#stonebreeder

[oldsoulfran]

By a fire (”Cem” sequel)

This is the seventh part of the story about Cem and the nameless girl. Catch up with their history here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6. 

Word count: 1227

“Ori is not my birth mother. I´m an orphan.”

When Ida finally spoke up, all the air in the cave came to a hold, lingering heavy around us. Cem shifted beside me, likely biting his tongue not to hiss at her.

“She raised me.” Her next words were almost oily in our throats. “My parents drowned.”

I wanted to reach out to her, to be someone to show compassion while Cem still pretended not to care, but Ida spoke up again; this time more secure.

“Ori didn´t do it, she rescued me. I know it sounds likely, but I´m sure of it. It wasn´t her fault.”

“How can you be so sure?” Cem spoke up. I wish he hadn´t for his tone was dismissive.

“I told you I drank from her often, it has interesting side effects. I saw it happen through her eyes, because I became a part of her. These kind of memories one can´t alter, and water is anything but forgetful.”

“Did you had any clue of what she was back then?” He looked at her now with trembling lips.

Her hands clawed into the dirt beneath her. “I was a child, too young to walk, of course I didn´t know. And even if I knew, she meant no threat to me. She took me in. I won´t be ungrateful and deny her affection for me just because you happen to hate wildwaters!”

“I´m not the only one!” The vines behind us started rustling again. By now, their fights must have had a theme song.

Ida studied her dirty nails. The fire grew smaller and while no one would have any more soup, warmth was what we needed most. Her hands reached for the heat as I put another log on.

“Do you know anything about wildwaters apart from them being oh so dangerous? Do you know who we are or how we came to be? Because I know so little about our history that I had to run away to make my own. Most of what I know I had to learn myself. Ori hardly talked about it. She didn´t keep me from it, it was more like she tried to protect me from it.” Ida raised her head and stared at Cem. “Shame once was ingrained so deep into me that I never thought I should be with mankind ever again. And all the pride I have now, I earned. I fought for it. We don´t deserve fear, we deserve respect, and compassion. And if it wasn´t for the violence in this world, we wouldn´t hurt anyone. You can´t blame us for saving our own lives.” Her hands started shaking over the flames. “We´re as worthy as anyone, human or not.”

Cem nestled a thin twig between his fingers, biting his lip. “I don´t blame wildwaters, I blame you. You vanished. That´s all I care about now.” Tiny leaves steadily brushed his skin. “I thought I knew you, turns out I don´t. And it seems to affect everything around us. It wasn´t save before you came around and it is even worse now. All I need to know is if you plan on changing it for the better, because if you don´t, you can leave.”

Ida´s breathing changed, as did the atmosphere of the cave. The lingering was replaced by rising pressure and it became harder to breathe. “I don´t want to leave you.”

“Then better keep talking. The war out there won´t wait for your tale to tell itself.”

“There is something I need to know”, I chimed in. Catching a breath took a lot from me and it seemed better not to talk about their relationship any longer. “What are wildwaters? I heard they had a lot in common with humans, so why aren´t they? What happened?”

“Love, for the most part.” A smile shied over Ida’s face. “Ori never meant to keep me. She found out what she was recently and people were repelled by her, especially because she couldn´t control it at first. No one would let her come near them, so none of them would take me in. She wasn´t capable of murder fortunately, and ran out of options. So she kept me. It was a wild ride.”

The air relaxed around us. I pretended to cough just to suck in as much as I could without raising suspicion. Cem beside me sniffled and attempted to blow his nose.

“I still don´t know about our origin, but there have been many humans in our midst. And because we´re so alike, we match. Humans can become wildwaters if they come in contact often. Drinking from a certain well changes them over time, most do it without realizing it. And most of the time, the changes aren´t severe enough to ever be noticed.” A chuckle left her throat. “Fully transforming seeks attention, like in Ori´s case. Imagine a little kid next to a woman that occasionally drips into a puddle. I loved everything about it. You should see her face melt off, it´s hilarious.”

We shrugged. “Pass.”

“It was all fun and games until I grew old enough to understand her power over me. She trained me to become wildwaters, she was always there. Imagine having someone never leaving you out of plain sight. You´re never alone.”

“Sorry,” I muttered.

“It´s alright. You had a different motive, you weren´t alone. I was all she had and she planned to keep it that way. I can´t even blame her, it must have been so lonely.” She searched for Cems eyes. “If it wasn´t for the fights, most of us would die of loneliness. That´s why I was so happy to find you.”

“We found you”, I interjected.

“We saved you”, Cem grunted.

“I am grateful. And I want to help, but you have to have a little more patience. Wildwaters might not be a completely different thing, but their instincts differ a lot from what you two are capable of feeling. We don´t have core emotions, we have urges. Your people might think that keeping wildwaters away from your civilization was a good idea, but it changed them for the worse. I only met three other wildwaters besides Ori, and all of them were beyond dangerous, for humans anyway. By excluding them their nature grew more violent and less caring. That is why this war is so dangerous for everyone involved. Wildwaters will come for the chaos, not for the fight. There will be no sides for them, they will rage until everything is gone.” Ida closed her eyes. “It´s what Ori will stay for. It´s why you found me in the Melting Pot, and it´s why I stayed and fell for you.” Cem looked up, remaining unimpressed. “You helped me be a better me and showed me how we could be if only anyone knew about it. And you need to know more about the prophecy. It´s why I left you.”

No vines rustled in the cave as Cem bit his lips. “You made me fear to never see you again because of a tale?”

Humidity flooded our hiding as tears flooded Ida’s eyes. The rockling´s call crept cold through my bones. “The prophecy concerning me?” I asked into the dancing fire.

“This and many others. I learned them all.” Ida smiled with painstakingly split lips. “They’re all wrong.”

 Chances are that this will be a nine or ten part series. The next part is on it´s way and I can´t wait to resolve it all, so many things want to be told. Also I can´t wait to share more of my stories with you and hear what you think. 

As always, thank you for reading! 

Tagging @spicychickencows @fontess @write-out-of-time @elleleuthold

[oldsoulfran]

Channelling a stream (”Cem” sequel)

The sixth part of the story about Cem and the nameless girl is finally here. If you don´t want to miss out on all the fun, read the five previous parts first. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5. 

