Bʀᴏᴋᴇɴ Hᴀʀᴍᴏɴʏ || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ: Fᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Bᴇᴀsᴛs Bᴏᴏᴋ Oɴᴇ

ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ || ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴɪɴɢ

Lenori

Since my discovery of the Evertree's Rot, everything had been on edge.

The strangest thing of it all?

I hadn't had a vision in months.

Since being transferred to care for the new life force of Erdas, in fact. I thought it would be the opposite, that being so close to the heart of the world would strengthen my foresight. But my days hadn't been disturbed since I arrived. Myriam was on edge. I was enjoying the silence.

Until today, it seemed.

Nothing good ever lasted, as Olvan would've said.

I was just heading out to check on the young Evertree when I was hit with the feeling of falling through space. A lot of them started like that. And of course, my natural instinct was to flail.

But my limbs were trapped. Something, cool, sticky, was wrapped around my entire body. I couldn't move. I screamed for help.

"Find me!"

The call echoed back, my own voice distorted. The ground shook, as if someone– or something– heavy had stepped onto it. I strained to see what it was.

A great, hairy leg stepped into my view. I held back a shriek as another reached over and turned me slowly. My view expanded and I took in the massive spiderweb I appeared to be trapped in.

And the spider that crouched in front of me.

It clicked its pincers at me, and my own strangled voice came out of it. "Find me. Find me."

"We did!" I spat back. "We did and you betrayed us! You ripped them apart!"

The spider hissed. Its eyes flashed. "No! Remember!"

"I do remember!" I replied, frustrated and terrified. "You said–"

Find the eight. But beware the ninth.

I stopped and stared at the spider. "The ninth. We found the ninth."

The spider clicked its pincers. "Find me!" It repeated.

"Lizzie was the ninth." I whispered. "You're the eighth. We have to find you."

The spider hissed.

"Where are you? Where can I find you?" I asked frantically. My vision was shrinking again. The world was tilting. "You have to tell me!"

The spider blinked its milky eyes. "Find me." It repeated quietly, in a voice that was no longer my own. "Find me..."

Wham!

I was slammed back to reality. My eyes burst open, immediately accosted by the bright sunlight overhead. I sat up slowly.

Myriam uttered a throaty murmuring sound as they hurried up.

"I'm okay." I answered my spirit animal distractedly. It was certainly not the first time I'd fainted during a vision, but it had been a while since it had happened.

Myriam tapped my thigh uncertainly with their beak as I stood.

"Of course I'm going to tell Olvan." I retorted. "It's a prophecy. He's always been better at figuring them out." I sighed in response to the pointed look the ibis threw my way. "He does have a lot on his plate, it seems."

I turned back toward my cottage, Myraim at my side as I made my way back. "Maybe I could just send a letter to Tyler with the full details. Then he could decide what to do."

Myraim clicked their talons indignantly.

"Right, because you have a better idea?" I glared at the bird. "Let's hear it, then."

Met with only silence, I rolled my eyes. "I thought so." I sank into the chair pulled up to the wooden table, and reached for the quill that lay in the table's centre.

Myriam nudged the parchment closer so I could reach it. They watched with a haughty look as I dipped the quill into the inkwell.

"Tyler," I spoke aloud as I wrote, letters flowing across the parchment as I went. "I hope all is well back in Greenhaven. I'm afraid I have unfortunate news– and no, I do not believe it is related to the Evertree situation." I paused and brushed the feather over my chin as I thought.

Myriam had settled on the opposite side of the table. They cocked their head at me, as if thinking as well.

"I have recently had another vision, and it concerns the Chosen Eight. It appears that there is another child– the true spider, who we have not yet found. I do not know where they are, who they are, or whether they are safe. But they must be found in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled. I send this letter to you and not Olvan because I trust you will inform him when the time is right." I finished the line with a flourish and quickly added, "Best of luck. Lenori."

I sprinkled salt over the ink to let it dry, then stood to make myself a cup of tea. "I'll send one of the crows out to him as soon as its dry." I said, speaking more to myself than anyone else.

I'd developed that– talking to myself– as a rather bad habit from living alone for the past while. Myriam never seemed to mind, and I liked to think that it was good for the Evertree to hear my voice every once in a while.

"He'll tell Olvan." I sat back down, my tea in my hands, and met Myraim accusatory gaze steadily. "He's always been a stickler for rules. At least, that's how I remember him." I shrugged. "Maybe he's changed. Either way, we're not going behind his back."

Myriam blinked at me. They made that same throaty murmur at me.

I chuckled. "We've all changed, Myr. Especially you."

The bird ruffled their feathers at that, preening them back into place as if it would prove a point.

"Come on, you know what I mean." I set down my tea and picked up the letter, shaking any access salt off of it. I stood and whistled.

A small pigeon responded to the call, soaring in through the open window and alighting on my outstretched hand. It held out a leg. I rolled up the letter and placed it inside the watertight capsule. "Take that to Tyler back in Greenhaven." I instructed. The bird chirped before taking off.

"See?" I placed my hands on my hips and turned back to Myriam. "I know what I'm doing."

If they could've rolled their eyes, I'm sure the ibis would've done it. Instead they settling for stretching out their wings and sending me a pointed look.

I reached over and smoothed an errant feather. "But yes. You're right. I just hope he gets the message in time."

29/05/21
here it is!!!
you guys are in for a treat today ;)
enjoy!!
stay safe my lovelies xx