In the Air Tonight

(2 Eorgean 5115, The Landing)

She was making the last stop to shop in the Landing before going home when the first thought came to her with a strange question from a lady she had come to town a couple hours ago for a special purchase.

By the time she found where everyone was beneath the well, it was all over.

“What color are your eyes?” Mistiq’s thought came to her directly, seemingly out of nowhere to her. She was puzzled, but not alarmed. Yet.

“They are silver-flecked wisteria. STRAIGHT from a magic bottle!” was the bardess’ playful thought-reply to Miss Mistiq.

“Were you a lichling?” was one of the next questions in thoughts. She did not even know what that meant, but it surely was not good.

Suddenly there were even more thoughts with questions. Things that made no sense at all. There were chills down her spine, and she contemplated fleeing for the Nations. Aetheri would be home soon, and all would be fine, right?

It was Miss Seomanthe’s calm and careful thought to her that at least explained all the thoughts and questions.

“Erm.. Are you about the city still, Luxelle? I think prolly you’ll wanna know that there seems to be some kinda vision concerning you going on down under the well presently.”

It might have explained the inquiries, but now her stomach was turning. In dread.

By the time she found where everyone was beneath the well, it was all over. Miss Stormyrain was throughtful enough to take notes and tell Aetheri what many of them had seen in the waters laying in the catacombs.

She had no idea what any of it meant, but she recognized the last few from the meeting with Mister Crux last night under the Glowbark Tree.

Within the water, a robed man emerges at the edge of the chamber, stepping out of the shadows to reveal his deep sea blue eyes and narrow face, his hair as black as the darkness around him.

Within the still water, the sea blue-eyed man walks slowly forward, stretching out his arms as the sleeves of his crimson robe peel back to reveal the flesh of his hands and forearms.  His lips move, uttering something unheard, and he closes his eyes as he stops a foot from the green orb and the column of murk.

Within the still water, red-robed man exhales and opens his eyes, their deep sea blue hue regarding the orb with intensity….with hunger.  The man reaches out with his hands, grabbing the sides of the green orb, slowly lifting it from its position just above the pillar of reddish-black.

The water begins to ripple, the image wavering slightly as wisps of green smoke curl up from the man’s hands and his eyes go wide in shock.  The flesh along the man’s fingers and hands begins to bubble and peel away, revealing muscle, then bone, then nothing more.  Searing green light continues to melt away the man’s hands, emerald coils of energy snaking up his arms and licking the edge of his sleeves, igniting his robes.  The man stumbles back, his eyes exploding outward and a large cavity collapsing inward along his chest.  He then falls back, landing lifeless with a thud on the patterned floor as the green orb floats back down to the pillar of shifting shadows.

The water ripples, and within the image, a red-veiled Tehir man appears, countless scars spread across his bronze chest and arms.  The man scoops up the blue-eyed corpse under the arms, and drags him into a corner, lifting the body up onto a growing pile of others, each with burnt hands and sea blue eyes.

Suddenly, the water shifts rapidly, the shadowy chamber and pile of sea blue-eyed corpses vanishing, replaced by a darkened forest where a large glowbark tree rises up above some narrow streams with banks hugged by stretches of multi-hued sirenflowers.

Within the eerie blue radiance of the glowbark leaves, an elven woman stands, her silver-flecked wisteria eyes regarding a tall blonde elf, who idly thumbs an Ashrim-crested clasp.  They speak softly in the silence of the shadowy glade, their voices unheard.

From within the water, another figure approaches the two elves, this one an aelotoi, with bright, yellowed eyes and red-veined wings.  His face is gaunt, nearly skeleton, and he resembles more of a monster than a man.

Within the water, under the pale blue light, the yellow-eyed aelotoi approaches the blonde elf. The elf shifts nervously, his eyes squinting which only serves to crinkle the small linear scar beneath his left eye.  The two speak for a moment, their words unheard.

Within the water, the yellow-eyed aelotoi leans in close to the blonde elf, and produces a small syringe, drawing blood from the elf and slowly filling up a tiny crystal vial.  More words are exchanged, their message unheard, and a few of the sirenflowers nearby darken to the hue of blood.

She prayed extra from that night forward.

 

Author: GSBardess

A young bardess named Luxelle is currently learning her trade and hoping to one day make a name for her songs in GemStone IV. Follow along with her adventures in life and song.

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