Spirits: The Gatherers

Chapter 13: Woken up by...Mom?

"Owen...Owen...OWEN!,"

a voice called his name as Owen opened his eyes slowly. He noticed that his arm was chained to the wall. The chain clanked as he moved his arm. Owen tried tugging at it but it was no use. He thought for a second and then realized: his blade! His blade could cut through it no problem. He tried to call his blade but it did not appear. The weapon did not even materialize. Owen tried again and again. Over and over and over. He slugged the ground in defeat.

"Ouch...what is going on...," Owen said. "Why can't I summon my blade."

"Owen..." a women's voice called to him.
This voice sounded familiar. He gazed up to see the back of his mother's head. He sat in awe as he gazed at her.

"M-mom...?" Owen said getting up off the ground slowly. The chains clattered as he stood.

"Mom...," Owen said once more. "What are you doing here? I thought you were..."
Owen trailed off. His mother just sat there. Silent. Not uttering a single sound.

"Why did you leave me...," she spoke finally.

"Leave you?" Owen asked.

She turned and threw a dinner knife at Owen. The knife barely missed his face and left a little cut on his cheek. It bled as he tried to cover it. Owen fell back onto his bottom with his hand over his cheek. Blood seeped through his fingers.

"M-mom, what is going on?" Owen said in terror.

He stared at his mother in utter horror of what she had done. She put her head down and tears fell from her eyes onto the floor. Owen calmed himself a bit.

"She is not real," another voice from the darkness.

Owen's gaze shifted to Saria who was leaning against the wall. The room was big and dark and empty.

"Wha?" Owen asked in confusion.

"She is an illusion," Saria said.

Owen noticed that his wound disappeared. So did his mother and the knife that hit the wall.

"I have been having the visions too," Saria said putting his hand up to his mask. "It's because of the necklace."

"Necklace?" Owen asked.

"Lilith du Supreme," Saria answered. "It is a guide to Lilith, herself. She is an un now since the person she was linked to in this world has passed..."

"But...why the visions?" Owen asked.

"It's a defense mechanism...it shows you what plagues your heart the most with guilt," Saria explained.

"My mom...," Owen said.

Saria stared at Owen and sighed.

"Owen...," Saria said. "I don't want to fight you"

"W-what? But I thought...,"

"No...I want to help get your father back...,"

"But...you are part of the wind blades...,"

"I know I am...but...there is a lot I have to make up for in my life...and bringing your father back to the place he was, is the least that I could do...,"

"How do you know that my father is not dead...?"

"Because I spoke with him...,"

"You know where my father is?!," Owen exclaimed.

"I-I didn't say that, but I have an idea," Saria said. "I will try my best to take you to him."

"But why chain me up? Why take the necklace?" Owen said.

"You were being...restless and I still haven't decided, myself, what I was going to do...but the necklace...it seemed to have shown me the truth, and to answer your question about the necklace," Saria said. He then paused for a second and spoke: "This was my assignment...from the aria"

Saria walked towards Owen and grabbed his arm. He used the key to undo the cuff around his wrist.

"How were you able to disable my blade?" Owen asked.

"This cuff has an electrical current flowing through it. Electricity slows the blade's power if it is injected directly into your system," Saria explained. "It won't kill you though. It would just prevent you from using your blades."

"Oh...," Owen said.

"You might want to eat something and build your strength up," Saria said.

"Why?" Owen asked.

"Because, there is a storm coming...," Saria said.