Post by Bailey Rosegale on Aug 21, 2011 2:24:04 GMT -5
“What?” I asked.
“The Prophecy says that only the newest Dreamer who breaks the curse of a trap and creates a porcupine’s quill can stop him.” Quil said. He smiled at me sadly. “You broke the curse of the trap when you freed Phoenix and Alice. You made me, the porcupine’s quill.”
“Quil, I....”
“You have to, Qiu.” Quil muttered tiredly. “If you don’t, then the light lion will kill everything and destroy Drimalia.” He was so tired, the way his pale face was sweating and how his chest was heaving breaths.
“You should rest,” I murmured as he began trembling.
“I’m fine.” He insisted.
“No, you’re not. Quil, please just lie down!”
“Fine. But only until lunch. Then I’m getting up.”
He lay back down stiffly. We were both used to climbing around the hills and lately we had both been lying pretty still, so we were all stiff.
Quil fell asleep in a matter of seconds, and I ventured out into the hallway, wondering how in the world I was supposed to turn an evil light lion good.
I saw Phoenix ahead of me, talking to some squat, short guy that looked eerily like a dwarf. His long beard was combed and had small braids in it, and his large nose was stuck into the air like he owned the world.
Phoenix caught my eye and waved me over, smiling softly. I walked over and listened to the conversation that Phoenix and the dwarf were having.
“I’m telling you, Phoenix: that light lion destroyed most of the market! Fifty people died! Not one person escaped uninjured!” The man was arguing.
Phoenix glanced at me and placed an arm around my shoulders, making me blush. “Qiu escaped uninjured.” He said.
The man studied me, looking me up and down. “She was probably on the outskirts.” He scoffed. “Besides, look at those long legs of hers! She could have run the Aligon Festivals and won!”
“Actually, Phoenix saved me.” I muttered, and the man’s squinty little eyes squinted at me even more.
“You get my point.” He grumbled at Phoenix. “We have to find someone who can stop this thing!”
“I can’t!” Phoenix shouted, suddenly very furious. He let me go and I watched as that black smoke began curling around him faintly. “I’ve already sent two whole armies after that thing and everyone’s been killed! Only two men survived long enough to make it back here! One of them died on the doorstep and the other died two days ago in the clinic! I have no one left!”
Phoenix was snarling like a dog, and the black smoke was beginning to coat him.
“Phoenix, calm down.” Alice said in her whispery voice. She was wearing a white dress and her blond hair was pulled into a long braid down her back. “We wouldn’t want anymore injuries, would we?”
Phoenix let out a growl and the black smoke disappeared. He lowered his head, fists clenched. “What do we do, Alice?” He asked quietly.
“Qiu can stop it.” I turned at the sound of Quil’s voice. He was walking down the hallways, staggering a bit from sleep. “The prophecy says so.”
“Quil, you should really get back in bed...” I started, but the dwarf interrupted me.
“Prophecy?” He howled with laughter. “Who listens to prophecies anymore?”
Quil’s face blushed red, and I rounded on the dwarf. He only came up to my waist, and I towered over him menacingly. “Don’t talk to him like that.” I snarled.
The dwarf chuckled at me. “I am the Duke of Hall. I have permission to talk to anyone however I please.”
“Not to him you don’t.” I snapped.
Alice frowned. “Let’s not fight.” She said softly. “We’ve had enough death and injuries for today.”
“Tell him to get away from us, then.” I growled at Duke of Hall. “Just because he’s the hallway patrol doesn’t mean he has authority over me.”
Phoenix put a gentle arm around me and said quickly, “Let’s go have lunch, shall we? The cooks made some great vegetable soup...”
“Not until he apologizes!” I said angrily, jerking my head to Mr. High and Mighty Hall Duke.
“I’m not apologizing for something that I didn’t do.” Duke of Hall said snottily. “Both of you deserved it.
I was going to punch that guy in the face. Phoenix was now holding both my arms as I leaned towards Duke of Hall, my hands clenched tightly into fists. Alice had moved over next to Quil, looking worried.
“Keep him away from me.” I growled at Duke of Hall.
“Only if you keep your ugly boyfriend’s face away from me.” He smirked.
That did it.
I kicked the Duke of Hall like a football and he hit the floor with a heavy thud, unconscious.
Phoenix let me go, his eyes wide with shock. “Qiu...” He said in disbelief.
“Oh my goodness.” Alice murmured, looking down at Duke of Hall. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so quiet before.”
Blazing with anger, I turned and darted from Orialis, ignoring the cries of Quil.
I had never ignored Quil before.
After a while, my legs became sore, and sweat soaked me. My breath hissed in my throat and my chest hurt as it heaved.
