KIERA SHADE
I don't know why but the baby never cried, he was awake most of the time and not to mention his silver eyes -much like mine- kept burning into my soul but I am a soul, so- Oh forget it!
"Your son creeps me out," Tyde said.
"You're not good with children ,are you, Tyde?" I questioned.
"I'm 18, I'm not supposed to be good with children!" He exclaimed.
I stared at him. He did look 18 but what normal 18 year old was guiding spirits to Hell.
"Well technically. I'm like 7502, give or take.... But that's considered young in this place!" He muttered.
"So what's this Line of Alexander you speak of?"
"Story Tyme, get it? 'Cause Tyme is my brother?" Tyde cracked up, slapping his knee.
"Ha-freaking-ha. That's so funny," I said sarcastically.
"That was so funny that I almost died," He said, cracking up again.
"You should stop with the puns," I said dryly.
"Okay okay. So our friend, Alexander- Alex for short-, sacrificed himself to create the border that separates Heaven and Hell, the end," Tyde cheered at the 'the end'.
"Ouch... You don't sound sad at all,"
"Your point...?"
"You're a bad friend."
"So I've been told."
I gave him a 'seriously?' look.
"So shall we go?" Tyde said cheerfully.
"Mmmm.... Okay," I sighed.
I glanced at my still unnamed child. I didn't want to name him. I wanted to leave that choice to Lazarus. The mere thought of him made me feel sad, knowing if I never met James, we wouldn't be here. The child- my child- wouldn't have to grow up wondering where his mother was or why his mother faded or where this so-called Earth was.
As I walked away from the entrance to Hell, I turned back to take another look of the entrance, watching as it faded into nothing like I would, once I handed my son to Lazarus.
"You do realize that your child still needs a name, right?" Tyde said, interrupting my train of thought.
"I'd like to leave that to Lazarus," I said.
"Before you fade, demand that Lazarus names your child," Tyde said, looking at my son.
"Why?"
"It is bad news for a child to remain nameless."
"What does that have to do with me? I said I'll let Lazarus name him," I said, feeling irritated.
"It is worse news if the mother doesn't know her own child's name," He muttered,looking serious for once.
"Is there another story behind this?" I asked, curious.
"Soon, you'll learn there's a story behind everything," He said, a flash of unhappiness written on his face for a split second before his face went back to his happy, carefree look.
It made me curious but I shrugged it off, realing it was a sensitive topic for him.
There was a very pregnant silence that surrounded us as we walked before he came to an abrupt stop. I glanced at him, curiously, wondering why he stopped until I saw it. I immediately held my son closer.
It was moving along the side of the path we walked on, blending into the trees that I swore would move in the corner of my eyes. I had to concentrate like really, really hard just to see it properly. I wished I didn't though because it was something you'd only see in nightmares. It was something I wish I could run from.
'Monster,' I thought, thinking of what my punishment was supposed to be, to slay monsters.
There was no way to describe what it looked like because everytime I tried to concentrate on it, the figure would change.
"Tyde..." I whispered, horrified and frozen on the spot.
"Shh. It's a shifter," He whispered back.
"A shifter?" I questioned, my voice soft.
"A class-B monster escaped from the depths of Hell, very dangerous if agitated, very stealthy but if approached correctly, it will hopefully show its true form and only then can be slayed," Tyde explained.
"Hopefully," I echoed.
"Shh," Tyde murmured as the shifter came closer and closer.
We stayed in that position until it walked past us, completely ignoring us. Tyde suddenly whipped out a weapon- that looked like a chakram- and proceeded to charge for the back of the shifter.
As his weapon made contact with the shifter, it turned around to face us, releasing a roar so loud it almost made my ears pop.
The shifter could use a breathmint or two the size of a puppy.... Or a really, really big stick of chewing gum- preferably mint flavoured.
Its figure shimmered as it turned into a two foot tall creature. It stood on all four legs growling at us. It looked like an agitated puppy except it had black reptilian-like skin and glowing magenta eyes, it also wasn't the size of normal puppies anymore.
"Aww.... It's so cute!!" I cooed, my child shifted in my arms, I glanced at him realizing his eyes shone with fear.
