Hello,
I was rereading some posted pieces on Shadows of the Forgotten and decided to share this. To bring those unfamiliar with the story, up to speed, this takes place after Luckas and Ess leave the city of Blackpond, just after disposing of Ess’ traitorous brother, Ian. He deserved his suffering, trust me. Maybe another time I’ll post that entire scene but in the meantime if you are curious, you can read the story at the above link. Anyways, Ess’ mother died in childbirth and she never saw her (can’t remember her because she was an infant) and Luckas took a memory from Ian and gave it to Ess. It’s a sweet and beautiful moment. Enjoy.
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Ess’ head snapped up at attention, her brows came together in a puzzled expression, as she moved away from her horse and stood before Luckas. Gradually her eyes casually scanned her friend, snickering when her hand reached for Luckas, fingers once again slinking through his hair where she paused to ruffle up a few locs. She let her eyes lock with his, the rest of the world melting away.
In the beginning, as usual, there was only darkness. As if her eyes had been closed, suddenly opening, rays of fading light; reds, oranges, pinks, and yellows streamed along the horizon. Leafless trees bending from a howling wind against the setting sun, gave the surrounding buildings a lingering glow as street torches were lit for the oncoming evening.
“Ian…it’s your turn to clear the table son…” A man’s voice called from inside. “And shut that window, you’re letting the heat out.”
Ian sighed, giving the window a forceful shove, locking it tight. Moving towards the kitchen table, he began piling the dirty plates together, pausing to stare over towards the mantle. There, Ess’’ father was massaging his wife’s shoulders from where she sat before him, rocking slightly in her chair. Symphony was humming quietly, resting her hands upon her enlarged belly, cheeks glowing a rosy hue against her snow white skin. Dirk was running his fingers through her long, burgundy strands, humming softly in unison. Symphony’s eyes slowly closed as her lips parted in song:
Sweet…Sweet child…see me…..
Tiny..white dove..
Destined to be free….
Winds carry you above…
Speckled in crimson blood…
Sweet….sweet love…hear my song…
Burn with desire…
Never settle for the wrong…
Toss regrets into the fire…
Their ashes blinding those who conspire…
There was a pause, Symphony opening her lavender gaze to look into Dirks deep blues and for a moment it was like all else was forgotten. Dirk leaned forward, kissing Symphony’s forehead as he slid his hand over hers and they gasped, muttering simultaneously. “…You can feel the heart beat…” They both laughed, as Symphony continued to sing, her husband’s tenor grace reverberating off the walls when he joined in.
Sweet…sweet baby…
Open your eyes….
Beauty of the soul, little lady…
Real love… that never dies…
Drink deeply the life, draining the skies..
“Ma…how do you know it’s a girl?” Ian muttered out, Dirk chuckling at his son’s apparent perplexed expression.
Symphony turned to look upon Ian, a kind smile overtaking her expression. It was like Ess was there, looking straight into her mother’s own eyes…her eyes. The voice that answered, was unexpected, compared to the soprano-alto that sang seconds ago; now higher pitched with an accent, her vowels dragged out in a subtle lisp. “…Because son….she told me..”
Essence beamed brightly, tears shimmering like stars, aching to fall, yet she held them back, gasping a bit, her vision going dark. As reality slowly trickled back into focus, Luckas’ black eyes already faded from their mimicked violet, Ess found herself stretching out for the image of her mother as it disappeared. She didn’t even notice how her hand hovered just beside Luckas’ cheek, her ears ringing with her mother’s words. “I can feel it……she will be the light in darkness…she will love…she will hate….she will suffer….but still her fire will burn..”
As Luckas’ eyes faded back to his usual black there was something slightly different in his gaze, so much in fact he could feel it in the form of a slight shiver working its way up his spine. He wasn’t sure what that shiver was, or what feeling was behind it really, it wasn’t unpleasant just… Odd. Slowly, he took a step back, his cheek brushing against Ess’ hand as he turned his face away from her, his eyes lowering to the ground as he whispered. “Like I said… Moments.”
A Foggy Realm of Reality 