Liana listened quietly, all the while stroking the tabby, running her nimble fingers down its spine and behind its ears. The brown feline narrowed its eyes and purred like a rusty motorboat, arching its neck once in a while in pleasure.
Cole mentioned the surge of strength he experienced when Ricky had attacked him, and how he had punched down the huge man. Liana turned her ravaged face towards him, giving him a good view of the scars etched across her eyes and running down her cheeks. "That's interesting...Has that ever happened before?"
Cole thought about it, and nodded. Then he remembered she couldn't see him, so he said. "Yeah...During dance classes, sometimes...I would be picking up my partner in some weird ballet move, and the teacher's telling me to use my arms to boost her up, so of course I listen, but then..." He chuckled. "...Sometimes I used too much power. Even with the burliest dancers I had to be careful. Huh." He added. "That's funny...I've never noticed it until now, but...There have been several situations like that...You know, when I overdid the power in a dance move or something random."
He paused. "I guess I just don't know my own strength."
"Hm." Liana's sightless gaze drifted off, lost in thought.
They sat there for a while, Liana stroking the cat while Cole sat beside her, listening to the gurgle of the stream in front of them.
Finally he said. "I wasn't being entirely truthful when I said I was just taking a walk. I was..." He hesitated. "...I had a nightmare."
He instantly hated himself for saying that. He sounded like a stupid kindergartener, scared by dumb nightmares. Wonderful. Now Liana was going to think he was a wimpy moron. He braced himself for a scornful laugh, or a sneer.
Liana didn't laugh. She didn't smirk, not even a playful grin. Instead, she reached out a hand and touched his face. He flinched, but let her run her fingers to his forehead.
She felt the sweat on his skin, and looked concerned.
"What was the nightmare like?" She said as she withdrew her hand.
He shrugged. "Look, it's no big deal...It was just a dream."
"A dream that shook you out of sleep and had you break into a cold sweat. Cole, I may be blind, but I'm not stupid. Besides," She added. "You're trembling."
He felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Fine, fine..." He growled. "I don't see how telling you about it will make me feel better, though."
"It will."
He sighed, and stared out at the bubbling river. There was a moment of silence before he began. "I was running down a hallway...It was on an old building, I think." He paused. "That first bit was the weird thing...Always before in my nightmares, I couldn't run, or I ran really slow."
"I believe the same goes for me." Liana said quietly.
He nodded. "...Something was chasing me...I couldn't see it, but I could hear its voice, and...." He bit his lip. "...I could...feel it."
"How do you mean?"
He thought about it. "Well...I don't think it was actually touching me. I think I was sensing its presence. And it felt..."
He hesitated.
"...Dark."
Liana was silent.
"It kept saying something like "As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student", over and over again. It...It wanted something. Something from me." He rubbed his arms, trying to warm up a bit, "I was trying to get out. I kept running down the hall, and I didn't want to look back."
He replayed the scene in his head. "Then there was this weird tugging feeling...Like a cold finger was grabbing something from my body. It all happened so fast, but I think...." He swallowed. "...I think I died."
The forest was still, save for the light gurgle of the sparkling stream. The cat had stopped purring. Moonlight filtered through the boughs and leaves above the two and cast silver shadows down to the earth. Liana gazed sightlessly at nothing.
...You will leave your mortal body...by means of the Dark Arts. Matilda's voice rang eerily in his head.
Cole felt his skin grow cold as he recalled Matilda's fotunetelling. ...You will leave your mortal body...By means of the Dark Arts.
Don't be ridiculous! He berated himself. It was just a dumb nightmare! Fortunetelling isn't real, ghosts aren't real, and you aren't going to smash! You're being a big baby, you are not going to smash!
Better decide on a future, kid, because this says you're going to live a long life. That was also one of the things she foretold. He stared off into the shadows of the trees. How can one "leave their mortal body", and yet live a long life? That dosen't make sense.
