The Journey, Chapter 45 = previous chapter
Chapter 46, Essence
“Tarasque is glowing a silvery black. I feel a strong unfamiliar presence, it’s not happy with me.” Nekonata went quiet. Moments later he was stuck on the spot again. “Not this again” Nekonata commented as he recognised the sensation of his body and being taken over. His body went stiff this time, his eyes glazed over.
Neko could feel a female presence in his mind. He saw Tarasque standing in front of him.
“My name is Tarasque.” A loud rumbling roar could be heard in the distance. Tarasque started to fade, she started to panic “Uznuodyta... vakaro menulio gele!” She screamed as a mist enveloped Nekonata' mind. When he came to, he noticed he was lying on the floor in a puddle of his own sweat.
“Tarasque.” Nekonata muttered to himself. He looked up and saw Vivi staring at him. “Vakaro menulio gele...” Nekonata was trying to concentrate, he didn't know how to pronounce the words in the ancient language properly.
“Uznuodyta means poisoned in the ancient language. Vakaro means evening. As for the rest, my mind is blank.” Vivi’s veins flared on his temples, his frustration rising… “This is not the time to get brain fog Vivi!” He growled at himself.
Nekonata looked out of the window and noticed that there was a full moon, he looked back at Tarasque, then back at the moon, and again back at Tarasque... “POISONED EVENING MOONFLOWER!” He said louder than he realised. Vivi jumped and scowled at Nekonata. “I'm sorry Vivi, Tarasque has been poisoned by the evening moonflower! I'm sure of it!”
Vivi jumped out of his chair, “Stay there and do not move.” He opened the door and disappeared running down the hallway. Vivi could be heard in the distance telling people to ‘get out of his way!’
Nekonata moved closer to Tarasque, he picked up a wet cloth and gently wiped her forehead, his finger touched her head, he saw an image flash through his mind. He moved his hand away quickly, breathing heavily. A few moments later he put his whole hand on her forehead and closed his eyes...
Tarasque was sitting on a step in front of a house, she was stroking a black cat that had strange bright blue eyes. “Oh Myro it’s such a nice day, do I really have to go to the awakening?” Myro purred loudly. “Ok... Ok, I'll go... Just for you!” She said picking the cat up and hugging it. A bell started ringing. Tarasque sighed, “It’s time for school.” She stood up and ran down the road to the school.
“Well well, it’s the weirdo redhead!” The other children started laughing. A dark-haired girl walked up to Tarasque and pushed her hard in the chest.
“Claira, I do not want to fight, please leave me alone!” Taraque turned to walk away but
Claira grabbed her hair and yanked so hard Tarasque fell over and landed in the mud. Tarasque's eyes flashed over, her veins started pulsating, she screamed and stood up, Tarasque turned and punched Claira straight in the face. The other children crowded around them and started chanting “Fight, fight, fight.” Tarasque and Claira walked round in a small circle scowling at each other, then both lunged forwards, kicking, biting, scratching and pulling each other’s hair. They both pushed back from each other breathing heavily. They stood up. “I've had enough, I'm leaving Claira!” Tarasque again tried to walk away but Claira hit her in her back. Tarasque turned, “I've had ENOUGH!” She shouted throwing her arm forward to stop Claira but suddenly Claira flew backwards in the air landing awkwardly with her arm behind her, there was a loud snap as Claira landed on her arm. Tarasque was frozen to the spot with her arm still raised. The other children slowly backed away from her. Tarasque turned and ran away scared. She ran to the church, went inside slamming the door behind her. She climbed some stairs and went to hide in the darkest corner she could find.
A Priest heard Tarasque crying. “What’s the matter mine dear child? Was it Claira again?”
Tarasque nodded, “She started on me again Father. I got really angry and told her I'd had enough, but she wouldn't leave me alone.”
A large white eye, with a huge black slit appeared in his mind. ‘I think you’ve seen enough!’ A voice growled softly.
Neko jumped, stepping backwards almost bumping into Cassandra.
Cassandra put a hand on his shoulder out of concern, “Are you ok?”
He nodded his head and moved away from Tarasque offering her mother the chair beside the bed. That moment Vivi came rushing back in, “Nekonata look at this and tell me what you see!”