Word Count: 1196

The decision not to go with the rocks wasn´t one that had to be made. All of us knew, with everything that happened, today was a day for rest and reconsideration.  Cem, despite all efforts Ida put into healing him, could barely stand up. The woodlings wanted to help him every step of the way, but he shushed them. He didn´t mind not moving, for it was the first time in month we decided not to fight. For the first time in month we didn´t had to go anywhere.

My effort to stay out of their way for some time failed miserably. Whenever I decided to leave the cave, I was back shortly after, pretending to search for something I intended to bring. Ida must have been angry with me and when it turned out she wasn´t, I gave in and stayed around.

Cem was in good hands all morning. Despite not being able to walk or take care of himself, he feasted on Ida’s presence. Resting against her he smiled so effortlessly that one could have thought there never had been any war; that bad times never were in this world. I assumed that Ida influenced him in some way to calm him. Moreover, I knew. Because I would have done the same. Because he´d be too hurt to stay near her. He suffered through a lot since she vanished. For Cem´s sake I decided to trust her once and for all and frankly, I was done worrying.

When the time came to eat, Cem took a few wobbly steps and claimed himself well enough to help us pick some food. Collecting the usual root vegetables and herbs took way longer than anticipated. At least he was able to regain some strength and humour while we were at it.  He made the carrots dance before we could pick them and let some pull each other from the ground. We even found some potatoes and eggs, accompanied by Ida´s roaring laughter. It kept me from thinking of the war still raging in plain sight, a war I was determined and bidden to end. I even ignored the ground that tried to tell me about whatever happened down there. The rocks were humming beneath me, constantly rough and tiring in my bones. Yet again seeing Cem well and beaming gave me new strength.

Ida decided to get water and grew nervous when Cem wanted to join her. With her carrying some of his weight, they kneeled down by a creek to fill our container. It was battered and held enough water to serve us for a day. Now that we added one to the group, it wouldn´t last so long. I thought of Ori and had to remind myself not to confuse Ida with her mother. There was hope in me that she was good, yet some wariness remained. Trust doesn´t mean forgetting, it merely is a choice.

Cem cupped water into his hands and drank, soaking his clothes and beard. Ida wiped him dry without touching his skin, pooling drops in her hands and deflecting it back into the stream.

“I love you, water or not”, he whispered, looking down. Ida then leaned into a kiss that never came to be, because they jumped into the shallow water at the same time. With the warm tone of laughter resonating within me, I decided to head back to the cave. Water splashed around them, thrown from both real and wavy hands.

 “Do it again!” Cem came running and grabbed my shoulders. “You need to see this, look!”

I put the knife down to meet Ida´s face melting in what I took for unease.

“I don´t think she´ll like it very much. You know, old wounds and else.”

We smiled at each other bitterly, just to witness both of our expressions change into something forgiving.

“Please”, I replied, “I´d die to see it.”

Without a word she raised one hand in front of her face while Cem stepped next to her. Her fingers vibrated slightly and became translucent, floating into each other. Drops formed on her fingertips, growing bigger and running down her arm. Her skin melted into beaming waves, pulling a ball of liquid from it. She threw it into Cem´s open mouth. He swallowed it. “Isn´t that great? Now we don´t have to get water ever again, we can just tap her.”

He was too happy with that pun to ever scold him, so we didn´t.

“At least you filled the container so I don´t have to suck Ida dry.” I kneeled back down to the pot of soup over the fire and added water to the mix. The notion of meeting Ori again felt more inviting than to ever drink from Ida. Times were tough, still I had boundaries.

“Don´t worry. It´s not cannibalism if I´m a body of water.” Her waves ruffled Cem’s beard, soaking him in the process. He was still a little too carefree to fully be himself.

I pretended to take a closer look at her still rippling hand and murmured. “I know you have him under your spell and I think he´ll do just fine on his own now.”

“You´re right”, she replied and crossed me to get to him. “Too bad it won´t last.” They sat beside each other just starring into the pot, warming their now all human hands on the fire.

Laughter erupted in the cave. Ida had made the soup stir itself.

 The food had sand in it and neither of them noticed. They munched their way through some crunchy potatoes, occasionally stealing from each other’s bowl.

Soon Cem´s mood changed when Ida tried to rip him of his carrots and he finally told her to eat from her own soup. She did and continued throwing glimpses at him. His mouth was an almost thin line now, only loosened by the spoon that fed him. His eyes watched the fire. He rarely blinked. When a breeze came rushing through the cage, he flinched and moved his arm as if to push someone away.

When I scooped myself another portion, he demanded more sandy potatoes; but instead of filling his bowl, I pointed the ladle at Ida. “What is with you? I need to know.”

She lowered her spoon. “What do you mean?”

“I want to hear your story, all of it up until we met you.” As Cem rolled his eyes I added, “The time you abandoned us especially.”

“So now comes the serious part, right?” She surrendered with a sad smile.  

Cem got up and sat beside me. “I need to hear it too.” A shadow casted on his face, misery had him back. “I don´t understand why you had to leave in the first place.”

Ida shifted on the spot. “You know I´m wildwaters and…”

“Do we really?” he said and stared at her, ignoring the rustling ivy resonating in the cave. Ida straightened herself and held his gaze.

“I´m wildwaters”, she repeated. “My live was a wild ride. The last weeks were no exception. I was looking for some answers and I´m not sure if I´m happy with the things I found out.”

I hope to narrow the rest of the plot down to two more sequels, I guess I´ll find out if it works as planned when I get there. 

How did you like the characters? Do they feel real to you, or constructed? I changed the way they interact so often that I could use some input on that. 

Read part 7 here.

I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading! @spicychickencows @fontess

[oldsoulfran]

A trinity enhanced (”Cem” sequel)

I did a sprint today with @elleleuthold (4 hours!) and finished the fifth part of the story around Cem, the elements and the nameless girl. In case you missed the prequel, make sure to read part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4. 

Word count: 1702

Apparently, there is more to this world than we thought. There are organisms, some of them human, and elements and, as it turns out, something in between. The elements always seemed to be a trinity, with rocks, water and plants linked to cause everything that happened around us, and to sometimes be in the favour of humans wise or dump enough to change them to their liking.

