dragon and survived.
Ignoring them all, she calmly walked until she found the home of the village magistrate. She knew Francis would be standing outside, struggling until the very end to find some way to save the poor chosen girl.
When he saw Lien, Francis gasped. "My dear, where have you been?" he asked.
In response, Lien lay the dragon's head at his feet. "This is my gift to you, dear father," she said. "You need not send anyone into the mountains to die."
Word spread like wildfire. Neighbor whispered to neighbor, passing along the miraculous news - Lien has slain the dragon... Lien has slain the dragon... Lien has slain the dragon.
The entire village ran out and gathered around her. They asked to see the sword she used. They petted the dog, still ambling at her feet. They cheered her name and wept.
It did not take long for word of Lien's deed to reach Arthur. When he learned that she killed the dragon, his heart was seized with fear. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he would be decried as a fraud and chased from the village, or worse, executed.
The solution he thought of was simple. The sooner he rid the village of Lien, the less likely it would be for anyone to cross him. With her gone, he could easily pretend that she incurred the dragon's wrath. A live dragon was terrifying. The possibility of a dragon's vengeful ghost was even worse.
And so he retreated to his room, where he found a beautiful goblet of gold, encrusted with many fine jewels. He filled it with a fine wine, one of the many things he'd been gifted since his arrival. Then, he mixed into the wine a small amount of liquid of his own invention.
And with that, he was ready.
He met Lien at the center of town, with the rest of the villagers. The way to the heroine was quickly cleared. Everyone was curious as to how a meeting between their savior and their would-be savior was going to go. Arthur himself was not concerned. With any luck, it would be a brief interaction.
"Dear Lien!" he cried, when he reached the woman. "Through your strength and bravery, you have found another way to save us all! I truly did not think it was possible to kill the dragon, as you have."
"How very odd indeed, for a man so learned to be so ignorant," replied Lien.
Arthur's face grew warm, but he continued. "Come, my dear. We shall drink to your victory!"
He held the goblet out to her, with a smile. She had only to sip it once, and she would trouble him no longer.
Lien stared at the goblet. Finally, she spoke. "Great magician, you honor me with such a fine gift. But I am confused. You said that 'we' shall drink to my victory, yet you have brought nothing for yourself."
"It matters not," said Arthur. "I can have something later. This fine drink has been prepared for you. Please, have it."
Lien gave the magician a cold look. "I am not so inhospitable," she said. "Here, do not go thirsty. You drink first."
"What?!"
"Yes," said Lien. "Go on, have the first taste. It is your wine, and you deserve it. Or," she added, as he sputtered, "is there a reason you are so desperate to not have any?"
"No!" he insisted. "There is - no! No reason at all!"
"Then drink!" she insisted. "You disgust me," she snarled, when he made no motion to do so. "You come here, you rob us all, you would have had us kill our daughters and sisters and wives, and now you try to poison me!"
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (F)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-28 01:04 am (UTC)(link)Arthur was desperate. He knew something had to be done, and as quickly as possible. He dropped the goblet on the ground, paying no heed as it rolled off into the mud. It was time to try a new tactic.
"How dare you?" he cried. "What right have you to judge me? You have no grounds to accuse me! None at all! You come in here and say you killed the dragon, but where is your proof? How do we know that you are not the liar? I have seen the dragon in my vision! None of you can say the same! How can you say that dragon's head is real?"
Without a word, Lien picked up the dragon's head and held it towards Arthur.
"What are you doing?" he asked, trying not to stammer.
"You say you are the only one who saw the dragon," she said. "Judge it for yourself. Have a closer look."
She walked towards Arthur, the dragon's head clutched in her outstretched hands. Arthur's eyes widened as the grotesque thing was shoved nearer and nearer to his face. He tried to back away, but the villagers formed a ring around the pair. There was nowhere for him to run to.
The head was closer now. Closer still. It was nearly touching his face.
"What do you think?" asked Lien. "Is it real?"
"I - I cannot say," Arthur whispered. He felt faint.
"Be sure. Tell the truth."
"IT CAN NOT POSSIBLY BE REAL!" the magician screamed, losing his nerve at long last.
At the sound of that last lie, the dragon's head twitched. Its eyes snapped open. For a moment they rolled in the socket, until finally they came to rest on Arthur.
For a moment, all was silent save for the sound of Arthur's terrified gasps and the dragon's breaths - but how did it breath it was dead it must be dead it was impossible - so deep and slow.
Then, it jerked forward out of Lien's hands. Snarling and growling, it sank its teeth into Arthur's throat. Arthur flailed, but could not break free. He feel to the ground with a scream that quickly became gurgling and finally became nothing.
Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (G)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-28 02:31 am (UTC)(link)That night, Lien was awoken by a sound. It took her a moment to realize what it was.
Someone outside was whispering her name.
The voice was not one she had heard before. She could not tell if it belonged to man, woman, or child. In fact, it did not seem to come from any person at all. It felt as if the voice hung ghostlike in the air.
In spite of that, Lien was not the least bit afraid. Perhaps it was because her victory against the dragon convinced her that she could defeat anything, or perhaps she felt something in the voice that reminded her of kindness. Whatever the reason, Lien rose from her bed and went outside to find the source of the voice.
She did not have to travel far. The one speaking to her stood right outside of her house.
He looked like any of the other villagers, but Lien had never seen him before. His demeanor was calm, as if it weren't odd at all that he had come to her in the middle of the night.
When he saw that she had come outside, his face lit up. "Good evening, Lien," he said gently. "Please do not fear me."
"How do you know my name?" she whispered. "We have never met before."
"We have met once," he assured her. "On a lonely mountain, outside of a cave, that was where you found me."
Lien blinked as the implications sunk in. "You're...but you're not...you can't possibly!"
"And yet I am," said the man, with a smile. "It takes more than cutting off my head to kill me, Lien."
A million questions flitted through Lien's mind, but she could not voice any of them. Finally - "Wha... who are you?"
Said he, "I am Aegaratt, dragon god. I have long searched for someone strong and brave enough to wed. For that reason, I traveled the land while pretending to be an evil monster. Lien, you are the greatest warrior I have ever met. You once knew me as a vicious dragon. I come to you now as a man, asking if you will be my wife."
He held out his hand to her. Lien looked at him for a moment, thinking carefully. "If we were to marry, what would become of me?" she asked. "Would you carry me away, never to see my father or my home again?"
"Never," said Aegaratt. "If you wish it, I would live here forever with you."
"When I fought you," said she, "a hunting dog fought just as bravely as I did. Would you abandon that dog and throw it out on the street, because it ripped off your scales?"
"Never," Aegaratt said again. "The dog fought valiantly for you. For being such a loyal companion, I would see that it was well-cared for, as long as it lived."
"Last of all," said Lien, "I still have the sword I used to cut off your head. I wielded it as if it were a part of my own arm. If we were to marry, would you have me hide that sword away and pretend that I never used it for my victory?"
"Never!" cried Aegaratt. "Why would I ever ask you to do such a thing? Have you hide away your victory? If I would have you do anything, it would be to hang the sword on the wall, so that you could tell your tale to anyone you pleased!"
Lien smiled and took his hand. "You are powerful, Aegaratt, but you are good and kind. Let us be married and find a home in this village."