Nekonata looked into a clear glass vial and saw a silvery black liquid. He looked at Tarasque and back at the vial. “It’s the same colour as the glow around her.”
“We need to find the Ora Sunfloro. “
“What does it look like and I'll find it!”
“The field which you passed through, they are somewhere in that field. The ones we need are like big daisies but have orange petals!”
“Orange petals… orange petals…” Neko muttered to himself, “Gold and green aura…”
“How did you know that?” Whispered Vivi confused, “This isn’t a normal… flower…”
“I need my satchel from Kimbo’s saddle… w-where are the stables? He said looking at Vivi.
“Follow me…” Vivi looked at the boy, still confused.
They walked through Edena at a quick pace, the streets empty, with the occasional patrol walking here and there, arriving at the stables Neko noticed Kimbo had been cleaned, brushed, groomed and reshod.
“Hey Kimbo, you look great!” He said, hugging the mare around her neck. He saw his satchel hung on a peg. Carefully lifting it off he placed it on a bench, “we passed through a valley on our way here, I got told off for being too loud by a tree,” He explained to Vivi shrugging his shoulders. Vivi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “The last rays of the sun were shining down, making a flower shine bright gold, its aura was gold and green. I heard a voice in my mind saying to take it, that I’d need it. So Loki flew up to the jagged edge to get it for me.” Neko opened the satchel and pulled out the flower with orange petals that was still glowing as bright as the first time he saw it.
Vivi gasped, his eyes blinking and blurring because of its brightness, “I can’t believe it! How, how is this possible? You found the Ora Sunfloro and you didn’t even know!” Vivi looked at him, his face full of unexpected pride, he grabbed the boy's face roughly and kissed his forehead, before picking the flower up carefully and walking quickly away.
“What the hell just happened? Why did he kiss me?” Neko said loudly, pulling his face while wiping his forehead with his sleeve.
“Rest up Kimbo, I imagine we’ll be on the move again soon” The mare snorted, dipping her head. Kristolia and Santaya appeared from around the corner of the stables. “Hey girls, you found me!” He said smiling, “Come on, you two know the back to Tarasque don’t you?”
The wolves bounced on their front paws, and started to lead the way. “This has been crazy so far, I remembered Meera, but why her? There've been a few people that I’ve met today, those who taught me, or trained me but I don’t remember them, yet I remember Meera.” He said talking to his companions as they slowly walked back, “Hmm, this is definitely the right place to be, I’ve met Tarasque, she seems very important, but there is something out there watching her closely… watching me. I don’t know what to make of it all yet, what do you think girls?” He asked, looking at them.
“Do you always talk to the wolves?” A soft purring voice said, coming from the tree in the courtyard. As he looked up he saw a shabby long furred black cat resting on a branch.
“Well, why not?” He asked curiously. “They know better than I know myself, so I guess you could say they are my closest confidants.”
The shabby long black haired cat shifted, turning into a small girl wearing dungarees, “I’m Myro, I suppose you could say I’m one of Tarasque’s closest confidants…” Myro’s aura suddenly started to glow an intense green, her voice sharp, “You are bound by fate, to help each other untold, great strength and commitment will unfold, a partnership unknown bolden to ye, and shall be thrown!” Myro’s aura dissipated and she coughed up a hairball, “Eww, I hate hairballs!”
Neko looked confused, he wasn’t sure what happened, but Myro jumped down from the branch and walked away quickly before he had a chance to ask.
Nekonata walked back into the church and down the corridor gently knocking on Tarasque’s door, Cassandra answered by letting him inside the room.
“Ah Neko! I need one more thing, dragon’s root. It grows in a cave inside the cliffs, to get inside you’ll need to talk to the Chief Convel…”
“Ok, I’ll go, what about you?”
“I have some prep to do.” He motioned to the Ora Sunfloro. “Cole!” Vivi shouted, a soldier came running forward. “I need you to take Nekonata to the stables, a contingent of 20 of you are to follow him, he’s heading to the caves.”
Cole nodded, “Yes Sir!” Neko looked back at Vivi, and glanced at Tarasque, “Help is on the way.” He said to her, he turned to follow Cole, his wolf companions close to his side like always...