That isn´t entirely correct of course. There seem to be so many distinctions as there are varieties in the senses humans possess, other than smell or taste or sight. The notion of time or the feeling of bad occurrences approaching. The way the roots of your hair tense up when you got the feeling somebody or something is watching you.

After all, the Big Quake disrupted not only our known ways, but got rid of a lot of knowledge. We lost more than a few senses, we lost ourselves.

With humans no longer able to comprehend what came naturally to previous generations, some sayings and riddles remain, but are altered, if not manipulated. Some are forgotten. Some are up front wrong. Few are unknown, or mostly unknown. These, and this particular one, turned out to be of upmost importance. Such a shame no one was able to spot or learn them. Until now.

 “I know your name. Cem told me”, Ida said while I glared at her in disbelief.

“You told her?” I asked him without expecting an answer from the vine coated bundle on the ground that was his body. Even though the sun was high no light seemed to reach beneath the thick layer of leaves. “You know what happens to those who know my name. I can die. So can others! And you told her?!”

A numbness spread in my flesh that I never experienced before, as if all water was drained from my body, leaving only dust. Afraid of fading I couldn´t breathe, standing stiff before them; hollow.

Once again I had to face the fate of my name, the misery it brought to the people I loved. I remembered my father and the talk we had. I remembered how deep into the woods we went, how I was scared not knowing that it was nothing compared to what was there to come. The breathless whisper in my father’s voice, no longer strong and calm but hushed and shaking.

I knew about the prophecy. Learning it related to me came as a surprise. He told me my real name. Not the name that my mother gave me, but the name he bequeathed me. The name that people tattled about on the quite, both in hope and fear.

He told me not to tell anyone who I really was. He told me not to worry for he would protect me. He told me that not all prophecies were to come true.  

And then he vanished.

Cem tried to talk but shook with sobbing. Ida wanted to reach for him, only to have her hand whipped by a root. She looked troubled. And I still couldn´t breathe.

“I can help you”, Ida now said, looking at the ground. “I don´t want anyone to die. I know you feel the same. And I know what to do about it.”

“You know me? And you know how I feel?” I sneered. “And why do you care?”

“I am wildwaters. I am wind.” Ida confessed. “And I want to help.”

 It was an answer I didn´t expect, but it was Cems reaction that caught me off guard.

He was awfully quite now, squinting at the rocks beneath him. As his lips parted, they shifted his face into an expression I only saw once before that when I told him about the prophecy and my name. His half smile was set in stone, faint and deep. He even used the same words.

“Don’t worry. We will make it through this together.”

She beamed back at him, exhausted. “Look at you, all brave and selfless. Like you never stopped loving me.”

“I never did.” He tensed against the vines, once more without success.  “I couldn´t because I knew you were coming back to me. You had to. ”

Ida’s finger skimmed the rock bounding her chest. “Please let me go. I know it´s a lot to take in, but I will explain everything. Ask me and I´ll tell you. But let me heal him first.”

“You can do that?” I asked to save time. Her love for Cem might be genuine, but how was I supposed to know whether there was something else she desired more? Like ending this war by sacrificing me to the elements, as I was bidden to in the prophecy. By leaving him to die and draining me off all resistance. Ori did it before her, so chances were she could do it too.

But then again, Cem was dying and yet again, I had to save him.

“If you are wildwaters, why did you let the rocks take you? You can change form. It should have been impossible for me to catch you!”

“I didn´t want to scare you. It´s a lot to take in after I was gone for so long. And I wanted to take my time while telling you, but then you lost it. And I,” she stressed this part in particular “had to make clear I mean no harm. You needed to know that you had the upper hand. But did you had to be this jumpy?”

“Can you blame me? With you gone Cem wasn´t himself. Of course I´m upset. He lost sleep and hardly talked. He was so tense, so lost.”

“Don´t talk about me as if I´m gone”, he chipped in. “I´m right here.”

“I know you are, but I need to know if I can trust her before I free her. She said she won´t merge from the rocks, not that she couldn´t. We can´t risk both of us just because you´re in love, you know.”

“Now you even sound like her”, Cem sighed.

Ida jeered. „She does. Now please, we´re losing time.”

“You were gone for weeks, you´ll have a few minutes to hear me out.”

Ida wanted to protest, but Cems thin voice cut her short. “I´m good, let her finish.”

I shifted my weight to the other leg, the rocks whispering beneath me. Standing for such a long time was irritating. “What does it mean when you say that you are wind?”

“I don´t know. But I am.” Ida looked into the distance. “We are few but we are many. It´s all I know.”

I said nothing, thinking.

“I am the only one like this, at least the only one I know of. I don´t know what else to tell you.”

“How do I know you won´t influence my like Ori did? There was no fighting it, she wouldn´t allow it. How do I know you won´t just do the same?” Ori´s grip on me was fading as I stood. I hoped it meant she was far away.

“She did that to you?” Ida straightened herself, her face grim. “She did it to me many times, so I know how it feels. I won´t do this to anyone, not even you.”

I couldn´t help but laugh. “Sure.”

“I´m serious. We weren´t off to a great start and it might take a while to get there, but you´re Cem´s best friend and I respect that. You´re always there for him.”

She took a peek at him. His head looked so small in the coat of vines. There was no denying it, he was getting worse. She shrugged. “Let me be there for him, I beg you.”

Wind emerged from the valley, gently playing with our hair, whirling up dust. My first reaction was to take a step towards Ida only to see her getting lost in Cem´s gaze, speaking softly to him without paying attention to anything else. The sun gained strength, lighting up everything but the bundle of tendrils around his body. Whatever this breeze carried, she was not a part of it.

Who was I to judge Ida for what she was rather than for how she behaved? She was snarky, determined and proud, yet gentle and kind towards Cem. She abandoned us just to come back for him. She spat words like poison and soothed wounds with great care, quite literally. I touched the scar on my arm, the one I gained the day we rescued her. The one she treated without hesitation.

´You will heal, there´s no doubt about it. You do good, so good will hold you dear.´

She told me we were strong. How caring she was back then, and how much so she was now.

I smiled to myself as I kneeled down to call back the rocks. Maybe she was so rough with me because I was never easy on her. Maybe we learned that from each other. In the end, all three of us had quite a temper.

