"Of Two Worlds"
Chapter 1
By: Willow Mae

The dress was black, and it was very heavy. She shifted from one foot to another to relieve herself of some of the weight as she examined herself in the mirror. Yards of midnight silk encased her small frame; the dress was embroidered with black thread and lined with tiny pearls. The material shone against her ivory complexion, and her face had been painted to match the dress. It was completely morbid, she thought to herself as one of the girls attending her began to put up her hair. Two servants- one old and one young were attending her. They were adjusting the dress and picking out the finest jewelry from a large box to add to her ensemble.

"Small One, you look magnificent," Her young attendant gushed. "What an honor to become the Bride of Yeben; you’ll make the prettiest Bride we’ve had in a long time."

She leaned her head back as her pale green hair was tied tightly in a knot on top of her head. She couldn’t remember being more uncomfortable in her life.

"Oh would you stop fidgeting Small One?" Another serving maid tried to fasten the clasps on the back of the dress.

"That hurts!" She yelped as the maid finally succeeded in folding her iridescent wings under the fabric.

The older maid snorted. "Well we couldn’t very well rip the gown could we, now? It’s just easier this way, saves us the trouble of configuring a new dress. Now, turn around so she can finish putting up your hair, Small One." The last few words were added as an afterthought, and she could pick up a hint of sarcasm in the old voice as she complied and turned around.

Small One, as she had been referred to since the time she had arrived—or more accurately, been captured, though no one but her seemed to remember the incident—was sure that there was a different reason behind this façade she was being put though. She tried to flex her wings experimentally, but the strain against the fabric was too great and she relaxed her muscles, feeling quite defeated.

The servants continued to putter around, dressing her up like a play doll for children. She pointedly ignored their excited babble and concentrated on what she was going to do about getting away from the situation. She had seen the previous fates for the Brides before, how they were to couple with the God to whom they were wed, so their flesh would be given to the shadow. Judging by the screams of the previous Brides, it was a painful process, along with other things. Her stomach lurched and she cut off her train of thoughts as they drew her nearer to what she knew was going to happen. Quickly she redirected her ideas towards a more positive line of thinking and began to develop a plan.

"You look lovely, my dear." A deep voice rumbled from the doorway. She turned to face her captor, a man in his late 40s whose teeth were falling out and whose hair was falling out even quicker. She moistened suddenly dry lips and placed a thin smile on her face before turning around in a heavy rustle of skirts.

"My Lord High Priest," She murmured and cast her eyes down, not wanting to look him in the face. She tried to curtsy, hoping that he would take her refusal to look at him as a sign of respect. Apparently the ruse worked, for he made no comment when she stood.

"Lord Adokul, the Small One is ready for the ceremony." One of her maids informed him. He did not take his eye from her as he acknowledged the maids’ comments.

His face cracked into a wet smile, making her shiver involuntarily. "Not quite ready, I think." He approached her and tucked a stray piece of minty hair behind her ear, and her entire body went rigid. "My sweet, the Bride of Yeben must be properly adorned. Therefore, I have brought you this," he held up an amulet; its golden engravings accented by blood red rubies. He leaned forward to hook it around her neck, and she tried her best not to breathe in his nearness. "There. Now, we cannot keep the public waiting. The Bride of Yeben must show her appreciation for her role, isn’t that right?" He smiled another rotted grin at her and held out his arm. Silently she placed her fingertips on his sleeve, wincing at the feel of his rough robes beneath her skin. Lord Priest Adokul led her out into the Temple courtyard and to the travel chariot waiting there.

The chariot was black, and so were the horses that drew it. The trim was edged in gold, and the Small One could only guess at how expensive such a job would be. Gold was rare now; horses even rarer, she wondered how…her thoughts were broken as she was roughly shoved into the seat. The corners of her mouth turned white and she stared decidedly straight ahead.

"Driver, move on." Adokul snarled. The whip cracked and the chariot lurched forward, throwing her awkwardly into the High Priest’s expectant arms. He turned another sickeningly sweet smile at her. "Now, my precious Small One, when we enter into the village simply smile and wave. You must appear to be pleased with your rank as Yeben’s chosen Bride."

She looked at him, her amethyst eyes flashing. She opened her mouth for a spiteful response, but a flash at her side stopped her short.

"Don’t think I didn’t come prepared, girl." He sneered, pressing the jade dagger close between the folds of the black fabric. She looked up at him again, and this time she saw the fear and hatred raging behind his dark eyes. He hissed at her and drove the point closer to her skin. Instinctively, she pulled as far away from him as possible, but he grabbed her arm. "You’re not going to try anything, do you understand? I’ve taken extra measures to insure that. You’re no better than the rest of us, and after the ceremony my power will be secured. I will not allow you to foil this. Yeben needs new flesh and my child, that flesh will be yours, make no mistake about it."