I glanced around and saw scraggly looking people walking around a small village made mainly of houses of mud. They were all looking at me cautiously, as though I was some monster come to eat them.
I walked slowly from the small village, breathing hard. I didn’t know where I was.
Once the village had disappeared, I took the leather bag out and picked out the only one I had never used before: the black one. It led into the Dream Zone, which only Dreamers could enter.
Not even Quil could go.
I dropped the black bubble.
When I looked around, I was back at my house, in the front yard. Again, my senses were limited and I couldn’t feel anything. My legs weren’t working well again, and neither was my voice.
Around me were people. They were all laughing and talking. I couldn’t see their faces, but my sixth sense told me they were my friends.
Suddenly, in the sky, a bright light came streaking towards us. Everyone around me started running and screaming. I started running, but I tripped. I couldn’t get back up.
Panic seized me, not knowing what would happen. I tried screaming for help, but my voice was hoarse, and barely a whisper.
The light touched the ground, and shining starry letters burned into the grass.
Not much time for you to stop the evil, Qiu. Name the Light Lion!
Everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, I was at my house in Realom. I stood up and whispered, “Hello?”
No one was home.
Outside, there was no breeze, the sky was black, and nothing moved. It was as if I was that last living thing on earth.
I walked through a long, dark hallway before I saw my front door. I saw a car parked on our front porch.
Inside was a bloody, dead Quil.
I screamed.
I opened my eyes, but it didn’t make a difference. They were beginning to fade, and I couldn’t make anything out. My voice was completely gone now, and I was too weak to even move anymore.
Breathing in shakily, I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.
I felt horrible when I got back in my state of mind. My whole body ached, and my mind was still reeling from memories of the nightmares from the Dream Zone.
Name the Light Lion.
The ache in my stomach reminded me I needed to get to Quil, and I took out the yellow bubble, hoping that Quil was still at Orialis.
I dropped the bubble at my feet, and the world trembled. I was back in the deep blue room, where Quil was tossing and turning in the bed. He was in a cold sweat and whimpering.
I stood, stumbling because of the darkness from the night. I went over to Quil and touched his shoulder, murmuring, “I’m sorry.”
Quil woke slowly, breathing in deeply. He saw me and all traces that he had been having a nightmare seemed to fade from his memory. His ice blue eyes lit up like the Twilight Stars, and he leapt onto his feet and hugged me close.
“You’re all right!” He whispered. “Where’d you go?”
“I dreamed.” I mumbled blankly.
“You went into the Dream Zone?” Quil asked, looking surprised.
I nodded bleakly. “I’m dying, Quil.” I told him, and he looked horrified. “In Realom, I’m dying. I’m nearly blind and I can’t talk anymore. I can barely move. If... If I die out there... Will I die in here?”
“I don’t know.” Quil said shakily. His arms tightened around me, and I sighed, feeling safe for once.
“Quil?” I asked quietly.
“Yes?”
“How many Dreamers are in Drimalia?”
“Ten or eleven. They’re not very common. You’re the youngest one, and the only girl.”
I paused, and then said, “We have to find all of them.”
“All of them?” Quil asked in surprise.
“Yes, all of them.” I insisted. “If we do, then we may find the first guy who stopped Glory.”
“Well yeah, but do you know how hard it is to find Dreamers?”
“I know the Prince of Drimalia, don’t I? Can’t he do something about it?”
“I guess...”
“Don’t guess. I’m right.”
Quil gave me a weak grin, but it soon dropped when I didn’t return it. “Are you all right?” He asked.
“I have to stop that light lion before I die, Quil.” I told him in a quiet voice. “I don’t want you to have to live in fear after I’m gone.”
“If you die I promise I’ll make myself die.” Quil insisted. “You’re my partner, Qiu. You can’t just leave me.”
“I don’t want to.” I laid my head on his chest. “I’m mute, blind, and too weak to even move. I’m going to die.”
“No.” Quil pressed his face into my hair, and I felt wet tears on my scalp. My fingers grasped his shirt and I shut my eyes tightly. “You aren’t going to die, Qiu. I won’t let you.”
“You’re brave.” I admitted softly. “Brave enough to keep living without me. Please, Quil, keep living. I can’t stand the thought of you dead.”
“I’ll drive myself mad if you die.” Quil pleaded. “Maybe you should go back to Realom and regain your strength, and then come back here.”
“I can’t go back.” I whispered. “I can’t. Nothing makes sense there, and everything hurts all the time.”
“If it’ll keep you alive, then you should go.” Quil insisted.
“Quil, you don’t understand.” I begged. “I’d rather be dead than go back to that! I’m just a body there, just nothing.”