The stone protested as I gave the order to free Ida, but it listened very carefully when I noted that the woodlings might still not listen to Cem. They could try to attack Ida if she came near him. I didn´t want that. But then again, if she was to try anything on Cem or me, the rocklings would interfere. No mercy.

The ground shifted and Ida came lose. She stumbled towards Cem and looked back at me, nodding like I did. Her hands rushed into the vine, pulling it slow and steady from his body. Their foreheads touched and sunlight reflected from their cheeks. Time and again I knew not to disturb their embrace but couldn´t leave just now. I had to know he would be all right.

The ground beneath me flooded with warmth as the woodlings peeled of him and caressed their faces. He pulled her into a kiss, hands branched in her hair. He was well.

“I leave you to it”, I said and turned to stroll the woods for water.  

I swear I heard Ida mumble something along the lines of “Finally!” just to be followed by a soft “Thank you.”.

 ~~~

To be continued. There is still a lot more to resolve (and two sequels to come), but for now it turned out okay. What do you think? 

I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading!

Klick here to read Part 6 and Part 7.

Tagging @spicychickencows @fontess 

[oldsoulfran]

Treasure diving (”Cem” sequel)

Yesterday, instead of sleeping, I came up with an idea to dig deeper into the story of my recently established world around Cem. 

Today, I wrote it down. This is the second part of my story, to read it from the beginning take a look at Part 1. 

This time with a warning: Graphic content including blood, killing, war related injuries, tight spaces, buried alive. 

I´m so excited to share it with you all that besides proofreading, some errors may have slipped through. And again, critisism and opinions are more than welcome. Enjoy!

Word count: 2153

~

Coming to the big city has never been more dangerous. Stonebreeders were no longer the only people to roam through collapsed basements of long deserted buildings. Woodwalkers soon joined the hunt for everything metal or technic. The most precious areas were these beyond the basements, where old rubble fused with rocks and roots, buried by centuries old walls.

It took a lot of courage to dive into the rocks to swim beneath the surface. There was no light and few were skilled enough to smooth the stone into crystals, reflecting the warmth of their bodies into sparks to keep them company. It was lonely and slow work and many resurfaced spiritless and drained, with little treasure.

 Now that the woodwalkers joined the competition, things were even more complicated. Now there was always a root of birch or gorse, ready to stop anyone who dared diving in the city. While their commanders endured on ground level, the woodlings reached for fierce divers, determined to drag them back up. The woodwalkers awaited them, hustled their findings from them and ordered the resigned stonebreeders back to the villages.

Some went even further.

After two decades of tireless peace agreements between stonebreeders and woodwalkers to live in harmony, greed and self-interest eventually infested the minds of many. The tribes split, fronts hardened. Killings once again remerged.

After all, these were desperate times.

 The most frequented site was called the Melting Pot, in which many brave folk found their death. Stonebreeders got grabbed by roots of furious woodlings, flaying them in the process and tearing off body parts; filling rifts of sore rock with old blood.

Woodwalkers got crushed by angry divers which send up spears of polished basald to impale their attackers, often grinding their bones to dust.

People once nourished the ground with care, now they were fed back to Mother Nature. It nourished hatred in the elements, confusing them, for they used to rely on each other, joined in solidarity.

More often now, they refused to take orders and turned against their masters and anyone around them.

Cem and I witnessed a change for the worse when we first became aware of wildwaters returning to the city.  

 “This is a bad idea”, muttered Cem. “And you know it.” He was still standing, fidgeting a branch between his fingers. The young tree beside us tried not to make a sound, but Cem must have tickled it unknowingly. It´s leaves shook in silent laughter. Cem immediately let go of it, resting his hands on his chest.

I squatted further into the hole and rested my head on the stone. The sun was setting fast, trapping shadows in the ground and soaking everything but me in glowing orange light. As used as I grew to the constant orange glance during the day, the setting sun still struck me with its beauty. In its glow, everything was calm. Everything was connected. Too bad we had to leave the scene to go to a much darker, much more hazardous place.

We had to go diving and I was nervous. I turned to Cem. He finally settled down next to me, pebbles in hand.

“I know it´s not safe”, I told him, voice lowered. “We talked about this many times. We can´t have this talk every time we´re about to go with the rocks. I know the consequences, I know the danger. You know it too and you´re still here.”

He chuckled, but there was no joy in it. Bitterness reshaped his face while he hold my gaze. Even in this light, his skin was ashen. The last weeks drained him.

“How much longer do you want to come here and try to fix it all?” His voice was hoarse, dried up from many hours of weeping. Long gone was the friend I knew with soft winged lips and a smoky voice that tricked anyone into ease who listened to it. With him I felt safe and I still do, but things changed. And he could no longer bear with it.

“I won´t give up until the balance is restored”, I said, now leaning in on him just to have him turn away. “These people don´t deserve to die and we can´t keep them from fighting. What we can do is to save their bodies, soothe the rocks, calm the roots. Like we always did.” He needed me to remind him of it, each day anew. And when I did, he would loosen up a bit. Enough to rest his hand on mine; enough to crack a broken smile.

He was ready.

 The sky now darkened even faster. There were only a few minutes between the last sunbeam and the first moonwaves, hardly enough time to do it all. Still we had to try and often enough succeeded, every rescue bolder than the previous one. I knew that one day there wouldn´t be much time left in which both woodwalkers and stonebreeders were to lose their anger, to wash off the blood, to bag the treasure. With the first white stream on a sunken sky, the fight would continue and the elements would once again rage alongside their masters – or against them. Whatever the elements did was random and unpredictable, yet they never struck during this few minutes of lightless vault.

Cem and I entered the ground. The smell of damp earth greeted us alongside the cold. It seemed rich in nutrients and, in another time, would have made for a stunning field to grow greens in.

I told Cem. He snarled in my neck and sunk deeper into our embrace.

