Brian stares as the arrow sails through the air at him. It almost seemed to be moving in slow motion, but he wasn’t able to move out of its path. It was a perfect shot too sailing through the air towards his head. Then out of nowhere an arrow from the right soars into the oncoming arrow and knocks it off course. It sails into the wall instead striking it with a loud clang then falling to the ground. Brian looks over to his right to see Quest standing up facing the opening with a bow and arrow in her hands. She lets another go quickly and it goes sailing towards the opening. Almost immediately she reloads and keeps it pointed at the opening.
“Everyone up,” Kevin yells standing up and pulling out his sword.
The others follow his example and stand up with their swords drawn, except for Brian who was still sitting on the ground staring at the opening.
“Must you people shoot me every damned time,” a voice says from the opening, a female voice, as a person walks into the cave and into the light.
She was taller then Quest and taller then Brian himself. Looking no older then twenty at the most she stood at about 5 foot 7 with pale skin and long blond hair falling over her shoulders. She had large blue eyes and could have been and elf it wasn’t for the human looking ears. She was dressed in a green cloak with her hood pulled up on her head. She was dressed in similar fashion to quest with a white shirt with brown pants that looked to be made of suede with brown boots on that reached up to about her mid calf. In her hands she held a large bow unloaded and slung over her shoulder she had a quiver filled with arrows. The thing that kept them all from running at her swords drawn and even kept Quest from firing her arrow was the fact that there was a large elfin arrow protruding from her chest right over where her heart would be.
“You have quiet a good shot,” she says looking at Quest, “I take it you’re an elf? They are the only ones with the skill to handle a bow like that,” she says and she pulls the arrow out of her chest, “Well now what a motley looking crew we have here. You can all put your weapons down I won’t hurt you,” she smiles.
“You shot an arrow at his head,” Quest yells at her.
“Did I? Oh wait yes yes I did. I’m very sorry sir,” she says to Brian, “I didn’t mean to give you a scare, but it wouldn’t have hurt you. Actually it would have disappeared before it hit you.”
“Then why did you fire it?” Quest asks.
“Well now if you let it finish its course you would have seen,” she says.
Kevin puts an arm in front of Quest to calm her down and stares at the blond girl, “What’s your name?”
“I have no name,” she says curtly.
“You have to have a name,” Justin says.
“Do I? Are you sure?” she smiles at them.
“Would you stop with the mind games,” Lance says.
“I don’t have a real name,” she says.
“And why is that?” Nick asks, “Every person has a name.”
“Ahhhh you’re getting closer,” she says.
“She’s insane that’s it,” Nick says.
“No,” AJ speaks up from the back of the cave as the girl stares, “She’s very much sane.”
“Alexander,” she says as AJ looks at her, “We meet again fair Roman.”
“I’ve only seen her once before in my life. When I was changed. This girl…is Death.”
The others look at hr as she smiles brightly at them.
“Well now any questions?” she smiles.
“Death?” Brian says looking at Kevin as they sit in front of the fire.
Kevin nods, “AJ would know.”
“Ever close your eyes. Ever stop and listen. Ever feel alive and you’ve nothing missing. You don’t need a reason let the day go on and on,” the blond girl sings cheerfully dancing around the cave.
Kevin motions to AJ to come and sit down next to them and AJ walks over across the cave and sits in back of them, “Where did you see her before?”
“I told you all that. When I was changed from a human to a vampire,” AJ says, “Listen every time a human is changed that person’s heart stops. In a sense they die and are then reborn as a vampire. The Dark Gift as we used to call it because you were reborn into a new life. I saw her when my heart stopped. When the last beat came from it I saw her standing across the room from me staring at me. She was dressed in all black though and had this somber expression, but when I saw her I felt no pain and I wasn’t scared anymore. She was peace in a sense.”
“But she’s so…so,” Brian says staring at her.
“Happy. Pretty. Quick witted. Acts like she’s on speed,” AJ offers.
“Well yes,” Brian says.
AJ shrugs, “There was never a rule saying death had to look and act a certain way.”
“But what is she doing here?” Brian asks.
“I don’t know,” AJ, sighs, “I have no idea whatsoever.”
“You’re on our mountain,” Death turns and says to them, “I’m in charge of disposing of unwanted visitors on it, but since it is the ring bearer I have to be nice they told me.”
“Who is they?” Kevin asks.
She shrugs, “People”
“So why are you here?” AJ asks.
“I have to get you off this mountain before Memnoch destroys it.”
“But you said this is your mountain,” Nick says.
She nods, “We can find another though. It’s just a place where we can all leave from.”
“Leave?” Brian asks.
“You’ll see,” she smiles, “You all have to come with me though. It’s far too dangerous staying here.”
“Where are we going?” Josh asks.
“You’ll see,” she says and closes her eyes, “Ergo. Oceanus. Maritimus. Ergo. Opacare. Matutinus. Ergo. Septentrio. Meridies. Ergo. Occicens et orientis. Ergo,” she says and opens her eyes as only the whites of her eyes show, “Oceanus. Maritimus. Opacare. Matutinus. Septentrio. Meridies. Occicens et orientis*,” she says lifting her arms as a fierce wind blows through the cave blowing out the fire, “Tempus vernum,” she yells in the darkness, “Tempus vernum!” she yells as the darkness slowly begins to fade away giving way to sunlight.
