Tag: mystery

Whispering Death (part 10)

**Authors notes: Hello readers! I wasn’t expecting this story to go on as long as it has. Originally it was going to be a short story with several parts, yet as I keep writing it has slowly been evolving to a greater story. I hope you have been enjoying it so far and that it hasn’t been too much of a wait in between chapters. I am planning to release a weekly update of this until the end of December, where I believe it may come finally to an end. Thank you all for the comments, follows, and likes! It means so much to me and gives me more confidence to continue to write. Enjoy part 10 and we will see you again next week!**

Several messages were passed and a few questions were asked, Drina was beginning to handle the flow much better than at the start. It had taken a bit longer at the beginning, and once the people present gained confidence in her ability, they began to participate quickly. It was much harder for Drina to focus on the living, making her assistance with the staff easier to handle. All she had to do was relay between the dead and the living like a telegram. Only once did someone ask for a specific ghost was she left unanswered, leaving the guest disheartened. Drina could not please everyone, and no matter her power, there was no forcing a spirit to come forth. There was, however, a small miscalculation in performance. The more she was able to relay the messages from the other world, the more spirits began to crowd around her. 

Expanding more energy to silence them only seemed to anger them more. Unsure of how much longer she could keep up the unrest from the realm of the dead, she released the image of the ghost whom she had relayed the message to the crowd. Closing her eyes she had to catch her breath, taking a moment to collect her ether and take an assessment. Gauging her soul well, she could still go for a few more hours before she would run out of energy to continue. On the other hand, the intensity of the ghosts on the other side of the wall had become worrisome. Something was wrong. Opening her eyes once more she scanned the spirits as they slammed and bashed against the barrier. There was no way she could decipher them without wasting more energy than it was worth. 

With a nod, she decided. Addressing her audience, she cleared her throat. “The thinning of the veil is drawing near to its closure. The spirits are weary, and so I will only take one last request from the living.”

With a wave of vocal disappointment, the people seemed to understand as some began to sit down. A tall gypsy man from the festival began to make his way to the last person when a woman stood up angrily and yelled. 

“What about Marcus Vis’tacer!!”

Drina focused on the women as best as she could, irritated at the demand. Had she done something personally to upset this person, or was it just a general displacement of her emotions? The crowd stilled in silence, staring at the women. The name seemed to have meant something to the locals, as a man on the other side of the room stood up. He was not as angry as the woman, yet his stance was one in unity. He looked about his fellow townsfolk, then up towards Drina. 

“Marcus Vis’tacer!”

The simple act of him yelling the name triggered a chain reaction as several people began to stand and yell, chanting the name of this person. Drina saw as the staff trying to calm them to no avail, the rising energy soon to turn violent. Raising a hand towards the people, she waited until they quieted down. With a curious tone in her voice, she addressed them. “You all wish for me to call this person? I have no issue in honoring this request, all I ask is why?”

The woman who had first called spoke stepped forward towards the stage, the crowd around her parting to help her. Drina narrowed her eyes as she cupped her hands towards her in a plea. 

“Ma’dam, my boy. He was taken. Missing. Please, ask my boy where he is.” 

Drina gasped lightly, her jaw slack as she scanned the crowd of both the living and the dead around her. Even at the mention of the boy’s name, the ghosts stood glaring with hollow eyes. Was this the reason for their discord? Sighing heavily, she nodded. Drina was a vessel and her duty was to do as the people asked. This was enough for everyone to return to their seats, including the woman as she sat along with several others in the front. Sudden nerves got the best of Drina now that she could not disappoint. Looking through the crowd, she spotted her Ocan. What if she failed and could not reach him? Would they be safe if the crowd became restless? Catching Lulu’s arm around Ocan, she pulled her in closer to her as Drina shifted eye contact with her. She held her with a stern knowing look, nodding as if answering her doubt. Ocan would be safe with her, no matter what. Even Hestar reached out and pulled close into the two of them. 

There was nothing to be done, Drina must honor the women’s request. Looking at the sigils on her hand, she flooded them with power to check their potency. Still glowing with a dim aura, she took a steady even inhale. Determined, she focused back on the wall of waiting undead. 

“Marcus Vis’tacer, I call you. Come.” 

An unearthly chorus joined her as she made her command. The spirits stood unmoving. Again, she tried to call him, the eerie chorus of voices stronger. 

“I call you, Marcus Vis’tacer. Show yourself!”

The air stilled around Drina while the ghosts dissipated one by one before her. It was startling to see the last image of their wicked smiles before the light began to dim. The gray colorless world through her eyes became smokey with black creeping clouds that began to seep through the walls of the room. It filled the room quickly, leaving her alone in the protective sphere she had created. Drina’s heart raced with fear while she looked about. Unable to see the crowd, she worried that it had happened outside of the spirit world and into the living. Pushing to her feet, she pierced her eyes through the wall, reaching out to touch it. A sudden slam of a monstrous black fist hit the wall just before her, causing her to jump. Afraid to move outside her protection circle, she sprawled her hands to activate her sigils. Whatever this beast was, it was no longer safe. 

Preparing to dispel the entire ritual in order to break the connection completely, a small cry stopped her. Whipping her head with bewilderment, she dropped her hands. Again the beast’s hand slammed into the wall, causing Drina to shutter in pain. The force of the hit zapped the inside of her body, yet the small cry grew stronger as it called out again. At first, the beast had thrown her off, making her think Marcus had become a tainted spirit that grew corrupt with discontent. The small cry shattered that thought as it cut through the realms of both the living and the dead. How was it possible that someone who was dead could reach out in the real world as well? It dawned on her all at once as she called out towards the boy. He was still alive. 

“Marcus?!” 