 Soon after we first tried to rescue the surviving and deceased, we came up with a better plan. Back then, he used to stay above ground while I made my way up from beneath. We failed horribly. Cem lost a toe, I got away with a deep cut. While we recovered, it became clear that the rocks not only tolerated Cem, but genuinely liked him. Even though he´d never learn to get a grip on the salty element, he could humour it and keep it in his favour. Pebbles were especially fond of him, for they were the easiest to impress with the deep vibration of his voice. They would dance in his hands and play with young leaves he kept near for their pleasure. While it was fun to watch, it was vital to the junction of the elements and to rebuild trust. Our village became a place of unity and candour, until the tremor of a particular spirited rockwave hit the ground and shook the element youth into new perspective. Destruction soon was the new guideline of many rocklings and as they joined the fight in the Melting Pot, our village was left with lonely woodlings. They did not understand why their buds left and because woodlings can only reach so far but can´t travel, they grew miserable.

It was still safe to live in Hude, at the same time it was vain. Food grew fine, but grew tasteless. Leaves and grass lost their colour. People there grew more silent. The once vibrant village slowly lost its warmth.

Cem and I left Hude to reunite the elements, finding shelter in a cave on a cliff near the big city. Other stonebreeders couldn’t sense us here and the rocks did their best to keep it that way. It was there I found out that the stone would accept Cem by my side as I went diving. But we had to be weirdly close, for stone is a leery element at best.

We came up with a thigh hug – me on top, Cem pressed against me facing up. For we had to travel in a reclined position, he had to hang from my body. If he wasn´t close enough, the ground would flinch around us, pushing us back up. A cliff once told me after hours of failed diving that it preferred us as lovers, not friend. Neither Cem nor I were willing to go that far, for he was always as much of a brother to me as I was a sister to him. We agreed to always stay close while diving and did it ever since.

Feeling his arms around me gave me the strength to go down there every day.

 We dashed through layers of brittle stone, sparks igniting while our breaths warmed the cold air. I had learned a lot this past months, most importantly that Cem was afraid of the dark, so I learned how to create light from warmth on the way.

He handled the roots, lured them into humorous dance, and calmed them in their angsty twitching. Once in the Melting Pot, he prevented us from getting strangled or grabbed and convinced them not to alarm their masters.

I guided us through the sore stone, sensing for forgotten warriors. Both woodwalkers and stonebreeders were buried in the rubble, most of them as cold as the element they were embedded in. Only three fighters ever made it out of the Melting Pot alive and transport wasn´t easy.

The first one was a boy, just old enough to grow some fluff on his face. He was strong and wide awake when we found him. The rocks don´t mind the dead or dying, but won´t tolerate a rambling, screaming kid. I knew back then that there wasn´t enough time to dash back to our entry hole and Cem wasn´t able to travel alone. We took a risk and I left Cem behind right where we were. The ground accepted him, forming a cavity to sit in. Roots came to the rescue too, forming a thick layer of defence around his hideout. The cold and dark scared him, but he managed to keep calm. Meanwhile I had to dive deeper, hoping not to get snitched by a wild root. Long ago I sensed a cave deep below the city, where no roots could reach and no plants could grow. It was flooded most of the day, but in the few minutes between the setting sun and the lit moon, it was drained enough to hold a person. The kid was terrified, but went with it; the water would at least get rid of the blood on his hands. I then had to return to Cem, hook into him and search for more bodies, dead or alive, all while soothing the stone and looking for lost tech or lumps of metal. Cem had to grasp for danger through the roots, bag the treasures, and calm the woodlings. Once the first sight of light hit the earth, the roots would swell and the ground would protest loudly. It was then that we had to retreat, and quick.

We dove down to get the kid and rushed him back to safety in Hude. After a deep dive, we had to sleep all night and long into the day to shake the weariness out of our bones. We had some food and then we were on it again.

The second survivor was a woodwalker. He tried to call the roots on us but fell unconscious and later escaped with all the treasure we salvaged from the Melting Pot that day.

The third lucky soul was a girl named Ida. She insisted on treating our wounds after the rescue and much later, stole a kiss from Cem.

She had to be the cause of his worries and the reason that roots grew impatient with him. I had to cut down on the time we spent beneath the surface because he was hardly able to concentrate.

Tonight, we had seven minutes.

 Four warriors were rescued when I sensed a sudden rise in temperature. I had sent them on their way through the rocks to Sade Village, for corpses are soon to be stones and can be easily manipulated as such of the younger generation. Cem was packing a few lumps of iron as the cavity we shared caved in. The rocks flinched around us while he was pressed against my side. I urged my hands into the stone, only to feel its throbbing warmth against my skin. Alarmed and hardly able to breath in the narrow slit, I listened to the basalt beneath me. It urged for only one word: river.

Cem coughed and spitted out soil, trembling beside me. “Light!” He pled. “Air!”

As my clothes got soaked in warmth and wet and the distinctive smell of dried blood flooded the lair, I could no longer deny it. Wildwaters were very real and they were coming right at us.

Liquid filled my mouth and in a last desperate try to get us to safety, I turned on my back to vault us back up.

A grotesque face stared back at me, emerging from the rocks.

The chapped lips parted, dripping words as thick as oil: “Where is the girl? Where is Ida?” 

~

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you make of it :)

You want to know how the story continues? Read the sequels! Here are Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.

[oldsoulfran]

Cem (Caffeine Challenge #12)

I took part in the Caffeine Challenge #12 yesterday and that is what I came up with. Since English is not my native language, it needs some more proofreading, so I´m thankful for anyone offering criticism.

I went with the second prompt - They say you never forget your roots, but I did.

It was fun to play with words in another language and I hope it´s a good read, so here goes:

~

To say that we were off to a rocky start would be accurate. The first time I walked into Cem wasn´t fun at all. I was frightened, given I was only a child and never met a woodwalker before. He talked to the trees, I snuggled with rocks and cliffs. We were never to be friends. So we became inseparable.

Even as a child he switched between being severe and witty in a heartbeat, but never in a pretentious way. His eyes could be hard as a rock, just to melt into a smile of softest clay, inviting me to see the world through his eyes. He is the most honest person I know and when I look back I still want to believe that. I have to believe, for without him I have no roots.