"Cute but deadly," Tyde grumbled.
It took one step forward before it appeared before me- "Dodge!" Tyde screamed- before it clawed my leg. When its claws made contact with my leg, I could feel them burning into my skin. My leg felt weak, I collapsed to my knees. My arms supporting me even though I had a sudden dizziness. I could hear my son cry- it was short- but I knew he landed quite a distance from me.
Tyde flashed forward, slashing the weapons at the shifter's long-ish tail. It proceeded to screech at him, standing on its hind legs, showing its red belly as it bared its fangs at him.Tyde thrusted one of his chakram-looking weapons right into its belly making the shifter whine softly before it dissolved into nothing.
"Hey," Tyde said, slapping my face.
"Hey, snap out of it!" Tyde exclaimed.?
"Ughh," I mumbled.
Tyde gently moved me, so that I was lying on my back. I heard soft ripping noises before something cool and jelly-like touched my leg.
I lifted my head weakly to look at him, my eyelids drooping down. Tyde seemed to be applying some kind of bluish paste on my leg before wrapping my injured calf with a black strip of cloth.
"What did it do to me?" I questioned.
"A shifter's claws are coated with poison. The side effect defers for each person," Tyde said, holding out a few brown spherical-shaped pills.
"What are-"
"It'll help ease the pain and the dizziness," He said, pressing two pills into my open palm.
"So they're like... painkillers?" I asked.
"Yeah, something like that," Tyde said, handing me a bottle of water.
After downing the pills, I realized something. I gasped in horror, "My son ?! Where is he?!"
"He doesn't seem hurt," Tyde observed from a distance.
I got up, ignoring the numb feeling of my leg and went to pick him up from where I accidentally dropped him- I hope he doesn't grow up retarded.... His silver eyes glared at me, angrily. There was a nasty cut on his chubby arm and cheek which seemed to be healing fast.
'Weird,' I thought.
We've been walking for about half an hour now. Suddenly, my right leg- the one with the injury- started to burn.The pain felt like my leg was dipped into concentrated acid then thrown into a fire and stabbed repeatedly, not to mention it was spreading upward. I cried out, barely supporting my weight on my uninjured leg. Tyde was suddenly next to me, taking my son into his arms and helped me to support myself.
"What's wrong?" He said, alarmed.
"The wound... the pain.... Its unbearable and it's spreading upward," I said, wincing.
"The poison is spreading," he mumbled a few other words I couldn't hear.
"What?" I asked. The pain was messing with my brain. Everything he said was muffled. My vision was going blurry.
"Nothing. We have to move to a safer place. We're not going to get anywhere anytime soon in your condition.. You need rest."
I nodded, probably with a not so confident look on my face.
"Hey, c'mon... you'll be alright, you'll get better. I promise," Tyde gave me his little smirk.
"Okay," I managed a little smile.
He helped me on my feet and we walked for about 10 minutes at a slow pace. We reached a small sheltered area under a dark blue willow tree and we stayed there for the night.
But I didn't get better. I woke up to a blazing pain in my right shoulder.
The pain had spread to my entire right side of my body and my left side felt cold and numb.
Tyde. I thought. Realizing that he wasn't here and neither was my son.
"Tyde......" I whispered, the pain making it hard to breathe.
"Tyde.." I said a little louder.
The young black haired boy literally appeared at my side, child in arms.
"Oh you're awa- Oh my Death, you look terrible. Wait here."
Not giving me a chance to say a word, he disappeared just as he came.
5 minutes later, he appeared with a handful of strange plants.
"Wha-"
"They're medicine, or they will be," he interrupted.
He chanted some spells and with a flash of light- POOF. A container of red cream, a vial and more magic hell painkillers appeared before me.
He set aside my son, settling him next to me- although it didn't make me feel better as his silver eyes started burning holes into my forehead- before he started to work. He first applied the red cream to my left side, which made the cold and numbness dissipate slowly, and not to mention there was a lovely reddish hue of my skin- it looked much like half of me just had a serious case of sunburn.