Her mouth went completely dry as she nodded stiffly, fright temporarily paralyzing her. Now what was she going to do? Escape would be even harder now, and they were nearing the town. She would be caught in an instant if she leapt from the chariot, and if she wasn’t struck by the dagger in his hand she would be doomed anyway…no! She refused to be a sacrifice to that Shade Strider, Yeben, who posed as a god. She would fight to save her people…the tip of the weapon was pressed tightly against her ribs as they entered into the crowds of people cheering her name.

The town was larger than most, with a wide array of winding side streets. The houses were simple but elegant, and the city was rich enough to have stone paved streets. Large wooden signs hung high above the shops along the main street. The city was laid out like a grid, the streets meeting at sharp angles. Her mind raced as she tried desperately to think of an escape plan.

"Smile and wave, Small One, smile and wave." He hissed in her ear. Mechanically she raised her arm and obliged his commands. "Smile."

Her thoughts raced so quickly through her mind she didn’t have time to decipher them. All she knew was she had to get away, fast. A bead of sweat trickled down her back, leaving a trace of wetness in the stiff black fabric. The chariot rounded a corner and began to head back to the Temple. Gauging distance carefully, she lowered her arm and kicked her captor in the shin. When he relaxed his grip on the jade dagger to tend to the pain in his leg, she pushed herself into a standing position as best she could and leapt high into the air. Adokul snarled and grabbed at her foot, missing her by inches. She rolled over the top of the chariot and landed with a heavy thud on the pavement behind the wheels. A quick glance told her that they had entered one of the narrower side streets, just wide enough for the chariot to go through in one direction. Ignoring the pain in her body from her landing, she began to get away as fast as she could.

She could hear the chariot trying to turn around in pursuit, but the narrow street was difficult to maneuver in and the chariot was in such a position that Priest Adokul would not be able to get out easily. She hoisted her skirts high above her knees and ran through the streets. She wound her way through side streets and main streets. She knew that she was going out of the city, since all roads led to the center all roads led out. As long as she didn’t backtrack she would reach the outskirts of the city. She wound around as best she could, trying to loose any pursuit until she cut through the nearby fields, emerging just past the city borders. They would begin to search for her as soon as the procession returned without their precious Bride. Quickly she tried to calculate the best course of action.

The immortal search beasts were probably already on her trail. Running would not be a good option, for the creatures had been trained to attack anything that tried to move quickly. Her mind spun with thoughts and possibilities. ~ If I stay here, they might overlook me and I could go in the opposite direction…it will only delay them for a while, but it might buy me enough time…~ She thought. The shouts of guards and the thud of beast hooves decided her mind quickly. ~I suppose I must stay…no chance of running now that the search has begun. ~ She threw herself down and hid among the bushes and thought quickly. She waited until the hoofbeats faded and the ground stopped shaking. In an instant, she was standing again, and racing back into the city. Once more she entered into the network of streets, keeping her eyes focused on the pavement until she final found what she was looking for. She crouched down and pulled up the large loose stone in the middle of a side street, turning her face away from the smell below. It was an entrance into the city waste system, and it was her only safe means of escape.

~No one will be down there now…and if they were, no one but the guards has realized I’ve escaped so no one would question my motives…yet. ~ She threw herself into the hole and found herself ankle deep in waste. Her nose wrinkled in distaste and she lifted the soggy hem of the dress and picked her way over the packed dirt to the side. Presumably, this was the walkway for the cleaners so they did not have to get terribly dirty…but from the looks of things, no cleaner had been here in quite a while. She sat down and began to tear away at the dress. As each layer of obsidian fabric peeled away from her skin, her smile broadened. At last she was free, wearing only the tattered remains of the once glorious dress. She left her hair pinned up-- no use in letting it down, it would only obscure her vision-- but the jewelry would have to go. Hastily she rid herself of the heavy rings, anklets, and necklaces she had been adorned with. She looked at them, piled at her feet, and heaved a reluctant sigh. It was a waste to leave them here, and if she managed to get away into a different city they might be useful to exchange for money or food…she picked out the amulet the priest had placed around her neck and put it back on, tucking the gem beneath the line of her bodice. It was by far the most expense item in the lot, and would fetch a good price even with the stingiest of merchants. As soon as she was set, she took off her shoes (it would be terribly awkward to run away wearing heels that constantly fell apart) and trudged along the makeshift path. Hopefully, it would wind through under the town, and emerge again somewhere on the opposite side.