"With the dog and your sword," he said, taking her in his arms. "Oh Lien, my beautiful, clever Lien! Your spirit shall live forever!"
Lien And The Dragon - Notes
(Anonymous) - 2012-12-28 05:38 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (A)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-07 01:19 am (UTC)(link)---
Any decision, no matter how great or small, affects one's fortune.
Once upon a time, a beautiful young girl learned that the hard way.
Thinking herself very clever for it, she ran away from her island home. Through some means or another, she found her way in a strange, new country.
With no money or friends, she was forced to live on the streets. There, she fell in with other people under similar circumstances. They were cold, with cruel eyes. With them, she was left miserable.
She huddled on a street corner one evening, when a young man walked by. Taking pity on her, he brought her home and cared for her.
With that one chance meeting, her fortune changed.
But those with cruel eyes continued to watch her.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (B)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-07 01:21 am (UTC)(link)"That really was impressive!" said Toris. "I've never seen anything like that before. But what you just showed me... your pendant..."
"What of it?" Natalia dismissively asked. She knew what it was that had him so worked up. No sooner had they set off at dawn for Lien's village than she took the pendant from her pocket, turned it over, and showed it to him. Though the pendant had mostly been sculpted by clay, the back had a strange crystalline sheen. As Toris stared at it, he saw the events of Lien's adventure play out.
The two had used the pendant to watch the entire story unfold. For whatever reason, Natalia insisted they remain out of sight, even when in the village. They stood behind a run-down house for most of the day and all of the night, watching the fate of Arthur and the meeting between Lien and Aegaratt. When it was over, Natalia had quickly reclaimed the pendant and seemed more than a little smug at how overwhelmed Toris was.
"May I ask you how the pendant does that?" Toris asked, as Natalia hung it around her neck.
"No, you may not."
"Ah."
The pair were quiet for several minutes. Finally, "So, what next?" Toris asked.
"What do you mean, 'what next'?" Natalia replied. "The fortune-telling is over, as I said. You can go do whatever you want. I have business to attend to."
"Business?"
"Are you hard of hearing?"
"I - I mean, what sort of business?"
"Why do you ask so many questions?" snapped Natalia. "Am I really the only interesting thing for you to bother with?"
"I think you are, yes," said Toris. "Very interesting, I mean. Not the only interesting thing. I mean I - I could probably find other things. I just really am interested in you, and -"
"Oh, be silent," Natalia growled. "If it means that much to you, you may come with me and watch."
"Thank you!" said Toris, grinning so broadly that Natalia could make it out even in the dark. "I will not trouble you at all!"
She snorted, but said nothing to this but, "You will have to wait several hours. The person I must find is not yet awake, it looks."
"Several hours is not so long," said Toris. "We can pass the time by telling each other -"
"No talking."
And so they passed those hours in complete silence.
OP
(Anonymous) - 2013-01-18 04:07 (UTC) - ExpandAuth!Anon
(Anonymous) - 2013-01-20 21:25 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (C)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-20 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)Natalia paid none of this any mind. She marched determinedly through the mess, scanning the vendor carts that lined the roads.
"What are we looking for?" asked Toris. The crowd seemed to make him skittish, and it was all he could do to keep up with the fortune teller.
"'We' are not looking for anything."
"Then what are you looking for?"
"A merchant selling jewelry." Natalia frowned, still focusing on the carts. "It must be a traveling one. Not a store here."
"You mean like that one?" Toris asked, pointing towards a cart down the street.
It was a rickety thing, so warped and creaky that it was a wonder its owner got it from one town to another in one piece. It was stocked with the most unusual trinkets imaginable - toys, baubles, and of course jewelry.
"How did I miss that?" Natalia muttered. "Fine." She ran towards it, leaving Toris to catch up.
---
The vendor was silent as they approached him. He sat propped against the cart, limp and unmoving. A large, circular hat decorated his head, dipped at an angle that obscured his face. He did not look unlike a large mushroom.
"I suppose we should make sure he isn't dead," Natalia deadpanned, upon seeing how unresponsive the merchant was.
"I'm sure he's not dead," said Toris. "He is likely just sleeping."
"Very nearly right," said the merchant, speaking suddenly. "I was meditating. It is a strenuous activity, which requires complete silence, stillness, and relaxation on my part."
"Then there is little difference between that and sleep," said Natalia, with a sniff.
"Sleep rejuvenates the body. Meditation heals the body and soul. And my soul has been... troubled, as of late."
"How terrible for you," replied Natalia, waving her hand dismissively. "I have questions I need you to answer."
The merchant smiled peacefully. "I will answer all I know, but not right now."
"Excuse me?"
"Trade is my business, my friend. If you wish for information, I must ask for information in exchange."
"In other words, payment in kind," Toris cut in.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (D)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-20 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)"How do you know that?" Natalia snapped. "Who told you I was a fortune teller?"
"Erm, Natalia? He may want payment for that as well," Toris whispered.
"Indeed," said the merchant. He looked pleased that Toris caught on so quickly.
Natalia snorted at this. "What sort of information do you want as payment?"
"Oh! Forgive me for not being clear." The merchant gave a low bow, somehow managing not to lose his balance from the giant hat. "I wish for this young lady to read my fortune, and advise me on a matter that has been troubling me."
"Absolutely not," said Natalia, turning to leave.
Toris caught her by the arm. "Why will you not do it?" he whispered.
Natalia begrudgingly admired his courage, or at least that he was not afraid of dying. Greater men than he did not dare to touch her. "I do not frivolously tell fortunes for anyone who asks," she said, snatching her arm away.
"But he has the information you need!"
"He says he does. For all we know, it's useless."
"But suppose it isn't? Aren't you looking for something very important to you? How is it worse to tell a fortune than to miss a valuable clue?"
He had a point, though she hated to admit it. Scowling, she turned back to the merchant.
"Very well," said Natalia. "If that is what it will take for you to speak, so be it." She took his hand in hers, with more gentleness than she'd shown at any point prior. Her eyes turned slightly glassy as she gazed upon him. "What is it you wish to know?" she whispered.
The merchant began to speak...
OP
(Anonymous) - 2013-01-23 01:11 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (E)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-23 04:37 am (UTC)(link)And yet, three days ago, he encountered such a thing.
He had been traveling all day, until he entered a certain forest in a certain country. He found nothing odd about any of this at first. He had traveled through more forests than he could count, and this one seemed perfectly normal. A bit more quiet than most but he was a quiet man himself and found this appealing.
After traveling for some time, he grew weary and knew he would have to stop for the night. It was not the first time Kiku had ever had to go without the comforts of four walls and a bed while he slept, so it did not bother him in the slightest to tie his cart securely to the nearest tree and make himself comfortable on the ground.
But when he closed his eyes... that was when everything went strange.
---
"Is that it?" asked Natalia. "I'd think you could figure out for yourself that dreams can be strange. Do you really need a fortune teller for that?"
"Forgive me. We are not yet at the part that is strange," said Kiku. "Please, will you allow me to continue?"
"Not much point in refusing you now," Natalia replied. "Continue."
---
That night, Kiku dreamed of a man. There was nothing about the man that seemed out of the ordinary. He was dressed simply, with neatly-combed blond hair and a pair of spectacles delicately balanced on his nose.
