(Fan) The In'tarna Project [G]

Chapter One

Iraelia gazed out at the endless mountains, covered with trees and topped with pure white snow. For anyone else it would have been paradise, for Iraelia it was torment. Even the sweet birdsongs pouring in through her window, a sound that she had once loved, seemed to mock her.
Glancing into the bag which she had loaded with what she considered her essentials, she turned around to take a final look at the room that she had slept in for the past fourteen years. Her note to her parents lay perfectly on her bed, her neat flowing handwriting marking that it was definitely hers. She wanted to tell them herself, but she knew that if she did she wouldn’t be able to make herself leave them, and they wouldn’t let her.
Shutting her eyes tightly and wiping her hands across them to get rid of the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks like so many waterfalls; she swung her legs out of the window and climbed down the tree outside. The electric blue petals on the blossoms were as beautiful as she could ever remember, almost as if they knew that this would be the last time she saw them. She wondered why fate had cursed her to be the one person who had nothing for them here. No power.
As she jumped out of the tree, her long, caramel coloured hair got caught in some of the slender branches. She yelped at the harsh pain that shot through her from her scalp. She carefully loosened her hair from the branches that it had been caught in, careful not to damage any of the delicate blossoms. Looking in through the window she saw her mother washing up their plates and cutlery with some of the water she had fetched from the well earlier. Her heart twisted in agony as she thought of how her mother would respond when she discovered what she’d done. She couldn’t think of that, or she’d never move, so she forced herself to think about where she was going to go.
North, east, south, west; it didn’t make much difference, she had no idea just where she was going, she just wanted to be gone from this place. After a few seconds consideration she decided that she would follow the river east - she knew it wasn’t far into the forest - until it then turned south, but by that time she would already be close to the mountain range’s border. A cold gust of wind blew from the west, as if encouraging her direction. Her house was on the very edge of the village, on the border of one of the great forests, so she didn’t have to walk past any houses or people. She quickly slipped away into the dense mass of trees, as silent and mournful as a shadow.

* * *

The giants loomed up all around her, their expansive canopies admitting only an eerie half-light, tinted green. She had little in the way of shrubs or undergrowth to trip over, seeing as little could grow in so dark a place, only the moss, fungi and lichen survived there. The pungent aroma of flowers and damp earth permeated the heavy atmosphere, constantly kept moist by the thin mist flowing across the forest floor. Even the heat seemed to have been sapped out of the air, leaving only a bone-chilling cold, with little wind to stir anything.
Unable to continue, Iraelia slumped down into a crumpled heap on the ground. She could go no further; she hadn’t come prepared for this. She lacked even the energy needed to cry out, not that anyone would hear her. Why hadn’t she been able to find the river? Surely after two days of walking she would have come to it by now. Just before she slipped from consciousness Iraelia thought she saw a figure form itself out of the endless shadows that surrounded her.
“Is anyone there?” Iraelia’s senses were slowly returning to her. How had she got here? She was propped up against a tree, its ancient bark blanketed in rich, green moss. There was a sound just behind her, but she couldn’t quite place what it was. It was a soft, light sound. Then, like a lightning bolt to the brain, she realised it was water. Running water meant she must have found the river!
Without giving it any more thought, she scrabbled shakily to her feet and round the other side of the tree to drink from the cool water. It had not long emerged from the ground and she could taste the rich minerals in the refreshingly cold liquid. After she had sated her thirst she filled up her leather skin container and splashed her face, fully awakening herself.
At least now that she had found the river she would not have to rely upon her poor navigating skills to find her way through the dark forest, with it’s ancient guardians looming up on all sides around her. As she walked she began to think back to how she had got to the river. She knew that she certainly hadn’t been anywhere near it when she had passed out, and the light streaming through the canopy above her was noticeably dimmer, so several hours must have passed since she had collapsed. The last thing that she could remember before waking up against the tree was collapsing on the ground. Or was there something else? She felt a memory, a blurred smudge of thought, gnawing at the edges of her mind.
Crack.
Iraelia spun round. Her eyes quickly scanned the trees and sparse shrubbery around her. No sign of movement, not even the flicker of a shadow. Though rare, wolves and other hunters were known to live and hunt in the forest, and not all of them relied solely upon physical means to do so. A memory of a charred body, flesh burnt away to the bone by magic, flashed through her mind, sending a chill down her spine. She shuddered, then turned around and went on. She was suddenly more aware of how dark it had grown and began thinking of where she would sleep, but something, some basic instinct, forced her onwards. This was not a good place to stay.
Crack.
“Who’s there? Show yourself!” Despite her determination to sound unafraid, she couldn’t help letting a waver creep into her voice, and it broke on her last word. This time as she looked around she managed to see a shadow quickly merge itself into the many that seemed to inhabit the forest, almost as alive and tangible as the animals that she had sometimes managed to catch a glimpse of. She slowly edged backwards, keeping the place where she had spotted the shadow in her direct line of vision. First one step, then another, now the other foot. Slowly, ever so slowly.
Bump. A breath. Warm at the back of her neck.
Inhuman.
Iraelia slowly turned about, only to find herself staring at an enormous amber eye, an eye fixed firmly on her.
She screamed.