Chapter 46, Essence
“Tarasque is glowing a silvery black. I feel a strong unfamiliar presence, it’s not happy with me.” Nekonata went quiet. Moments later he was stuck on the spot again. “Not this again” Nekonata commented as he recognised the sensation of his body and being taken over. His body went stiff this time, his eyes glazed over.
Neko could feel a female presence in his mind. He saw Tarasque standing in front of him.
“My name is Tarasque.” A loud rumbling roar could be heard in the distance. Tarasque started to fade, she started to panic “Uznuodyta... vakaro menulio gele!” She screamed as a mist enveloped Nekonata' mind. When he came to, he noticed he was lying on the floor in a puddle of his own sweat.
“Tarasque.” Nekonata muttered to himself. He looked up and saw Vivi staring at him. “Vakaro menulio gele...” Nekonata was trying to concentrate, he didn't know how to pronounce the words in the ancient language properly.
“Uznuodyta means poisoned in the ancient language. Vakaro means evening. As for the rest, my mind is blank.” Vivi’s veins flared on his temples, his frustration rising… “This is not the time to get brain fog Vivi!” He growled at himself.
Nekonata looked out of the window and noticed that there was a full moon, he looked back at Tarasque, then back at the moon, and again back at Tarasque... “POISONED EVENING MOONFLOWER!” He said louder than he realised. Vivi jumped and scowled at Nekonata. “I'm sorry Vivi, Tarasque has been poisoned by the evening moonflower! I'm sure of it!”
Vivi jumped out of his chair, “Stay there and do not move.” He opened the door and disappeared running down the hallway. Vivi could be heard in the distance telling people to ‘get out of his way!’
Nekonata moved closer to Tarasque, he picked up a wet cloth and gently wiped her forehead, his finger touched her head, he saw an image flash through his mind. He moved his hand away quickly, breathing heavily. A few moments later he put his whole hand on her forehead and closed his eyes...
Tarasque was sitting on a step in front of a house, she was stroking a black cat that had strange bright blue eyes. “Oh Myro it’s such a nice day, do I really have to go to the awakening?” Myro purred loudly. “Ok... Ok, I'll go... Just for you!” She said picking the cat up and hugging it. A bell started ringing. Tarasque sighed, “It’s time for school.” She stood up and ran down the road to the school.
“Well well, it’s the weirdo redhead!” The other children started laughing. A dark-haired girl walked up to Tarasque and pushed her hard in the chest.
“Claira, I do not want to fight, please leave me alone!” Taraque turned to walk away but
Claira grabbed her hair and yanked so hard Tarasque fell over and landed in the mud. Tarasque's eyes flashed over, her veins started pulsating, she screamed and stood up, Tarasque turned and punched Claira straight in the face. The other children crowded around them and started chanting “Fight, fight, fight.” Tarasque and Claira walked round in a small circle scowling at each other, then both lunged forwards, kicking, biting, scratching and pulling each other’s hair. They both pushed back from each other breathing heavily. They stood up. “I've had enough, I'm leaving Claira!” Tarasque again tried to walk away but Claira hit her in her back. Tarasque turned, “I've had ENOUGH!” She shouted throwing her arm forward to stop Claira but suddenly Claira flew backwards in the air landing awkwardly with her arm behind her, there was a loud snap as Claira landed on her arm. Tarasque was frozen to the spot with her arm still raised. The other children slowly backed away from her. Tarasque turned and ran away scared. She ran to the church, went inside slamming the door behind her. She climbed some stairs and went to hide in the darkest corner she could find.
A Priest heard Tarasque crying. “What’s the matter mine dear child? Was it Claira again?”
Tarasque nodded, “She started on me again Father. I got really angry and told her I'd had enough, but she wouldn't leave me alone.”
A large white eye, with a huge black slit appeared in his mind. ‘I think you’ve seen enough!’ A voice growled softly.
Neko jumped, stepping backwards almost bumping into Cassandra.
Cassandra put a hand on his shoulder out of concern, “Are you ok?”
He nodded his head and moved away from Tarasque offering her mother the chair beside the bed. That moment Vivi came rushing back in, “Nekonata look at this and tell me what you see!”