Though Kiku stood right next to this man, he gave no sign of seeing the merchant. Instead, the man began to walk at a calm, steady pace through the forest.
Kiku began to follow the man without a second thought. Perhaps the man was just that compelling, or perhaps it was the sort of strange whim that strikes all dreamers. Whatever the case, Kiku believed it to be vitally important that he not let the man out of his sight.
This went on for some amount of time, with the man going wherever he was going and Kiku following after. The man stuck to the path the entire time. They eventually reached a place where the road they walked on curved suddenly, and here the man began to stray off of the road.
Well! Kiku had no idea what to make of this! He walked more quickly, determined not to lose sight of the man. Not now, not when the road was behind them and he could so easily be lost! In spite of his efforts though, the merchant found it nearly impossible to watch the man. The trees grew closer together the father in they went, and Kiku found himself constantly brushing branches and leaves out of his face. Finally, after making his way around a particularly difficult tree, he realized that he could no longer see the blond man.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (F)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-25 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)Since nothing useful could be done by just standing in one place, Kiku set off. He would walk until he found the path again, or until he reached the edge of the forest. Either way, he would find his way out.
As he walked, something peculiar began to happen.
His vision began to blur.
Seeing as this was a dream, Kiku did not wonder what was causing his eyesight to fail. Instead, he was irritated that yet another obstacle had come to overcome on his journey. He nearly cursed Fate for conspiring to leave him lost in the forest, but thought better of it. Even his dream-self knew that it never bode well to be ungrateful to Fate.
Even as he pondered what to do though, his eyesight cleared. Every tree, every branch, every leaf stood out perfectly. Everything as it was. Kiku cried out in joy, for now there was nothing to stop him from continuing his search for the blond man.
But the dream was not yet through. As Kiku set forth, he realized that something had changed while he was deprived of his eyesight.
Strung through the forest now were countless colored strings.
They were wound around the branches and tree trunks, taunt and in some unseen pattern. There was nothing unusual about them, besides their location. If they had been wound into spools, Kiku would not have thought twice about them. As it was, they were strung around him as if a large spider had been through the area and Kiku was left wondering where it all came from.
He did not wonder for long though, and quickly took this strange event in stride, as people often do in dreams. Somehow, in his dream-self's mind, it stood to reason that the strings all had to lead somewhere. All he had to do was pick the right one, and he could use it to guide him to where he had to go.
This left the question of which string to choose. There were so many colors, he feared he wouldn't be able to decide! There were ones that shimmered gold and silver, like the bangles and rings and necklaces he peddled. There was a green one that almost perfectly blended in with the plants around him. There were yellows and purples and oranges and blues that reminded him of the clothes he'd sold.
He gazed upon the countless threads, trying to make his decision, when one caught his eye. It was so thin he nearly missed it, but it was there.
It was a string of red thread.
This string, out of all the ones there, commanded Kiku's attention. He had been raised to consider red to be lucky, for it was the color of the sun and it was said that his home country was where the sun rose from every day.
Upon seeing the red string, there was no longer any doubt in his mind which he would choose.
Carefully, he gripped the string in his hands. Though it looked thin and fragile, it was surprisingly strong and did not snap. He followed the string as it wound through the trees, determined to see where it would take him.
And, after so much time passed in this way and that, the string lead Kiku to a clearing.
Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (G)
(Anonymous) 2013-01-25 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)The first thing Kiku noticed was that he was not alone. There were two others who were already in the clearing.
The second thing he noticed was that he knew one of the figures already. It was the blond man, who he thought he had lost long ago.
The third thing he noticed was that the string was leading him to the figure he had yet to identify.
Kiku was not sure as to whether or not he should advance towards the pair. The blond man was sitting on the ground, with the other cradled in his lap. The idea of interrupting such an intimate scene made him very uncomfortable. On the other hand, something told him that if he left without investigating further, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Something told his dream self that it was vitally important for him to decipher the riddle of this scene.
He wound the red string around the fingers of his right hand and gripped the remaining length with his left. For some unfathomable reason, it was vitally important that Kiku not lose his grip. Not here, not now! Clutching the string as if it were his life line, he began to follow it to the middle of the clearing.
Kiku drew closer and closer to the two figures. The one resting in the blond man’s lap was clearly asleep, given the deep, steady rhythm of their breathing (His? Hers? It was impossible for Kiku to say).
As he walked even closer, Kiku noticed something stranger yet. The red string led him directly to that third, sleeping stranger. In fact it was wound around his own hand, wrapped around his little finger. As he struggled to make sense of it all, he awoke and -
---
“It was Fate,” Natalia interrupted.
“Excuse me?” asked Kiku.
“That is what your dream meant. You and the sleeping figure in your dream are destined to meet.”
The merchant did not look entirely convinced. “Are you certain? I have never even seen him before I entered the forest.”
Natalia impatiently shook her head. “That doesn’t matter,” she said. “There is something magical about that person, making them reach out. Somehow, they are reaching you while you sleep. You’ve had this dream more than once.”
“Indeed, I have,” said Kiku. He looked impressed. “How did you -”
“That is the way those sorts of things usually go.” Natalia dropped his hand and looked thoughtful. “Do you still have the dreams?”
“I do not. They stopped when I left the forest. But for all three of the nights I traveled through those woods, I did have them.”
“Then that is where your friend is.” She fixed him with a steely look. “Do as I say, and you will learn the meaning of your dreams. You must travel deep into the woods, until you find the stretch of road the blond man led you on. When you reach it, leave the path the way you did in your dream. Wander deeper into the forest, but do not fear getting lost. Fate’s hand will guide you. You will go so deep that no light from either the sun or moon can shine through the trees. Eventually, you will reach a clearing where the moon can be clearly seen. There, you will find your answers.”
“Domo arigatto, honorable fortune teller,” said Kiku, bowing deeply to her.
“Save your ‘thank you’s,” snapped Natalia. “Tell me what I wish to know. Then, we shall be even.”
“As the honorable fortune teller wishes. What shall I tell you?”
“First,” said Natalia, “I wish to know who sold you this!” She pulled out the sunflower pendant and held it out so Kiku could see it properly. “Spare no details on the transaction. I want to know exactly who this person was. Second, I wish to know who told you I was a fortune teller!”
Kiku looked pleased. “Nothing can be easier, for the two people you speak of are one and the same! I was told about your talent by the figure who sold me the pendant."
“I see,” said Natalia. “And this person was…?”
"I truly do not know. The person kept themselves cloaked and spoke to me in a low voice. I could not tell if they were man, woman, adult, or child. All they told me was that there was a young woman in the next village over, with pale skin and hair like snow. They said I might be fortunate enough to meet her soon and if I did, I was to be sure to ask her if there was anything I wished to know. I found this information intriguing, though I mostly kept it to myself."
OP
(Anonymous) - 2013-01-28 03:04 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (H)
(Anonymous) - 2013-03-24 01:56 (UTC) - ExpandRe: Immortalia: Story The Second - Lovers Once Upon A Dream (H)
(Anonymous) - 2013-03-26 13:20 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (A)
(Anonymous) 2013-04-27 03:59 am (UTC)(link)---
It was an act of fate that gave a little girl a gift she could not control or understand.