 “You´re a stonebreeder!” The boy jumped right into my way, stopping me in my tracks, eyes wide with laughter. “I thought you were city bound.”

“Who are you?” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Lost in thoughts I must have missed him sneaking up on me, now all I was left to do was fight. Standing as tall as I could I yelled at him. “Answer me!”

“I´m Cem.” His smile dropped, leaving confusion on his face. He pulled away, now focusing on my clenched fists. “You don´t need to be afraid of me.”

“You are a woodwalker!” I hissed, teeth bared, breathing heavily. “You are a murderer.”

He lifted one arm to grab me, but I was faster. I jumped back, no longer hungry for a fight but afraid of the unknown. Not many people returned from the woods, let alone met a woodwalker and survived. No one would die today, not in a fight.

I decided to run.

And he followed me.

Cems feet barely touched the ground as he came after me, with breath as loud as my skipping heart. We passed bushy fern, dipped in fading orange light, as we ran towards the Hude Village. That sinister place I sworn my mother never to visit, but had to anyway.

“Wait. I won´t do you any harm.” His voice now sounded worried, pleading. These people knew how to bluff, I made sure never to fall for it. I took a left turn, leaving him to crash into an old tree, but he easily bounced of it and kept following me.

My legs hurt but I wouldn´t give in. I had to find my father, to do so I had to shake the boy off first.

He might have been friends with the trees but the rocks were my home.

I had to risk it.

Falling hard I grinded my teeth, jaw tight, eyes closed.

The ground opened up and swallowed me, vibrating sharp in my bones. I heard the boy scream, in wrath. Or fear? My skin scratched against layers of stone, first granite, then lime, a little sandstone on the way. And then nothing.

My body fell in cold air, sinking from the rocks. How could I be so foolish? I must have tried to swim through a cliff. I commanded the stone to hold me, tried to grab it – and hooked my fingers in human skin.

A muffled cry lingered in the ash above my neck, the ground flinched around me.

I was holding Cems hand. He must have tried to reach me, knowing that I would try to jump through my element, into a certain death.

Gravel cut into his arm, drawing blood from his dusty skin. Lime reached for my dangling body, caressed my face. A rope formed around my waist, lifting me up through the stone. Knowing they wouldn´t let go off me I couldn´t abandon Cems fingers. He slammed his body in the hole I created to keep me save. He could have lost a limb, but the rocks must have sensed something good in him and spared him.

My face urged from the ground, collected moss on the way. Our arms resurfaced, still holding each other, bloody and bruised and pumping.

His gaze met mine. He pulled back his hand. Vine tendril was wrapped around his chest, ivy held his hand. Roots of beech and birch pressed against his hips. He must have called for their help, to keep me from falling. And I called him a murderer.

Vulcanite raised me to my knees while the woodlings vanished back into the dark. Sunbeams mirrored in Cems face, now sharp with rage. The boy stood up and looked down on me and his expression changed to grief.

“You think we are to kill”, he said, tears washing against the corners of his eyes. “You should know we´re here to help. I risked my life to save yours. You owe me your name.”

I told him. He blew air up his nose, more a laugh than a gasp. “And what are you doing in the woodland? Awaiting to get killed?”

“My father is missing. My mother is in despair for we have no one to go to. I had to do something.”

“How old are you, stonebreeder? Your grip on the salty element is strong.”

“I was told not to tell. You know what happens to these who do.”

“You amuse me, little one.” Cem smiled and started picking on the drying blood on his arm. “As if your secrets are worth more than a friend.” He looked up to me, now pensive. “I don´t want you to get hurt again, no matter your age, no matter your name. It gets lonely looking for something lost. Let me join you.”

“I can´t stay, I have to go back before the sun sets.” Panic swept my voice away, pressing it to a whisper. “She doesn´t know I left her. She can never know I was here.”

The stone around us grew cold. Cems dark eyes followed the setting sun as it drew shadows in our faces. All warmth tended to leave the cliff, circling around me in agony and seeping to the ground.

His smile brightened the dawn, warming my eyes. “I won´t tell her. Let me get you back.”

He lifted one arm to reach me, resting his hand to mine. I did not run away. The ground found him worthy, sensed a good heart, and who am I to doubt my home.

He led me back to the city, standing tall beside me, a friend in hand.

He never left my side.

 That day he showed me the beauty of the woods. Because of him, I, a stonebreeder, feel rooted. I have hope for this world and may it not be for the sake of my father who remains hidden, it certainly is for the friend I found in a stone cold grave.

They say you never forget your roots, but I did. I had to, to move on. To see that everything is connected.

 ~

Thank you so much for reading, I hope to read some of your attempts too. Have a wonderful day :)

If you want to know how the story continues, make sure to read the sequels. Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.

[oldsoulfran]

Within (”Cem” sequel)

This is the third part of the story around Cem, the elements and the nameless girl. In case you missed the first two parts, you can read them here and here.

I highly appreciate your criticism. Hope you enjoy it.

Warning: Blood, suffocating

Word count: 1602

~~

Wildwaters are magnificent creatures due to the fact that they are equally the most and least human of the elements. Humans as well are composed of mostly water and the assumption that both creations may somehow be related can neither be confirmed nor denied. While being the most underexplored tribe of modern mankind there is one definition that everyone agrees upon: Wildwaters are deadly and should by any means not be approached. They haven´t been sighted in over two decades and were thought extinct. Few brave souls tried to hunt them down to learn their secrets and did not only vanish but have been forgotten ever since.

Lost lives are nothing new in these times of war and apathy, but have recently been overlooked instead of mourned. The previous society is no longer, and ever since our ancestors lived through the Big Quake, survival has been our only aim.

I can relate. Being trapped in a collapsed cavity way underground with your soulmate suffocating by your side, and the weight of stone on your chest while facing a nameless dark source, puts things in perspective. We had to go through this.

More so if this monstrosity had the face of death and demanded information.

Information on a girl that, frankly said, had put us in this situation.

