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So more experimenting. What do you think?

Like a lantern, the lowering sun’s final rays latched onto the trees creating a murky glow upon the grassy plain. Twilight soon began to take its nature and reveal itself among the forest. The bark of the dead trees darkened and the path narrowed before her eyes. Tivona knew she didn’t have much time for surely the moonlight was but a dim lantern in the winter night.

She walked past the river, rustling like wind ushering leaves against the earth. The wolves trailed in her shadows; lifting their noses to the sweet smelling Sage flower she carried in her hands. The wolves made no move to pounce. No, they didn’t even sneer, or growl, but followed as if she were their true celestial goddess.

She treaded out of the forest and onto a meadow of loose puddles and scattered ponds in her way. Tivona snapped her fingers. The waters parted and rose as if soldiers stood in command of their queen. With naked feet, she stepped onto the soggy land left behind and progressed past the meadow, allowing the waters to return to their trenches.

She arrived at the waterfall. She stopped and sat on a rock near the gushing streams stretching further down like a clear curtain. Placing the flower aside, Tivona cupped her hands and dipped them into the water. The dampness met her thirsting lips and she sighed of the purity, free from the touch of humanity. Removing the hood of her robe, she then cleansed her sweating cheeks, high upon her face. The wolves rested with her, still following her every move. She smiled to them and rubbed the ear of the closet one to her. It licked its lips, yawned, and laid its head down, wanting more like a dog begging its master. She refused for she couldn’t stay long. Taking the flower into her protective care once more, she stood. The wolves mimicked, except for one who laid in trance. Though, the sky would lose its bright mask and the sun would switch faces soon, Tivona watched. The wolf was silver like the face of the moon. It flicked its ears back and released a growl of alarming disdain. Tivona examined her surroundings. She saw only the waterfall, the dimming light, and the tall hills lying in her path. She heard only the rushing cascade splattering against the rocks. Her eyes widened when she heard she had a pursuer lurking about. Perhaps, it was a small animal, but not likely. No one, but the animals and silent life could know of her journey. She remembered the promise she’d made of that to her mother lain in the darkness of death. If she did have a purser, she knew how to escape his eyes. She would probably lose the company of the wolves as well; it was a sacrifice to undergo, however.

She turned down the path opposite of the correct one, and entered the squelchy lands of a swamp. The wolves went no further for the stench overwhelmed them. They whimpered, but Tivona refused to stop for them. It was then; she heard her pursuer clearly as the person made large, rabbit steps. Tivona didn’t know if the person was human or not, but at least she could slow whomever down. Once she reached the end of the swamp, she snapped her fingers and the earth rose so that she created a wall, dividing the swamp. She couldn’t look back at this point. She commanded the earth to form steps so that she did not slide down the slanted hill in front of her. She strode onto a trail. She checked the safety of the flower and smiled. She walked the trail, free of her pursuer. 

By the time she arrived at the abandoned temple, Tivona’s feet throbbed, and her bones sagged against the air. However, she shook her head and removed her hood, for she was at peace here. The moon had finally taken her place in the sky. Two butterflies lighted the darkness. One had the wings of a phoenix and the other the shards of shattered ice. She smiled and all pain washed away as if she stood in rain.

Tivona stepped over remains of the destroyed arch and the giant doors welcomed her inside like angel arms. She entered the temple and shook her head as if the broken walls collected memories of complete anguish. They did. They told a story of war and division. A story, Tivona disliked hearing and remembering.

She listened for the cascade of water that poured out the giant hole in the left wall and covered the mossy ground. She caught the sound and found the stairs by the cascade, a gaping hole in which, some of the cascade leaked into. As she descended the stairs, careful not to slip, she heard Arella’s cough. Tivona hurried her steps and stopped at the bottom where she came upon a big pond of water carved into the rocky floor. Arella leaned, pressing her hands against the stalls for support as if her wings weighed heavy upon her back. Tivona rushed to her aid. Arella grunted, but allowed Tivona to help her sit down. Arella’s wings lay like dirty pillows as she sighed. “I could have died the time it took for you to come, Tivona,” she whined and crossed her arms.

