Death's Apprentice

35

My hand closed around the faceted surface of the crystal. Warmth spread up my hand and into the rest of my body. Purple sparks crackled around my hand, burning me. Hm, now was this really the key? It didn't seem keyish. Then again, neither did the piece of paper Death made a key out of. At least this had the supernatural ability to make me feel like this, the warmth I mean, not the spark still burning my hands. How did I keep my grip on it? Pure force of will.

I cradled the crystal in my hands. I closed my eyes and reached for that strand of energy again. It was easier to find, more of a ribbon than a thread, so it was easier to summon. Fire and ribbons flared around my arms.

Nothing happened.

I opened my eyes and stared at the key. The fire and ribbons were mingling the same way they had earlier when I activated the key Death made, but that didn't change the fact nothing happened. No glowing, no shining, no spinning and flying around while playing hip-hop. A frown painted my face, and I shook it, as if doing that would magically make it work. When the key still didn't work, I did the logical thing. Look for a way someone without mystical arms would activate it. Unless the immortals were hiding their true powers, they didn't have them.

My pants stuck together as I walked around the clearing. My shirt stuck to my skin, though my left forearm was free from sap; the flames burnt it off. Speaking of the flames, I paused long enough to let the powers disappear back into my arms. I didn't want to start a forest fire. With the luck I've had, Smoky the Bear will materialize from nowhere and attack me.

Not like it would be the first time I've gotten attack by a bear this week, but still.

Towards the edge of the clearing, I found a path overgrown by weeds. I walked the rock lined path, wondering how much free time Clara had in order to maintain even the three prior areas. Almost immediately after that thought, I rolled my eyes. She has plenty of free time, she's an immortal. Plus, Ivy said Clara only does stuff for herself, so it's not like she was volunteering at a soup kitchen or anything.

In the middle of the path, too long to jump over and with brambles on either side keeping me from going around, was a mud puddle. I picked my way across, resting my weight on the smallest bits of rock that showed about the surface. In between steps, my foot slipped. It sank deep into the mud, up to the middle of my shin. "I hate this," I said, pulling my foot out with a loud schlop. "I really, really hate this."

With every step I took, the warmth flowing through my body increased. It kept going up and up, until I felt alive. I could feel the coolness of the cloak, the chill of the wind, the heat of the sun, all things I forgot how much I missed. Those weren't the only things I noticed. I could hear my heart beat, I could feel every breath I took, and holding my breath made my lungs ache. My footsteps cut through the calm air as I walked towards a stone pedestal. It was the only thing in the clearing, so it had to be important.

The closer I came to it, the more the crystal sparked. At some point, it started to hum and vibrate, almost like I struck it with a fork. The vibrations traveled up my arms, making them tingle. I stopped in front of the pedestal. Carved from dark rock, it would've looked pretty, if not for the weeds and grasses overgrowing it. Upon closer inspection, I could make out symbols and letters carved into it by two different people. One was probably Life, and I was willing to bet the second was Clara.

I tried to brush the wilted plants from it, only to find them rooted in dirt. I rested my hand on the smooth stone. With a sigh, I rested my forehead on the cool surface. The moment I let go of the key all of this would disappear; I wouldn't be able to feel things like this.

My hand tightened around the key as voices echoed through my mind, whispers which disappeared everytime I thought about them. Only when my mind wandered did they return. I should've been happy about that, being able to focus on them to shut them up, but the bad thing was, I couldn't tell if they were my thought or someone else's.