“The Prophecy says that only the newest Dreamer who breaks the curse of a trap and creates a porcupine’s quill can stop him.” Quil said. He smiled at me sadly. “You broke the curse of the trap when you freed Phoenix and Alice. You made me, the porcupine’s quill.”
“Quil, I....”
“You have to, Qiu.” Quil muttered tiredly. “If you don’t, then the light lion will kill everything and destroy Drimalia.” He was so tired, the way his pale face was sweating and how his chest was heaving breaths.
“You should rest,” I murmured as he began trembling.
“I’m fine.” He insisted.
“No, you’re not. Quil, please just lie down!”
“Fine. But only until lunch. Then I’m getting up.”
He lay back down stiffly. We were both used to climbing around the hills and lately we had both been lying pretty still, so we were all stiff.
Quil fell asleep in a matter of seconds, and I ventured out into the hallway, wondering how in the world I was supposed to turn an evil light lion good.
I saw Phoenix ahead of me, talking to some squat, short guy that looked eerily like a dwarf. His long beard was combed and had small braids in it, and his large nose was stuck into the air like he owned the world.
Phoenix caught my eye and waved me over, smiling softly. I walked over and listened to the conversation that Phoenix and the dwarf were having.
“I’m telling you, Phoenix: that light lion destroyed most of the market! Fifty people died! Not one person escaped uninjured!” The man was arguing.
Phoenix glanced at me and placed an arm around my shoulders, making me blush. “Qiu escaped uninjured.” He said.
The man studied me, looking me up and down. “She was probably on the outskirts.” He scoffed. “Besides, look at those long legs of hers! She could have run the Aligon Festivals and won!”
“Actually, Phoenix saved me.” I muttered, and the man’s squinty little eyes squinted at me even more.
“You get my point.” He grumbled at Phoenix. “We have to find someone who can stop this thing!”
“I can’t!” Phoenix shouted, suddenly very furious. He let me go and I watched as that black smoke began curling around him faintly. “I’ve already sent two whole armies after that thing and everyone’s been killed! Only two men survived long enough to make it back here! One of them died on the doorstep and the other died two days ago in the clinic! I have no one left!”
Phoenix was snarling like a dog, and the black smoke was beginning to coat him.
“Phoenix, calm down.” Alice said in her whispery voice. She was wearing a white dress and her blond hair was pulled into a long braid down her back. “We wouldn’t want anymore injuries, would we?”
Phoenix let out a growl and the black smoke disappeared. He lowered his head, fists clenched. “What do we do, Alice?” He asked quietly.
“Qiu can stop it.” I turned at the sound of Quil’s voice. He was walking down the hallways, staggering a bit from sleep. “The prophecy says so.”
“Quil, you should really get back in bed...” I started, but the dwarf interrupted me.
“Prophecy?” He howled with laughter. “Who listens to prophecies anymore?”
Quil’s face blushed red, and I rounded on the dwarf. He only came up to my waist, and I towered over him menacingly. “Don’t talk to him like that.” I snarled.
The dwarf chuckled at me. “I am the Duke of Hall. I have permission to talk to anyone however I please.”
“Not to him you don’t.” I snapped.
Alice frowned. “Let’s not fight.” She said softly. “We’ve had enough death and injuries for today.”
“Tell him to get away from us, then.” I growled at Duke of Hall. “Just because he’s the hallway patrol doesn’t mean he has authority over me.”
Phoenix put a gentle arm around me and said quickly, “Let’s go have lunch, shall we? The cooks made some great vegetable soup...”
“Not until he apologizes!” I said angrily, jerking my head to Mr. High and Mighty Hall Duke.
“I’m not apologizing for something that I didn’t do.” Duke of Hall said snottily. “Both of you deserved it.
I was going to punch that guy in the face. Phoenix was now holding both my arms as I leaned towards Duke of Hall, my hands clenched tightly into fists. Alice had moved over next to Quil, looking worried.
“Keep him away from me.” I growled at Duke of Hall.
“Only if you keep your ugly boyfriend’s face away from me.” He smirked.
That did it.
I kicked the Duke of Hall like a football and he hit the floor with a heavy thud, unconscious.
Phoenix let me go, his eyes wide with shock. “Qiu...” He said in disbelief.
“Oh my goodness.” Alice murmured, looking down at Duke of Hall. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so quiet before.”
Blazing with anger, I turned and darted from Orialis, ignoring the cries of Quil.
I had never ignored Quil before.
After a while, my legs became sore, and sweat soaked me. My breath hissed in my throat and my chest hurt as it heaved.
