Status: Finally finished. :)
The Nagual
A Stranger
A feeling of dread wrapped around Felia's body as she heard, but not felt, the initial splash of water as she broke the surface and sank. She felt no other sensation other than the feeling of hopelessness. Thoughts about Wren's and Sohrab's fates began to fade away. She tried to look up but the murky water around her seemed to pull her farther into the deep. She saw tiny fish swimming above her but that was the only sign of life.
Felia thrashed around in the water. She struggled for air. She couldn't swim very well and that frightened her. It wasn't a possibility that she could survive. No. In her mind, it was the only outcome. She would die in this seemingly endless pool like her father before her. She wanted to scream but fear of the water invading her lungs choked her throat.
Felia began to close her eyes. She could feel something leave her. Her hands went limp; she was letting go. It wasn't until she felt a strange but warm hand on her shoulder. Though the water stung her eyes at first, she opened them and turned as best as she could to find out what had touched her.
The first thing she saw was the tree. It had not faded. In fact, it looked as if it had grown stronger. It pulsed with life and the music and other sounds Felia had heard above the water now rung in her ear as clear as day. There were people, spirits, dancing around her. They tugged at her hands playfully. They smiled at her. They pinched her cheeks. They caressed her.
Felia could hear how slowly her heart began to beat. She was becoming drowsy. She wanted to stay there in that moment because she had finally felt like she belonged there. As this feeling arose in her, everything seemed to stop. Someone called her name.
"Felia!"
It wasn't masked by water. But how could it not be? It seemed to be coming from the bottom of the pool. Gathering the last of her strength, she swam deeper and deeper into the abyss. Souls around her swam in circles but left her enough space to move about. There was a strange pull on Felia's body. She stopped swimming and allowed the force to pull her in when she felt as if she was falling.
She continued to fall until she landed on a hard floor. As fresh air forced its way through her nose, Felia started coughing madly. The water escaped through her mouth. Logic and physics seemed to be non-existent but Felia didn't pay much attention to it at that moment. Her mind rested while her body took over, gulping in as much air as possible.
Again there was the familiar warm feel of a hand on her shoulder as Felia continued to lie there on the ground. She began to come back to her senses as a pair of hands helped her sit up. She leaned into a dry and clothed body that was a stranger to her as sight, smell, and hearing returned.
"Where am I?" she asked, barely above a whisper. While looking around, Felia saw a dome-like, see-through roof. Outside of the dome were the spirits she saw before. Some continued to swim around while others seemed to wait for her with concerned faces. The "roof" looked more and more like some sort of force-field each time Felia paid attention to it. The water above it just seemed to pass by it and moved around it. "This is impossible." Felia said finally.
The person holding her laughed and said, "Surely nothing can seem impossible to you now."
Felia looked up into the person's face. She didn't recognize him. "Who are you?" she asked.
The man stood up slowly while helping Felia stand. "I am Divus."
Felia thrashed around in the water. She struggled for air. She couldn't swim very well and that frightened her. It wasn't a possibility that she could survive. No. In her mind, it was the only outcome. She would die in this seemingly endless pool like her father before her. She wanted to scream but fear of the water invading her lungs choked her throat.
Felia began to close her eyes. She could feel something leave her. Her hands went limp; she was letting go. It wasn't until she felt a strange but warm hand on her shoulder. Though the water stung her eyes at first, she opened them and turned as best as she could to find out what had touched her.
The first thing she saw was the tree. It had not faded. In fact, it looked as if it had grown stronger. It pulsed with life and the music and other sounds Felia had heard above the water now rung in her ear as clear as day. There were people, spirits, dancing around her. They tugged at her hands playfully. They smiled at her. They pinched her cheeks. They caressed her.
Felia could hear how slowly her heart began to beat. She was becoming drowsy. She wanted to stay there in that moment because she had finally felt like she belonged there. As this feeling arose in her, everything seemed to stop. Someone called her name.
"Felia!"
It wasn't masked by water. But how could it not be? It seemed to be coming from the bottom of the pool. Gathering the last of her strength, she swam deeper and deeper into the abyss. Souls around her swam in circles but left her enough space to move about. There was a strange pull on Felia's body. She stopped swimming and allowed the force to pull her in when she felt as if she was falling.
She continued to fall until she landed on a hard floor. As fresh air forced its way through her nose, Felia started coughing madly. The water escaped through her mouth. Logic and physics seemed to be non-existent but Felia didn't pay much attention to it at that moment. Her mind rested while her body took over, gulping in as much air as possible.
Again there was the familiar warm feel of a hand on her shoulder as Felia continued to lie there on the ground. She began to come back to her senses as a pair of hands helped her sit up. She leaned into a dry and clothed body that was a stranger to her as sight, smell, and hearing returned.
"Where am I?" she asked, barely above a whisper. While looking around, Felia saw a dome-like, see-through roof. Outside of the dome were the spirits she saw before. Some continued to swim around while others seemed to wait for her with concerned faces. The "roof" looked more and more like some sort of force-field each time Felia paid attention to it. The water above it just seemed to pass by it and moved around it. "This is impossible." Felia said finally.
The person holding her laughed and said, "Surely nothing can seem impossible to you now."
Felia looked up into the person's face. She didn't recognize him. "Who are you?" she asked.
The man stood up slowly while helping Felia stand. "I am Divus."