Nekonata looked into a clear glass vial and saw a silvery black liquid. He looked at Tarasque and back at the vial. “It’s the same colour as the glow around her.”
“We need to find the Ora Sunfloro. “
“What does it look like and I'll find it!”
“The field which you passed through, they are somewhere in that field. The ones we need are like big daisies but have orange petals!”
“Orange petals… orange petals…” Neko muttered to himself, “Gold and green aura…”
“How did you know that?” Whispered Vivi confused, “This isn’t a normal… flower…”
“I need my satchel from Kimbo’s saddle… w-where are the stables? He said looking at Vivi.
“Follow me…” Vivi looked at the boy, still confused.
They walked through Edena at a quick pace, the streets empty, with the occasional patrol walking here and there, arriving at the stables Neko noticed Kimbo had been cleaned, brushed, groomed and reshod.
“Hey Kimbo, you look great!” He said, hugging the mare around her neck. He saw his satchel hung on a peg. Carefully lifting it off he placed it on a bench, “we passed through a valley on our way here, I got told off for being too loud by a tree,” He explained to Vivi shrugging his shoulders. Vivi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “The last rays of the sun were shining down, making a flower shine bright gold, its aura was gold and green. I heard a voice in my mind saying to take it, that I’d need it. So Loki flew up to the jagged edge to get it for me.” Neko opened the satchel and pulled out the flower with orange petals that was still glowing as bright as the first time he saw it.
Vivi gasped, his eyes blinking and blurring because of its brightness, “I can’t believe it! How, how is this possible? You found the Ora Sunfloro and you didn’t even know!” Vivi looked at him, his face full of unexpected pride, he grabbed the boy's face roughly and kissed his forehead, before picking the flower up carefully and walking quickly away.
“What the hell just happened? Why did he kiss me?” Neko said loudly, pulling his face while wiping his forehead with his sleeve.
“Rest up Kimbo, I imagine we’ll be on the move again soon” The mare snorted, dipping her head. Kristolia and Santaya appeared from around the corner of the stables. “Hey girls, you found me!” He said smiling, “Come on, you two know the back to Tarasque don’t you?”
The wolves bounced on their front paws, and started to lead the way. “This has been crazy so far, I remembered Meera, but why her? There've been a few people that I’ve met today, those who taught me, or trained me but I don’t remember them, yet I remember Meera.” He said talking to his companions as they slowly walked back, “Hmm, this is definitely the right place to be, I’ve met Tarasque, she seems very important, but there is something out there watching her closely… watching me. I don’t know what to make of it all yet, what do you think girls?” He asked, looking at them.
“Do you always talk to the wolves?” A soft purring voice said, coming from the tree in the courtyard. As he looked up he saw a shabby long furred black cat resting on a branch.
“Well, why not?” He asked curiously. “They know better than I know myself, so I guess you could say they are my closest confidants.”
The shabby long black haired cat shifted, turning into a small girl wearing dungarees, “I’m Myro, I suppose you could say I’m one of Tarasque’s closest confidants…” Myro’s aura suddenly started to glow an intense green, her voice sharp, “You are bound by fate, to help each other untold, great strength and commitment will unfold, a partnership unknown bolden to ye, and shall be thrown!” Myro’s aura dissipated and she coughed up a hairball, “Eww, I hate hairballs!”
Neko looked confused, he wasn’t sure what happened, but Myro jumped down from the branch and walked away quickly before he had a chance to ask.
Nekonata walked back into the church and down the corridor gently knocking on Tarasque’s door, Cassandra answered by letting him inside the room.
“Ah Neko! I need one more thing, dragon’s root. It grows in a cave inside the cliffs, to get inside you’ll need to talk to the Chief Convel…”
“Ok, I’ll go, what about you?”
“I have some prep to do.” He motioned to the Ora Sunfloro. “Cole!” Vivi shouted, a soldier came running forward. “I need you to take Nekonata to the stables, a contingent of 20 of you are to follow him, he’s heading to the caves.”
Cole nodded, “Yes Sir!” Neko looked back at Vivi, and glanced at Tarasque, “Help is on the way.” He said to her, he turned to follow Cole, his wolf companions close to his side like always...
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