Reminiscent: A Collection

Awakening

*Please note that I wrote this gift an English project, but it kind of turned out tho good. So....yeah*

I woke up and immediately wished I was sleeping again. It could have been minutes, hours, or days since the breeze at the very top of Death's Canyon ruffled my hair, but now the air was dry and stale. I was on the ground again.

"You shouldn't have done that Taalin," a voice said by my side, "and you know it."

"Shut up Baizyl."

I knew it was her, even without looking. It was that aloof way in which she spoke.

I sat up and wasn't surprised to see that it was Baizyl sitting next to my bed.

"I don't know why you felt the need to do what you did," she whispered, sounding hurt. "I wish you hadn't."

I pushed the overly warm sheets out of my way. I mean, of course they were warm. Everything in Firefall is "warm", but these felt like they had just been pulled off the clothesline.

"How long?" I asked, peeling myself from the bed and getting to my feet.

"Four days," Baizyl said in a stiff voice. "You'd better be ready for when Arcayne hears that you're up."

I shrugged it off; Arcayne would be forgiving.

In the corridor, I could smell Mrs. Haayes' cooking. I couldn't tell exactly what she was making, but I was HUNGRY. The last thing I ate was a carrot right before we started the climb to the highest peak of Death's Canyon.

Staring at myself in the mirror (which, maddeningly, I had to stand on my tiptoes to do), I felt grimy. Strands of my long hair were poking out of my ponytail in every direction. My bare chest was streaked with red dirt and my golden eyes looked dead. I had bags under my eyes so deep that I probably could have carried a bushel of apples in them.

One thing that I did like was that the amulet still hung around my neck. It was a small, hand-carved thing that was shaped like a harp. The word Alcatyre was printed across the smoothe edge of it in fancy script. I don't remember the where, the when, or the why, but I do remember who gave it to me. She was a small girl with long blond hair and was of similar age of me. We shared the same golden eyes and the sharp nose. Her name was Maryll.

"Taalin!"

His arms wrapped around me before I even had the chance to see him.

"Arcayne!" I gasped, struggling for air. "Glad to see you too."

Arcayne squeezed a bit tighter. "I thought we were done for!"

I tried to apologize for putting him through that, but my lungs didn't quite feel connected to my airpipe at the moment.

Abruptly, he pushed me away from him and I whirled around to face him. Arcayne grasped both of my shoulders. He seemed to be studying me carefully with his dark eyes.

"No," Arcayne stated finally.

"What?" I demanded.

"Taalin, tell me you're not planning on doing that again!"

I remained silent.

"No, Taalin, no! I can't do that again!"

"Arcayne," I uttered slowly. "I saw something while we were falling. We have to try it again. At least one more time. We're this close to Articanna."

It was at that moment that the door shuddered and bursted open.

"I knew it," Baizyl screeched, marching her way into the shower room. "I knew it!"