The In-Between
Olea Munroe
Immediately after my mind cleared, I found myself in an open field, A new open field.
“Ok, what gives, was I not supposed to be waking up soon?!” I shouted at the oddly purple sky full of darkened clouds. Wow, the sky nearly resembled my own hair color, neat.
“You are not yet there, young one.” Came a voice from behind me.
I spun to see a translucent form of no distinguishable features. I mean, they were full on translucent, not invisible; unlike some confused super-heroes from earth television, I knew the difference.
“Who the bloody hell are you then?” I asked, imitating the cadence and tone of a certain actor from said-same television series. I left out the more colorful words because, well, bad taste. Obviously.
“Peace, child. I come bearing one last message for you. A bit of advice from gramps.”
“Gramps?” I asked, we clearly had different families. I always enjoy clarity when I am not the one confusing people. “Who are you again, and who is Gramps?”
“I am Trougholiea Kenarious of the twelve. Most of this world’s inhabitants just call me Troug. I am quite famous, I assure you.” They seemed to be winking at me, it was either that or there was something in their eye. I could not tell very well from here. Again, translucent. “And Gramps, he would be the One.”
They mentioned the number as if it were capitalized and in a moment of clarity, I recalled that I had seen the same name somewhere before.
I quickly invoked my system status window and brought up the time.
2579452:321865^2 3rd day of Troug, near the Year of 1344
“Ok, yeah, the time looks a wee bit skewed.” I said, noticing the obvious error there. “Fine, fine. You are the name of the month, I guess I should ask how I could join the club, but I am sure that is a long story I do not have time for. Could you tell me why it my status says it is near the year of thirteen-hundred forty-four?”
The form rippled in what I would assume was laughter but instead of hearing the chuckle escape their lips I was greeted with peals of thunder and bright flashes of orange lightning. All at once with no lag, if anything I could have sworn that the sounds were traveling faster than the flashes of light. Physics can just go straight to hell here it seemed. I mean if you are bending time, what’s a quick little bird to the earthly sciences in the end, right. Magic! Joy.
“I did not know that it would show something such as that, I see.” The being paused for a moment with a tilt of the head, so very much like my raven friend would do while eyeing me from the window. “Well, you are here in, near, around, on, and I daresay a part of the in-between. The other side of the river of time.”
“Still confused, you mentioned a time limit though, what’s going on?” The moment I thought of the little birdbrain I had been rude to some time ago in the forest during his big reveal I felt a pang of guilt-fear-sadness-hope and loneliness. Yes, all at once! I can admit my feelings dammit, and yes, I was sure I was showing a little bit of water around the eyes.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The face changed showing a little more, I want to say depth, but that would be wrong. They looked to be more real, more here in the now for a moment.
“I have done something to sadden you, for that I apologize.” The blue-watery-shadow-shade person bowed to me at the waist, almost a ninety-degree angle, as if I were an aged Chinese grandmother and they a child just remembering their manners. Weird.
“Apology accepted, what’s the story now? The message.” I hurried them along just a little, as while the form was gaining more substance, I glanced changes above in the clouds as if they were parting from reality, shifting into a haze like distant land over a scorched desert, there was a haze forming around it all.
“Yes, yes.” They said standing upright again. “You are currently in the Church in a small city known as North Jaga, you need to get back to the Church in South Jaga after you fully awaken. You will have help once you arrive in the city to the south.”
“Can’t you gods just spirit me off to that place then? Also, why can’t I just reattune myself to the church I am in now, are you people so judgmental that you cannot accept one church over the other even though they all worship the same, what sixteen gods?”
A low chuckle escaped their lips, her lips. More female now as her form solidified. I had a feeling I would grow jealous of this one as her assets became more evident, why was I so cursed to be so weakly endowed. Damn the gods!
“Hahaha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You are a riot. No wonder they like you. Also, I can read your thoughts.” A smirk lit up on her face shooting from one corner of her perfectly snow-white face to the other. Not fair. “Very fair, as was your question. The problem is that you will not awaken among friends, you will not even awaken in the church fully. Their ritual will leave you and most that would aid you weakened, very near death.”
“They are all priests, I’m sure someone could heal me.”
“Normally that would be so, sadly you will be so near death that their healing will not be enough to awaken you. The same will go for all others who would feel obliged to aid you. Only one of our followers be of use after the ritual, but he will not be enough. He is far too trusting, though we cannot fault him for seeing the good in people and not noticing the darker side of people he considers friend.”
“Ritual? What kind of ritual?”
“You are cursed child, the man known as Darius has assembled many priests to perform a ritual in your name. He has brought together quite the gathering, and it shall be enough. The crux of our issue is that this ritual will drain them all equally, and you will be suffering from the full loss of your stamina and mana as happens to all creatures who become so gravely wounded.”
“If they are all injured so badly, won’t I just die?” I was growing a little concerned as time went by, the topic of our discussion as well as the blurring of the sky may have been fighting for dominance in my mind.
“Even now I can feel the spells being placed upon you, one such spell is Death’s Door.”
Death’s Door: Rank One – This spell will act in the defense of one target, not the caster, in a single instance to negate immediate death from one blow. The target shall be rendered unto a state near death, suspended for a moment between existence as a free soul and an anchored mortal. Act quickly as the spell’s power will quickly fade upon activation. Death will only wait so long.
“Well, that’s bloody fantastic.”
“Quite so. Now you can see your predicament, or mayhap just a portion of it. The last part of the message is more reminder than news, your connection has been temporarily severed between yourself and their greater Gods of the Pantheon. You will no longer be able to learn new spells. What you may not have thought of is that while you were under the influence of Apathy your power increased, she could not siphon it all off as part of the essence, or experience as you mortals call it was drawn too quickly into your soul. You can still grow stronger in your current spells and use your Attribute points to increase your overall power. If nothing else, remember that.”
“So, learn bigger spells so I can heal my enemies to death? Seems fine, sure.”
“I can also see why the dragon could barely tolerate you at time. You have many spells. Now, I must go. Aunty is getting stressed trying to hold all this together.”
The skies fell in a shower of glittering meteors and purple rain as my eyes shut and darkness took me. Just before my consciousness faded, I heard a whisper accompanied by a soft breath of heat on my neck.
“You are going to be so much fun when you grow up.”