Okay, much anticipated according to some comments…we have chapter five! =D
We are with Kalmar now, so, be prepared. OC’s anyone? XD
Kalmar began to feel consciousness return to him, and for that he was grateful. He felt a piece of cloth over his mouth, and he felt ropes around his wrists and ankles. Panic then set in.
He began to struggle and attempt to rip the ropes, not caring about the noise he made, thinking himself to be alone….but he was in fact not alone.
He stopped struggling for a moment as he heard a person stand, and he looked up and saw a figure clad completely in black from head to foot. The figure was wearing two fingerless gloves, and by the physique, he could tell the person was a female. But she was sharpening a dagger in her hands, and her head was slightly turned in his direction.
Then she looked him full on and he paled with fear. Her eyes were a milky white, and they stared out into space, but he could tell they were supposed to be looking at him.
She slowly started walking forward, and she kneeled next to him. Then she took one of her hands and placed it on his arm, followed it up to his shoulder, across to his throat, up his throat (panic set in harder) and then finally to the cloth around his mouth.
“If I remove this, do you promise not to scream?”
Kalmar nodded. What other choice did he have? So, she took the dagger and cut it off. To Kalmar’s shock, she didn’t cut him.
“What’s—what’s your name?”
She frowned….at least he guessed she frowned. She had a mask covering her mouth and he could only tell by her eyes….and those creeped him out so he didn’t want to look at those very long.
“My name is none of your concern at the moment. If I take off your binds do you promise not to run?”
“Yeah, I mean, where could I run to?”
“Your family,” she said matter-of-factly.
“I don’t know where they are.”
“Why are you all here anyway?”
“Because we—we wanted to try and find something.”
“What?” She had now cut off the binds on his wrists.
Kalmar propped himself up on his hands and looked at her. “We were looking for this thing called the First Well.”
“Oh. Your treasure seekers.”
“No. We are…uh, healing seekers.”
“Someone you know hurt?” His legs were free, but Kalmar remained still and silent.
“Sort of,” he mumbled.
“What do you mean ‘sort of’?”
“My brother is….is…..gone.”
She paused and looked at him full-on. “You mean….permanently?”
He nodded slowly and sorrowfully, but when she didn’t answer, he quickly said, “Yes.”
“So you think the Water will bring him back?”
“Hoping.”
She scoffed. “You sure have some imagination.”
Kalmar began feeling heated. “Imagination?”
“Yes. If Well Water could bring people back, don’t you think people would have thought of that? And plus, why would the Maker leave that kind of power on Aerwiar?”
Admittedly, Kalmar had not thought of any of these things, and now he sighed. And then dread gripped his heart. “Well, I don’t know what to say then,” he whispered, his voice thick with tears.
The woman felt a little compassion for the boy who now realized his mistake….and she looked at him with a softer expression.
“Look, I’ve heard legends about….something at the Well that could help you.”
Kalmar looked up, hope swelling in his heart. “What?!”
“Sometimes, if old legends are true, the Maker himself goes down to the Well and rests there for a day. Maybe he’ll be there if he wants your brother back.”
Klamar’s face lit up. “But Janner is in the Field of Finley.”
“I’m sure the Maker will have an answer once we get there, if he wills your brother…Janner…to come back.”
Kalmar nodded. Then he paused. “Wait we? You want to help?”
The girl froze. “Well, I can’t let you go by yourself. You’d die.”
“Well, how much help can you be?”
“Enough help.”
“Can you even see?” Kalmar pressed, knowing that there was something off with her vision. She froze, and sighed heavily, her back muscles tightening.
“No. But it doesn’t matter.”
She sank down and started rummaging through a bag. It would have been clear to anyone that the conversation was over, but not to Kalmar. He felt a little more at peace, and now wanted curiosities answered.
“What are you doing?”
“Do you want to eat?”
Kalmar then noticed that he was hungry. “Um, yes.”
“Then please leave me alone. I already told you I would help you. Now please, leave me alone.”
Kalmar recognized that tone. He’d heard it once before. He’d heard it in Janner’s voice when Kalmar made him angry, and wouldn’t stop talking. So, now Kalmar knew that he should be quiet even though dozens of questions burned within him.
After five minutes, he could bear the silence no longer. “What’s your name?”
She sighed heavily again, and slammed down her bag of supplies. “Why would I tell you mine when I don’t even know yours?”
“Kalmar.”
She turned her head slightly towards him, but then shook her head and went back to her bag.
“So?” Kalmar pressed.
“You can call me………Emerald.”
Kalmar smiled a little. “Nice to meet you, Emerald.”
“I’m sure it’s likewise. Now please, I work best in silence.”
Kalmar stayed quiet after that. When she gave him food, he muttered a “Thank you,” and didn’t say another word.
“Well, know this, Kalmar,” Ari said. She drew down her mask and Kalmar gasped slightly. She was one of the prettiest women he had ever seen.
“You will be safe with me. Enjoy your dinner, and if you get hungry again you can, rummage through my bag. It’s getting late, so, I’ll probably be asleep soon. If you need anything, wake me up.”
“Thanks,” Kalmar whispered, and then looked up at her. “Why are you out here?”
Ari colored slightly, then smirked. “I have a…business of my own to attend to.”
She then started eating (totato stew!) and Kalmar looked down at his bowl. He glanced up and saw the sun was nearly gone, and then he started eating.
About an hour later, and Emerald was indeed asleep. It was then that he looked at her strange fingerless gloves. He looked at her pale white fingers, so beautiful and perfect. He looked at her face, and sensed a familiarity about it, though he also felt a strangeness about it.
One thing struck him immediately. The way she slept, half on her back, half on her side, with one arm over her torso and the other raised above her head, was the exact same way Uncle Artham slept.
He wasn’t sure why it struck him. he was sure other people slept like that…..didn’t they? Or could she be related to him, and, by succession, him?
He fell asleep with that thought, along with one prayer. Please be there.
Okay, in case it wasn’t one hundred percent clear, Emerald is indeed blind. And no, Kal is not with the Overseer! ><
That’s good right?
Okay, in chapter six we shall get Podo’s story 😝
NO! NO! DON'T MATCH KAL WITH HEEERRR! MATCH HIM WITH GALYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!