Well, maybe that's proof I don't have anything to worry about. He thought to himself.
Liana resumed stroking the cat, who flicked its ears. "That's what woke you up?"
He nodded. Again, he remembered she couldn't see him, so he said. "Yeah."
After a few long moments of silence, she murmured. "There's a song the people of my little town sing...They usually sing it on the Day of the Departed each year."
Cole glanced at her, wondering where she was going with this.
She wrapped her purple robes tighter around her shoulders. "If I recall correctly...It goes like this..." She began to sing in a slow, haunting chant, her words quiet and soft, yet they stuck to the night.
And cause terrible trouble that's more than it's worth
A battle will ensue
Between a powerful two
Both with a shadowy curse,
Defying the laws of Death and Life
Each engaged at each other in a desperate strife
One opponent, a slave to evil and himself
The other, a guardian, and thirsting to prove oneself
Each motive is different, yet the target is the same;
Another chance at Life and to put Death to shame,
Enemies of old, they rise from the grave
They hunt old wounds while the Two play their game
After the Masters they'll pursue
Using the magic of dark voodoo
Whilst the warriors battle forgotten foes
The terrible two fight for the other's death throes,
One must fall while the other flies
A second chance at Life shall be their prize
So beware the green moon, for though it shines,
Beneath the surface darkness truly lies."
The song ended with a foreboding note. Liana's chanting fell silent, and there was a long moment of quiet.
"It's not a very good song, but it's something the villagers like to sing each year." She said.
Cole let the silence ring for several seconds more before saying. "So...It's kinda like a warning to kids? Something like; ' Don't mess with the Dark Arts' or something?"
"Not so much a warning as much as a prophecy." She replied quietly.
Again, a moment of silence.
"Do you think that...that dream I had might have something to do with that?" He asked.
She gave a small shrug. "Who knows? Your dream made me think of that, for whatever reason."
"Mmh."
"Thanks." Cole finally said. "For listening, I mean."
"Thank you for sharing the night with me."
They sat there quietly, with the moon shining softly down on them, and the cat dozing peacefully.
And cause terrible trouble that's more than it's worth
A battle will ensue
Between a powerful two
Both with a shadowy curse,
Defying the laws of Death and Life
Each engaged at each other in a desperate strife
One opponent, a slave to evil and himself
The other, a guardian, and thirsting to prove oneself
Each motive is different, yet the target is the same;
Another chance at Life and to put Death to shame,
Enemies of old, they rise from the grave
They hunt old wounds while the Two play their game
After the Masters they'll pursue
Using the magic of dark voodoo
Whilst the warriors battle forgotten foes
The terrible two fight for the other's death throes,
One must fall while the other flies
A second chance at Life shall be their prize
So beware the green moon, for though it shines,
Beneath the surface darkness truly lies."
The song ended with a foreboding note. Liana's chanting fell silent, and there was a long moment of quiet.
"It's not a very good song, but it's something the villagers like to sing each year." She said.
Cole let the silence ring for several seconds more before saying. "So...It's kinda like a warning to kids? Something like; ' Don't mess with the Dark Arts' or something?"
"Not so much a warning as much as a prophecy." She replied quietly.
Again, a moment of silence.
"Do you think that...that dream I had might have something to do with that?" He asked.
She gave a small shrug. "Who knows? Your dream made me think of that, for whatever reason."
"Mmh."
"Thanks." Cole finally said. "For listening, I mean."
"Thank you for sharing the night with me."
They sat there quietly, with the moon shining softly down on them, and the cat dozing peacefully.
And cause terrible trouble that's more than it's worth
A battle will ensue
Between a powerful two
Both with a shadowy curse,
Defying the laws of Death and Life
Each engaged at each other in a desperate strife
One opponent, a slave to evil and himself
The other, a guardian, and thirsting to prove oneself
Each motive is different, yet the target is the same;
Another chance at Life and to put Death to shame,
Enemies of old, they rise from the grave
They hunt old wounds while the Two play their game
After the Masters they'll pursue
Using the magic of dark voodoo
Whilst the warriors battle forgotten foes
The terrible two fight for the other's death throes,
One must fall while the other flies
A second chance at Life shall be their prize
So beware the green moon, for though it shines,
Beneath the surface darkness truly lies."
