Chapter Three – I shall be there with you.
The night sky above the planet Horika, a blanket of lights moulded above the atmosphere. The 12 planets in the sky, 13 with Horika, float around globes of other life. Shooting stars close to the Starian belt were the visions seen from the planet below and upon the planet below resting on thick frog pads above the lake the two lovers gazed above. The stars matched lines in their heads until shapes were formed. A combination of the shooting stars, their new romance and their last night in the village somewhat made an appealing way to spend the late hour.
“What were your dreams Jaro?” Cherrie asked holding her hand in the air. At the time they floated so that their heads met vertically.
“You mean when I was growing up?” Jaro responded shifting his weight
“Yeah, you know mine... you never speak of yours though” Cherrie preceded looking up which because Jaro was floating in that direction meant she was looking at him.
“I haven’t thought about it to be quite honest. I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to grow like my father, a solider” Jaro answered her, just after he did Jaro sat up and crossed his legs. Cherrie followed and crossed hers. “I don’t want to ever leave you, but I must follow this dream” Jaro continued and held his hands out in front of him.
“Where ever you go, I shall be there with you. We are two halves now, we must stay together to be whole” She pointed out and took his hands. They looked in each other’s eyes light in their eyes from the reflection of the night sky.
Half a heart beat later each of their hairs stood on end as the sound that would soon lead their hearts to race. Their blood to boil, their brains to act irrationally had entered their ears and was busy preparing them for the catastrophe that caused the sound and would cause the great shift.
The sound in question was that of a scream from the village and made them immediately turn in the direction of the village which moments later looked more like a bonfire. Houses burning to the ground and an army running through the streets. Pulling people from their houses and throwing them in a pile. The pile which was seen as next to the well was being inspected by other army members that pulled the teeth from their mouths undressed them of their clothes and yanked out anything of value. The two watched as the piles burned and the fields set alight. The army looked more like black shadows and in the centre were five standing perfectly still and no bothered by the happenings around them.
Jaro and Cherrie stepped off the pads and keeping their heads forward slowly walked to the village. Holding hands and bending feet they trotted to the wall keeping separating the lake. The both both of them noticed what the Five were looking at. There was one in front of them that did not burn. They were standing by the East entrance, the well in front of them, the character not burning and then the wall stood in front of them. The character they were looking at appeared to look like the shadow like the army but it glowed a red in side of their chest. They seemed almost transparent, all most as if they had already felt the pain and yet they were hurt. Kneed on the ground and holding their chest. The central member of the five held out their hand and a black circle begun to appear. Jaro jumped over the wall and in between the character and the five people. He stood tall his arms out straight and standing tall. The circle the person had created stopped as the hand closed.
“You!” the voice called over and sounded like the voice of a woman. Jaro nodded. “You know nothing of this demon. He will make a fine gift for Kaos.” The voice continued firmly and loudly. Jaro and the woman kept eyes on each other even though the five were wearing caped robes.
“You must leave here” Jaro shouted over, there was a slight quiver in his voice as he did and his body shook however slightly. The middle one fell forward screaming and slowly lifted her head.
“He will be the saviour I’ve seen it.” She screamed and pointed. “Kill him” she screamed once more, after she sent the order all the five people held their hands up. Four growing circles came out of their hands until they peeked size at around 2 people tall. They steeped back and the moment the spell left the finger tips of the four, a scream came from Cherrie.
She ran above the wall and to Jaro at the moment he was struck. The shadowed man disappeared and Jaro appeared to be electric with a black matter. He fell forward on to Cherrie and held on tight to her within his arms. Jaro knew his clock was ticking and he didn’t have much time. Jaro was on his knees and groping over Cherrie who was kneed.
“I love you” Jaro whispered in her ear and looked in her eyes. A tear covered them as he fell completely on top powerless. Their world became blackened from the experience within the heat of the moment, their fate unknown.
Rough was the feeling on their faces, rough and wet. Coming around the most all mighty headache over came them. Jaro opened his eyes ever so slightly and saw Cherrie on the ground. His face laying on grass and the morning had come. The suns shone down on them and a bitter taste filled Jaro’s mouth. He pivoted his head forward and saw the lake. He scuffed forward to the lake and took a sip from the water. After he did this Jaro used his arms to pull himself up and then eventually sat up. He looked around the landscape dizzy and seeing what appeared to be a broken arch way. He rubbed his eyes and turned to the village. Burned to the ground and a wreck he came to his knees for a better look. He scanned around left to right. The barn but metal scaffolding. The houses in between half brick walls, the village centre blackened and Jaro’s home surprisingly untouched. He turned his body to the house before being startled by a voice.
“You’re welcome” the voice boomed. The voice sounded similar to that of the Elder in the centre that predicted the future. Jaro looked around and saw no one around.
“Where are you?” Jaro asked loudly and turning. “Show yourself” he shouted facing the lake. Jaro felt a tap on his back and turned quickly. He still saw nothing behind him. His attention soon went to the sound he heard on the ground to his left. Cherrie was waking up.
“Who are you talking to?” Cherrie asked him Fatigued by the sleep. She sat up then offer a hand to Jaro who helped her up.
“I heard someone...” Jaro explained quite blissfully and in a soft talking state. He turned to his right and peered over thinking the voice came from the bush, but no sign was made.
“You look awful” the voice commented from behind both Jaro and Cherrie. They both turned around to the shadow shape. They knew the shadow person as this could only had been the man they had seen the night before. Cherrie stepped back and in line with Jaro holding his hand as their stared at whatever it was they were currently conjuring upon.
“You can talk... you look dead” Cherrie commented back to the shadow man who stepped back.
“I am dead...” the voice responded looking down at his self.
“Would you mind explaining yourself?” Jaro almost aquittedely ordered, the man’s speed of speech slowed and his head slightly came down.
“There isn’t time for the big picture so here is the basics. I died a long time ago for a crime I didn’t commit and took the body of the main Elder here. Your house was protected for some reason and the wall around it covered the cave behind. I had to attempt to save the village but I died... that body died. The Circle were after me, without me they would never stop, maybe even the fort next. They tried to capture me but killed you so I took your body... I saved you” the man explained to them then looked at Jaro for some kind of response. Jaro and the shadow person looked at each other and a hand gesture from the man suggested he wanted Jaro to speak.
“I’m thankful..... erm What did you say your name was?” Jaro half heartedly thanked and asked.
“I didn’t, and it’s Hershi” the man answered and leaned forward.
“Thank you Hershi” Jaro repeated in an almost sarcastic and confused voice.
“Good, I dragged your whore up and by the lake yada yada yada... now I can’t stay out you for long or I’ll burn so if you don’t mind.” Hershi calming concluded and somehow jumped and floated into Jaro’s chest. Jaro could feel Hershi inside of him. He could feel Hershi’s limbs, his brain and organs as well his own. It was almost surreal. Jaro spun around feeling himself and touching his chest.
“Can you still talk?” Jaro asked Hershi, however seeing as Hershi was in him he ultimately asked the air. Jaro’s chest glowed red and Hershi’s voice sounded.
“Of course you can, there isn’t time to stick around here though. We must go to the fort... we need reinforcements.” Hershi pointed out and led. Jaro looked at Cherrie and Cherrie at he, holding hands.
“Where ever you go, I shall be there with you. We should become whole.” Jaro paraphrased her from the night before. Cherrie nodded and the two of them begun to walk up the path leading to the fort, for they could achieve anything together and little apart.