She did not know why she saw flashes of things whenever she touched the hand of another.
All she knew was that the more people spoke to her, the more sense the images made. So she talked to everyone, as often as she could.
She spoke the most to her family, and thus knew quite a lot as to what would happen to them. She was able to tell her father where game could be found in the forest. She was able to tell her mother when to bring in the washing before it would rain. She was able to tell her brother and sister which mushrooms would make them ill, which tree branches were safe to climb, whether or not they'd be scolded for something when they came home.
Her mother and father dismissed it as coincidence. At best, they thought that she was a precocious child who was more observant than most. They said it only meant she would do great things when she grew up, being the clever girl that she was.
She knew it was something different, but did not press the matter.
Her life was happy. The only thing that troubled her was when she saw that the fortunes of a person could not possibly be changed. She hated feeling so helpless.
So when she held the hands of her mother and father and saw them wasting away from some illness or another, there was nothing to do but weep.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (B)
(Anonymous) 2013-04-27 04:00 am (UTC)(link)Natalia paid it no heed as she marched down the trail, head held high. Toris kept close behind her, his eyes darting from one side of the path to the other.
"It is a pity we have no light to guide us," he whispered.
"There is no sense in wishing for what we cannot have," Natalia replied.
They were once again blanketed by the silence of the forest. Toris swallowed hard and furtively looked about. He managed a weak smile for his companion. "Suppose we found something to talk about, to pass the time until we find the cabin?"
"I don't know," was the clipped reply. "Suppose we did? What would we talk of?"
"Many things," said Toris. "Where are you from, for instance?"
"Let us talk of other things."
"But why? I wish to know more about you."
"If you insist on being so dull, I shan't speak with you at all."
Toris was glad of the darkness for hiding his face, which was now heating from embarrassment. "Then perhaps you'd prefer to talk to me about that lovely pendant of yours," he suggested.
Natalia's footsteps slowed, and there was a faint rustling as she pulled the sunflower pendant out from under her dress. "What of it?"
"Why is it so important to you?"
"I am a poor traveler, and it is a fine piece of jewelry. And besides, you saw the properties it had. Why would I not consider it valuable?"
"I think it's valuable to you for more reasons than how many coins it would fetch," said Toris. "You recognized it immediately, I know. You knew how to use it. And somehow, I think you'd sooner starve to death than sell it. Please, tell me why that is. It is a pretty thing, but after all, it is only a trinket."
"It is not 'only a trinket'!" Natalia cried out. She raised her voice so suddenly and unexpectedly that Toris jumped and gave a shout. She paid this no mind. "Do not speak of things you have no understanding of!"
"Forgive me," said Toris, regaining his balance. "That was not my intention. But to spare yourself the anger and myself the fear, perhaps you could help me understand it."
Natalia fell silent, and for a moment, it appeared she still refused to answer. Just as Toris gave up hope of learning anything...
"It's handmade by an amateur," she said.
"That? Surely not! Such a thing could only have been made by an expert jeweler! Or else -"
"Pay attention!" she snapped. "You are right. I recognized the pendant the instant I laid eyes on it. There is only one person in the world capable of making such a thing. I ought to know."
"And who is that?" asked Toris, his eyes wide.
Natalia snorted. "Oh no, you shall hear no more from me. Not until you tell me something of yourself, at least."
"Are you really interested in me?"
"Not really, but it does appear that I'm stuck with you. I might as well, with that being the case."
"Oh." Toris scratched his head. "I'm not the most interesting of people..."
"I know that already. Still, you must have at least one thing you could tell me."
"I...Well, I have two brothers!"
"Oh?"
"Yes, though I do not see them as often as I'd like. I love my brothers deeply, but I had to make a choice, and left them to go on my quest."
"I - I see..."
Silence fell once more. This time, however, it was peppered with small noises from Natalia, as if she were clearing her throat to say something. This went on in one way or another for several minutes. Finally, "Why did you leave them?" she asked.
Re: Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (B)
(Anonymous) - 2013-05-17 18:25 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (C)
(Anonymous) 2013-10-08 01:20 am (UTC)(link)----------------
There was no reply, and she feared that her companion somehow did not hear her. "Did they want you to leave? Or were they...that is to say...did they not want you to go?"
"Of course they did not want me to go!" Toris said, sounding shocked by the very thought. "What sort of brother wants to see his own family leave?"
"It happens," Natalia murmured, so softly that she was sure Toris could not hear. Louder, she said, "You did not answer me. Why did you leave them?"
"I told you, it was for my quest."
"Which is?"
"Now, now," said Toris, gently. "You have yet to tell me more about yourself. Speak more, and I will answer."
It was now Natalia's turn to be grateful for the darkness, as her cheeks burned. "There's nothing I could possibly say that would be of interest to you!"
"I'm sure you can surprise me. Go on!"
She fussed and she sputtered. Finally however, she spoke. "The pendant was a gift from my older brother," said she. "He made it himself."
"Then your brother is a remarkable craftsman indeed!" Toris exclaimed. "That was generous of him, making you something like that! But tell me, why didn't you have it with you when we first met?"
"Because, I left it at home."
"Why did you leave home? And how do you suppose Kiku came to possess the pendant?"
"I have no clue how that merchant came by it," said Natalia. "I intend to find out."
"If you don't mind my asking -"
"It doesn't matter if I mind or not. You'll ask, regardless."
"Yes," said Toris, with a sigh, "but if you don't mind my asking, why is it so important that you find who this mysterious seller is? Isn't it more important that you have the pendant back now?"
Natalia glared at him. "Why should I tell you that? Now you are the one to owe me information about yourself!"
"Very well," said Toris. "You wanted to know why I left my brothers? It wasn't by choice, certainly. It broke my heart to leave my home, but it had to be done. I...I was betrayed horribly by someone."
"Betrayed?" Natalia tried to sound bored, but could not stop her eyebrows from rising.
"Indeed. And now, I have other option but to go out into the world and see that everything is set right."
Natalia was not sure how to respond to this. She knew that she ought to try imparting some sort of comfort onto Toris, but the best way to do that escaped her. She hadn't had many chances to learn from experience, after all.
She was fortunately saved from the awkward situation when she noticed they were nearing a small house in the woods.
It was a run-down thing, the cottage. Ivy grew along one of the walls and, as the pair drew closer, the wear of many years could be seen on the stones that built it. In spite of the age though, the house stood straight and proud. Whoever built it had clearly been very meticulous. Looking behind the place, Natalia saw a garden. There was limited variety in the crops (they appeared to chiefly be tomatoes and potatoes), but it was just as well-tended as the house appeared to be.
“Do you suppose this is the place Kiku spoke of?” whispered Toris, as he joined Natalia in the garden.
Before Natalia could respond, there was a cry of “Ve! Who are you?!”
The pair turned and beheld the speaker. It was a woman, with hair like autumn leaves that curled ridiculously to one side. She was thin of face and form, but her stomach was swollen in a way both the travelers were familiar with. She was with child and, by the way she looked, it would not be long before the baby was born.
“Ludwig! Ludwig!” cried the woman, hurrying for the cottage. “There are people here and one of them has white hair and Ludwig, help!”
