Chapter 2

Mel-a-ni

“Hurry up.”

You beckoned for me irritably. I could barely see your hand in the dark space, but I cast one last glance at the door we’d come through before turning and following you down the stairs. Your steps quickly faded into the darkness, and I hurried to catch up with you, steadying myself on the rough wall. I heard the door close behind us, and only then did the cramped space light up with the surreal lights conjured by the Magicians of our race. There was no source, simply the air itself casting a faint yellow light around us, leaving me to gaze at the worn steps we descended.

Times changed, I thought. The last time our race had gathered, we had done so in some forgotten village or an abandoned house made invisible to straying humans. But there were almost none left centuries later, and this time, you’d led us to a city I’d never visited. We’d found an abandoned industrial area to open the portal, away from prying eyes. As unaware as the humans were of our race, they weren’t blind, and a blasting light in the colours of the rainbow would have alerted even them. Luckily, we’d gone unseen.

“We’re almost there, I heard you saying.”

I caught up with you by a door at the end of the stairs. You’d put the palm of your hand against it, as if searching for something, and I leaned against the wall. I was tempted to ask you who we were meeting, but it would only earn a sour remark from you, so I stayed silent. You’d been oddly vague throughout our journey, refusing to give me any more clues as to what this resistance movement was than what you’d already shared. Whoever it was, though, must be powerful, I thought. Dreaming up a building on such a scale as this was unusual, even for the most advanced Magicians.

“It should be…”

You knocked on the corner of the door.

“Got it!”

The door disintegrated before our eyes, and you turned to me with a triumphant glean before stepping through, and I followed. It led to a corridor, and as we walked, I reached out yet again to the Seed but was met with silence. It was ominous. I had thought that the day at the fountain when I felt its presence, had marked its return, but it had been silent ever since. As a Healer, I’d never been without the guiding force of my creed before on a quest, and its absence made me feel helpless.

“It’s here.”

You halted, holding your hand in the air. We were standing in the middle of the corridor, the walls empty to either side.

“Are you sure?,” I asked.

You ignored me and leaned against the wall, knocking it with your finger. The wall faded and on the other side I could see a small room. You stepped inside, and once I’d followed, the wall rose behind us, and we were standing in a closed space. It had a worn table and four chairs, and along the wall was a broken bookshelf.

“This is it?”, I asked as I looked around.

For the first time in a long time, your voice wasn’t sour as you replied,

“It should be”

You walked over to the table.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait.”

You sat down on a chair, and I followed suit and leaned back. The moment my back touched the chair, the air began to vibrate and colours flashed before my eyes. A whisper floated through the room,

“You better hurry….”

It was gone before I had time to react, and I was back sitting in the room. The Seed.

“Something is happening,” I said.

You glanced at me without your usual scowl on your face. You’d felt it too.

“Where?”

You peered around the room hesitantly.

“I…”

The wall next to us exploded in an eruption of rubble. I cast myself to the ground, and I heard you scream, and everything went dark.