Falling In The Dark (On Hold)

4 | The Crystal Ballroom

Song title that inspired this chapter: The Crystal Ballroom by U2

To anyone out there that's interested, I'm currently looking for someone who would be interested in helping me edit this story. Reward posted at the end of the chapter.

Unedited.
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Outside the city, Wind beckoned for the three souls to load onto a cloud to take them to their first task. Each of them took her hand and allowed her to pull them up without hesitation, unlike the first time they met. Once they were all boarded, Wind urged the cloud to move to the east, over the ocean they crossed to reach the city, where the three would find their first task.

Wind personally found this task interesting and looked forward to watching the events of the place unfold. It wasn't a particularly difficult quest, at least not in comparison to the ones that were to come. But Wind began to fear for these young souls the more she thought. Perhaps they hadn't the skills that their survival would depend on, and then three unfinished lives would be thrown away.

The farther east they headed, the colder and frostier the air became; the wind picked up, tiny snowflakes flew around heads, and the temperature dropped so low Wind could see Lyndon, Brynlee, and Jarrett's breath whenever they talked. The cloud's speed also increased, causing the strength of the wind to, too.

A snow storm advanced towards them, guarding the island they were to enter. The shore of the land became nearly impossible to cross onto, as the more they pressed on the more the wind cut and sliced to push them backwards.

It was as if the elements of this world were possessed and contained their own personality, which confused Lyndon. How could things that contained no living parts control themselves? Unless, perhaps, they were being controlled by something or someone. . . .

"Hop off!" Wind yelled, her voice strained over the loud, screaming storm. "We'll reach the shore quicker on the ice."

Jarrett snorted. "In the process of falling and breaking our backs because of the wind?"

"Jarrett," Lyndon said, "you're as dumb as a rock, I think I'd trust the lady."

"Excuse me-"

"Stop," Wind commanded. "Your brother did bring up a valid point, Lyndon, but you all must trust me. If you look down there" - she pointed down to the icy ocean - "you will notice the storm is not as severe as it is up here."

"Why's that?" Bryn asked.

"The wind is a form of defense system for the people of this island. It's what they use to fend off intruders, and usually said intruders enter on flying transportation like birds, clouds, etcetera. Not all, though. Some come in on boats, but the ice sinks them. So really there is no need to have a storm down there."

"It's like alive, though. Won't it follow us or something?" Bryn asked.

"The transportation - in our case the cloud - yes. But if I lower it and hop off" - Wind willed the cloud to go down as far as it could, dropping hundreds off feet - "then we should be able to escape without being noticed."

The border between the storm and the gentle push of the wind and snow was distinct now, and Lyndon felt safer than before.