After a long and unpleasant walk, and a longer search for the exit, she finally arrived above ground again. She squinted in the pink light of the setting suns and chose a direction to start in. As there was no sign of pursuit yet, she walked slowly, picking over sticks and stones buried beneath the dirt. Saving her energy would be the best plan, in case she was discovered. She had wandered far from the village, and was in an open plain. There was no sign of any life nearby, but she sniffed the air tentatively anyway, trying to pick up any scents that were unfamiliar.

~ It should be relatively safe by now…~ she thought. She paused and sat down, letting her breath slow to an easy natural pace. It was then that she felt the pounding on the ground. Realizing her discovery, she panicked and did the only thing that was logical: she ran.

She went blindly through the tall grasses about her; the thin blades whistling in the soft night breeze and making her head spin. Through the bare soles of her feet she could feel the ground shake as her pursuer neared. A dip in the terrain caused her to fall forward into the dry needle-like grass. Her heart beat quickly in her chest as she struggled to stand once more, but it was too late. Silhouetted against the fading suns and now-rising moons, she could see the figure on horseback that was, without a doubt, her pursuer. She tried to still her hard breathing, which fell heavily into the cold air. A soft wind blew between the enemies as the figure above her dismounted. Where his eyes should have been there was only the soft pink scars of flesh. Below that were two slitted nostrils, the skin around them flexing slightly as he tasted the air. From his fanged mouth dripped dark saliva, which sprayed her face as he turned his head this way and that, trying to find her.

"I know you’re here Small One. The air drips with your half-breed scent." He took a step towards her and she scuttled further away, trying not to draw attention. He snarled as the wind changed direction and carried her scent further from his searches. "Come out and save me the trouble of finding you!" He licked his caked lips with a forked tongue and grinned a sickening smile. "Of course, the hunt is half the fun…"

Her heart stuck in her throat. That voice was one she could never forget…her eyes began to prickle as she realized what must be done if she was to survive. Carefully her mouth formed the sounds of one of the sacred Ancient Word Spells. They were taught to her in infancy, so that those of her rank could save the civilization if anything went wrong. Well, things had most certainly gone wrong, but now that magic was illegal and there were wards up, it was difficult to manage even the smallest of spells. Many times, they would backfire, leaving her exhausted for days. However, the spell seemed to work and the daemon stopped its approach. Whispering a silent goodbye, she grabbed the opportunity and took off once more, trying to gain an advantage while the spell still held. If she could make it to the line of trees in the distance…

The grass around her rustled violently as her pursuer was released and mounted his hurrock, ready to begin the chase anew. The winged beast he rode rose into the air, it’s razor sharp hoofs ready for an immediate descent. She picked up speed, ignoring the pain in her feet as they ran over the sharp rocks hidden beneath the soil. More than anything, she dreaded the descent of that winged animal. If the aim was sure, and it almost always was, it would be her death. The daemon no longer wanted her capture, only her disposal.

Her wings fluttered temptingly behind her as she ran. Did she dare to use them? Did she really want to risk the air when her pursuer was above her? Perhaps it would be an advantage, for she was lighter and could rise higher, granted the winds were on her side this night. A screech from above told her that the hurrock had locked it’s target and was beginning it’s decent. She had no choice. With a final dash, she rose high into the air. Below her, she saw the hurrock swivel around and begin to rise after her. She beat her wings frantically, catching all the updrafts around her, trying to outrun the superior beast below. It was hopeless; the daemon-rider had caught up with her. She stopped her attempt at escape as the animal drew nearer. Nothing could help her at this point. The rider pulled up on the mighty beast and the two hovered in the air, facing each other.

"Well, well, Small One. No escape now," the daemon smirked. "Did you honestly think you could escape? Foolish half-breed. We don’t need you anymore, Yeben has found a new Bride, so you can be disposed of."

"You can’t dispose of me," she pleaded. "Because I know you couldn’t have the heart to kill me, brother."

"Perhaps we should lay out the stakes on that one." The daemon snarled, drawing his long rapier and placing it at her throat. Her heart skipped a beat. Perhaps she was mistaken…maybe he wasn’t the sibling she had lost long ago, but the voice—she knew she was right. She hung her head in grief. Whoever this daemon used to be, his soul was far beyond saving.

"I wish you redemption…" she whispered to the familiar stranger threatening her life. With that, she stopped the beating of her wings and fell. The rapier at her throat slashed up her face, her blood leaving a trail in the sky as she descended into the thick woods below.