A second later, a man charged out of the cottage and pointed a hunting gun at the pair. “Who are you?” he barked. “What are you doing in our garden?”
“Please sir, we are not here for trouble,” Toris began. “We were merely traveling in the forest, and -”
“White hair, Ludwig,” the woman whimpered, hiding behind Ludwig. “Ve! I’m scared!”
“You!” snarled Ludwig, pointing the gun at Natalia. “How long have you been in this forest?”
“We began traveling this morning,” she said. She nodded at the cowering woman. “Why is my hair frightening her?”
“My baby, my baby!” the woman wailed. "Don't take my baby!"
“What would I want your baby for?” asked Natalia. She took a step forward.
“Stay where you are!” Ludwig ordered. There was a click from his gun.
A second later, Natalia felt herself being shoved sideways. As she fell to the ground, she saw Toris run past. “No!” she screamed, as Toris grabbed the gun and struggled to pull it from Ludwig’s hands.
She dared not blink, fearing that Toris would be killed the instant she lost sight of him. As she stumbled to her feet though, her companion gave a cry and wrenched the gun away! Before Ludwig could respond, Toris grabbed him around the waist and tackled him to the ground.
“Stop it! Stop it right now!” shouted Natalia, running to them. She struggled to clear her head. Ludwig was shouting threats, Toris was still keeping him well-restrained, and the pregnant woman was now giving an ear-piercing wail.
Natalia grabbed Toris and, with all of her strength, managed to pull him from Ludwig. “ENOUGH!” she screamed, as all four of them moved apart.
All was silent for several seconds, save for the woman’s hiccupping and Ludwig’s gasps. Finally, Natalia decided it was time to put an end to all of the nonsense.
“If my companion and I have offended you in some way, we are sorry,” she said. “We have not been in this forest for long, and you are the first people we’ve seen. We never intended to frighten or harm you. My companion apologizes for what he did.”
“O-oh, yes!” said Toris. “Please forgive me, for I was only acting in defense of my friend!”
“We did not come here for trouble,” Natalia finished. “I only wanted to find the one who sold my pendant.”
As she finished speaking, she pulled the sunflower pendant from under the collar of her dress.
“Ve! So pretty!” gasped the woman.
“I have never seen anything like that before, and I’m sure no one else in our household has either,” said Ludwig, rubbing his throat. “Why do you think we sold it?”
“We have it on the word of the merchant who purchased it that it came from this part of the woods,” said Toris. “Have you seen anyone about? Anyone in a dark cloak, perhaps?”
Ludwig turned to the woman. “Feliciana, go inside,” he said. “See how your sister is.”
“Have you seen the person we seek?” asked Natalia, when Feliciana was inside.
“I have not,” said Ludwig, shaking his head. “There is only one person we have seen in the forest, as of late, and we desperately hope he is not still in these parts.”
“Oh?” asked Toris, shaking slightly. “Who would that be? Not a bandit or cutthroat, I hope?”
“Neither of those. It is a madman who has gone wild living in these parts.”
Toris blinked. “I see.” He turned to Natalia. “Surely that is not the one you’re looking for?”
“Certainly not,” she said. “As if a wild man would come into possession of my pendant, much less have the wits to sell it.”
“I’m sorry I could not be of more help,” said Ludwig. “Do you plan to continue searching the woods?”
“Until I find the one I seek, yes,” Natalia replied.
“In that case, please spend the night here. It is small, I know, but it is shelter. These parts are not safe to travel after dark.”
Toris and Natalia looked at each other and nodded. “Thank you for your kind offer,” said Toris, as Ludwig led them inside.
“Yes, thank you indeed,” said Natalia.
It was no mystery as to why Toris accepted the offer. Natalia could see the fear in her companion’s eyes, and knew he would never want to go through the woods at night.
As for herself…she had reasons of her own to stay.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (D)
(Anonymous) 2013-10-08 01:25 am (UTC)(link)Ludwig said nothing as he put away his gun. Beside Natalia, Toris twitched and stared around the room. Natalia wondered if silence in general upset him this much, or if it was just the current atmosphere. If it was the former, that at least would explain his constant need to talk.
At that moment, there was a piercing wail.
Toris nearly fell over in his shock. “What was that?!” he cried, as he regained his balance.
Natalia did not wait for questions or answers. She ran in the direction of the wail and the sobs that were following it up. There was something familiar about the crying, and if it was who she thought it was, her quest could be over. After all of this time, she might very well have found them!
And then she entered the next room, the only other one in the cottage, and stopped short. “No,” she whispered.
The place had been set up as the bedroom, with two beds squeezed side by side. A woman lay in in one of the beds, her head in her hands. It was she who had been crying. Kneeling at her bedside were Feliciana and a dark-haired man who was stroking her hair tenderly.
It was not who Natalia was looking for. She should have known it couldn’t possibly have been so easy. But for that one brief moment, she had hoped.
“Ve! Cheer up, Lovina!” said Feliciana, desperately trying to divert the crying woman’s attention. “We have a guest, see? This is Miss Natalia!”
“Why the hell should I care?” Lovina sobbed. “I don’t want to see anyone! Antonio, make her go away!”
Antonio rose from Lovina’s bedside and held out his hand to Natalia. “I’m sorry, but my wife isn’t feeling well right now,” he said, with a nervous chuckle. “Perhaps you would like to wait in the kitchen?”
Natalia ignored him and walked to Lovina. What had happened in the little house was none of her business. The people had no knowledge of where her pendant had come from. They were completely irrelevant to her quest. And yet, as she gazed into Lovina’s tear-soaked eyes, she knew she couldn’t do nothing. Not when she had seen him look at her in such a way before…and the other man…no. There simply was no way she could ignore Lovina’s distress.
“What happened to you?” asked Natalia, kneeling where Antonio had been before. “Please, tell me.”
“What’s the point?” asked Lovina. “Nothing can be done!”
“Allow me to be the judge of that. Will you take my hand?”
“Ve,” gasped Feliciana, “Sorella, she is a fortune teller!”
With a gasp, Lovina dried her tears and held out her hand. As Natalia examined the woman’s palm, she drifted deeper and deeper into the tale…
---
The sisters and their husbands had lived in that house for many years. Through stubbornness and unfortunate circumstances, they never had the opportunity to move to a more prosperous location. The four were tenacious enough to make do though, and so they managed to support themselves.
And then, Lovina learned that she was with child.
There was confusion, of course. The house was small, with no cradle. Where would the infant possibly be able to sleep? How were they to handle the daily workload, especially as they neared the day when Lovina would give birth? How would they find enough food for it, especially if Lovina had to stay inside to care for it? And there was one question that none of them dared to voice: suppose the baby did not survive?
It was not for nothing that the four lived for this long, and they knew they would find a way. Lovina swore right and left that no child of hers would starve or cause trouble or - again, this was never said outright - die on them. Antonio smiled and held her and did whatever he could.
And he did. Whether it was taking his wife’s share of the chores or doing what he could to help her rest, Antonio did what was in his power. Feliciana and Ludwig helped out as they could as well, but they had business of their own preoccupying them - it had not been long after that they learned Feliciana was expecting a child of her own.
