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SparkleSteps ~ Chapter 17: Part 2 is up!
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Tikanni Corazon



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:08 pm    Post subject: SparkleSteps ~ Chapter 17: Part 2 is up!  

FINALLY, I've finished part 2 of the final chapter. Now there's just one more and the epilogue to go, and IT'S ALL OVER! *gasp* ;) Thanks for reading, and sorry about the delay.

Chapter 17 ~ Part 2


Tianna and Mot were still rushing through the forest, when Tianna gave a gasp, and she froze on the spot. She tilted her head to one side, as if listening for something, her brow furrowed into a into a worried frown. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she clamped a hand over her mouth in dismay. Unshed tears sparkled upon the base of her eyelashes, and she shook her head in a motion that matched the word that escaped her lips, as her hand fell back to her side.

"No..." she said quietly, the word spoken in almost a whisper, but conveying all of the devastation that could be seen written upon her features.

She turned her gaze to Mot, a few stray tears glistening as they travelled down her cheeks. Mot looked back at her and stepped forward to take her hand.

"What is it, my lady?" he enquired, his own eyes filled with concern.

"It's Chanah..." Tianna replied, inhaling a sob as she did so. "...she's dead..."

The elven warrior's legs seemed to crumble beneath her, and she fell to the ground, her head bowed as she cried silently, save for the odd quiet sob. Mot stood still as a statue, trying to take in the news. Chanah, Sorren and himself had been friends for as long as he could remember. They'd grown up together, and now, to have one of them gone, so finally...he could barely comprehend it.


He looked down at Tianna, and, before he knew what he was doing, he was on his knees, his arms around the devestated elven woman, trying to comfort her, and gaining comfort in return. He felt her arms move up and around him, her hands resting upon his shoulder blades, and for a moment, they both gave in entirely to their emotions, at haing lost both friend and fellow elf. Finally, Mot spoke.

"What now of the plan, my lady?" he said, sitting back, and wiping his drenched cheeks on his sleeve. "How are we going to carry it out now?"

Tianna dried her own eyes upon the hem of her dress, and sniffed back the remaining tears that threatened to spill. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave a half-hearted nod.

"There is still a way," she replied, her voice still barely more than a whisper, her grief still prominent in her tone.

She got to her feet, in a motion fluid as water, and started in the direction they'd been going at a jog, which quickly changed into a run. Mot ran at her side, still looking to her for answers.

"We must get there quickly, in order for it to work," she went on, ducking a low-growing branch. "And Sorren has awakened too. It was the power of his devastation that caught my attention in the first place."

Another sob caught in her throat. Truth was, though she herself was upset over the loss of Chanah, much of the emotions she was displaying were in fact mirroring Sorren's. A flow of despair, almost like a wave in the ocean, or a powerful breeze, had washed over her, and, in doing so, seemed to have entered her very soul. Sorren's grief, even now, was all around her, so present, it was almost tangible.


Tianna took another moment, to gather her emotions, before using her senses to grasp a hold on their point of direction once again. Then, without a word, she took off at a run, moving nimbly and sure-footed through the trees, aiming for the small clearing, that she could see in her minds eye, Mot keeping pace just behind her.


As they neared their destination, Tianna slowed, and gestured for Mot to do the same, and they entered the clearing, brushing past the branches of the surrounding trees. Sorren sat at it's centre in a crumpled heap, a bloodied Chanah draped across his lap. His strong arms were wrapped around her tightly, holding her to him, while his face was buried in the thick waves of her gold-streaked hair.


Even though she'd known what to expect, Tianna inhaled a gasp at the sight of her kin's battered and broken body. At the sound, Sorren slowly raised his head, lifting his face from his lover's flowing locks, and looked at them. His grief was etched over every inch of his face, visible as his forehead puckered into a frown, his cheeks tearstained, and his eyes hauntingly sad. He shook his head at Tianna and Mot, as if denying that the current situation was happening.

"Please tell me that I didn't do this..." he said, his voice choked and rasping. "...Please..."