Brian stares at his surroundings as the sunlight reveals a valley covered in rolling hills covered in grass and wild flowers. There were trees behind him covered with blooming flowers and rich green leaves. Where they appeared though was in the middle of a large stone veranda. Wines were twisting their way up its poles and behind it to the left was a large house made of white stone standing two stories tall. The sun shone down upon them from a clear blue sky with a few clouds scattered throughout it. There was a small stream running through the hills in the distance and for some reason Brian knew that it ran to a large clear lake somewhere in the distance.
“Where are we?” Nick asks.
“This is my realm,” Death says to them from behind and they turn to looks at her. No longer was she dressed in elfin fashion, but instead wore a long flowing green dress. Her hair was pulled behind her head in a tight bun and she wore a jeweled necklace across her forehead with a small star in the center of it falling on her forehead. On her right arm she had a mark. The rings of Libera.
Brian stares at her from the chair he is sitting in under the veranda. On both his sides were the others seated in a chair as they formed a semi circle with Death sitting gracefully in a seat placed on the other side staring at them all.
“Why did you take us here?” Kevin asks.
“To save you of course,” she says, “As we speak Memnoch is destroying that mountain. You’ve have angered very much by refusing to join him,” she says to Brian.
“Why does death take a side in this war?” Kevin asks her.
“I have always been on a side,” she says, “You are either with Memnoch or against him. The devil is a powerful man and you need all the help you can get to defeat him.”
Brian stares at the marking on her arm as she stares at him and smiles.
“You have a similar marking of the rings?”
“Yes,” he says.
“Wait here,” she says and disappears from her chair quickly and then reappears almost immediately with an older gentleman standing beside her dressed in white robes, “This is Time,” she says gesturing to him, “He is the oldest of our kind and will be able to answer all of your questions hopefully Brian.”
He smiles at Brian as a chair appears behind him and he sits down.
“Go ahead ask him,” Death says to Brian.
“Why do I have the same marking on my arm as you all do?” Brian asks.
“Long ago,” he starts off, “There was one of us who was taken away by Memnoch. She was a favorite of God’s. After Memnoch had been in hell for many years he had begin to build up a strong hatred for God and wanted more then anything to punish him for sending him to watch over hell and live in the sorrows of men and demons forever. One night as she was watching over the humans Memnoch took her away and back to his realm. Once there he tortured her and refused to let her go back. You see this girl was a key. Above all of us she could be used to influence people the most man, elf, dwarf, fairy, werewolf, shape shifter, vampire, Lore or Rider. She could take the most valuable thing away from them all that could destroy whole civilizations. More then any God loved the elves and Memnoch set his sites first to destroy them. She did the only thing she could think of at that point and that was to destroy herself. You see when one of us die we disappear completely. Death does now come to us, but rather we return to nothingness. That nothingness though returned to the human realm, the Earth as you call, in the form of a child. One small child, it hid in so it could return again. She became you Brian. You are a new Libera, one of us. The one that was stolen long ago was Hope because without Hope nothing can be accomplished and Memnoch realized that. You are our Hope Brian.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Brian asks.
“That I do not know,” he sighs.
“Then I’m supposed to stay here right?”
“No,” Death says softly, “You are destined for something else before you come here. You have the potential to be one of us, but you aren’t one yet.”
“Then what do I do?” Brian says.
“I’m sorry,” Time says, “but that is not our duty to tell you. When the time comes you will find out.”
Brian sighs and sits back into his chair covering his face with his hands, “I’m just a person,” he says, “I never asked for this,” he cries, “I never asked to be a key and I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do,” he cries standing up and walking off away from them all.
Kevin stands up to follow, but Death puts up a hand to stop him.
“Let him be alone,” she says, “He needs to think.”
Kevin sighs and sits back down.
“What happens if we fail?” Nick asks.
“The civilizations will fall one by one to Memnoch,” Death says, “It has already started. The elves are already falling along with the others like your kind. The dwarf villages in the north feel five months ago. The shape shifters have been surrounded. The fairies are well hidden for now, but it will not last. The werewolves will be next and then they will try and conquer the rest of the elves. The humans…stand no chance. And after they all fall we, as Liberas, will disappear. Without people we are nothing.”
Time nods in agreement with her.
“Time,” a voice from behind them says as a young man walks up. He was tan with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. He stood at 6 foot 2 dressed in blue robes, which made his eyes stand out even more, “Faith would like to talk to you. He says it is important.”
“Very well,” Time sighs and disappears before their eyes.
“This,” Death says motion to the young man in front of them, “Is my brother Life. I think he’s adopted.”
“Very funny,” he says to her, “You always were childish.”
“Hey who made the good decision that changed the world.”
“Here we go again,” Life sighs looking at them all, “She makes one good decision and sends back Jesus and I get it thrown in my face for centuries.”