Tivona nodded, accepting the scold. “I do apologize, Miss Arella, I know the curse must be a terrible burden on you.” She revealed the flower to Arella.

“I may have to call it quits I’m afraid,” confessed Arella as she tucked the flower away into her pouch. Tivona gasped and she curled her fingers, holding it close to her heart.

“Oh dear, you don’t mean-”

“What else can I do?” yelled Arella.

Tivona looked upon Arella’s face, surprised at the solemnity. She frowned and stared down, not knowing what to do. “The flower-”

 “The damned fool cursed me to my veins; your herb is merely a plant.” Arella shook her head, clenching her hands into fists and beat the ground with her angry knuckles. She gritted her teeth, but relaxed her muscles looking at Tivona. “Your trip was in pitiful vain and for that I am sorry.”

“I do not care of me, but fear for the child.”

Arella leaned her head on the wall and closed her eyes. Both Arella and Tivona could only agree in silence of such an awful truth. Tivona’s ears twitched as she felt an alarm ring through her blood, a disturbance of the air no longer possessing rawness to it, but a stench of death. Arella noticed Tivona’s ivory face, wrinkled with apprehension and searched the cause, but found none. “Something wrong, Tivona?”

“I feel bad aura around somewhere.”

Arella shrugged. “Could be the curse on me,” she suggested. Tivona knew it was a much worse aura. Both Arella and Tivona froze when they heard the pattern of horses’ hooves above them, rapid like heartbeats, loud as their own. They exchanged glances. Tivona helped Arella to her feet. “No one but Sorrel come to finish the job,” she muttered. 

Tivona frowned. “Please don’t be quick to lose faith, Miss Arella.” She snapped her fingers and commanded the waters to part. Tivona and Arella walked through the pond and ran deeper into the darkness. They came upon the underground sanctum of the temple. Sulfur hung on the walls and in the air as flickering lamps flashed like lightening. Tivona and Arella stopped in front of a bridge and a gapping hole beneath it. She looked at Arella. “My wings are useless,” said Arella as she flapped her wings, but failed to lift.

“Okay, I suppose the bridge is sturdy.” Tivona stepped onto the bridge and it shook with one touch.

“Or deadly.” Tivona gasped when she felt the aura grow stronger and she knew Sorrel had grown closer to them, listening to their steps, following their shadows.

“He’s close, Miss Arella,” warned Tivona.

Arella nodded and they both began to cross the bridge, carrying caution upon the rickety boards. They held onto the rope keeping it amidst the air. Halfway across, Tivona stopped when she noticed Arella lagging behind. She watched her kneel and short breaths pass her lips. Could it be that the poison was starting to take its drastic effects? No, not now, Tivona couldn’t have it happen now of all times! She had to go back, but Sorrel stood at the entrance of the bridge and his aura was strong enough to make her nose want to bleed. The lights paled his skin and reddened his eyes so that anxiety snuck into Tivona’s veins, something that was out of Tivona’s personality entirely. A malicious smile lifted the scars below his eyes. She felt his heavy steps tread upon the boards and to his touch, they did not shake as if commanded to still.

Tivona shook her head and focused on helping Arella to her feet. Tivona knew that the poison weighed her down. Sorrel ambled with no rush as if enjoying each frantic emotion tensing in the air; his smile increasing with the closer he came. Tivona swung Arella’s arm over her shoulders and lifted Arella’s strength on herself. Side by side they crossed the bridge, yet still Sorrel did not increase his pace. They reached the end of the bridge. Tivona snapped her fingers and the rope holding the bridge broke, which didn’t help. Sorrel released his dark wings and supported himself amongst the air. No one had time to gasp. Tivona carried Arella up the staircase and atop of the temple roof. They faced the night sky, but found themselves cornered mice when they saw that there was nowhere else to run. Arella sighed and Tivona couldn’t figure out what to do. She’d never been so close to Sorrel before.

They heard his sinister chuckles as he stalked up the stairs. Arella groaned and pushed Tivona away. Tivona frowned, but Arella interrupted, “Leave me. Before he gets you too.”