Tianna stepped forward, and dropped elegantly to her knees beside him. She said nothing, but pulled at his arm gently, encouraging him to loosen his grip on Chanah's body. For a moment, he resisted, but finally gave in, and laid her down upon the forest floor, before bringing his palms up to his face, and openly sobbing, allowing Tianna to look over Chanah.

"...I didn't know..." he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "...I didn't know what I was doing...Gods!..."

Mot, having been seemingly frozen in shock, at the sight of his friend's bloodied body, suddenly found the use of his legs, and approached Sorren, kneeling down beside him, and placing a comforting arm around his shoulders. He didn't speak, as he had no idea what to say. Chanah's blood-soaked clothes, and lifeless form had shaken him like an earthquake, and, truth be told, he was just as devastated as Sorren. The three of them had known each other their whole lives, afterall, and it felt like a piece of his soul had died with her. So the two of them just sat there in silence, save for the odd quiet sob from Sorren.


Tianna, meanwhile, was carefully examining Chanah's wounds, hoping just as much as Sorren that he'd not been the one to end the Elven woman's life. She near breathed a sigh of relief upon finding the deep gouges on Chanah's shoulder and stomach, marks obviously left by something with large claws. She turned to Sorren, her face solemn but reassuring.

"It wasn't you," she said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "From the marks on her body, I'd say it was likely a Harlimane. She must have had a run in with one, while she was drawing you here."


All three of them sat quietly for a while, each contemplating their own thoughts and emotions at the loss. After a time, Mot raised his head from it's bowed position, and looked to Tianna.

"What now of the plan?" he said, wiping away the stray tears that had managed to escape his eyes. "It's not going to work without all four of us, but you said there was a way..."

Tianna looked to Mot, her gaze unsure.

"There is one way...It's ancient magic, of a kind that was rarely practiced even in my day, except by the great mages, and...the High-Warriors."

She slumped slightly, resting her hands in her lap.

"Yes, I know the magics, I've practiced them...but I don't think I have the strength to perform that and the destruction of the Veeka. My strength is still regenerating itself...even reaching out with my senses seems to drain me slightly. And we're talking about powerful magic here, both difficult to master, and it saps the wielder of their strength, especially that of performing more magic..."

She threw up her arms in a hopeless gesture, and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"But...it's the only chance we've got..." she went on, quietly, following it with a deep sigh.

"What...what kind of spell are we talking about here?" Mot asked, his expression curious. Though still grief stricken, Sorren looked up too, at the question, waiting for Tianna's answer.

"The spell involves the weilder to return the soul of a dead being back to the body for a short period of time, in theory, bringing them back to life. The weilder then has control over the body, and how it functions. It was used during the Great Wars back home, in the ancient times, to prevent any harm coming to the great mages. They would merely send in a person who was already dead, to carry out dangerous missions and so on...You must know all of this anyway. The practice of the magics might be long over, but the histories are still there for all to see."

Mot pulled a bit of a face, while nodding and shrugging at the same time.

"I recall reading something of that nature in the histories at some point," he replied. "But I don't really know all that much about it."

"So...you can bring Chanah back?" Sorren asked, his eyes hopeful amidst the blotched, red skin of his tear-stained face.

Tianna shook her head.

"As much as I would like to give you that hope, I can't. Yes, her body will be alive, and functioning, but it won't be Chanah. It will be me, taking control over her body and soul. She will act as merely a vessel for her magic, which we will need if we're to succeed."

She reached out a hand, touching his arm, and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry..." she went on, turning from him to look down at Chanah's still form. "...This is our only chance, otherwise our entire race will be wiped out, and she will have died in vain."

She tilted her head back up, and looked from one to the other.

