Emerald Knight

Chapter 6

Esmeralda's POV

It feels weird just sitting there with eyes closed while someone holds your hand. I don't like sitting with eyes closed. Hopefully I am not committing a mistake trusting this wizard. But he did heal Rodan. I should give it a go, even if to just indulge the whims of an old man. Rodan needs to work on his breathing, he is breathing so heavily, no wonder its difficult for him to hunt. Nothing is happening, I wonder if Azlor knows what he is doing. Well it isn't hurting me so far.

What is that?!

I felt like..like...a caress?

There is no other word for it, but it didn't feel like an ordinary caress...it felt as if someone was trying to go to the very depth of my thoughts. Touching them softly, as if asking for permission. I already did give permission for a read.

I try to open my mind to the possibility of someone reading my mind, going through my thoughts. But it seems as if something is fighting the invasion of my privacy, fighting the invasion of my very core itself. I try to subdue the fight, Azlor did say that he might get hurt during the process. I try and try but whatever it is, is stronger than I can comprehend, it even fights me. Is it even me that's fighting myself?

But why would I fight myself?

This is confusing, I am starting to develop a headache.

Why is it so dark so suddenly??!

Whats happening?!

Its all blacking out, as if everything is plunging into a deep dark bottomless well. I cant breath, I need to breath. He said it wont hurt me, whats happening. I feel trapped, unable to move. Theres no air here, its suffocating me. The darkness is coming from all around me. It is encroaching upon everything. I cant even see any light anywhere, and my fall hasn't stopped yet. Will I die here? Trapped in my own mind, unable to breathe, talk, or move a single muscle. Everyone dies someday, I never thought I would die like this. The darkness is too dense, it doesn't even seem like absence of light any more, but something more. It has a life of its own. A pulsating mass wrapping itself all around me, trying to drown me in its dark depths. I try to breath, but suddenly I am no more. The dark covers me in its depths, cutting off all ties to my being, and it feels as if I am floating away. Perhaps I am dead now. I was told death is cold, but this feels like a warm cocoon. If it wasn't so dark, I might have thought of my mother's embrace.

Mother...she was beautiful. Rodan might not remember her, but I have a vague image. Or perhaps its a child's imagination trying to keep alive the memory of the being that nurtured it. But I do have that vague image in my head, and it seems it is becoming clearer now. I can even smell her perfume, that perfect mix of night queen flowers and sandal wood. Her image is getting clearer and clearer, I can even see the tiny scar she had on her right eyebrow. I gave her that scar, while she was showing me her arrows. I was intrigued and swung it like a kid can do, and accidently nicked her eyebrow. Her image seems so realistic as if she wasn't just a memory and was standing right in front of me. I can see her lips moving, she is trying to talk to me!
Mother!!

After all these years I might be able to hear her sweet voice. I scream louder, MOTHER!!!

But she is still too far, I can't hear her, I can see her lips moving, but not a sound can be heard. Perhaps this blackness swallows everything, and not even sounds can make their presence known. I have come so far, I need to hear her voice again. I try harder than ever before to concentrate on her image before me. It might be a mirage but to hear her voice again, I would do all I can.

I concentrate, I try to think of all the memories I have of her, they aren't many, but they are the most precious. Suddenly it feels as if the weight is lifting, and the darkness around me isn't so suffocating anymore. The warm cocoon is still there, but now it really does feel like my mother's embrace. I open my eyes and indeed my mother is by my side, that soft smile on her face. She looks even more beautiful than ever. She smiles and the darkness seems to shy away from her radiance. The darkness is interspersed with tiny specks of light, making it look like a starry sky, where my mother is the moon.

Why is she just smiling at me, why wouldn't she say something?!
I feel as if tears have choked me, and I can't utter a word. I try to break the silence but it is too hard. The tears have lodged in my throat and my tongue is frozen. Two tears break free from the prison of my eyes and I find my voice,

"Mother, is it really you?"

She nods, but then tries to speak. It seems she is facing the same difficulty I had. Suddenly she lifts her head and rushes to hug me.

"Dear darling Esmeralda, how I miss you my child. The old one is kind, but a mother is never complete without her child. If I could I would be back with you and Rodan. "

"We miss you mother, why did you leave us?"

"I wish I could explain Esmeralda, but I am afraid we don't have much time. But there is something important that you need to know."

"More important than knowing about my mother?"

" Esmeralda I promise that someday I will tell you everything, but you need to listen to me. There's nothing and no one in all of the heavens that I love more than you and rodan. So please listen to me."

I can't even doubt her, her whole being seems to radiate the depth of her truth.

"I believe you mother. We love you too, its just that it would have been better to have you by our side"
"I am always here for you Esmeralda, and I always will be, in ways that you perhaps can't contemplate now, but I will always be with you. Now listen carefully. It isn't time yet but if I would trust anyone it would be Azlor. When its time, don't disclose. Azlor will guide you, he is an old friend."

"You know Azlor?"

"Yes, and someone I completely trust. Just remember, it isn't time yet, and trust Azlor."

"Time for what? Where are you going?"

She seems to be fading away in a cloak of white light. I shout for her, 'Mother wait" but it seems she doesn't have anymore control of this than I have. And I hear her last whisper,

"Goodbye Esmeralda, I will always love you."

And she fades away completely with that whisper. And instead of suffocating darkness I am in a field of wild brumble brushes. Their long green stalks, and brush like numerous white flowers at each stalk bend with the wind. Their movement seem as enchanting as a dance. Swirling and bowing with the wind. I am dazed by the sudden light. My mother's sudden departure rips my heart out, yet I am enchanted by the dance of brumble brushes. I wonder why I am here, and where is 'here' anyway...I can hear a rivulet somewhere near. The wind itself is getting stronger by the minute. Clouds cover the sky and fat droplets of rain start falling. I can see no place to use as shelter, there isn't even a tree in sight. I look at the mountains on my far right, perhaps there is cave there or boulder that I can take shelter behind. I wonder how long is this going to last, wasn't it supposed to be a read, then what is happening.

As I reach near the mountains, a green mist surrounds me from all sides. It has a threatening yet protective glow to it. And my mother's word keep on repeating in my head, "it isn't time yet.."  I am getting sleepy, what is this mist anyway. It has stopped raining and the mist surrounds me, and I drift off. The last thing I see, a pair of glowing emerald eyes.

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A/N

It isn't time for what?

Seriously Esmeralda's mother is so vague...but the story is getting warmer! :D

I promised you a quick update and here it is, hope you liked it. Do let me know what you think in the comments.

Press that little star button, and make my day. <3

Azlor's POV coming soon!