Chapter Two

The sound cut through the silence of the forest like a knife, followed quickly by a low, mournful peal. Taréal ran straight toward the source of the two sounds, guided by his keen senses and strong instinct. He found the spot, and then saw a flicker of movement in between the trees a few metres away, which vanished almost as soon as it had appeared, as the mist curled upwards. A brief image appeared in his mind; a girl, lying collapsed on the damp ground. Her soft features seemed to glow even in the faint, diluted light. Her hair was thick and voluminous, and smelt of crushed pines. It shone, the light brown strands gleaming, each as perfect as the next. Her beautiful face was masked by pain and agony. She was slender and had long legs, with small, delicate feet. The girl’s hands were equally slender. But her eyes were shut. He couldn’t see them. She was perfection, but he didn’t even know what colour her eyes were.
In seconds he was up and running after the faint apparition among the trees, as substantial as a ghost, but substantial all the same. He didn’t know how he knew, but that girl was there. He was sure of it. He knew all the creatures of this forest, and knew how to kill almost all of them. He would kill this creature and save her. And see her eyes.
He already knew which creature he was hunting. Nothing else could make the same sound that it had made earlier. The Danjin was similar to the big cats that roamed the flatter lands in the mountains. However, whereas they stayed on all fours, the Danjin could stand on its hind legs, reaching seven feet, and still run almost as fast. Except, because its neck was not strong enough to carry its disproportionately large head when standing erect, its head hung forward at an ugly angle, its huge eyes at human eye level.
Taréal caught a glimpse of black fur ahead, with a golden mane flowing behind. He was much closer now, almost upon the great animal that had captured the girl. He slowed ever so slightly, and crouched lower to the ground as he ran, making as little noise as possible. Reaching down to his worn, ragged boot, he withdrew a sharp knife, with intricately carved runes in the handle.
Another scream shattered the silence.
The sound urged Taréal onward, slightly adjusting his course again. His mind reached out to the immense source of energy all around. He exerted his will and bent all of it to his purpose, to save the girl. Suddenly, trees, vines and branches all came alive, hindering the progress of the Danjin until it could move no longer, bound tightly by thick vines.
Taréal crept up silently behind it, until he was only a few metres away, then prepared to throw the blade at the beast. He steadied himself, and found the right balance, but just as he went to throw it his foot caught underneath a hidden root protruding from the ground. The knife went wide and missed the Danjin by several feet.
Finding himself now without a weapon, and not daring to go and retrieve the knife in case the Danjin spotted him, he resorted to using the energy around him. Moving so he could see where the girl was held, he made sure that he would not harm her as well. Once more, he reached out with his mind and let the power flood into him, but this time he concentrated it into pure energy, releasing a bolt of green light at the creature. It struck the animal through the heart, leaving a small hole ringed by singed fur there, then dissipated into the night.
As the beast fell, Taréal darted forward, taking the girl from its arms, stopping her from being crushed by its colossal weight. She unfurled her feet and arms once she realised she was no longer being held by the predator. Her eyes flickered open, gleaming like emeralds, their colour mimicking the rich colour of the forest canopy. Finally he knew, and he was right.
She was perfect.