I glanced around and saw scraggly looking people walking around a small village made mainly of houses of mud. They were all looking at me cautiously, as though I was some monster come to eat them.
I walked slowly from the small village, breathing hard. I didn’t know where I was.
Once the village had disappeared, I took the leather bag out and picked out the only one I had never used before: the black one. It led into the Dream Zone, which only Dreamers could enter.
Not even Quil could go.
I dropped the black bubble.
When I looked around, I was back at my house, in the front yard. Again, my senses were limited and I couldn’t feel anything. My legs weren’t working well again, and neither was my voice.
Around me were people. They were all laughing and talking. I couldn’t see their faces, but my sixth sense told me they were my friends.
Suddenly, in the sky, a bright light came streaking towards us. Everyone around me started running and screaming. I started running, but I tripped. I couldn’t get back up.
Panic seized me, not knowing what would happen. I tried screaming for help, but my voice was hoarse, and barely a whisper.
The light touched the ground, and shining starry letters burned into the grass.
Not much time for you to stop the evil, Qiu. Name the Light Lion!
Everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, I was at my house in Realom. I stood up and whispered, “Hello?”
No one was home.
Outside, there was no breeze, the sky was black, and nothing moved. It was as if I was that last living thing on earth.
I walked through a long, dark hallway before I saw my front door. I saw a car parked on our front porch.
Inside was a bloody, dead Quil.
I screamed.
I opened my eyes, but it didn’t make a difference. They were beginning to fade, and I couldn’t make anything out. My voice was completely gone now, and I was too weak to even move anymore.
Breathing in shakily, I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.
I felt horrible when I got back in my state of mind. My whole body ached, and my mind was still reeling from memories of the nightmares from the Dream Zone.
Name the Light Lion.
The ache in my stomach reminded me I needed to get to Quil, and I took out the yellow bubble, hoping that Quil was still at Orialis.
I dropped the bubble at my feet, and the world trembled. I was back in the deep blue room, where Quil was tossing and turning in the bed. He was in a cold sweat and whimpering.
I stood, stumbling because of the darkness from the night. I went over to Quil and touched his shoulder, murmuring, “I’m sorry.”
Quil woke slowly, breathing in deeply. He saw me and all traces that he had been having a nightmare seemed to fade from his memory. His ice blue eyes lit up like the Twilight Stars, and he leapt onto his feet and hugged me close.
“You’re all right!” He whispered. “Where’d you go?”
“I dreamed.” I mumbled blankly.
“You went into the Dream Zone?” Quil asked, looking surprised.
I nodded bleakly. “I’m dying, Quil.” I told him, and he looked horrified. “In Realom, I’m dying. I’m nearly blind and I can’t talk anymore. I can barely move. If... If I die out there... Will I die in here?”
“I don’t know.” Quil said shakily. His arms tightened around me, and I sighed, feeling safe for once.
“Quil?” I asked quietly.
“Yes?”
“How many Dreamers are in Drimalia?”
“Ten or eleven. They’re not very common. You’re the youngest one, and the only girl.”
I paused, and then said, “We have to find all of them.”
“All of them?” Quil asked in surprise.
“Yes, all of them.” I insisted. “If we do, then we may find the first guy who stopped Glory.”
“Well yeah, but do you know how hard it is to find Dreamers?”
“I know the Prince of Drimalia, don’t I? Can’t he do something about it?”
“I guess...”
“Don’t guess. I’m right.”
Quil gave me a weak grin, but it soon dropped when I didn’t return it. “Are you all right?” He asked.
“I have to stop that light lion before I die, Quil.” I told him in a quiet voice. “I don’t want you to have to live in fear after I’m gone.”
“If you die I promise I’ll make myself die.” Quil insisted. “You’re my partner, Qiu. You can’t just leave me.”
“I don’t want to.” I laid my head on his chest. “I’m mute, blind, and too weak to even move. I’m going to die.”
“No.” Quil pressed his face into my hair, and I felt wet tears on my scalp. My fingers grasped his shirt and I shut my eyes tightly. “You aren’t going to die, Qiu. I won’t let you.”
“You’re brave.” I admitted softly. “Brave enough to keep living without me. Please, Quil, keep living. I can’t stand the thought of you dead.”
“I’ll drive myself mad if you die.” Quil pleaded. “Maybe you should go back to Realom and regain your strength, and then come back here.”
“I can’t go back.” I whispered. “I can’t. Nothing makes sense there, and everything hurts all the time.”
“If it’ll keep you alive, then you should go.” Quil insisted.
“Quil, you don’t understand.” I begged. “I’d rather be dead than go back to that! I’m just a body there, just nothing.”
This is where I stopped. Hopefully the new one will be longer!