The thorny trees ripped at her as she fell, small scratches rising to the surface of her tender skin. She landed on the mossy skirt of the woods with a heavy thump, pain arching through her back as she jolted upright. The pain in her shoulders told her that she had gotten a rip in a wing…but that no longer mattered because in such a dense forest, they would be of no use to her anyway. She glanced up into the canopy through which she fell, only a slight hole her body had ripped in the trees gave any light from the outside. It was obvious that the hurrock would have trouble descending after her, so she took her time in rising, careful not to injure herself more. The trees about her were huge, not even five of her clan would be able to stretch their arms around the massive trunks. The moss seemed to ripple with laughter, and even the smallest flowers had a human-like quality. Shakily, she drew in her breath. The air was sweetened with the fragrance of flowers and honey. She had thought she had lost her way after the chase, but she knew where she was. There was no mistake about that. She was in Fogbottom Woods.

Fogbottom was a changing, enchanted forest, one of the last remaining in all the land. Many people who searched for the legendary forest never found it, and most often those who wanted nothing but to stay clear from them would stumble across the vast woods. Their position was never constant, and a mask of strange magic cloaked their appearance to those whom it did not deem worthy of entrance. These woods seemed to live with a mind, like an old thoughtful spirit that simply refused to die away…and her she was, cowering in the splendor of the last magic in the world of Isina.

She stood up, wincing slightly, and dusted herself off. It would be better to leave now before the daemon decided her death was worth further pursuit. However, she had not gone more that a few hundred paces when he rounded a tree in front of her and took hold of her arm.

"Well half-breed, we meet again. You can’t give me the slip this time. This time I’ll kill you, no mistake." He held a small dagger to her heart, but she slashed at him with her fingernails, causing him to loosen his grip slightly. She tore herself away and began to run again, the trees and bushes ripping at her skirts and drawing blood from her skin. Breath escaped her as the woods about her thickened. She was thin and agile enough to dart with some ease between the plants around her. From the sounds coming from behind she guessed that her pursuer was having more trouble than she was. Exhausted, she collapsed into a nearby clearing. If he caught her now, it would be the end. She no longer cared.

A light wind blew through her loose hair (it had fallen out during her escape), carrying with it the sounds of far-away laughter. She glanced up, forgetting the danger that she was in, and looked at the clearing. In the centre of the clearing was a deep garnet pool. The centre of the pool was a few shades deeper, making it look like the iris of a red eye. The laughter came again, this time nearer. The pool began to shake with ripples and from the dark central spot rose a mighty tree. It was larger than any of the others in the forest, with smooth glistening bark and silver leaves. At the base of the tree was a golden door, decorated with jewels and pearls. It shimmered in it’s own elegance, reflecting the little light of the forest ten-fold. Slowly, the door opened. The laughter was coming from inside…she stood up and approached the edge of the jeweled lake. From the doorway stepped a nymph. The creature was clothed in a mass of pink hair, which flowed about her slender frame. Around her wrists and ankles jingled tiny silver ornaments. The nymph stepped from doorway and onto the lake, her toes just barely touching the water. In smooth steps she approached the half-breed girl on the banks.

"What is it you wish for?" the nymph asked as she stood before the girl.

"What?"

"I –said—what is it you wish for? Anyone who has a strong enough spirit to find this place more than deserves a wish!" The nymph giggled again, tinkling her bells as she twirled across the top of the lake. There was a snap behind her, and she whirled to face the daemon.

"No escape now, Small One." He snarled at her, crossing the distance between the tree line and the pool in long strides.

"Safety! I wish for safety!" she cried out to the nymph on the water. The nymph tilted her head slightly, looking the desperate girl over as the daemon quickly approached from behind.

"Yes, safety. Very well. You’ll find what you seek through the pool, and if you’re lucky, even more…" In that instant, the tree and the beautiful nymph that inhabited it vanished. She looked around frantically, then deciding that there was no choice left she gathered up what was left of her torn skirts, took a deep breath, and sunk below the shimmering red surface of the water. The fabric of her clothes weighed her down, dragging her further into the icy depths. Her wings ached; they weren’t used to being wet. They sagged in the water, making her shoulders shriek with pain from the unusual heaviness. She was picking up speed as she descended, as though there was something unseen below drawing her near, eager to take her up in its grasp. White light encased her as she was released from the burden of her wings. They ripped from her shoulder blades, causing her to scream out in blinding pain. Water filled her lungs as her red blood mixed with the deep red of the pool. Darkness finally came, and she floated down into the watery depths, unconscious and unaware of what awaited her at the end.