Good Armeria awakes in her new world. Facing the Faceless by Khariana

Category:  Fantasy Fan Fiction   Posted:  January 17, 2001      Views: 252

ABOUT KHARIANA  I live in the town of Gardon, north of Talkern. I am a healer to the great elven armies who have been at war with the Motwigs for a decade. The Farlask people called on the elves for assistance when the Motwigs killed their young and tried to steal their land. I have been lost from my clan for some time now. I have been searching daily for them. Everytime I believe I'm getting close to finding them, I find out truly how far away I really am. The Motwigs are searching for me. Three days after I was seperated from my people I ran across a Motwig who was mortally wounded, he had lost a lot of blood. I tried to save him, but it was no use. Every thing I did made no difference. I watched over him for two days without sleep. The Motwigs found me with him, I explained that I was trying to help. One moon later he died. The Motwigs blamed me, and to make things worse, the man was brother to the king of the Motwigs. I was tried and judged and sentenced to three weeks torture and t Portfolio | Become A Fan A small shimmering light floated above Armeria, sprinkling raindrops of liquid gold fell across her body. The light disappeared as Armeria gasped her first breath of air. The dreamwalker fluttered her eyes open, trying to bring them to focus. She sat up and watched the sun as it disappeared under the blanket of the trees and the heaven's tears became visible. The moon graced Armeria with its beautiful glow and it caught the golden sparkles that were upon her. She tried to brush off the sparkles, but they appeared to be embedded in her skin. She looked off in the distance as she noticed the trickling sound of water. She followed the sound until she found its source. She knelt down at the whispering brook and marveled at her reflection. She barely recognized herself. Her chestnut brown hair was now shimmering silver, and her eyes, were strangest of all, they were gold. The flecks of gold upon her face reflected into the water giving each dimple a fresh ray of light. She dipped her hands into the cool water and brought it to her face. She tried rubbing off the gold flecks, but when she looked back at her reflection, they remained. She studied her reflection a moment longer then stood and ran down the edge of the water. It felt as if she was flying, her feet barely touching the moss covered bank. It was as if she were running on clouds. Happiness slowly seeped into her heart as she began to notice the beauty around her come to life. Every thing was beautiful; the trees as they swayed in the breeze, their roots as they wrestled against themselves, then plunged into the loamy soil below. For the first time for as long as Armeria could remember, she felt her spirit come alive. Armeria paused and looked deeper into the forest. The vaporous fog beckoned her, inviting her to unite with it. She strolled softly into the bluish-gray haze; it was so dense it swallowed her instantaneously. The night creatures silenced as she neared them then continued their serenade as soon as she passed. A breach in the fog revealed a small lake. A Huge willow tree stood at its edge. Its branches danced just above the surface of the water, twisting and swaying to an unheard harmony. After watching it, she began to feel the rhythm and danced along with it. She felt a calm peace rest over her soul, unlike any peace she?d ever experienced before. She began to laugh as she became dizzy and fell to the ground. She hadn?t laughed like this in years. She lay on her back staring up through the canopy of trees. The moon filtered through, making a kaleidoscope of shapes upon the ground. This was a wonderful place. Armeria closed her eyes and took a deep breath,then quickly sat up, she smelled a strange scent, it was familiar, yet it took her a minute to realize what it was. It was smoke, fear raced through her veins. Was the forest ablaze? The dreamwalker followed the smell and came to a small clearing. A modest building stood in its center. Smoke was rolling from the chimney upon its roof. She smiled, she always feared the worst, but that is what her life had taught her. She pushed the thoughts aside, she didn?t want to remember. Armeria ducked behind a large oak tree as a figure came forth from inside. He walked right past her not realizing she was there. Intrigued with the small cabin-like building, she dared a closer look. It was the first sight of civilization she had come across in her new world and her curiosity had to be satisfied. She crept to a window and peeked in. The shadows were heavy in the corners of the room and she was unable to see there. A long bar made of cherry proceeded from the north wall and met another bar that proceeded from the west. A man, that seemed to be completely hairless, stood behind the bar, wiping it with a cloth. Armeria watched him for an instant, then scanned the rest of the room. A fire was burning in a cobblestone hearth and a worn lambskin rug lay in front of it. Small round wooden tables with candles alit upon them were placed neatly about the room, and on the east wall was a line of booths. Someone neared the windowpane, and she ducked. Her heart pounded beneath her breast. She turned to flee, and bumped into a tall dark figure. Armeria screamed as she fell to the ground. ?Who are you?? The dark figure asked. ?Your eyes, they are so strange, they?re like?like gold.? His raspy voice emitted from deep within his cowl, where his face obscured itself from view. Armeria scrambled back and stood up. She turned to run. ?Wait, I didn?t mean to frighten you.? He reached out and grabbed her arm. The cloaked man yelped and jerked his hand away, as gold sparks emitted from Armeria?s skin. ?What are you?? The stranger asked. He stood there looking