The days passed. The baby grew. Before Lovina was fully prepared (though was there ever a mother who was?), it was time for the child to be born.
Amidst the cries and sobs and sweat and blood, the baby came into the world. It was a boy, as fine and healthy as any could hope for. Holding him close, Lovina and Antonio could only weep for joy.
The months passed happily, if busily. Lovina cared for her baby with as much love and devotion as a mother could, while Antonio was as proud a father as there ever was. Things were far from perfect. Lovina was sorely missed, unable to do her share of the housework, and she needed to rest and eat well enough that her body could continue to give milk. The child often fretted in the night, waking everyone, and fell ill for several frightening days. Yet no matter what, Lovina cared for the child as best she could.
But three months after the child was born, disaster struck! She awoke in the middle of the night to see - her baby! Her baby! It was -
- A dark shape in the night -
- An empty cradle -
- Antonio’s cries… “A red-eyed demon took -”
-------------------
“Stop!” shouted Antonio, pulling Natalia away. “You’re upsetting her!”
“Antonio, what are you babbling about?” Lovina snapped. Tears were running afresh down her face. “I hadn’t finished!”
Antonio hung his head. “Forgive me, my love. I thought…never mind.” He sat at the edge of her bed and held his wife tightly. “I’m sorry for interrupting,” he added, to Natalia. “I heard from Ludwig that you and your friend have been traveling since this morning. Perhaps you and your friend would like to rest in the other room, until things settle?”
OP is sooooo sorry!
(Anonymous) - 2013-11-06 00:57 (UTC) - ExpandRe: OP is sooooo sorry!
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-07 01:16 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (E)
(Anonymous) 2013-12-07 01:22 am (UTC)(link)As Natalia and Toris rested in the corner, Ludwig set about fixing dinner. The pair watched as he was joined by Antonio, who had no doubt calmed Lovina as best he could.
“There is not enough meat,” they heard Antonio murmur, as he searched their shelves, his forehead creased. “Few vegetables, too. Ludwig, at this rate, we may not -”
“Nein,” hissed Ludiwg, casting a worried glance at the guests. “It will be fine.”
Dinner proved that Antonio’s concerns were not unfounded, in Natalia’s opinion. There was a stew that consisted mainly of water and a piece of bread for each of them. The food was cooked to perfection, and Natalia could never remember eating anything more delicious, however there was so little of it that it was a wonder the family hadn’t starved yet. Natalia thought back to what Lovina told her, and privately agreed with the family’s concerns. There was hardly enough food in each serving to nourish a healthy adult. How could it possibly also feed a hungry baby?
Ludwig and Antonio were the only ones who dined with Natalia and Toris. Antonio apologized for the absence of the others, but their wives were feeling unwell. Lovina was still recovering from her shock from the fortune telling. As for Feliciana, between the sheepish explanations from Antonio and the meaningful glances he gave to Ludwig, Natalia suspected there would be an eight person staying in the house, before very long.
The four ate in silence. Natalia did not - could not - know what hardships her hosts faced. What could she say to them? Their business was their own business. She considered asking again about the seller of her pendant, but her own concerns were frivolous at the moment…
“How long have you lived hear?” asked Toris.
Ludwig and Antonio looked at him. By the looks on their faces, hearing Toris speak shocked them out of their reveries.
Toris blushed, clearly not having thought how he’d now be the center of attention. “I-I just meant, it’s not too close to any town, and in the middle of the woods, and you know -”
“Nein, it’s alright,” said Ludwig. “I know what you mean. This house has been in our wives’ family since their grandfather’s time. He built it himself, and his granddaughters have never lived anywhere else.”
“Really?” asked Toris. “It seems so out-of-the way here! Forgive me for prying, but how did the four of you meet?”
“His grandfather,” said Antonio, nodding at Ludwig. “We grew up in the same village, Ludwig and I. His grandfather took us hunting in these woods, and we stumbled upon the cabin when we got lost.” He rubbed his head and chuckled. “As it turned out, his grandfather and our wives’ grandfather were old friends. Imagine that! And from then on, we would sneak out to visit them…” He trailed off, giving a soft sigh.
“It seems quite dangerous out here, though,” commented Natalia. “Have you never thought to live elsewhere?”
Somewhere without wild men waiting to kidnap their children. The unsaid sentence hung in the air.
“We never had a chance to move,” Ludwig finally said, shaking his head. “And in any case, Feliciana and Lovina don’t want to live anywhere else.”
“It is their home,” Antonio added. “They were born and raised here. There’s too many happy memories for them to just run off.”
Ludwig snorted and glared at his meal.
“Do you not agree with them, Ludwig?” asked Toris.
“Ah, pay him no mind,” said Antonio, cheerfully. “The poor fool doesn’t know the joy of good memories. Hit his head on that hunting trip and can’t remember much of his childhood. Being cared for by Feliciana is the only good thing to come out of it, rea -”
“Antonio, enough!” Ludwig barked at his brother-in-law. With a sigh, he turned to Toris. “I know she loves this cottage, but I wish Feliciana would agree to live somewhere else. These woods simply are not safe, and with our child on the way…”
“What happened was not your fault,” said Antonio.
“It was. You saw the wild man. You warned us. I could have done so much more to board the windows and door.”
Natalia looked up from her dinner, her attention caught by the talk of the wild man. “You saw it, Antonio? What did it look like?”
“Eh?” Antonio muttered, looking surprised at her interest. “I did not get a good look. He moved so quickly through the forest, I didn’t see him for very long.”
“But you must have seen something!”
Antonio scratched his ear and screwed up his face. “He was very pale,” he finally said. “And…he had hair like snow.”
“Do not forget the red eyes,” Ludwig added. “You would not stop babbling about those, Antonio.”
“I see.” Natalia scratched her chin, taking this all in. Such a strange man haunted this forest, by the sound of things. “And do you remember at all when he -”
But she was never able to finish her question, for at that moment, a shrill cry came from the bedroom. When it finally died down, there were further shouts of “Ludwig! Ludwig! Help!” and “Antonio! Potato-loving fool! Come here quickly and help Feliciana!”
“We’ll wait here,” said Natalia, as the husbands leaped to their feet.
“Call us if you need help,” Toris added, as they hastily excused themselves and ran in the direction of the shouts.
“Well,” said Toris, when they were the only two left in the room. “This certainly has been an interesting evening, hasn’t it?”
Natalia snorted. The boy wasn’t able to hide the quaver in his voice. Even if it was too dark to see for certain, she was sure he’d gone pale at the sound of the cries. “Are you that upset by loud sounds?” she asked.
“Not that so much,” said Toris. He fidgeted with his bowl, staring at the miniscule amount left and avoiding Natalia’s gaze. “I…I just cannot stand cries of agony like that. When I hear someone shouting in pain, I feel the urge to run to them and ease their suffering.”
“And how much success do you have with that?”
“Differing amounts. Some are not as happy to have my help as others.” Toris looked at her. “But enough of my anxieties. What about you?”
“Me?”
“There is no reason for you to be here. You learned what you needed and could have gone on. These people have nothing to do with your quest, so why are you so interested?”
“I…” Now it was Natalia’s turn to glare at the tabletop, furious at the heating of her cheeks. “What do my motivations matter?”