"I don't know if we'll succeed, but we have to try."

~~~

Jem had finally decided to trust in his instincts, and had headed towards the clearing, where he knew the monster dwelled. The journey through the forest had been strangely uneventful. He'd come prepared for the attacks of any one of the monsters that he knew inhabited the enchanted forest, but not one had crossed his path. Still, it had taken him a while to reach his destination, his caution at the possible danger making his progress slow.


Having traversed the forest a hundred times in his youth, Jem was convinced of his own knowledge, as to the whereabouts of the clearing. He had, afterall, found it the night before, when they'd rescued Winnie. So it came as a great surprise to him, when he found a wall of trees to be in residence instead. He quickly noted though, that the formation of the trees was unnatural. They truly were a wall of trunks and branches, all knitted together tightly, leaving no gaps or crevices. Not even the tiniest slit between one tree and another. It was as if they'd molded together, to form one entity.


The change made Jem all the more convinced that his nephew was trapped at the heart of the mass, and he began to desperatly seek a way in, even though he could tell there wasn't going to be one. He made his way around the outside, checking each tree carefully for even the smallest crack, but to no avail. He looked up into the canopy, and found that the branches above him weren't quite so tightly packed together, and thought that they possibly might yield, to allow him access.


Without a second thought, Jem began to climb.

~~~

Milo's heart thumped in his chest, pounding hard against his rib cage, and his mouth felt as dry and rough as sandpaper. Despite this, he tried to stay strong, and was determined to not let the Veeka see just how terrified he was. He stood straight and tall, his expression neutral, as he regarded his enemy. The heaving mass remained stationary, looking back at him with it's many eyes. Finally, it spoke, it's voice intersparsed with wet, sucking noises as it inhaled each breath.

"Allington...I knew it...I can smell your filthy blood from here..."

At this point, the Veeka gave a grating laugh, though it held little mirth at it's heart. It sounded cruel and vindictive, and Milo nearly cringed at the noise, though he managed to restrain himself to a small gulp.

"And what...might an Allington...be doing in my forest, may I ask?" the Veeka continued, it's tentacles twitching, as if he longed for nothing more than to choke the life out of the boy before him. "...poking your nose...into the plans of others?...That's...your usual game...is it not?"

With a squelching noise, the shapeless mass of the Veeka's body moved slightly around the outside of the clearing, prompting Milo to do the same, keeping as much distance between himself and the beast as possible.

"...Such a small one though...The Allington's send...a child to interfere...with my schemes...Must be running low...on options...There's no point in running, boy..."

The last statment made Milo pause for a moment, though he said nothing in reply, just stared at the monster, waiting for it to continue.

"...We could continue...this merry dance...all day and all night...and neither would be...any better off for it...You cannot escape...and I cannot capture you very...easily by myself..."

The Veeka gave another choked laugh.

"...Luckily for me...I'm not alone..."

Suddenly, a ripping, cracking sound filled the clearing, and Milo watched as a parting appeared, between the trees, behind the Veeka. Milo's eyes widened as a shape appeared beyond the gap, huge and bulky, filling the entire space with it's dark outline. He watched as it entered the clearing, and his blood nearly froze in fear, as he recognised it's image from the pages of their book of Fairy Tales, the same one which told the story of Tianna's battle with the Veeka.


Milo could make out thick, sinewy arms, that reach nearly to the floor, attached to a huge torso, which rippled with muscle as the creature moved. The body ended in short, stout legs, and it occured to Milo that the creature's build was much like that of a male silverback gorilla, even to the point of walking and moving in the same way. The entirety of it's hide was covered in leathery grey-green skin, that dripped with shining mucus, and from its head grew thin, lank hair, which fell down past it's shoulders and obscured part of it's face. But not enough for Milo to be saved in having to gaze upon it's gruesome countenance. Beady black eyes, gleaming wickedly, were set deep into the creatures skull, and situated close together, just above it's flat nose which was little more than two triangular slits. Below that, the mouth was wide and upturned at the ends, giving the impression of a smile, with a protrusion of many long, thin teeth, which were irregular in size and shape, and reminded Milo of glass shards.


Milo backed up as far against the wall of tree trunks behind him would allow, and eyed the creature with untameable terror. The Veeka snorted.