down at his hand; it was covered in glowing gold sparkles. ?Are you a fairy? I never saw one the size of a human.? Armeria didn?t know who this man was or what he wanted from her. She wasn?t sure what to do. ?I?m not a fairy.? Armeria said, but didn?t recognize her own voice, it was strange, a mix between gurgling water and a harp. It frightened her and excited her at the same time. ?Then what are you?? The dark figure asked. ?A dream walker.? ?A what? I have never heard of such a creature.? ?I am a guide. I live in peoples dreams.? It was strange hearing such a different voice come out of her mouth, she almost laughed. ?They call me Zaberiah.? His cloak seemed to swallow his hands as he folded them together. The figure shifted his weight from one leg to another then continued. ?What would you think if I told you that I am not dreaming?? ?That couldn?t be, the fairy said that I would live in peoples dreams.? He just doesn?t know he?s dreaming, she thought. She wished the fairy had told her more. She wondered if she was supposed to help this person somehow. ?A fairy you say.? He grew silent, it was more a statement than a question. Armeria stared into the cavern of his cowl; she wondered what he looked like. A hint of a memory teased at her, one of a story she was told as a child. She could clearly hear her Mother?s voice. ?And a creature came out of the mist, it resembled a man. He wore a dark cloak and his voice, unlike any you ever heard, was deep and raspy. He keeps his face concealed as he befriends his prey, for if they saw his true self, they would flee. He lures the innocent and feeds on their soul.? ?Well dream walker, do you have a name?? She flinched as she heard his voice again. Her fear constricted throat barely allowed her to say her name. ?Armeria.? ?Well Armeria, I believe a fairy has played a terrible trick on you. For I am awake, and so are you. Perhaps if we wash off this pixie dust you will come back to your senses." A cold feeling crept across her skin and terror pulsed through her veins. Armeria stepped back and the stranger took a step closer. She wanted away from this man, she didn?t know if it was her overactive imagination or not, she didn?t care. ?It doesn?t come off. You don?t know what you are talking about. Leave me be!? The dreamwalker turned and trotted back toward the forest. She glanced around and saw the dark figure following her. She stopped and faced him. ?Leave me! Be gone! I do not wish to be in your company!? Abruptly a gust of wind blew through the trees, caught the cowl of the man?s cloak, and forced it back. Armeria gasped when she saw its face, if you would call it a face. It was a blur of different faces fading from one face into another, continuously. She had never seen anything like it. ?Stay away from me!? ?I cannot, I have felt your spirit, it will be merged into mine. With the depths of your soul, I wouldn?t have to hunt again for a month! I will follow you to the ends of this world and the next if necessary. It isn?t very often I come across one such as you.? The ever-changing face on the man made her dizzy, it was as if she was in a trance. Armeria told herself to run, but she couldn?t, she was frozen. The man took a step closer, then another and another. She was unable to move. She closed her eyes and prayed. "God above, please give me the strength to fight off his spell, allow me to run." As the thoughts went through her mind her skin flushed with heat. Armeria opened her eyes and her skin was aglow. The man was staring at her, she took a step back, she could move! The dreamwalker turned and ran through the forest, faster than she ever believed possible, but each time she turned, faceless man was there. She hurdled over logs, ducked under branches and leapt over streams. Her legs were becoming weary as she ran up a seemingly endless hill, and just when she thought she would never make it to the top, she reached it. The dreamwalker glanced behind her and saw Zaberiah close behind her; she started down the other side. As she started down, she realized she couldn?t stop, she was running too fast. Her legs could barely keep up. She saw the log ahead, but leapt a second too late. Armeria fell and tumbled down the side of the hill. Her jumbled mind knew she must run. Then she remembered why. She scrambled up, but it was too late, he stood before her. She wished she had some weapon to protect herself, and as suddenly as she thought it, the sparkles embedded in her skin began to glow and a dagger made of pure gold melded into her hand. ?Stay back!? Armeria warned, holding the dagger out in front of her. She had never killed before in her life, and she wasn?t sure if she could now, but the thought of her soul being trapped in this man horrified her. The dagger began to shake as her wielding hand trembled uncontrollably. The man laughed at her and pulled a scimitar from beneath his cloak. She thoughtlessly threw the dagger at him; it barely hit him in the arm. He roared and it shook the trees around them. She watched as a golden light shot out of her dagger and into his arm. Golden lava began to flow from his arm, slowly turning it to gold. She couldn?t fathom what was happening. It was unbelievable. The creature raised his scimitar and cut off his arm. She stood frozen, terrified, then turned, and ran through the woods. She glanced only once as she ran, but never saw the creature. How could this be? She thought as she ran. The fairy said this was a place she could find innocence. A place of dreams. Dreams?Dreams could become nightmares! Blessed Heavens what had she agreed to? Share your own writing! - Information on our membership for writers. Author Notes I was trying to write this story in a 'Fairy Tale' like fashion. Let me know if you think it works. Pays one point and 2 member cents.

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