King of Shadows: Of Blood and Tears

Chapter 29: The Dancing of Memories I

Maximus walked on the cobblestone path, the sound of buzzing insects filling the night air as lanterns cast flickering shadows around him. He took in the mysteries of Elibor, his eyes darting from one fascinating sight to the next.

Elflings running above him from tree to tree, yelling and laughing.

Max observed as happiness and joy vibrated through the trees, causing handfuls of leaves to fall atop his head. He smiled as he ran his fingers through his long, dark brown hair.

God, I need a haircut, Max thought, now pulling on his black, soft beard. And a trim.

Max changed his gaze from the playful children to the wolf pups growling at each other over a little rabbit hopping from bush to bush.

"Get out of here! Leave the damned rabbit alone!" An older elf walked out of his home, made from delicately cut Lacuna wood, polished and shined professionally. He was holding a long wooden mixing spoon, running at the pups as they responded with their barking laughs.

The man tripped over a tree root and giggles filled the pure air surrounding. The little pups saw the man trying to get up from a pile of leaves and ran at him, licking his face as he shooed them with his wooden spoon.

Max's forehead creased as an enormous smile came forth, and he moved his gaze elsewhere. He came upon a little elf girl, playing by herself along the path that he was set upon. She moved out of his way and smiled under her hood at the mysterious boy walking toward the Tree of Life.

"Why are you playing by yourself, little one?" Max asked, kneeling to see the little elf's face.

"You are going to the tree of life?" She said, her voice all too familiar.

Max looked at the little girl, holding a stuffed bear. The fabric of her black clothes rustled as she removed her hood, and her face was now visible in the light.

"Annabelle! It is so good to see you. "

She smiled and looked towards the tree, which was at least a mile away now. "How have your travels been, brother?"

Before he could reply, she looked at him. Not a look of grace or happiness. A look that lacked all emotion. Her eyes locked on his and he felt a weird buzzing hitting his eardrums. The little girl walked closer to him and grabbed his hand without removing her gaze an inch.

"You will soon feel pain. You will feel a chaos pillaging any ounce of good that you have within your body. Within your soul. Do not give in to the darkness that resides. It's common to turn to darkness as a way of coping with trauma and sadness. Allowing it to take hold of you, planting its oozing black roots inside, ripping out your humanity if tampered with. It takes strength and courage to look towards good and life." Annabelle's face now changing, her eyes bulging.

Before Max could reply, she ran off, leaving him with a wave of strange tingles. What was he going to face? To deal with that would make him fall into shadow? What does that even mean?

Max watched as the little girl ran to a tree, climbing it, disappearing into the green and orange leaves. As the leaves trickled down, he heard a whisper. A name coming from the waving branches.

Meahkthran. Meahkthran...

As Max walked along the path once again, he felt a chilly breeze hit his tanned skin, blowing his hair in his field of vision. The breeze gained momentum, and leaves fell. He could finally see the white tree, as it was closer to him than he had thought. As he dodged falling acorns and medium-sized yellow fruits falling, one collided with his temple, sending him a daze. He rubbed his forehead, trying to relieve the throbbing sensation, and looked up to see...well...the falling fruit had left his vision ahead blurred, but even through the haze, he saw her.

She turned, watching as he slowly stepped closer. She ran to him, embracing him with a hug.

Max, without thought, wrapped his arms around her, holding tight. She smelled like sunflowers and fresh strawberries. A scent that would never go unnoticed - and a scent that he would never forget. She smelled familiar, and he felt a weird sort of comfort as he held her petite body in his arms.

"You came. My visions. I was not positive that they would work. I was not sure if your bond to our world was still strong enough for such magic."

She let go of him, tracing his cheek with her fingertips. He stayed silent. All he could do was watch as a million memories filled Amaris's eyes. They sparkled, and he knew that she clearly understood who he was.

"What does a goddess want with a human...now elf...from a different realm?" Max asked, walking past her towards the tree.

"We both know you are not human, Meahkthran. You are not that ignorant, so do not speak as you are."

Her blonde-white hair was in a large bun, and she wore earrings that sparkled as if they were stars in the night sky. Her eyes bluer than they appeared in the visions, and she wore a light green gown, pressed nicely against her body, showing every curved feature.

"Then who am I? You speak to me as if I already know. You embrace me as if I was so familiar to you. Amaris. Who am I." Maximus turned from the tree to see her face go paler than it already was. Every time Max looked at her, she was glowing, making it that much harder for him to get loud or angry. Her nose pointed, eyebrows light, with the smallest of freckles spread across her cheeks.

She grabbed his hands and spoke to him. She could speak to him without her lips needing to move. Mind to mind - body to body - he could hear every unspoken word.

Yes, I am the daughter of Lonadreia. I came here long ago and live among the elves. I am no dragon, nor do I wish to be. We can choose the form we want, and I am a Hakobone. I am only powerful when the moons shine their brightest. Transforming into a form that no eyes have seen. No eyes but yours.

Max let go of her grasp and took a couple of steps backwards. His blood rushing to his face, his palms clammy.

"That doesn't answer any of my questions, Amaris. You are a goddess, a moon princess, a Hakobone. What am I!"

Her sparkling blue eyes looked at the fruits growing on the white branches of the Ancient tree.

"The fruits. They will give you your memories. They will show you your destiny. Though...what they show...it isn't for certain that they will be that of bliss. And the timeline for such memories...The fruits show you what it wants you to see, uncaring for what you want to see."

Max released his clenched fists, allowing blood to flow once more. His flushed face turning back to its normal shade, and his pursed breathing faded back into normal breaths. He was finally going to get answers.

He looked at her, smiling faintly as she backed away from him, sitting on a gorgeously carved bench to the right of the Tree of Life.

One bite, no more, no less. Her voice sang through Max's mind as he reached for the fruit. He took one bite, light purple juices oozing from his mouth, down his chin.

Max became light-headed, everything around him spinning. He tried to take a step towards Amaris, yet felt his feet glued in place. Before he could even enjoy the taste of the ancient fruit, his mind went blank, as did his vision. A loud thump echoed as his body hit the ground, and he woke in Arachnoids Web, talking with the witch Nienna. 

*If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote! Your comments/feedback are also greatly appreciated!*