Disclaimer: Diadem: Worlds of Magic does NOT belong to me. It belongs to Peel and his publishers, currently Llewellyn Worldwide. I highly respect his work and am making no profit from this, nor do I intend for this piece of fan fiction to interfere with his profits.
Author's Note: Takes place sometime after Book of Nightmares and before Book of War
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Diadem: Book of Thoughts
CHAPTER 15: “Golden Forest”
by Luna
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The sound of flesh contacting flesh reverberated from Morphos’ strike. Shanara’s cheek turned red from his slap.
‘‘You failed me! How could you? You’re always spoiling my fun!’’ raged Morphos.
Shanara showed no outward reaction to her son’s outburst. ‘‘I am sorry, my son.’’
‘‘You should be,’’ pouted Morphos. He hadn’t entirely expected the Griffins to have killed the trio, but he had hoped for a great battle to watch in his mother’s scrying pool. He was puzzled. He had read their minds thoroughly. There was nothing about them he didn’t know, but he still couldn’t understand how the evil potential of the Triad existed in those pacifist brats.
“Next time, they’ll put on a good show!” He laughed demoniacally.
***
Pixel woke up, surprised that Helaine hadn’t called him for watch duty yet. It was only a few hours before dawn.
“We all need to be in top shape, and that includes you,” he scolded when she tried to refuse rest. Reluctantly, she agreed. It wasn’t long until Helaine started violently tossing and turning, crying out in her sleep as she did so. Alarmed, but not overly surprised, Pixel shook Helaine awake.
“Not again…” she murmured; her face in her shaking hands.
“Helaine, you have to tell us what these nightmares are about,” Pixel demanded.
Before Helaine could utter a response, Oracle appeared before them.
He turned to look at Helaine. “I wanted to see how are psychic was doing. Reading predictions from dreams is always fun!”
With all the ruckus, even Score stirred out of bed. “Oh just great,” he muttered once he saw Oracle. “What horrifying news do you bring us this time?”
Oracle looked hurt. “Don’t mind Score, he’s always cranky when he wakes up,” smoothed Pixel.
“Am not, you blue elf-boy,” retorted Score, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Oracle ignored the groggy Score and turned to look at Helaine. “Surely you understand the true extent of your abilities?”
“What are you talking about?” demanded Helaine.
“You’re predicting the future.” Oracle explained, “It is the sixth sense Eremin had. Your nightmares have been visions, not the signs of insanity.”
For a moment Helaine was stunned silent. She felt horrified. Although she had expected as much when Pixel told her about Eremin, being told for certain was another matter.
Helaine’s hands clenched. “All those nightmares, the visions, the headaches, the sleepwalking… why now?”
Oracle paused to think for a moment. “Oh, part of the joys of adolescence, I suppose.”
Helaine gave him a dark look. “Joys?”
“I think the most important thing right now is to hear Helaine’s nightmare prediction,” replied Pixel quietly, trying to drive the conversation to what was most important.
Helaine took a deep breath and tried to explain what she saw. There were parts she couldn’t bring herself to speak aloud, her voice welling up in her throat, nearly chocking her. How could she say that she saw their bloody deaths, at her hands? By the time she had finished, the sun was rising.
Pixel and Score’s faces were grave. Overall, they had a good idea of what she had seen.
‘‘No wonder you didn’t want to tell us about it. That’s some nightmare!’’ commented Pixel, trying to keep the air light.
Helaine rubbed her temples, frustrated. ‘‘It’s all been coming true. Morphos is the same figure I keep seeing in my dreams.”
There was a long pause as the gravity of the situation sank in.
“Well,” spoke Pixel. “I guess we should be heading out. We can’t do anything standing around.”
The other two nodded their agreement. They mounted their ponies, and before they took off, Pixel summoned their camp items back to the castle.
As they continued, the ground vegetation became sparse until a clear division formed between the woods they had traveled and the next patch of trees. Unlike the usual colorful leaves and bark of the native Rawn flora, the trees ahead of them appeared artificial. Every leaf, twig, branch and piece of bark was of solid gold. The entire forest was a mosaic of metal, from rich deep yellows to pale platinum white.
“I wonder why they call it the
Helaine shook her head amused, by now used to some of Score’s Earth humor.
They continued through, their eyes growing fatigued from the lack of diversity, replacing their previous awe.
Helaine halted her steed. ‘‘Listen!’’ she whispered, her tone urgent.
Score and Pixel obeyed without question. The only audible sound was the metallic clinking of the leaves in the wind.
‘‘What’s wrong?’’ asked Score skeptically. ‘‘I don’t hear a thing,’’
Helaine’s eyes were closed as she concentrated. “Don’t you hear the buzzing?” Score shook his head.
Pixel looked concerned. “Remember what Gunther said? I think we should get some ear plugs.”
Clumsily, Score dismounted and picked up some pebbles from the ground floor. When next he opened his palm, they contained three sets of large ear plugs.
He handed them to his friends. Helaine reopened a telepathic communication between them, so they could still speak to each other.
*Get ready,* she mind spoke to them. *They’ll be coming from the sky* she pointed at an opening in the tree tops.
Moments later, what appeared to be a giant, shimmering cloud erupted from the sky and descended upon them. They had the appearance of large dragon flies, their colors shimmering and changing like mother of pearl. Even with their ear plugs, they could hear their high-pitched buzzing.
The shrill noise soon became the least of their concerns. The insects surrounded them, biting and sucking blood from any exposed piece of flesh.
They tried to urge their ponies onward, but the colorful swarm confused and disoriented them, and they refused to take commands. They bucked and screamed, and no amount of mental commands from Helaine could calm them. All three riders were thrown off, and the ponies bolted. It was the last they ever saw of them.
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