 The sparks were twirling around my head, casting spotted shadows on the grimace, leaving me questioning whether I hallucinated or not. My chest could hardly lift itself, my lungs screamed for air. Our short breaths filled the space with even more light. The face came even closer.

“The girl”, it commanded, vibrating in the blood-streaked water and, strange enough, pulsating within me.

Cem could only see my face, with his mostly emerged in water. He would be the first to die, if not from choking or drowning then certainly from angry rocks or roots. Our time was almost up. The moonwaves were about to flood the site.

“Ida” I mouthed, wincing in pain. “I know her.”

The water around us both flared and calmed, now bathing Cems lips with its foul waves. The air that managed to pump into my lungs was all funk, no supply.

“I can take you.. to see Ida” I gasped under heavy breaths. “We need to breathe. The cave below.. please.. air.”

Cem spat in my face, foaming up the warm bath we decayed in.

Then slowly, falling. Surrounded by warmth and ease. Then again, stone and nervous fingers palming my face. The rocks humming in my back. Sporadic coughing and panting, swearing too.

Cem.  

His body slid aside and was no longer within reach. I had to make sure he was okay, but I couldn´t get up. The pain in my chest was now so severe that breathing became nearly impossible, even more so than before. My lips grew numb and as I turned my head I knew why – the wildwaters still sat on my chest.

They had several faces with no body, all blurred with one exception: One of them looked almost human. And I could sense worry in it for some reason. Too bad I could no longer talk.

“Please, leave her be” Cem pled. “We want to help. We can´t help when you harm her.” His raspy voice resonated around me, a few sparks of warm light from afar.

The wildwaters spread over my shoulders to my neck, covering half of my body.

“Help her, for Ida”, said Cem soundless. “We won´t fight you.”

I closed my eyes as air flooded my lunges and my chest regained space, sending bright white sparks from my lips. The numbness resigned from within, flushing my muscles with new strength. The ground beneath me warmed up, gently embracing my back. The wildwaters ceased to flow over my skin and settled on the stone between Cem and me, merging with themselves. As I recovered, droplets reshaped into something seemingly human. They looked like an old woman, kneeling beside us. Their expressions were no longer maimed, but finally pictured the trouble in a familiar face.

“Ida is your daughter”, I realized and finally lifted myself up. A look around convinced me that we must have sank back into the cave I once brought the fluff faced kid in. It was fully drained. Cem dragged himself next to me and leaned in to shield me from the person beside us.

“What did you do to her?” he warily asked while grabbing my arm tight. “Is she hurt?”

“I heal”, said the women, her small hands wrapped around her arms. “She is fine.”

Cem now turned away from her and searched my face for anything to blame her for, a nick in my skin or a bruise on my neck. I tried to concentrate on him, but couldn´t. Voices resonated in my head, whispering from the rocks, long forgotten words from their past selves in a pattern I couldn´t understand. Cems hands now touched my face. The stone beneath me lowered their humming and silenced after sending a final thought – she means no harm.

I turned to Cem. “I´m good and so is she.”

The dried blood on the corner of his mouth peeled off as he cracked a tired smile. “We don´t know that.”

“We do.” With a hand on the ground I asked the rocks to lift me to my feet and as they did, I approached the woman. “The rocks say you mean no harm and I believe them, but they may be wrong. I have to be sure. Who are you?”

“I am a mother to the daughter you know as Ida”, she answered, gaze firmly on her hands. “And I am what your people call wildwaters.” She looked up with sharp featured lips. “My name is Ori.”

“Why do you want to know where Ida is?” Cem asked. “Why ask us?”

“This war at Melting Pot, where few survive, it tires me. The dead don´t speak. And you”, she pointed at Cem “You have her stench on you.”

Cem didn´t respond, I wasn´t even sure he´d been listing. He was still sitting with his upper body hunched over his knees. His hands grabbed his thighs hard, revealing white knuckles. He was in more pain than he could handle and he hasn´t been well the past weeks either. My heart grew louder in my chest.

Then it struck me.

“Why won´t you heal him? He is injured and can bring you to Ida.” I was shaking. She may not mean harm, but she wasn´t helping either.

“If I heal him”, she responded “He will never tell me where she is.”

Her gaze rested on me, wise and old beyond time. The colour of her eyes seemed to change and for a moment I wasn´t even sure if I could remember their colour and doubted I´ve ever seen it before. Waves of calmness ran through me. At the same time, the rocks screamed sharp in my bones.

“Don´t sooth my anger, Ori”, I hissed. She wouldn´t wash away my resistance. “The moonwaves are here. Soon there will be chaos all around us and even you won´t be able to stop it!”

She closed her eyes, gently rocking back and forth. “You must be friends with the rocks. Never before have I seen someone survive so long within them.”

“The rocks are my home. We are equals.” My voice was too bitter to be manipulated.

“Then you should be able to return to your home unharmed”, she concluded, nodding slowly. “And you can take me with you.”

“They won´t hold you. I can only hold one other person…” I fell silent. “You have to abandon your human figure. That is the only way we can escape this cave.”

Cem now fell to his knees, cramming his hands in my hips. Still not a word from him, only desperate gasping. I sat down beside him and pressed him against me, glaring at Ori. “And quick. You wasted enough of our time, wildwaters.”

“Hold my hand and don´t let go.” She hesitated. “I never learned your name.”

“You may someday if we make it out of here.” I laid Cem down and hugged him, it wasn´t ideal but we had to try.

Ori reached for my hand, the ocean in her eyes. As my fingers touched her skin, she melted into a faceless mass of drops, curling into a ball of water. Seconds later, cold spikes pierced my hand as I held a clump of ice.

“I will learn your name sooner or later, stonebreeder”, whispered a warm sensation in my flesh. “Now, go with the rocks.”

 We fled the cave unharmed and managed to reach our hideout before the full moon.

Ori reshaped as Cem curled beside me, now moaning in pain. I pled the rocks to sooth him and also tried to call for leaves and roots but failed. Woodlings never accepted me as their friend and have been avoiding me ever since a particularly exhausting dive a few weeks back. So without any help, I could only hold him and listened to his sobs. Fear waited on the corners of my eyes, trying to pull me in. I was not strong enough to get help and sleep was tearing me down beside Cem.

Every time I pled for Ori to heal him, she looked at me and I calmed, having to regain my despair to call her out again. When sunrise came Cems head rested against my chest, his breath flat and weak.

For one final demand I turned to Ori. I would not let him die.

But Ori was gone.

~~

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading <3

