Verdantia: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: Above and Below: Part Two

Still panting from her previous exertion Rei squeezed into the break in the wall. It was an extremely close fit and if the crevice was much smaller she would not have been able to move forward at all. Her hands braced the rocky wall pressing against the front of her body. Her back fared no better as the compressed earth grazed against her from behind. With no room to walk normally she inched forward sideways emerging into an enormous cavern after a yard or two. The entire space was lit by a strange fluorescent glow emanating from giant crystal formations which shot out from the walls and ceiling.

The scene in front of her was like nothing she had ever seen before and Rei's jaw dropped, her mouth a small 'o' of amazement. The light from the crystals lit the cavern so brightly it rivaled daylight. Pillars dotted the space and upon closer inspection of one nearby she could see the formation of it came about as stalagmite met stalactite, unifying them into a single unit from floor to ceiling. Her hand came away with a gritty layer of dust when she automatically pressed it to the pillar in curiousity of the texture before dropping it back to her side. She encountered more pillars as she wandered further into the incredibly large cavern. There was no way to know where the exit could be and she could only hope to eventually stumble across it. Ears alert for any noise, her footsteps were almost silent if not for the small sandy crunch underfoot, each grain seeming to carry a pinpoint of the green glow within itself. Spread out over the floor into beyond it created quite a spectacle, stardust sprinkled over the floor instead of in the sky above.

Again the gurgle of running water was absent. But it wasn't always that way she noticed. The walls themselves appeared to have been carved out and softened into strange shapes. Water had a tendency to wear rocks given enough time; but whatever underground river had flowed through the cave had long dried up. All that was left was the gritty, sandy dust that covered all surfaces. What I would do for a drink of water right now. Rei licked her dry lips with a cottony feeling tongue. I just have to keep going. Eventually I'll find my way out of here.

Towards the center of the cavern she saw some of the pillars were clumped together weirdly. The formation seemed somehow wrong to her but she had no other choice but to explore the cavern fully in order to find the path out. There was a darkness that lingered in between them despite the brightness of the crystals and Rei wiped her eyes with her long sleeve thinking perhaps her vision was the problem. But as she drew nearer her gait began to slow. Waves of coldness, colder even than the Arctic Forest began to overtake her as each footstep brought her closer to the circularly arranged pillars.

Child of Ashtarte.

She dropped to her knees, the booming weight of the voice in her head causing her knees to buckle. Dust billowed up into air as her bruised knees hit the ground hard. The voice was everywhere and nowhere, inside and outside and incredibly overwhelming. Her entire body felt heavy. With great effort she was able to keep her head upright, her eyes fixated on the dark smokiness that lurked between the pillars. Fear, a small ribbon of it suddenly exploded, expanded inside her then as a smiling curved mouth appeared, growing wider to reveal teeth. No, not just any teeth. Fangs. For there was no other word for it. Fangs all sharpened and in what seemed like never-ending rows, the points glinting ominously as the green light caught it. Terror paralyzed her and she could only look on as the menacing teeth with their needle tip points continued to grin at her.

Come closer. I will feast on your life. You will be the first of many. I will cover your lands up above until nothing remains but darkness and death. And there is nothing your kind can do about it.

"No." Rei protested weakly. Her arms lay at her side, unmoving no matter how much she willed them. Her legs were leaden, rooted to the floor where she fell. The voice reverberated in her head and there was nowhere for her to hide. It would keep her there she realized, slowly consuming her, sucking away at her life until nothing was left but bones. Even her despair felt heavy, dragging her down to the ground.

You cannot change the inevitable, Child of Ashtarte. I am your future.

-x-x-x-

As a cool breeze brushed her mahogany bangs back from her forehead, Makoto stared out over the town. Square bits of light were spread out across the landscape, homes lit for the night before being extinguished to make way for the dark, to make way for slumber. While the Koi pond wasn't the only tall building in town, it was the tallest, as most buildings only went up to three floors. But Makoto realized, the sheer size of the building was due to Minako taking into account her workers. A majority of the women that worked at the Koi Pond also lived there on the third floor. Rooms were provided for the customers on the second floor; they were not allowed to venture into the upper floors. Nor could they enter the back rooms of the first floor where a large kitchen and its pantries resided. Makoto and Ami learned of the kitchen when they accompanied Minako down to the first floor for dinner. Not only did the Koi Pond slake the appetite of lust but of honest-to-goodness hunger as well.

Makoto had to admit the blonde was a hell of a businesswoman as they were led to a table which offered the perfect view of a small stage. The stage was set in a corner opposite from the office hence why they did not notice it on the way into earlier that day. Lit candles adorned each table, leaving enough light to see while still shrouding customers in intimate darkness. No more than five minutes after being seated the Traveler and the Healer were served dinner. The meal placed before them was sumptuous; salads of leafy greens with a smattering of a grape-sized purple fruit which tasted somewhat like a tomato but sweeter, and a long fish called agua(which Makoto thought was ironic), grilled to perfection with spices that made the brunette grin as she tasted it. She had looked over to see even the Healer's eyes had widened in appreciation at the first bite.