Tivona shook her head. “Miss-”

“Take my place, Tivona.”

“I cannot-”

“Don’t argue with me!”

“Hello again, Arella, my dear,” said Sorrel as he stood before them. He smiled and his thin lips stretched across his stone face. His light brows folded as he chuckled again. “How’s the poison?”

Arella gritted her teeth, but did not respond. She laid her hand upon her the hilt of her sword and Tivona readied for any attack or any way to aid. However, Sorrel sliced a scar upon Arella’s cheek that he dragged down onto her chest. The pouch and flower fell into the depths below. Arella swung her sword, but missed. Arella scowled and shoved Tivona. She felt the wind push against her and hung on her poise to prevent her from falling. However, Arella shoved her again. “Protect the child, Tivona!” she exclaimed as Tivona too fell into the deep depths below.

Tivona had to use it, the last of her strength. Mist wrapped around her body. She stretched her arms. The bones in them loosened, tugged, and shriveled into feathers. She bent her head and her lips formed a small, pink beak. The iris in her eyes dilated and shrank into the eyes of a dove. She flapped her wings and hovered above the ground. She flinched as she heard Arella’s final scream echo into the sky. Tivona shook her head. She heard bushes rattle and looked around. Surely, Sorrel would not pursue her, she hoped. Tivona stopped when she noticed a girl. With the spark of life in her azure eyes, Tivona could tell the girl was human. Tivona morphed into her enchantress form, hid, and watched the girl pick up the sage flower and caress its violet petals. Tivona knew she used the flower to heal angels, but negative effects could happen with humans. She needed to retrieve it, but she didn’t want the girl to see her. Allowing one human to see her, meant allowing others to see, and that was unnecessary trouble. However, she needed the flower. She had an idea. She snapped her fingers and her hair changed from its lavender glow to the color of a raven’s plumes. Even the color in her eyes washed from their green nature to a misty grey. That way the human girl would not identify her even if she saw the magic tingling upon her skin. Tivona stepped from her place. The girl gasped and hid the flower as if she was guardian of it. Tivona smiled easing closer to her. “Hello there-” What else could she say? She didn’t want to sound rude or impolite. “Um, may I see that flower you have? It belongs to me and-”

The girl frowned, shaking her ruffled hair. “I found it fair and square lady!”

Tivona sighed. “That flower can be very dangerous, please-”

“I ain’t stupid, it’s a sage flower, and I found it fair and square!” Such an obstinate human, thought Tivona, but she refused to allow any of her muscles to flinch or tense. She tried another smile and a different approach.

“Surely, the finder possesses a name, no?”

The girl’s eyes didn’t waver and she still gripped the flower, keeping it out of view. “Name’s Callie, why?”

“Oh, what a beautiful meaning that name has, well, Callie-” Tivona’s ears twitched and she heard a loud thud.

“Miss Tivona, don’t you want to join your friend?” Tivona shuddered at the sound of Sorrel’s voice. She knew he would hurt the child, possibly slaughter her. Also, Tivona herself was at risk. She had no choice, but to flee. However, that meant she’d have to let the girl keep the flower. If she were to snatch it, the power could implode on both of them in a negative way. Therefore, she sparked a ball of light on her index finger. She touched the girl.

            “Nice meeting you, Callie.” And the girl vanished with a huff. Tivona morphed back into her dove form and used the very last bit of her strength to escape before Sorrel could find her. For now, she was the last protector of the child. First, however, she would have to find the child.  

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

Yeah, I reposted it. This is one of my best writings that has no real plot to it. I just wrote what came to mind. Please tell me what you think?

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless

Reviews

[Larry Dyson]

excellent thoughts and some really good descriptions, you do think in a wonderful enchanted way...please piece it together and work it into a story.....?Laury

[It's Me, The Miracle]

The depth of your language made me read it twice....I guess I must read it once again before making a creative review.....Hope to do it soon...anyways, Thanks for posting it...learnt a good amount of vocabulary from it....