“None at all,” said Toris, shrugging. “I was simply curious, given how you’ve been acting thus far.”
From the doorway, they heard Feliciana’s cries, mixed with Ludwig’s shouts of encouragement and Lovina and Antonio’s garbled directions. The screams of the mother-to-be made her feel immense pity for Feliciana, but it were the latter sounds that truly drew her attention. The “I’m here!”s and the “Bring me such-and-such”es and, most prominent of all, the “What are we to do?”s all mingled in the air, stirring up memories that she thought she’d long put to rest.
“I…I wondered if the wild man might have had something to do with my quest,” she said. Inside herself, she winced. She hadn’t meant to admit what she was beginning to tell. But Toris was the only one to hear and, to her surprise, she found the idea of him hearing everything not so unpleasant. “A man who had gone insane. A powerful, crazed man. I didn’t want to think it so, but I would have pursued this wild man if I thought he was the one I sought.”
“But you said he wasn’t,” said Toris. “So why -”
“Feliciana’s cries,” answered Natalia. “Remember when we first came here? Her screams of fear…her cries over her baby…she truly believed her child was in danger.”
“And you wanted to prevent that?”
In the bedroom, Feliciana’s screams began to ebb. Ludwig’s voice became more prominent as he did his best to keep her calm. It broke Natalia’s heart.
“To take away one’s child, to steal it in the dead of night, to kill it in cold blood,” she whispered, “I think those are the most despicable things one could do.”
She glanced at Toris and saw his face drawn up in…pity? Sympathy? A mixture of the two? What in all the world?! How dare he look at her like that? In that one instant, Natalia forgot any thoughts about confiding with Toris. He knew nothing of her life, and yet he thought he could empathize? He knew nothing! How dare he?! She did not need pity or sympathy or any other emotion he could possibly provide.
“That is quite enough of that, in any case,” she snapped.
“Forgive me,” murmured Toris, his forehead creasing. No doubt she confused him with her outburst, but Natalia did not care. What he thought did not matter. He did not matter.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (F)
(Anonymous) 2013-12-07 02:19 am (UTC)(link)The night passed, and the cries of the four in the bedroom began to die out. No sooner had they, than they were replaced by wailing from someone else. Someone whose screams and sobs were gracing the world for the first time.
“The baby!” said Toris, running to the bedroom. “Natalia, come! Let us give our blessings!”
“What blessings have we to give?” Natalia asked. Still, she followed after.
By the light of the lamp within the bedroom, Natalia could make out the bloodstains on the bed sheets. She saw Antonio busily cleaning as best he could, before taking the remains out to be buried.
Lying on the bed was Feliciana. Her face was coated with sweat and she was panting furiously, but she smiled as she held her baby close.
“Ve…” she whispered. “It’s a little girl.”
Ludwig, who knelt at the bedside, squeezed his wife’s hand and nodded. Natalia suspected that if he tried to speak, he would burst into tears.
Toris stepped forward for a closer look. “She’s healthy and strong,” he said with a smile. “She has a long life ahead of her.”
“Really and truly?” asked Antonio, his face shining with wonder.
“I believe so, yes.”
Feliciana and Lovina cried and held each other and their husbands and the baby. Natalia suspected that they'd have held her and Toris as well, but she stepped back just far enough to make her views on such actions clear.
Not long after, Ludwig managed to compose himself well enough to order everyone to bed. It had been a long day, he said, and Feliciana needed her rest. The baby needed its rest as well.
The child was cleaned, bundled in blankets, and tucked into a crude but sturdy cradle set in between the beds of the two couples. Lovina took one look at the baby sleeping there and turned her face to the wall.
Natalia understood why. A cradle like that would have taken months of craftsmanship. No doubt, it had been started some time before Feliciana even learned she was pregnant.
The fortune-teller looked at Toris, who nodded sadly. They both knew whose baby the cradle had originally been carved for.
Natalia slept restlessly that night, though this was nothing new. Her dreams were haunted by things she saw and things that would be and things that she stole from the memories of those she did readings for. When she woke in the middle of the night, for the few brief moments she could recall her chaotic dreams, she often could not remember if certain bits and pieces were hers or someone else's. Some may not have been, but she desperately wished they were. Some she knew belonged to her, as much as she wished otherwise.
It was not her dreams that woke her that night, however. She woke, gasping and shifting through her muddled head, trying to make sense of the ones she searched for and the last night she saw them both and the mob descending on that poor man and the little girl's body and someone was creeping through the house.
She dared not move a muscle as she tracked the figure's movement out of the corner of her eye. She and Toris had been given blankets and space to sleep in front of the dying embers in the fireplace, so she had a good view of the room. The figure was creeping out of the bedroom, and appeared to be holding something in its arms.
Natalia had half a second to pray that the figure was not holding what she thought it was. Then, the bundle shifted and began to wail, and yet again in her life, her prayers had been in vain.
"Stop this instant!" she screamed, leaping to her feet. "Baby-snatcher! Madman! GIVE THE CHILD BACK!"
Next to her, she heard Toris sit upright with a cry. "Natalia?!" he called.
But Natalia knew there was no time to waste. The figure had already fled for the door, the child still clutched in its arms.
"Hurry if you're coming!" she shouted at Toris before running for the door.
It was chilly outside at night, and in the back of her mind, Natalia was grateful that she had decided to sleep with all of her clothes on, including her boots. Most of her attention, however, was on the faint outline of the figure. It was running into the woods and if it got much farther away, it could be lost for good.
Natalia could never let that happen.
With all of her strength, Natalia ran after the figure. Somewhere behind her, she heard Toris call out. She had no choice but to leave him. If he could keep up, she would welcome his help. But if she waited for him, she might forever lose the chance to find the monster.
She did hope Toris would keep up. But if he could not, she would think of something to do when she caught the child-stealer.
Through the woods the shadowy form ran, the baby clutched tightly in its grasp. It moved quickly, but Natalia was just as fleet of foot and kept pace. Off the path, winding through trees, past rocks and stumps and everything else, it all was a blur! She screamed no curses, nor voiced any threats. All Natalia could think of was that tiny thing in the monster's arms, and how much more time it might have before its kidnapper grew bored and tossed it aside.
And then, she tripped.
An exposed tree root caught her foot. She did not fall, but stumbled and was forced to slow to catch herself. By the time she regained her balance, the shadowy being was lost in the darkness.
She cursed her luck. She blinked back tears. She didn't dare give up, but was at the brink of screaming in frustration.
“Natalia!” a familiar voice hissed. A moment later, Toris crept to her side, having caught up at last. “The others are coming, but I think we were separated as we ran. Where's – ack!”
“Hush,” whispered Natalia, gripping Toris's arm tightly.
Who could say how long they stood there, the traveler and the fortune teller, their eyes gazing through the darkness. Their ears strained for the slightest clue of which way to go. All was horribly, horribly silent, and Natalia nearly gave up hope. Then, Toris gently tugged his arm free and put his hand on her shoulder and while it let her feel how badly he was shaking, it was warm and comforting and helped her feel something that may have been courage.
It was while those feelings flooded through her that Natalia heard it. The gently, faint sounds of a baby's cries.