"It may not be anything like what the palace serves but I will admit my girls are excellent cooks," Minako had boasted with a smile.

"I can see why you would be quite proud, Minako. It is indeed a wonderful meal," Ami beamed at the blonde. Makoto nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with the short haired Healer, while she chewed.

"Thank you. Enjoy your meal, the evening is just beginning." Minako stood with a smile, winked at them both and headed towards the stage.

Customers and staff alike began to cheer when they noticed the blonde was making her way toward the stage. She climbed up the two small steps onto the plank floor of the platform, stopped in the middle and looked out towards the tables. Then a hush fell over the crowd and anticipation filled the air. Makoto looked over at Ami to see the Healer's blue eyes were quite curious as her own. A smile grew on her lips to see such an expression on Ami's face before she turned her own attention back to the blonde.

"Tonight, we have some very special guests with us. Tomorrow they will be off again, but for now let's give them a show they won't soon forget!" A roar of approval came from the crowd before everyone settled down again. Mugs of what Makoto assumed to be Verdantia's version of beer were also hefted into the air the moment the crowd cheered. The blonde's lips were curved in a beatific smile, and Makoto could hear the whisper from a table nearby, "Oh we're in for a treat!"

Looking off to the side at someone Makoto could not see, Minako asked, "Shall we begin, ladies?" She laughed, winked once towards the crowd then placed her fingers over her lips. Complete silence filled the room, and out past Minako's lips came the most ethereal of sounds. Makoto's eyes widened, if sunshine had a voice, it would sound like this. Slowly at first it flowed around the room, then the staccato beat of a drum joined in, accompanying the song, making it twice as rich, the sound of a heartbeat within the aria. Once again Makoto was surprised when a flute joined the melody and it became complete. A goddess' song without words. A song of everything, of beginnings and endings, of summers and springs. A song for lovers old and new. A song of sweet and bitter joy. A song of life.

And as the melody played on, she was lost in the music. Unaware she was doing so, Makoto turned to look at the Healer sitting next to her. Wonder glowed on Ami's face and Makoto's hand slid along the length of the wooden table until her fingers grazed the Healer's. With a start Ami looked down at their fingers together before entwining hers with the brunette. Cheeks pink, she smiled at Makoto and the Traveler returned the smile before they both turned back to the beauty who sang on the stage. It was indeed a memorable evening.

She sighed, but it was not a sad sigh but rather one of contentment, her gaze still on the rectangular and square bits of lights that fell out of windows and sometimes onto the streets creating patches of light that was interrupted by the odd passing legs. She could hear faint singing from below in the street but it was nothing like what Minako had sung earlier. In comparison the song being sung now felt bawdy and crude. Her head shook in amazement. The song Minako sung lingered in her soul, refusing to leave for it had taken up home within her. But Makoto herself couldn't carry a tune. The memory of the song will just have to suffice. Therefore she was quite surprised when Ami, who had been standing at her side all along gazing at the streets and the houses laid out below began to hum the melody. From Ami it didn't sound as rich, there was a rawness to it instead but Makoto had to agree it was still a lovely sound. Ami stood with her hands braced against the balcony, her eyes closed as she hummed.

Like earlier, Makoto found her hand reaching out to cover the soft warmth of Ami's. The contact seemed to catch the smaller woman off-guard this time, and the humming abruptly stopped, her blue eyes flashing open in the dark. Makoto felt a bit sorry for ruining the moment. She was greatly enjoying the company of this woman who had only come into her life in mere days. Or if she considered it from Ami's point of view, she was the one that had suddenly appeared in the Healer's life. Either way, she was not complaining about it. Ami was still somewhat shy but Makoto could literally feel the confidence growing in the smaller woman from the moment they had kissed. If only we weren't interrupted. Not that things would have gone further, Makoto knew, but it would have been nice to simply ease into the moment after the kiss.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said to Ami.

"You did not. I was more surprised to find I was humming. I never thought I was particularly musical." The Healer chuckled.

"It sounded very fine to me. Even your laugh sounds like the music of bells," Makoto said as she took a step closer to the flushed Healer. The air seemed to grow still between their bodies as they stared at each other. The skin of Ami's hand felt much warmer than before under Makoto's palm.

"I...what happened today before Minako walked in-"

"I have to apologize-" Makoto spoke the very moment Ami did and the Healer appeared to be hurt at her words. The smaller woman made a move to step back taking an effort to slip her hand out from under the brunette's but Makoto did not let go.

"Please let me finish. I wanted to apologize for kissing you while half asleep. I should have done it while I was wide awake."

Glittering with unshed tears, Ami's eyes widened at the words and before she could say anything else Makoto pulled her close and proceeded to kiss her senseless in the cool darkness.