“Is this heaven?” Justin asks her.
“Heaven? I guess you could called it that,” she says, “Heaven is whatever you make it out to be. This is my heaven. Your heaven is different from his heaven,” she says pointing to Nick.
“Where are the others?” AJ asks.
“I know what you’re getting at Alexander,” she says, “and yes they are here and they are together. They’re doing fine.”
AJ nods and looks at the floor, “Can I…”
“No,” she says, “I’m sorry. You’re father is here too my lady,” she says to Quest, “He has been a favorite person for my brother here to talk to. This is Vacant’s daughter,” she says to her brother.
“You’re father is a marvelous man,” he says to her, “I have heard a great deal about you and the elves.”
“Wait I though elves were immortal,” Josh says.
“All immortals die at some point,” Death says, “In war blades and arrows and binded with magic and even the most powerful elf will die from it.”
Death looks toward the left over at the horizon and then turns back to them, “I must go for a few minutes, but make yourselves a home. There is food in the house and you can explore if you wish too,” she says and disappears into thin air along with her brother.
“Now what?” Nick asks.
“Now we eat,” Justin says standing up and walking towards the house.
Brian stares down at the water in the lake from the rock he is sitting on. He knew there was a lake here somewhere and he found it. It was a clear lake and he could see straight down to the bottom and the water itself was completely stagnant.
He didn’t know what he was supposed to do now. He had just been fed a story that changed the way he looked at life and they expected him to just go on with things like everything was normal. He was a Libera and he didn’t even know what they were, but he knew he was one. He embodied Hope and so much depended on him now. What was he supposed to do now?
“Are you ok?” a voice says from behind him and Death walks up standing next to the rock he is sitting on.
“Fine,” Brian says.
“No you’re not.”
“I’m just so confused now.”
“It’s understandable.”
“You tell me I’m a Libera and I’m Hope, but I don’t even understand what they are.”
“Hmmm,” she says, “Liberas are things that influence everything in all the realms. My brother is Life. He gives life to all the unborn children in the realms. He decides who will have children and who won’t. I’m Death. I take it away and decided when and whose time it is to die. Time controls well Time. There is Inspiration, Happiness, Strength, Righteousness, Faith, among many others and then there are the others.”
“Others?”
“Memnoch’s followers Sorrow, Delusion, Insanity, Grief, Pain, and above all else Evil.”
“And I’m Hope.”
“And you are one of the most important above everyone else. Hope gives people a reason to fight against the oppressors. It gives them a reason to wake up in the morning. It gives them the thing they need most in life.”
“Like Pandora’s Box?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a Greek myth where Hope was the last thing let out into the world.”
She nods, “I would like to hear the story sometime.”
Brian nods, “But the others what if they get hurt.”
“If the others get hurt or even die as horrible as that sounds. I will be there. I won’t let them feel pain. I promise you that.”
“And if I fail?”
“You won’t fail.”
AJ walks down a trail cutting through the woods trying to take his mind of things. He was in the realm of the dead, wonderful. He walks down the trail and comes to the end of it stepping into a clearing. The grass grew high and tan here and if he didn’t know any better he would of said it was…
“Wheat,” he says running a hand through the grass.
“Papa,” he hears a soft voice come from the right and he turns his head sharply to look over his shoulder…nothing, “Papa,” the voice says again.
“Anthony,” AJ says, “Anthony!” he yells running out into the field, “Anthony!” he yells as he finally reaches a clearing in the field.
“Ai Papa,” a little boy says turning around to look at him, “Where have you been? Momma has been waiting for you. She says supper is getting cold.”
“Supper…yes supper,” he says walking over and picking him up, “I forgot the time,” he says as tears fall down his face.
“Papa what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” AJ says wiping the tears from his eyes and looking down at his hand, blood tears, “Now where’s your mother,” he says and the small boy points to the left where a small stone house stands and AJ begins walking over towards it carrying him, “Isabella,” he says as he gets closer to it, “Isabella!”
“Calm down Alex,” a voice says from inside the house and a young woman with bright brown eyes and long black hair walks out, “Must you always be so loud?”
“Isabella,” AJ says putting his son down and walking up to her and hugging her, “Isabella, I missed you so much. So much,” he says as the tears start to fall again.
She kisses him softly on the forehead and smiles at him.
“Enjoy it fair Roman,” Death says as she sits perched on a tree branch watching them from across the field, “It will not last long, but you needed it.”
“You broke the rules,” Life says appearing next to her.
“Remember the last time I broke the rules?”
“Will you stop throwing that in my face?”
“No,” she smiles, “but let him enjoy this if only for a short time. Grief has been following him around his whole life and you know Grief he prays on the weak hearted like him.”
Life nods in agreement, “Very well and the elf.”
“Seeing her father as we speak.”
“They are a strong bunch.”
“Yes,” she nods, “but also so weak.”
“Do you think they’ll make it?”
“They have to,” she sighs, “They have to,” she repeats again softly.
*”Tempus Vernum” by Enya