Carefully, so very carefully, Natalia took Toris by the hand and lead him in the direction of the wailing. They walked slowly, carefully, quietly, until they saw it. The shadowy kidnapper, crouched over its prey.
The baby was still wrapped in its blankets, whimpering for her mother. Natalia knew those cries, the anguished siren for someone to love and protect and come. What she did not know – did not expect – was what she heard next.
“Los pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío...cuando tienen hambre cuando tienen frío. La gallina busca el maíz y el trigo... les da la comida y les presta abrigo.”
The soft strains of the lullaby drifted from the shadow, as he tried to rock the child to sleep. And though it didn't work, he kept at it all the same. For though this shadow was a child-stealing monster, some of his heart must have held the sunshine Natalia once beheld in him.
Immortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (G)
(Anonymous) 2013-12-07 02:21 am (UTC)(link)"Bajo de sus alas, acurrucaditos ¡duermen los pollitos hasta el otro día!"
He did not even turn as she came within reach, though she was sure he could sense her presence. “Put down the child,” she said. “We will take her back to her mother. Run far, far away and never let us catch you again. It is the only thing you can do now that will let you live.”
Upon hearing those words, the shadow did stand up. He turned and gave Natalia a beautiful smile.
“But if I leave,” said Antonio, “who will care for Lovina?”
“Do you think this is caring?” Natalia spat. “You broke her heart! What you did was unspeakable! Your own child, Antonio! You killed your own baby!”
“No,” whispered Toris, somewhere behind Natalia. “No, you didn't!”
Antonio had decency enough to look ashamed. “I did. I had no choice.”
“How could you say that?” hissed Natalia. It took every ounce of her strength not to completely lose all self-control. “There is always a choice!”
“Not here,” said Antonio. “Have you seen how we live? How little food there is? If we kept the baby, Lovina would have starved to death. And I could never have let that happen.”
“Suppose Lovina chose to starve for her baby?” asked Toris. “What then, Antonio? What then?”
Antonio paused. It took, a moment for Natalia to realize that he simply could not comprehend that question. Finally, “I could never let Lovina die,” he said.
“Monster!” breathed Natalia. She stepped forward, thinking only of putting her hands around his throat.
But the man had other ideas. His free hand flew to his belt. A second later, a kitchen knife gleamed in the moonlight.
“Natalia, be careful!” Toris cried.
Natalia would not have been deterred, if it were merely her he aimed for. But instead, he pointed the blade at the bundle sobbing in his arms.
And in that instant, Natalia swore she felt the ground fall from under her.
“I didn't mean for it to be so painful,” whispered Antonio. “I tried to hold off for as long as I could, after Lovina had that baby. I spread the story of the wild man to cover, you see, but it was months before I worked up the resolve. I was a fool. She grew too attached. I promised myself I would not make the same mistake with Felicianna's child. She has only known the baby for a few hours. Her pain will be far less. And as for you,” he added, looking directly at Natalia and Toris for the first time, “You will be lost forever in these woods. I'm so sorry, so very sorry, but your bones will be together for all -”
That was as far as Natalia had patience to listen. With a scream, she rushed at him. Toris was at her side in an instant, tugging at Antonio's knife hand, trying desperately to wrench the weapon from his grip. Natalia herself focused on the baby, ripping the child from his grip and curling her body protectively around it.
“Enough!” shouted Antonio. All of his sunny cheer was gone with the child. Perhaps it occurred to him, for the first time, that he might not be able to get away with his crimes. “Away with you!” he said, trying to shove Toris to the ground.
But Toris did not fall easily. He clung to Antonio's wrist, even as the madman twisted and pulled. Natalia felt the fear build in he chest, for she knew it would take only a moment for Antonio to free himself, and then Toris would be in a very dangerous position. “Toris,” she called, “get out of there!”
“What?” he asked, turning to her.
In that moment of distraction, Antonio pulled himself free. He struck Toris across the face, dazing Natalia's companion and making him fall to the ground. Then, he turned to Natalia herself. “And now, Senorita Fortune-teller,” he said, walking to her, knife outstretched. “I'm afraid this must end now.”
There was nothing Natalia could think to say. There was nothing she could think to do, other than back away and cling as protectively as she could to the child.
Antonio raised the knife. “Please understand, I really am sor -”
He was cut off as a horrific roar ripped through the air. Natalia could only make out a pale form throw itself from the shadows, before she was knocked back against Toris. Toris threw his arms around her to steady her, and by the time both were on their feet, the fight was nearly over. The being, human in shape, held Antonio against a tree, its fingers curled around his throat. It was white, so white, save for a patch of red that seeped from its side. The thing showed no pain or fear. It simply growled as it tightened its grip.
“No,” gasped Antonio. “Impossible!” He glanced at the bloodied knife that fell to the ground, to his niece, nestled in the grass and sobbing, and finally to the thing that held him still. “I-I only...”
Whatever Antonio only wanted, they would never find out. His breath slowed. His eyes rolled back in his head. His body stilled.
When he was released, he fell to the base of the tree, as limp and lifeless as a puppet with no strings.
Ignoring the blood pouring from the wound in its side, the figure turned to face Natalia. She stared the red eyes of this being, the true wild man of the forest, and knew what it wanted.
“Come,” she said to Toris.
“What?”
“He wants us to follow.”
“But Natalia, he just -”
“Saved the baby and ourselves. If he wanted to kill us, he could kill us. But he wants us to follow, so we shall do so.”
OP
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-08 18:18 (UTC) - ExpandAuth!Anon
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-08 22:10 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Third - The Child-Stealer (H)
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-08 22:09 (UTC) - ExpandThe Child-Stealer - Notes
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-08 22:15 (UTC) - ExpandRe: The Child-Stealer - Notes
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-09 00:52 (UTC) - ExpandAuth!Anon
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-10 10:41 (UTC) - ExpandOP
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-09 23:37 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Fourth - Rose White, Rose Red (A)
(Anonymous) 2013-12-13 02:33 am (UTC)(link)------------------------------
She thought she could always depend on them to care for her after her parents died, but eventually they drove her out of the house. When she found her way back, there was nothing to her home but an empty shell. She was all alone in the world.
Terrified and alone, she wandered until she found herself in a nearby town. She wandered the streets, crying and wondering what would become of her, when she met a girl with hair as black as ebony and eyes that reminded her of the ocean.
Upon hearing her plight, the strange girl took her home. There, she was introduced to a kind man who took the girl in. Everything was explained, and the man took pity on her and raised her as his own.
For some time, she lived with the kind man and the strange girl. She loved them as her own family, but the happiness was not to last. Once again, she found herself turned onto the street, without guardian or home.
And this time, she felt it had been in her power to prevent it.
Immortalia: Story the Fourth - Rose White, Rose Red (B)
(Anonymous) - 2013-12-13 03:06 (UTC) - ExpandRe: OP
Immortalia: Story the Fourth - Rose White, Rose Red (C)
(Anonymous) - 2014-03-02 22:29 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Fourth - Rose White, Rose Red (D)
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(Anonymous) - 2015-01-21 03:25 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Fourth - Rose White, Rose Red (G)
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(Anonymous) - 2015-01-21 03:31 (UTC) - ExpandImmortalia: Story the Fourth - Rose White, Rose Red - Notes
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