To keep up with Cem and his nameless friend, read Part 4 and Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.

[oldsoulfran]

Whatever happens (”Cem” sequel)

It´s the fourth part of the story revolving around Cem, the elements and the nameless girl inspired by a prompt from @caffeinewitchcraft ´s Caffeine Challenges. In case you missed the prequel, make sure to read the first, second and third part. 

I hope you enjoy it :)

Word count: 1235

~~

I always loved the light during a full moon. It had such strong contrast to the everlasting orange glace that soaked the world during the day.

But seeing Cems face in these shades, no longer ashen but white, I wished for nights to never be again.

 “So what is it? What are you hiding from me?”

Cem opened his eyes, his lashes brushed against my hands. I had to hold his head upright so the vines wouldn´t cover it as well. Ivy now coated all of his body up to his neck and if I wasn´t so sure it was to keep him warm, I would have thought they did it to protect his body once he died – which seemed inevitable.

“What is it?” I echoed, no longer able to stop my voice from shaking. “You´re dying and I can´t help you.” Tears filled my eyes.  “I need to know, please. Don´t go without telling me.”

I stopped looking for Ori hours ago. Even with her gone, I was still under her influence. Although my body was healed, my soul was heavy and dragged me down, fogging not only my view. My muscles were calm while my bones were screaming. It was exhausting. But I was still desperate enough to hold on to Cem. So I did.

“I… I promised not to tell.” Cems lips hardly moved as he spoke and I had to lean in to understand him. “Ida, she told me what would happen, if...”

“If what?”

His dry tongue danced in his mouth, so I gave him the last sip of water that was left. “She made me swear not to tell you.” He tried to smile. “What we know, it is more important than to hide your name from this world.”

My fingers clawed into his hair, making him groan. There was something this important and he wouldn´t tell me?

“Do I want to know? Because it sounds like I should.”

“Later”, he said, frowning in despair.

“You will be gone later.” I tried to calm my voice. “Even the woodlings know that you´re dying.”

“I don´t want them to worry.”

“Well, you´re doing a horrible job at that”, came a voice from behind me.

My once rapid reflexes failed me and so it took a while to turn for the sound. No one was there. The rocks were mumbling, but wouldn´t tell me who was near. My heart sank in my chest. How many more secrets? I was so tired of it all.

“Just show yourself, whoever you are”, I resigned. “We don´t mean harm.”

“Oh, I know you don´t. You two are a bunch of miserable bones, you know that?!”

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn´t point my finger at it. Still, I was done playing games. I betted Cems head on a smooth stone and finally got up. “What do you want?”

Cem gasped before I had to change to take a look at the person beside us. Ida smiled at me.

“Glad to see you too, dear.”

 “You!” I felt my muscles tensing, shacking of the calmness and flooding with rage. “What do you have to do with all this?” I moved towards her, with heavy bones and a clear head. Still, I was too slow. When I reached the spot she was at a moment ago, I heard her voice behind me. Ida settled next to Cem, reaching for his head.

“Don’t you dare! touch! him!”

The ground beneath me exploded, sending waves of basalt towards her. The stones hit her chest, dragging her away from him. My jaw cheered in excitement.

“So that´s what no harm looks like to you”, Ida sneered. “You don´t understand...” She tried to get up. Now Ivy wrapped around her arms.

Cem looked surprised, then terrified. “It wasn´t me”, he clarified, his bloodless cheeks all of a sudden blushed with the lightest shade of red. “The woodlings...”

A root merged from the ground, pushing pebbles aside while grabbing Ida’s leg.

The taunt vanished from her face, leaving her astonished. “No, let me explain...”

“Your mother is wildwaters”, I forced myself to state, kneeling to get a grip on the rocks that bound her chest. They got a little too excited. “She´s not to trust. And she´s looking for you. So yeah, you better explain, and quick.”

Whispering in my bones as I gave the order to hold back the roots. Soon after, the ground vibrated slightly, wrestling off woodlings.

With Cem dying they no longer seemed to listen to him or worse - they tried to keep him save. With Ida as a thread, whatever she was, that was nothing I was going to risk.

She looked desperate, and genuine so. Something wasn´t adding up. I once again came to wonder how little I knew about her.

“It is... okay”, Cem said, his head firm on the smooth stone. “Let her go, she´ll tell you.” More blood shot into his head as he tried to lift his body upwards. As the ivy held him back, he seemed even more lost.

“I´m not like my mother if that’s what you think.” Ida clenched her fists, pressing against the tendrils. “And I will prove that to you as soon as you free me.” She hung her head, resigned. “Now, please...”

Cem on the ground, too weak to stand, not alive enough to calm the woodlings. Ori gone, still sucking on my strength, still lingering in my system. And now Ida, back from weeks of roaming the wood and without a care in the world. It was all too much.

“We could have done so much more good without you”, I screamed. “But with you around, Cem was lost.”

“That´s not true! You both did so well.” She now hissed at me. “You were out there every single night. I barely saw him and when I did, you were always around, circling us like a hawk.” Anger dropped from her eyes, soaking her cheeks. “All I wanted was time with him and you even took that.”

“You´re the worst thing that ever happened to him. After you left without telling, he fell apart. You´re to blame for  ...”

“I´m the best thing that ever happened to him!” Ida lowered her gaze to where Cem was at. “And he´s the best that ever happened to me.” Her face lost all tension, her features appeared warm and affectionate. “And I...” She compressed her trembling lips.

“Please, don´t fight. I´m too weak... for this.” The look on his face took me aback. Never before have I seen such disappointment, at least not meant for me. He looked away and observed Ida.

“I didn´t tell her”, he wept. “That´s your job. And I´m tired of lying. And I don´t care what you found out or how ready you are. Do it, Ida. For me.”

Even the rocks paused as my heart skipped a beat. He lied to me? But how could he? I turned to Cem, who still wouldn´t look at me. None of them did.

“What are you hiding from me, both of you?” Exhaustion hunted rage hunted resignation inside me.

Ida pursed her lips, then cracked a smile clearly to cover her nervousness. „I´m not just something in between the wildwaters and the humans. I´m more than that.” Shadows casted her face. “I know your name. And I know what to do with it.”

~~

Please let me know whether you liked it or not. This time I tried to include less narrating and more dialouge. There are two, maybe three more sequels following this one, depending on how well I can resolve the story. 

Tagging @spicychickencows and @elleleuthold

Thanks for reading!

Klick here for Part 5 and Part 6, Part 7.