The song ended with a foreboding note. Liana's chanting fell silent, and there was a long moment of quiet.
"It's not a very good song, but it's something the villagers like to sing each year." She said.
Cole let the silence ring for several seconds more before saying. "So...It's kinda like a warning to kids? Something like; ' Don't mess with the Dark Arts' or something?"
"Not so much a warning as much as a prophecy." She replied quietly.
Again, a moment of silence.
"Do you think that...that dream I had might have something to do with that?" He asked.
She gave a small shrug. "Who knows? Your dream made me think of that, for whatever reason."
"Mmh."
"Thanks." Cole finally said. "For listening, I mean."
"Thank you for sharing the night with me."
They sat there quietly, with the moon shining softly down on them, and the cat dozing peacefully.
The brown tabby cat dissapeared mysteriously in the middle of the night, when the two teens had dozed off for a few minutes, Liana's head resting lightly on Cole's shoulder. When he realized the cat had gone Cole wondered if it had been following him, or if it was just a coincidence he came across it again.
Matilda woke up everyone before the crack of dawn, clapping her hands loudly and muttering crossly about "lazy bones", "sleepy heads", and "slow slugs". Phillip and Cole moaned and groaned, and stuffed their pillows over their heads, pleading for "five more minutes".
A bucket of cold water splashing on their heads finally persuaded them to get up.
They ate hot breakfast cake and saddled up the horses just as the sun was beginning to rise. They four travelers set out through the steep, rolling mountain forests, yawning sleepily and blinking blearily. That is, except for Matilda. The brusk witch sat straight and tall in the saddle, apparently not sleepy at all, instead, energetic and ready to start the day. Apparently she got up this early each morning.
They rode in the direction of Stixx, where Phillip and Liana were headed. As the sun scaled the sky, they began to ride downhill the Yokai mountain ranges, passing groves of trees and steep, treacherous fields of boulders. Once in a while they stopped to relieve themselves or for Matilda to collect a clump of herbs or berries whenever she saw them. The land sloped gently, becoming smoother as they went.
Sometime after noon, they found themselves in an uneven, rocky area, where banks of boulders grew in size and the sides of the mountains grew steeper. Wary of bandits, Cole fingered the scythe he carried once in a while, recalling the brutality they faced against Dog Bone's gang.
Dark clouds began to form in the sky, shutting out the sun's warm light and casting the land in a foreboding shadow. Matilda glanced upwards and muttered something about rain.
The brown tabby cat dissapeared mysteriously in the middle of the night, when the two teens had dozed off for a few minutes, Liana's head resting lightly on Cole's shoulder. When he realized the cat had gone Cole wondered if it had been following him, or if it was just a coincidence he came across it again.
Matilda woke up everyone before the crack of dawn, clapping her hands loudly and muttering crossly about "lazy bones", "sleepy heads", and "slow slugs". Phillip and Cole moaned and groaned, and stuffed their pillows over their heads, pleading for "five more minutes".
A bucket of cold water splashing on their heads finally persuaded them to get up.
They ate hot breakfast cake and saddled up the horses just as the sun was beginning to rise. They four travelers set out through the steep, rolling mountain forests, yawning sleepily and blinking blearily. That is, except for Matilda. The brusk witch sat straight and tall in the saddle, apparently not sleepy at all, instead, energetic and ready to start the day. Apparently she got up this early each morning.
They rode in the direction of Stixx, where Phillip and Liana were headed. As the sun scaled the sky, they began to ride downhill the Yokai mountain ranges, passing groves of trees and steep, treacherous fields of boulders. Once in a while they stopped to relieve themselves or for Matilda to collect a clump of herbs or berries whenever she saw them. The land sloped gently, becoming smoother as they went.
