It was disorienting to look around, but at least the blurriness was in color.
As my vision cleared, there was no doubt I was no longer surrounded by guards waiting to pounce. A harden wooden floor with a red, embroidered carpet was underneath my feet. A small room with pale yellow walls surrounded me. This place reminds me a bit of home. A soft cry reached my ears, shoving my ramp id thoughts into the background. I whirled around to find a baby's cradle. The wood had to have been chiseled quite early before the birth. There was so much detail. Daisies, my favorite flower, were engraved on the edges. Taking a step forward, I reached for the daisies, feeling the smooth contours of each petal, the bumps joined together to create their centers.
The cries grew even softer and it was when silence took over did I realize the crying didn’t come from the first floor of this home, but from inside the cradle. A small little head poked out of the forest green blanket wrapped around the child's small little body. The baby's eyes were closed shut as the baby wiggled itself around, looking as if the child wanted to escape. Escape. I just escaped myself, but where is this escape?
I took another look around, trying to find something to clue me into where I had landed. A morning light shone above the baby's cradle. Trying to keep the already restless child from crying, I inched my way to the window, hoping the wooden floor wouldn't continue to creak. What? This can't be-
I was home. Well, not home, but my mother’s home village, the village I would visit every year for a month, until I became eight. This is house had a perfect view of the long line separating the plains from the shroud of trees. Every time I'd come back, I'd weave my way between the trees with its rough dirt and lush green grass covering the plains. It didn't make sense. How could I be here? This village is in the opposite direction of the temple if one leaves from Lasas.
A piercing cry from the baby reverberated through me. Quite a strong set of lungs coming from such a small little thing. As I raced forward to do, well, something to keep the baby at bay, I could hear footsteps racing up the stairs. Now what do I do?
Reaching the cradle, I looked down at the child to see it moving around much more violently. The blanket was beginning to untangle itself from its helpless victim. I shoved the swords into the loops of my trousers in order to be ready to reach into the cradle to pick up the child, ready to try to calm it down the way my mother would when she took care of the neighboring children. A skill I never learned. The elements were always my focus. Children were the farthest thing from my mind. Of course, the priestess has already declared that children will be huge part of my future. If only I paid attention to how to hold a baby and rock it gently.
The footsteps had stopped. Apart from the lungs of life still ringing, there was silence. Hesitantly, I kept my head angled to the child, letting my eyes peer up to see what fate lay ahead of me. At the door was a young man with refined features wearing the clothes of a Fighter. His brown eyes widened as he took me in, his mouth slightly apart from surprise. I stood as still as he, and just as speechless. What could I possibly say?
"Kyra?" His low toned voice found its way through the screaming child. The confusion in his word mirrored the confusion in mine.
"How do you know me?"
The man shook his head, relaxing his tense posture in the process. His brown, unkempt hair swayed from side to side like the ripples of the water from the lake. "This can't be possible." The veins pushed outward from his flexed arm as he held his head in his hand. "Then again, this wouldn't be the first time."
"What are you talking about?" My body was still rigid, and my hands still gripped the cradle while my fingers brushed against the smooth daisies lightly, hoping to find some comfort from the etched designs.
He looked up at me and smiled. Could I spy a hint of amusement? "Kyra, it's me, Jaden. I'm twenty - two." As he took a step forward, I took a step back.
With each step, his words seemed to sink in. I could feel the wall mingling with the back of my clothing as I scrutinized this person in front of me.
How could this person be Jaden? And twenty - two? He couldn't be twenty- two! He's eighteen. Eighteen! There's no way. But the more I fought myself, the more I realized how much he looked and acted like Jaden. The up - beat, slightly stuck- up air about him was there alright. I knew that smile was familiar. Jaden would always make me question the motives behind everything, including his smiles. This guy was much more toned with muscle and his face was much more angled and even seemed a bit worn out compared to the Jaden I know, but even so, his eyes held the truth. Through our lessons about the powers of Mother Nature, the eyes always speak of our Nature. It's the way each of our eyes sparkle in different ways that make us all unique. And this man's eyes, Jaden eyes, were something I could would never be able to forget. This was Jaden and no matter the situation, I couldn't be any surer of that.
He had already picked up the baby and subdued it's cries. While gazing at the baby, he rocked the child back and forth the same way mother did.
"Jaden?" He looked up and smiled, nodding his head. "How is this-"
"Possible? The hell I know. But here we are. And by the way, you look like you’ve just been through hell."
"Hey! Watch it! You have a baby in your arms." Definitely Jaden. He hadn't changed a bit in his manners.
Stairs creaked with each footstep from a mysterious person coming nearer. "Jaden! What's going on?!" The woman's voice flew out in a rush, her panting clear through every syllable she spoke.
My first sight of her was the hem sticking out of her thin yellow dress. Her petite figure following her long legs appeared at the entrance of the small doorway. It took her seconds to scan around to find Jaden. "Is she OK?"
