Rise and fall.
Rise and fall.
Rise like the tide coming to meet the shore. Fall like the tide, retreating back to the sea. Rise like a tree, growing for years in the rainforest. Fall like a tree, burned down in seconds by fire. Rise like the walls being built to protect the innocent. Fall like the walls brought down by raiders' cannons. Rise like her hope, which promptly fell once more.
The child's chest rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell as she breathed steadily. The child she wanted to defend more than anything. The child whose parents she had failed. The child who counted on her.
"I'm sorry." She whispered to the sleeping elf.
Mairosa did not respond.
"I can't figure out how to save you."
No reply.
She sighed deeply, hanging her head in despair as a thousand things ran though it. Thoughts, ideas, hopes, regrets.
Rise and fall, rise and fall.
How long ago has it been since the day she swore an oath to her father? Ten years ago? Fifty? A hundred? More? When time passed as it did, without seemingly any change, it was hard to keep track. She swore an oath to the King of Citadel before he became it's ruler, before the city was even a dream hidden in someone's mind. An oath she carried with her until the day she lost him.
She traced her finger over the mark on her right arm. The symbol of the Vanguard Alliance stared back at her. The symbol she swore to forever uphold. The symbol that only existed now as a shape carved onto her body.
Rise and fall, rise and fall.
"I wish there was a way to save you." She murmured.
"There is." A voice muttered in response.
This was perhaps the fastest she had ever moved. With the speed of lightning she whirled around to face... Nothing.
"You... How..." It said in wonder. The voice was the strangest she had ever heard, it sounded like the hum of a machine and the whistling of the wind and the echo of footsteps on closed stone walls, the crashing of waves on the beach, the pitter-patter sound of raindrops on forest leaves, all at the same time. It held mystery and authority and gentleness, but most of all, it held life.
"Who are you?" She asked, quivering. Her voice sounded flat and plain compared to that of whoever... Or whatever... was speaking.
"I... I don't..." This time, the voice sounded nervous, as if it hadn't expected her to respond to it's comment.
"Who are you?" She demanded again, more fiercely this time. It remained as quiet as the sleeping elf. "Hello?" No reply.
"Tell me what you know! How do I save Mairosa?" She asked, conscious of the hint of desperation in her voice. Still, the mysterious being remained silent. Had she imagined it? Was spending too much time in her mind making her crazy? Or was there truly some ghost out there, audible but not visual? And could it really help her save Mairosa? Unanswered questions roared in her mind, one louder than the others. It echoed in her brain over and over.
What was that?
Rise and fall.
Rise like the tide coming to meet the shore. Fall like the tide, retreating back to the sea. Rise like a tree, growing for years in the rainforest. Fall like a tree, burned down in seconds by fire. Rise like the walls being built to protect the innocent. Fall like the walls brought down by raiders' cannons. Rise like her hope, which promptly fell once more.
The child's chest rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell as she breathed steadily. The child she wanted to defend more than anything. The child whose parents she had failed. The child who counted on her.
"I'm sorry." She whispered to the sleeping elf.
Mairosa did not respond.
"I can't figure out how to save you."
No reply.
She sighed deeply, hanging her head in despair as a thousand things ran though it. Thoughts, ideas, hopes, regrets.
Rise and fall, rise and fall.
How long ago has it been since the day she swore an oath to her father? Ten years ago? Fifty? A hundred? More? When time passed as it did, without seemingly any change, it was hard to keep track. She swore an oath to the King of Citadel before he became it's ruler, before the city was even a dream hidden in someone's mind. An oath she carried with her until the day she lost him.
She traced her finger over the mark on her right arm. The symbol of the Vanguard Alliance stared back at her. The symbol she swore to forever uphold. The symbol that only existed now as a shape carved onto her body.
Rise and fall, rise and fall.
"I wish there was a way to save you." She murmured.
"There is." A voice muttered in response.
This was perhaps the fastest she had ever moved. With the speed of lightning she whirled around to face... Nothing.
"You... How..." It said in wonder. The voice was the strangest she had ever heard, it sounded like the hum of a machine and the whistling of the wind and the echo of footsteps on closed stone walls, the crashing of waves on the beach, the pitter-patter sound of raindrops on forest leaves, all at the same time. It held mystery and authority and gentleness, but most of all, it held life.
"Who are you?" She asked, quivering. Her voice sounded flat and plain compared to that of whoever... Or whatever... was speaking.
"I... I don't..." This time, the voice sounded nervous, as if it hadn't expected her to respond to it's comment.
"Who are you?" She demanded again, more fiercely this time. It remained as quiet as the sleeping elf. "Hello?" No reply.
"Tell me what you know! How do I save Mairosa?" She asked, conscious of the hint of desperation in her voice. Still, the mysterious being remained silent. Had she imagined it? Was spending too much time in her mind making her crazy? Or was there truly some ghost out there, audible but not visual? And could it really help her save Mairosa? Unanswered questions roared in her mind, one louder than the others. It echoed in her brain over and over.
What was that?
