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This is actually something that came to me in a dream, as corny as that sounds. I thought I'd share it with you guys and get some feedback, which is much appreciated! If you like this part, make a comment and I can post the second part. wink
Prologue
Dante~
When I first heard the myth about the goddess, I never would have believed it for a second. Gods and goddesses aren’t real. Well, I never thought so, anyway.
Legend had it, that far beyond my village of Arcor, somewhere, there is a little spring that the gods go to. It’s said to be used as a drinking source for them, something about keeping their powers in check, I think. It’s also said that’s how they were granted their ‘godhood’, if you will, and they tried hiding the spring to prevent the possibility of others drinking from it.
That story became a classic campfire story in Arcor. Three centuries ago, this young couple was running away together and found the spring. The man wanted to keep going, but the woman wanted to stop for a drink, and they did.
The rest of it, I never quite understood, but the woman became enclosed in the bark of the hollow tree by, the hollow tree with the spring at its base, condemned to eternal sleep.
Horrible story, but the village’s elders loved to tell it, and the other children and I sit and listen. I’m almost positive it’s a story we all will pass on to our young as well.
The only problem is: My story will be a bit different.
Chapter 1
Dante~
“Dante, are you coming or not?” Caleb’s voice called to me just outside the house. It was a wonder that you could actually call him my older brother.
“Hey, hang on,” I called my reply. I may be younger by three years, but my nineteen-year-old brother can nag like a child. I quickly ran my hands through my golden brown hair. My makeshift brush didn’t work any magic, but that was okay. I thought it looked decent anyway.
“Hurry up!” he called.
I snatched up a coat my mother had made for me and went outside.
My brother walked with his friend Lukas to the edge of the village, just before the Bellyn forest took over the land. It would make more sense to me that Caleb and Lukas were more like brothers than me and Caleb. Both were equally as handsome, Lukas a green eyes blonde and Caleb with blue eyes and brown hair, just like me.
Lukas carried a sack, the strap around his shoulder as I started to reach them. My brother only had his arms folded as they talked, getting impatient. I really do see why the girls in Arcor chase after the two. They both were very handsome, perfect faces and everything.
With my parents saying how much Caleb and I look alike, I like to hope I may be just as handsome, though I am just a younger version of him, only with my father’s chocolate brown eyes instead of my mother’s blue ones.
“You’re lucky we’re letting you tag along,” said Caleb once I reached them.
“It’s about time you actually offered, at least,” I replied.
Lukas rolled his perfect eyes. “Hey, we thought about it before, just never got around to it.” He shifted the sack on his shoulder. “Just don’t be surprised if we get ahead.”
“And try not to chicken out either, Dante,” Caleb added, leading the way into the tall trees of the forest.
“I won’t. Promise.” I followed behind them. They liked to camp out in the woods a lot. I did once with my father years ago and I thought it was pretty fun.
“We thought we’d go deeper in than we usually do,” Caleb said.
I stopped for a minute. “Like how much deeper?” From my knowledge, I know no one’s supposed to go too deep into the woods. The trees seemed to be taller and the wood gets darker as you go. Nervously, I had run a hand through my hair.
“You’re not scared, are you?” Lukas asked, calling back after seeing that I stopped. I shook my head and started to follow them again.
“Good,” replied Caleb. “We just thought we’d go exploring a bit.”
“But don’t you think Selene’ll be worried when you don’t come back?”
Caleb stopped and looked around at me. Selene was his latest interest. I was still trying to figure out how much longer she was going to hold his attention. Caleb was a big flirt. He and Lukas both were, actually.
“Don’t go starting all ready,” he said. “If you’re just going to make comments, you can turn around and go back home.”
“Ease up, Caleb. I’m sure he was only joking.” Lukas tugged a little on his arm and the two started walking.
“I was,” I said. I rolled my eyes before following again.
I folded my arms after awhile. The wood grew denser after a couple of minutes, not to mention the air grew colder because of the lack of sun. I was thankful it wasn’t dark enough to have to light a fire, at least. Some trees parted just enough to let some stray sunrays through.
It must have been an hour, maybe two, of walking straight through. I could tell for I think I had lost the feeling in my legs and they only kept walking, moving forward no matter how much I wanted to stop.
“Thank heavens,” I heard Lukas said.
I looked up at the comment, having been looking at the ground to avoid tripping over random roots that may have wanted to trip any careless passerby. I had to blink a few times, I was surprised.
The trees were spread out, light shining down more from the sky. I had to smile. A bird chirped from a tree branch and took off when Lukas dropped the knapsack under the tree. I collapsed under a different tree and leaned back against the warm dark bark.
“Thought it’d be forever until we saw daylight again,” Lukas said with a grin. It had to be his trademark charming smile, the one that made the hearts of girls simply melt. I swear, that had to be what really made them swoon over him. Caleb’s intense deep blue eyes didn’t the situation for those girls, either.