"She's fine, Emi. Just a little restless." I was glad the baby was silent now, giving me time to assess my situation. I still didn't understand why I was here. Not mention how there was a twenty- two year old Jaden in front of me.
After taking the baby in her arms, finally she noticed my existence. Her blue eyes scanned me over, her hands bringing the child closer to her chest. "And who are you?" I didn't know a human voice could hit such a high pitch.
"Um, I'm Kyra. I, well, I-" But what else could I say? I began to grit my teeth together and clench my hands into fists.
"Calm down Emi. She's not going to hurt our baby."
What? There's no way. "Our baby? That little girl is yours?" My mouth dropped with a grateful joy. The pressure no longer upon my teeth felt world’s better.
The little girl wriggled in her mother's arms and then opened her eyes, revealing a warm, luscious shade of blue.
"May I?" With her eyes open, letting me see the Nature inside of her, I felt compelled to move away from my safe-heaven against the wall and be nearer to her. Her open aura must come from her parents. If not from Emi, then for sure from Jaden.
Emi eyes me once more, still keeping the girl close to her, but after one glance from Jaden's calm, stoic demeanor, she nodded her approval.
Still anxious, I inched towards that small innocent hand. Just as I was about to touch her, the little baby locked eyes with mine, a curious glaze waving over her. I could feel a glimpse of the motherly warmth meant for children as I placed my finger into her small hand. She giggled and began to wriggle within her mother's arms. I looked up to her mother and shared a smile. No wonder mother always had fun with taking care of those children.
As soon as I was about to pull my hand away, I could feel the pressure of the little girl's strength against my finger. Then there was light. Blinding light.
I pulled away to cover my eyes. Instinct had me check to see if anything had happened to the cute little girl and then once more, instinct had me run backwards with so much speed that my back slammed against the wall.
Her eyes were glowing.
"No,” I muttered as I shook my head, but still kept my eyes locked onto those glowing blue eyes. “What does it mean?"
"No! Stay away from my baby!" Tears were streaming down her face, a type of hysteria growing. I couldn't blame her. Glowing eyes weren’t natural. Even more than that, there’s only one thing I’ve heard of that deals with glowing eyes… and that would mean her child was the one said to bring destruction. But then, why would the prophecy say the child is mine?
Then a realization hit me. Where was I in this time? Was I alive or dead? Did I end up being captured by the Fighters and forced to live a solitary life?
A whirl of questions went through me as I witnessed Emi cling to the girl whose eyes had yet to stop glowing. Jaden hovered over her, whispering words to her, words I doubt were registering. I know I wouldn't be listening to his words because I couldn't even register the scene unfolding in front of me.
Emi snapped her head up and glared at me, making me think all mothers are given the look before a severe storm. “What did you do to my baby?!”
“I- I don’t know!” I reached for my right sword, prepared to protect myself.
“Emi, please calm down.” Jaden placed a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it away.
“How can you ask me to calm down? Look at what’s happening to our baby!” Emi brought the baby to her chest, and then the baby began to wail.
I had to get out of here, back to the temple. But how?
My right hand, which was laying against the hilt of my sword, began to feel the sword’s vibration. I pulled it out and watched it vibrate even faster. Maybe I could get them to glow again? As if hearing my plea, the swords began to glow. I reached for my other sword and watched it respond the same way. Without another thought, I mimicked the movement I did in the temple and to my relief, a blue light trailed my slash. Then the shining bright light that brought me here appeared again. I couldn’t have been any happier to have the disorientation come over me once more.
~<***********>~
"So, you've finally returned."
My vision began to clear, letting me realize that Leira was right before me, sitting on one of the red chairs from the training room. Her eyes glanced me over.
Why she sat in the middle of the hall didn't matter though. She ditched me. Even more than that, with her visions, she should have known the ambush was coming, which meant she wanted it to happen. But, wait a minute.
"Where are Jaden and Ariel?" A trail of fire trickle from my hands to my swords' tip. I aimed my right sword at her throat. "Tell me now."
My eyes scanned the hall for Mintos and the others, but nothing. It was just her, me, and the destruction that was left from the stand we took to keep from being captured. At least, some of the destruction. The rubble from the chipped pillars was nowhere to be seen. How long had I been gone?
"They are both back in Lasas, as is everyone who was out looking for you. No one is going to come for you. Not even Ariel or Jaden."
"And why's that?"
"Because they all think you are dead."
"What?! Why?"
"Kyra, it has been two weeks since you disappeared. I’ll admit, convincing Ariel and Jaden to go home was rather difficult.”
No other footsteps rang in my hears as I took the few steps in order for the licking flames of my sword to mingle with the skin of Leira’s neck. “What do you know.”
“Take a seat in the chair behind you and I will explain everything you wish to know. The swords you hold are not the pair you’d use to spar with my men. Those are the ones blessed by the same person who blessed you at the lake.” Her eyes, filled with all the answers I deserved, never wavered from mine.
“And who would that be?” My arm lowered an inch. She shouldn’t have told her guards to stay away because I’m in control now.
One of her wry smiles stretched across her face. “From Father Time.”