He later then handed me the vial, containing a purple liquid, which I drank and maybe 10 minutes later I could feel the difference. The pain on my right side receded tremendously- at least 10 times less. And soon enough I could stand by myself although it still burned a little where I got clawed.
I downed two more painkillers and we set off probably around noon, I don't know they didn't have clocks around here, okay? I would say that the Sun was blazing hot at this time of day and that we were melting but Hell had no Sun. Just a cold breeze and some sunlight reaching us from heaven's side. So the closer we got, the brighter it was.
"Are we there yet?" I asked, bored.
"No, and don't ask that question again. I hate that question," Tyde said. I could hear the annoyance in his voice and it made me smile.
And that's when I realized.
"Hey, if that purple syrup healed me so fast why didn't you just use it in the first place?"
He didn't respond.
"Tyde?"
He stopped walking. He took a deep breathe, and let out a long sigh.
"Some spells... have effects on the caster," he said, back turned to me.
"And the vial.... was one hell of a spell."
And he continued walking.
Only then did I realize, that he was breathing heavily as he walked. His skin looked like he had aged a 100 years.
My hand reached out to touch his shoulder. It was much colder than usual.
He stopped abruptly.
He turned to face me.
I gasped.
Not only his skin had aged but his entire body entirely. His eyes were sunken, his breathing was heavy and hard and he was a pale sickly yellow.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," said Tyde. He gave me one of his little reassuring smirks again.
"You don't look fine.." I mumbled, horrified.
"I'm immortal, this is just a small breakdown... I'll be okay soon, I promise," He smiled weakly.
I wanted to argue but I kept my mouth shut. He should know when to stop.. right..?
As we continued to walk, I noted that he continued to get worse. His breathing was turning into heavy pants, his abnormally fit body was turning thin and bony and his entire form was trembling.
"You know, maybe we should stop..."
For once, he didn't argue, moving to rest under a red elm tree that was not too far from us. As soon as he reached the tree, he collapsed to the ground.
I moved to him, alarmed. "Tyde?" I said, gently moving him so he laid on his back.
His face was beaded with sweat and his black hair seemed to be turning grey,
"Fine.. I'm.... fine," He breathed.
"You look old," I joked weakly.
"I'm not old," He snapped quickly but that only seemed to make him gasp for breath.
"Can I do anything to help?"
"Just let me rest for a few days... Maybe you can go ahead and continue without me," Tyde said slowly.
"What about you?"
"I can teleport to you when I feel better."
"What about the monsters?"
"Oh yeah... Weren't you supposed to get training for that?" He muttered.
"Yeah, well I didn't" I snapped.
"Okay... nevermind then. Come lie down with me," He grinned.
"No."
"Kiera," He whined softly.
"No, go to sleep, Tyde."
He pouted at me though it didn't have much effect because he seemed to be turning sicker and older by the minute.
"You're ugly, that doesn't work on me anymore. And besides, my little boy here needs to be taken care of."
He grumbled a little more before he closed his eyes. A few minutes later, soft snoring erupted from him making me feel at ease, knowing that he was at least resting now.
I wandered deeper into the woods- making sure I could find my way back, and sat under an odd-looking twisted tree.
I exhaled.
Long day. I thought to myself. I looked at my unnamed son, his arm and cheek were unharmed, completely healed. Not a scratch or scar in sight.
"Odd.." I said to myself. I made a mental note to myself that I would further question Tyde on this matter.
My eyelids slowly close as I take a little nap. I drift off into darkness, not knowing what dreams or nightmares await me.
"Yes, sleep. Sleep is good but a predator may come and attack you. Then again you are tired and therefore need rest."
"Who said that?" I looked at my son. His eyes were fearless and fierce.
"Did you ju-"
"He is merely a child, he cannot speak but then again I am a tree."
I looked behind me in fear, shaking like a hyperactive ADHD kid. The twisted tree looked normal except now it had eyes the color of yellow autumn leaves.
"You're a talking tree," I gaped.
"Well, you're a smart one, aren't you?" the tree said.
Was that sarcasm? Did he just sass me?
"Wha- who are you?"
"I am the spirit of Chobrix."
