Lost Souls

Chapter 14

 Chapter 14

 Ember

 Bright gold light bloomed before her eyes and she smiled before all was black again and she realized her eyes were closed. Opening slowly her eyelids flickered. The light shimmered oddly before her eyes and the colors radiated strangely like she was seeing everything for the first time. Everything was sharper and more defined. Ember looked around, the others were still asleep. All except Cheyenne who sat before the darkest mural of them all. A dark man with evil eyes that burned into her brain. Ember's own eyes burned at the sight of the dark man the mural depicted. Blood dripped between his bone white fingers as he made a fist. His full lips were the same color as the crimson blood and he smirked evilly at her. Pushing the blankets off her hastily, she rose from her pallet and the floor seemed to move under her. Her movements were very jerky and her muscles twitched with unknown tension and new found strength.. Warmth swelled in her stomach and rose to her chest making her clutch at her heart. She fell to a knee startling Rayne and Nero beside her.

 "Ember!" Rayne exclaimed and sprang from Nero's arms rushing over to her. Ajad was  the second to get to her, and she hadn't even noticed him wake up. Ember looked up world swirling around her. Closing her eyes she tried to get a grip on the world that seemed to tilt around her.

 "Help her up," Cheyenne rushed over and took Ember's face in her hands making her open her eyes once more making her feel a wave of nausea rock over her senses. Cheyenne's usually pure green eyes swam with gold specks. "You are not used to such power, but you will get used to it." Her words seemed like the calm before the storm as the warmth in her chest seemed to grow immensely.

 "What are you saying?" Ajad asked, quite flustered, as he too held up the suddenly weak-kneed girl.

 "The Goddess came to me, for the Gods sake, look at her eyes Ajad they're gold just like her mothers." Ajad pulled her chin towards him gently and then his grey eyes went wide. Rayne gasped along with Nero growing closer to her.

 "What have you done to her, you savages!" Nero yelled grabbing at Ember. Ember gasped and Cheyenne pulled her sword before Ember could even blink. Rayne screamed scrambling back, away from the gleaming blade. Cheyenne shoved him back with a boot to the chest, her blade flashed and a sliver of blood formed on his cheek.

 "Lay your hands on her again and I'll sever them from your wrists," Cheyenne all but growled at him. Ajad growled also grabbing for his sword. Ember shook with the power inside her and her vision blurred with bright light.

 "Stop." She blurted and her eyes burned pure gold. They all froze like statues at the power that reverberated in her voice. Then everything went black and she fell back on the pallet in a heap. The earth shook under her and then she was lost to the shouting of the others around her. 

 Her eyelids fluttered open once more and light overflowed her senses blinking the haze cleared and her eyes focused in on green gold eyes. She struggled to sit up and Cheyenne moved back allowing her more space they were the only ones in the temple now. The heat in her stomach flared up again and she winced. Then she looked around surrounded by unfamiliar murals. Perhaps they were just in a different room. Brushing her bronze hair out of her face she looked over at Cheyenne making eye contact once more. 

 "You seem to be in better health." The war maiden offered her a soft smile and then her face was back to its hardened beauty. "I am sorry that you were startled earlier, I know we crowded you." She spoke softly, more soft than Ember had ever heard the warrior speak. Offering a leather waterskin to Ember she stood. The dragon hilted sword was again sheathed and hanging at her hip. Her midnight black curls now hung freely and cascaded down her tanned shoulders. The garments she wore were much lighter and showed a lot more skin. Ember moved her eyes away from the clan women and gulped down the cool water. She handed her back the waterskin and tried to stand.

 "Please allow me," Cheyenne gently helped her to her feet. She wobbled but stayed off the ground for now. 

 "This is all so strange." Ember had finally found her words in her  jumbled mind. "Nothing is as it should be, I can see much better than I should, and my stomach burns with foreign energy." As soon as the words left her mouth the heat rose to her chest again and she gasped at the intensity. Cheyenne seized her shoulders making her hold her unnerving, pale green gaze. 

 "I know this is all new to you Ember, but you are much more than you believe," She paused but only for a moment. "I am to protect you, to guide you." The war-maidens voice was her anchor as the pain seemed to double and her eyes went fuzzy. "Don't keep it all bottled up it will destroy you, you must accept it and control it," Cheyenne shook her as her head began to droop. "You mother has opened the floodgates to the power within, you must except you are the Goddess's daughter. You must control the power, it is yours to control Ember!" She yelled the last part as Ember's eyes closed and she seemed to be dead to the world once more. The darkness in her head was a comfort but the words still rang true. She focused on what they meant which was becoming increasingly hard as the burning spread.

  What Goddess? How could a foreign Goddess be her mother? She was not even real, what was this clan girl shouting about? These thoughts bounced around in the darkness of her mind with even more questions. I'm going to die, I can not hold on. Was her last thought before bright light pierced the shroud of darkness in her mind and a force unknown to her pushed back the power urging her to open her eyes. 

 When she did her ears rung with a familiar voice. "Have no fear, my child for I am here with you. What my warrior say is true I have sent her to protect you to guide you." The voice was like a sweet melody. "You are my only daughter and I have finally claimed you, I have unlocked your full potential and you are to change the world." A sweet laugh echoed after the voice was finished and the light disappeared along with any pain she felt. Blinking she focused in on Cheyenne once more. Her face was full of joy and her eyes were wide.

  "Wa-was that her? The Goddess, my mother?" Ember asked struggling to take it all in. The absence of the intense pain left her wobbly. Cheyenne nodded tears in her green and gold eyes. 

 "Yes."