The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Seven · · · Tapalla

The Deadwood, Gazar/Road to Mayno

WHEN TAPALLA HAD FIRST SAW MONTA SHE HAD JUMPED OUT OF HER SKIN. The skin on his face, under his eyes, next to his ears, and front of his scalp was torn apart. She was at first horrified, but she looked at his fingers she knew what happened.

The mognog's noise, which she was surprised that she couldn't hear, was making him claw at his face for it to stop. Knowing this, Tapalla had decided to help him. Fix him. And she did. She made the blood and scratches go away, though he would still have scars, and helped relocate his shoulders.

Tapalla watched him peacefully sleep next to her, or on top of her she should say. She sat in the middle of small circular room with his head on her lap. The side of Monta's head was touching her stomach and she could feel heating up. It was just a fever. Another side effect from the tanala herb.

As she waited for Monta to wake up, Tapalla drew swirls in the dirt. Little trails of grass followed her finger making a piece of art. When she drew a flower, the best she could though it wasn't very good,  she closed her eyes and focused on it becoming a real life flower. This was the same thing she had done when she grew the tanala herb in front of Monta's eyes.

Concentrating as hard as she could, Tapalla shut her eyes harder put her hand on the ground and she felt the flower's cool stem under her finger tips. She opened her eyes and saw the powen flower, Lotna's native flower. She missed Jadon leaving one on her window sill every morning. She had always wondered how he was able to climb up the castle wall to get to her window, but he always did somehow.

The powan's stem was a dark green, like the needles of a gaz pine. The petals of the flowers were shaped like a tear, and their ends curled and colored and the tips navy blue turning to a baby blue. The middle of the flower was a dark black filled with seeds that would soon drop to spread more flowers, but Tapalla knew they wouldn't take to soil unless she really wanted them too.

Tapalla took her hand away from the stem. She moved it towards the petal and as soon as she touched she saw a woman. No, it was a girl. She was young, about Tapalla's age. Her eyes were dark, but covered in orange and gold flakes making them look like the sun or a shooting star. Around her eyes, on top of her black skin, like night, was light blue makeup that matched her dress. Her hair was short and wavy stopping just under her ears. Crystal earrings, looking like tears, dangled from her ears. Tears hung in her eyes and she looked frightened like she was backing away from something. A shadow of a knife hung on her face and let out a scream as the knife came down.

This was when Tapalla woke up. Monta's face was a few ips away from hers, worry covering his face.

"Tapalla," he said sighing. He was relieved that she had opened her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked. She brought her hand up to rub her eyes and accidentally brushed his cheek. Monta didn't care though. He was still worried for her.

"You were seizing, shaking, I think. You were grasping the flower, turning it to dust. When you weren't waking up I...." Monta paused like he was going to say something else but then said, "I tore the flower from your grasp."

Tapalla looked to her hand and saw the withered flower about a ip away from her finger. Blue powder covered her hand.

Monta moved away from her. The light from the hole in the ceiling must have been covered by his head, because as soon as he moved the light blinded her. "Can you get up?" he asked.

Tapalla tried to pull her herself, but fell back. As quickly as he could, Monta ran behind her and hand slipped behind her back and caught her before her head hit the ground.