"Do you eat bricks? For a tree, that's pretty weird.."
"I am not a tree, I simply inhabited this tree as my physical form. When this tree wilts, I move on to another body and so on."
"What do you want?" I asked.
"I ask nothing of you but now that you're here, you must answer my question."
"What question?"
"Perhaps it is more like a riddle but before I tell you what that question is, you will hear my bargain. If you answer correctly, you may go free but if you fail... you will be my next body."
I gulped, trying to make a run for it. I took five and a half steps before I tripped, my son landed safely even with my weight almost crushing him, thankfully. I glanced at my feet, a root wrapped around my ankle. He dragged me back to the spot I fell asleep on and the roots went further up until it was wrapped about an inch above my knee.
"If you try to run again, I will break your leg. If you continue to try and escape, I will dispose of you and that child in your arms," He threatened.
I nodded out of fear.
"Here is my question; the one who makes it doesn't want it, the one who wants it doesn't use it and the one who's using it doesn't know he is using it."
I had no clue what the answer was. If I failed to answer the question, my body would be possessed and my son would probably be dead (unless of course by some miraculous event, he gained the ability to talk and knew the answer to the question), I glanced at him, his silvery eyes looked at me questioningly as if he was urging me to answer.
"You have five minutes to answer, my dear," He said gleefully.
I tried to steady my breathing and calm my thoughts so I could think properly but unfortunately I was a nervous wreck.
"Four minutes."
At this point, I couldn't be bothered with my breathing and thoughts, my mind was giving out random words.
"Don't I get a hint?"
"Six letters," He mumbled, "Three minutes.
I tried thinking of six letter nouns. Kitten. Sweets. Cotton. Friend. Sister. Wheels. Window.
"Two minutes."
Puzzle. Animal. Abacus. Poland. Turkey. Fishes. Schools. Donkey.
"Sixty seconds," His taunting voice made it hard to think.
I was on the verge of panic, seeing as I couldn't cry out for Tyde. He was resting. Think, Kiera, think. Forest. Lovers. Voyeur. Banana. Houses. Bottle. Hearts. Hatred.
"Thirty... Twenty nine..." He was counting down.
I was panicking. Monkey. Poster. Rocker. Cradle.
"Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen..."
Garnet. Ballet. Buffet. Jingle. Pouffe.
"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."
"Coffin!" I screamed out.
"That's correct."
I breathed out in relief.
"But you're too late."
Oh for the love of an unholy cow.
"Goodbye, Kiera Shade. You'll serve as a good body," He said, roots started curling around my limbs, tightening around me and my son.
I screamed like any normal person would.
He started chanting. My skin was glowing and becoming translucent.
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping for the best when suddenly I heard a choked chant and suddenly all was silent. I opened one eye carefully.
Standing before me was my black haired hero with his chakram-looking weapons and a couple of roots and branches in his hands.
I relaxed, my shoulders slumping forward as I held my child closer to me.
"You know, you scream really loudly," Tyde said, disposing of the roots and branches in his hand.
"I know," I replied before we made our way back to the spot where I left Tyde to rest.
"I need a bit more rest, I trust you won't run off again?" He said, looking at me in the eye. Only then did I realize how much better he looked. The yellowness was gone but he was still pale. He looked about ten years older but still an improvement from when I last saw him.
I nodded, settling down beside him.
In a matter of minutes, I once again heard Tyde's soft snoring beside me.
I turned to my son, studying him carefully as he does to me most of the time.
He had Lazarus' black hair topped with my silver eyes. He looked so beautiful. So full of youth and innocence.
I felt tears welling in my eyes, knowing this would've been the result of our - Lazarus and I's- love. If I hadn't screwed it all up, this child of mine would have grown up as a human with two loving parents instead of one.
Right then, I knew I had to name him. If Lazarus wanted to rename him, it was fine but for now, I needed to call him something other than my child or my son or he or it. I sat there, thinking of a name before one name came to me that had a story behind it.
As I gazed into his silvery eyes like moonlight, I whispered, "Alexander."
And I swore, for the first time, he actually smiled at me as soon as he heard the name.