"...What's the matter, Allington blood?...Have you never...seen a Grottbiler before?"



Thanks again for reading! It's much appreciated, and I hope you liked it! I'm still kinda rusty, so any mistakes or repetition or something doesn't make any sense, please, please point them out to me. Thanks again, and hopefully the next one won't be so long in coming!
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Andolyn



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:15 pm    Post subject:  

LOOOVED it dear!! cant wait to see how it all plays out!!

the only thing i noticed was that you said at one point "Channah shook her head"...but since you killed her off...that's sort of impossible. XD

Other than that, it was great!! keep it up, you're so close!!
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Tikanni Corazon



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 12:33 am    Post subject:  

Found and fixed! ;) I knew that was going to happen at some point, with all these weird names being used all bunched together like that, lol! XD Thanks for pointing it out Andi, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully the next part won't be too long coming. ;)
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PopeAlessandrosXVIII



Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 1858
Location: Surrounded by many beautiful naked men

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:49 am    Post subject: I Think. . . . .  

Awesome of awesomeness my dear Tikanni-chan! Another marvelous addition to your already fantastic story! Way to go!

Your monsters have a way of making bile rise in my throat, well done. The evil gorilla thing has me both giggling and gaging, I love it! The elf re-animation was unexpected and surprised me. SOmething I'm not use to stories doing much, so another well done there. *Grins* And more Jem, as you know, always makes me happy :P

I did spot a momant where you had them running, then. . . You had them running again without putting anywhere in there that they's stopped. I think it's. . . .

Tikanni wrote: She got to her feet, in a motion fluid as water, and started in the direction they'd been going at a jog, which quickly changed into a run. Mot ran at her side, still looking to her for answers.

"We must get there quickly, in order for it to work," she went on, ducking a low-growing branch. "And Sorren has awakened too. It was the power of his devastation that caught my attention in the first place."

Another sob caught in her throat. Truth was, though she herself was upset over the loss of Chanah, much of the emotions she was displaying were in fact mirroring Sorren's. A flow of despair, almost like a wave in the ocean, or a powerful breeze, had washed over her, and, in doing so, seemed to have entered her very soul. Sorren's grief, even now, was all around her, so present, it was almost tangible.


Tianna took another moment, to gather her emotions, before using her senses to grasp a hold on their point of direction once again. Then, without a word, she took off at a run, moving nimbly and sure-footed through the trees, aiming for the small clearing, that she could see in her minds eye, Mot keeping pace just behind her.

Yeah, that's the part. Also, the quiet sobs seemed just a little repetetive, but I think that was just ion the presentation. The word useage was too alike. "save for the odd quiet sob" was used in both Sorren and Tianna's cases. Other then that, very fluid and facinating!


I can't wait for the next part of the chapter! I'm so sorry it took me so long to read. It seems we have a surplus of SGs on IF now, and readership is going down for some reason. . . . Anyways, back on point, let's see some more of this woderful tale! May the Muse be with you.
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Lilith



Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 1597
Location: Happily curled up in a Daemon's lap

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:13 am    Post subject:  

Holy mackerel! This isn't good! Chanah reanimated and Tianna's power drained to do it along with that.. THINGY getting ready to gorilla-beat Milo into a bloody pulp? I really hope Jem jumps down with a certain SPEAR and sticks it through the thingy's skull. Or something!

Great chapter Tika, and I'm waiting for the final let down of the suspense you're keeping us in dear!
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Tikanni Corazon



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:01 pm    Post subject:  

Thanks ever so much for the praise guys! I means alot that you've all continued to read it for this long, especially with the long gaps between each chapter. For that I'm very grateful. I just hope that the final part of the story will live up to your expectations and doesn't disappoint. :)

I've been working on the last part of the chapter, and the epilogue, and I'm hoping to have it up by the end of next week. I know I've likely said such a thing before, but I am going to try really hard to push my muse into succeeding this time around. ;)

Thanks again! :)
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