Chapter Three

Iraelia slowly unclenched her muscles. She relaxed and opened her eyes, a feeling of security suddenly stealing over her. Opening her eyes she saw that she was now being held by a boy not much older than her, fifteen perhaps. He slowly set her down, and she took a moment to find her feet again, her heart still thudding rapidly from the terror that she had felt only moments earlier.
“Thank you, you saved my life.” She glanced at him, waiting for some sort of response. Maybe he was just quiet.
“My name is Iraelia, can I ask what yours is?”
Still just a blank, uncomprehending stare. Yet, there was something there, in those dark brown eyes, hidden slightly behind equally dark hair. There was a sort of intense burning, a part of this boy that was unashamedly examining her.
Suddenly, she realised that her heart was no longer thudding out of fear, but of something else. Gazing into his eyes she saw herself reflected there, and realised she was staring just as intently at him as he was at her. He moved forward, as if to kiss her, then drew back. He glanced at her one last time, then withdrew back into the shadows of the forest. He was gone.
For a moment, Iraelia was stunned, wondering if any of that had just happened to her. Once she was thinking clearly she knew that it had, and that this boy was something special, even if she’d only been with him for a moment. He’d almost literally leapt into her life, saved her from some wild animal, then had just as quickly stolen a part of her heart when he left. She felt emptied, like someone had come taken something out of her, leaving a black void in its place. When she thought of the boy, that space was temporarily filled, and her breath caught in her throat. However, as soon as he left her thoughts the emptiness came back.
It was night now, and she knew she’d have to find somewhere to rest, somewhere that was safe from wild animals of the night. Walking a short way, she found a hollow in a large tree trunk that was quite a few feet off the ground. With not a little effort she managed to get herself up there and curl up in the small space. Just as she fell asleep she thought she spied a figure perched in the tree opposite.



Chapter Four

There was little difference in the quality of light at dawn, just a barely perceptible brightening. It wasn’t until the sun managed to rise above the mountains further on that the visibility really improved. This was when Iraelia climbed out of her small resting place, reasonably certain that there were no animals around which might decide that she would make a good breakfast. A small group of different birds were in the trees above her, their songs melding into one melodious tune that echoed through the relatively empty forest.
Iraelia set about finding the river again. That animal had taken her quite a distance, but she knew she couldn’t have been taken too far, so she shouldn’t have to walk for too long before finding the river. Then again, if she went in the wrong direction, she might never find it. If that happened, then she could wander aimlessly through the forest for days, and the result of that was not a pleasant thought.
Looking around she managed to find some of the creature’s footprints. She followed them for a couple of minutes, losing her way a couple of times, but she could soon hear the faint rush of the river. She walked towards it, now confident of her direction. Checking which way it was flowing, she set off toward the east.
After her scare yesterday, Iraelia was a lot more alert, listening out for any heavy footfalls. Around midday she rested, and picked a few berries from the sparse bushes around her. As the afternoon progressed and she still met no enemies, she allowed her mind to drift back to the events of the past few months. In her mind, she replayed the last day she had been in the village. It already seemed like such a long time ago.

* * *

I can’t believe it. My fourteenth birthday has come and gone and I still haven’t connected to the power. Nahlai still hasn’t Connected either, though, and she’s going to be fourteen soon as well. Perhaps I won’t be so alone.
I looked over at Jadick, showing off his magic to all the girls, even those who hadn’t Connected yet, though most of them would probably Connect soon. It’s guys like that who drive me mad, thinking themselves the masters of the world just because they can use magic. Then again, lots of girls are just as bad, none of them deserve it.
Wait. Why do I hate them so much? A couple of months ago they were all my friends. I’m just being bitter because they’ve Connected and I never have. Never will. Still, I’ve got Nahlai, I’ll go see her.
Walking down the path, I could see her just a short distance away. She turned and looked at me, her face lighting up in excitement. A sudden feeling of foreboding overcame me. Still, I raised my arm and waved. She came running over, the smile still stuck to her face.
“Hi Iraelia, oh my word, you’re never going to guess what happened this morning!!”
“What? Your cat’s had its kittens?”
“No, even better! I’ve Connected -” I didn’t hear the rest of what she said. Suddenly, the ground seemed to fall away from my feet, and the sun on my skin felt cold. I was alone.
Turning away, I ran as fast as I could. I wouldn’t let her see me cry, but I felt tears bursting forth and streaming down my cheeks. I couldn’t stay, not now. I had to leave.
Approaching the house, then walking round beside it so that Mother wouldn’t see me crying. Creeping in through the side door, then silently ascending the stairs and slipping into my room. Then leaving.
* * *

Iraelia realised she was crying yet again, her memories were so strong. Had it really just been a few days ago? It seemed like another life. She sat down to rest and calm herself.
There was a flicker high above, on a small rise not far away, just a little way through the trees. She could tell that it wasn’t animal. The shape was far too human-like. But not adult.
Could it be the boy? She wasn’t sure, but something told her that he was following her for some reason. Continuing on her way, she kept glancing to one side, and sure enough there he was, keeping his distance, but close enough to track her. She decided to let him be; if he wanted to follow her then so be it, he’d already saved her once, maybe he’d save her again.




This is the beginning of a short novel I'm writing. Chapter 5 is not yet finished, so I haven't posted it. It's been ages since i hav written any of this, and am currently writing one of my other stories (but tht one's on paper so can't post it) and so may be a while before I post any more. Please let me know what you think