Sometime after noon, they found themselves in an uneven, rocky area, where banks of boulders grew in size and the sides of the mountains grew steeper. Wary of bandits, Cole fingered the scythe he carried once in a while, recalling the brutality they faced against Dog Bone's gang.
Dark clouds began to form in the sky, shutting out the sun's warm light and casting the land in a foreboding shadow. Matilda glanced upwards and muttered something about rain.
And cause terrible trouble that's more than it's worth
A battle will ensue
Between a powerful two
Both with a shadowy curse,
Defying the laws of Death and Life
Each engaged at each other in a desperate strife
One opponent, a slave to evil and himself
The other, a guardian, and thirsting to prove oneself
Each motive is different, yet the target is the same;
Another chance at Life and to put Death to shame,
Enemies of old, they rise from the grave
They hunt old wounds while the Two play their game
After the Masters they'll pursue
Using the magic of dark voodoo
Whilst the warriors battle forgotten foes
The terrible two fight for the other's death throes,
One must fall while the other flies
A second chance at Life shall be their prize
So beware the green moon, for though it shines,
Beneath the surface darkness truly lies."
The song ended with a foreboding note. Liana's chanting fell silent, and there was a long moment of quiet.
"It's not a very good song, but it's something the villagers like to sing each year." She said.
Cole let the silence ring for several seconds more before saying. "So...It's kinda like a warning to kids? Something like; ' Don't mess with the Dark Arts' or something?"
"Not so much a warning as much as a prophecy." She replied quietly.
Again, a moment of silence.
"Do you think that...that dream I had might have something to do with that?" He asked.
She gave a small shrug. "Who knows? Your dream made me think of that, for whatever reason."
"Mmh."
"Thanks." Cole finally said. "For listening, I mean."
"Thank you for sharing the night with me."
They sat there quietly, with the moon shining softly down on them, and the cat dozing peacefully.
...Beautiful. I have no other words. A peaceful moment after a long night...and the cat makes everything even better^^
The brown tabby cat dissapeared mysteriously in the middle of the night, when the two teens had dozed off for a few minutes, Liana's head resting lightly on Cole's shoulder. When he realized the cat had gone Cole wondered if it had been following him, or if it was just a coincidence he came across it again.
Matilda woke up everyone before the crack of dawn, clapping her hands loudly and muttering crossly about "lazy bones", "sleepy heads", and "slow slugs". Phillip and Cole moaned and groaned, and stuffed their pillows over their heads, pleading for "five more minutes".
A bucket of cold water splashing on their heads finally persuaded them to get up.
They ate hot breakfast cake and saddled up the horses just as the sun was beginning to rise. They four travelers set out through the steep, rolling mountain forests, yawning sleepily and blinking blearily. That is, except for Matilda. The brusk witch sat straight and tall in the saddle, apparently not sleepy at all, instead, energetic and ready to start the day. Apparently she got up this early each morning.
They rode in the direction of Stixx, where Phillip and Liana were headed. As the sun scaled the sky, they began to ride downhill the Yokai mountain ranges, passing groves of trees and steep, treacherous fields of boulders. Once in a while they stopped to relieve themselves or for Matilda to collect a clump of herbs or berries whenever she saw them. The land sloped gently, becoming smoother as they went.
Sometime after noon, they found themselves in an uneven, rocky area, where banks of boulders grew in size and the sides of the mountains grew steeper. Wary of bandits, Cole fingered the scythe he carried once in a while, recalling the brutality they faced against Dog Bone's gang.
Dark clouds began to form in the sky, shutting out the sun's warm light and casting the land in a foreboding shadow. Matilda glanced upwards and muttered something about rain.
1. MMMM Time to build that ship. 2. And thus, Cole's lifelong love for cake begun...
Lit parts in my absence! 
Thank you! :3
Thank you! :3
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)