“I know. This has to be five times what light we actually had to get here,” Caleb said and smiled as well. I watched silently as he scanned the small open area and let my legs take a breather before the two decided to go on the move again.
I leaned my head back against the bark and listened silently. Lifting my head, I looked around.
“Oh good, there’s a spring. I needed a drink,” said Caleb.
I looked to my right and there was small spring at the base of a tree, with a little pool around it, about twenty feet or so from me.
“Wait!” Caleb was just kneeling in front of it as I called out.
He looked around at me. “What?”
I could tell by the look in his eye that he was getting annoyed at me all ready, but I made sure I stood my ground. I hate giving in to my brother, not matter how tougher than me he tried to seem. “What if that’s the spring in those stories?”
“Dante, you’re sixteen years old. You don’t really believe those stories the elders tell us, do you?” Lukas said. He was kneeling to my right a few feet away, rummaging through the knapsack for something to eat. Naturally he was the one to pack for their little camping or hunting trips.
“Well… No… But still, they make them seem so real,” I replied. I probably sounded a little intimidated, though I tried not to. I could have all the courage in the world and I’d still look like a wimp in front of those two.
Caleb had smiled, one of his half smiles where only one side curled up and you could tell he was amused. “They’re only stories that our parents tell us to give some kind of moral impact. Don’t even worry about it.”
I sighed quietly and glared at him as he turned his back to me and resumed trying to get his drink. I blinked when I saw him pause just before he touched the cold liquid’s surface and look up.
“What is it?”
He didn’t appear to hear me. He had only looked around him, a confused crease appearing on his brow. “Did you guys hear that?”
“Hear what?” Lukas asked. He pulled out a small loaf of bread that was wrapped in a light cloth. “I didn’t hear anything. Well, beside those few birds chirping before flying off just now,” he said, unraveling the bread. He took out a hunting knife and cut off a piece of the bread. He tossed it to me and a nibbled on it a little, watching as Caleb stood up right.
“It sounded like a female’s voice…” he said, looking around once more.
“Caleb,” I began, ripping off a piece of the bread, “You’re just hearing-“
“There it is again!”
Lukas and I both looked at each other. Caleb sounded so sure of himself in a way that he knew we couldn’t hear what he was hearing, but was sure it was there, so felt a need to convince us. The two of us stood up and walked over to him.
“Come on, Caleb,” I said.
“You just need something to eat,” Lukas said, passing him a piece of the bread. “At least eat a little snack for now.”
I opened my mouth to urge him to take the bread after he shook his head, but I stopped. I knew exactly what Caleb was talking about.
“Help me… Please.”
The voice was so crisp, so clear, but… in my head? It was like a thought came to mind, only in a voice soft, gentle… pleading. I had never heard it before until then.
“Is someone here?” Lukas called out. Apparently he heard it, too.
“The tree. Please… help me out.”
The voice was angelic. I would have loved to listen to it for ages if I had the choice. I looked at the other two. “The tree?”
“This one,” Caleb said, sure of himself. He avoided the miniature pond the spring created and put his hand up to the bark.
It was one thing to actually agree to come out in the woods with my brother and his best friend, another to actually reach light in the middle of Bellyn Forest when it seemed it would never come, and it was something completely different to see the bark of a tree grow translucent once Caleb placed his hand on it. I give him credit for not jumping away when seeing what was in the middle.
The tree was hollow; though I’m sure we would have never guessed from just looking at it. When Caleb placed his hand on the bark, it was almost like the bark disappeared in the shape of a hole at his touch. It must have only been invisible because I didn’t see his hand falter like it should have if the bark only disappeared.
On the other side of the transparent bark slept a young woman about my brother’s age. Her hair was a deep jet black, parted to the side. The bangs fell before an eye in little tiny locks. Her single strap top was pure white, the strap going from the center of the front and slanting over one shoulder. Her skin was fair, her lips naturally rosy in color. I can honestly say that at that moment, I had wished her eyes weren’t closed. I would have loved to see what color they were, see if they were as beautiful as she looked. I wondered how she could actually sleep so peacefully there standing up in the hollow of the tree.
I glanced over at Lukas and Caleb, and they seemed to almost be in a trance, as if captivated. My brother’s head was tilted gently to the side.
“Don’t start drooling, you two,” I said. It seemed to help.
“Get the ax,” was all Caleb said.
Okay, it helped a little.
Lukas looked over at him. “You’re going to try to get her out?” He asked. I almost thought he sounded like he was going to protest, but decided against it as he had all ready started going over to the knapsack.
“Yeah,” my brother replied, looking over to him.
I frowned, looking from Lukas, as he pulled out the ax and took off the leather casing on the blade, to the maiden in the tree. Sometimes I wonder if my brother really though things through hard enough, but I started to feel sick at the idea of helping her. It seemed like the right thing to do, I just had a bad feeling about it.
I left the two of them as I headed back to the tree I sat by before, and I leaned against it.
 OrliDeppgrl1526 · Fri Aug 15, 2008 @ 04:15am · 0 Comments |
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