Her voice was strained with surprise and concern, no longer shrouded with the ghostly presence. Calling to him had brought a small bead of light off in the distance, directing her to where he was still being held. Under her breath, Drina stood stunned. “Oh god, He’s still alive. That must be where he is.”

There wasn’t much time to react as the beast roared loudly at her. The sounds of the cry sent tendrils of pain throughout her ear and deep within her mind. Covering her ears, she yelped at the sudden attack. The beast furiously began to pound against the barrier with both its claws. The electric shock pulsed several times, dropping her to her knees. With a cough, she spat out blood onto the stage. The sight of her own blood terrified Drina. If she didn’t stop this beast, it would break from the veil and into the real world. Glancing up towards the wall, she saw the glinting eyes of the beast as it crushed down on the protection shield she set up. Rolling from her knees to her bottom, she quickly dipped her finger in her blood and began to mark her arm, drawing symbols to connect to the sigils. 

In a last-ditch attempt to strengthen her barrier, she focused all her energy on her hands. The red paint and blood began to glow brightly, sending her ether flow in a rush to the sphere around her. The cracks began to meld, fixing the damage that had now been dealt. Without hesitation, she then began to break the connection of her energy from her eyes and ears. It should have been simple enough to disconnect, yet as she tried there was no change. Whatever presence involved had her forcibly connected, unable to break sever her flowing ether. Confirming her suspicions, the beast began to chuckle. Drina’s eyes widened, her body trembling with fear. This spirit was bound to Marcus’s soul, and by calling him she had leeched herself to it. Unless she found Marcus, there was no breaking the bond. 

The beast lifted it’s paws, slamming it against the barrier once more. Amping up the shield in anticipation, Drina’s powers weren’t enough to stop it from shattering several cracks throughout the sphere. Keeping as much focus as she could, she cried out from the pain while still holding her hands out towards the walls. Tears fell from her eyes, as she glared with hatred towards the beast. She would rather die than let him break free from the plane of the dead. The beast lifted its paws for another attack, and as Drina released more energy into the wall, a small black shadow howled with a leap into the circle unhindered. With a startled cry out, Drina pulled her feet away from the hellhound that stood in front of her. Laughing with overwhelming joy, she held her energy into the wall as the mutt growled at the beast. 

This had been the first time she had ever seen one outside of its physical form. Black charred skin covered its entire body, bulging layers of charred skin protruded over its eye sockets. The hound’s teeth came out from the sides of the jaw, oversized and jagged. Saliva dripped constantly from its teeth, tearing holes in the realm as it sucked the energy from whatever it touched. This was how it ate from the soul well of its owners, and the fact that it stood protecting her meant that it was a stray from its master. Drina was grateful nonetheless as the mutt began to bark back at the beast. Smirking, Drina tilted her head cockily at the beast. The task it was trying to accomplish was hindered, meaning this battle was over. Slowly it withdrew from the wall fading into the black shadowy smoke. With a sigh of relief, Drina dropped her arms to her lap to rest. The hound then turned around to sit in front of her. 

The spiritual form of the dog was horrifying, even more so as it stuck its face closer to hers to check on her. With its slimy snake-like tongue, it slithered along its teeth hungrily. Right, Drina thought, it wanted payment. Raising a brow at the mutt, she reached out to pet it on the head, a way of her agreeing to its terms. Hastily it began to lick her face. Drina hated the feeling as it lapped its chilling tongue against her cheek and eyelids. The more it ate, the clearer the room had become as the haze depleted and the audience had fully returned to her sight. Everyone had stood up at this point, watching with confusion and fear as the staff stood in a line across the stage to block anyone from approaching. Drina looked about the stage to see the candles had blown out and the puddle of her blood had been real. Pushing the furry mutt away, she quickly stood up to use the last of her sight. The small shimmer of light where Marcus could be seen in her remaining spiritual eye. Turning back to the crowd she shouted over them.

“What lies in the southeast from here? Forest? Farmland?

A young lad spoke up here as everyone silenced in shock. 

“There is an old distillery a ways away from here.”

Locking eyes with the lad, she needed to act quickly. whatever she woke up was now on its way to finish the boy. “Take me. Marcus is still alive.”

Whispering Death (part 9)

Standing behind the doorway, Drina took a few deep breaths. This was it, it was the moment she had been dreading since agreeing to the terms of her contract. When was the last time she willingly let her power flow without restriction? Other than her loss of control of her emotions, this had been different. To be able to let it truly loose and to stand like a horse trainer in the center of the ring while directing the flow with a whip, making it turn and twist as she pleased was a concept she had never dreamed of. And to top it off, to do it while others watched in awe as she showed them her unpracticed skill in hopes to give them a show of a lifetime. Maybe Drina had bitten off more than she could chew. Alas, it didn’t matter much now. There was no turning back. Opening her eyes, she swallowed hard. Time for the show. 

Releasing her control, it was like a flow of water letting go from a clogged creek. It was refreshing as the air began to suddenly cool around her, causing an unnatural fog to form along the floor. Spreading it further, she held fast to the presence of the ghosts, waiting until she was ready before calling them forth. Their whispers gnawed at the back of her mind with eagerness, knowing that soon they would be allowed to pass through the barrier of the plains. Wait, she mentally pressed, wait a little longer. The ghosts had no sense of a dramatic flare. Waiting a few moments to listen as the crowd began to make comments at the sudden chill in the air, she smirked. Grabbing unto the flow of the energy, she placed her voice into the ether. With it now detached, it spread throughout the air in a distortion, breaking it up to hide her true presence as she spoke. Spirits unable to wait, joined in adding an eerie undertow of whispers. Some spoke different words, others mimicking Drina’s own. 

“So, you have come to speak with the dead? Loved ones long past, waiting on the other side to reunite by your side? A daughter, brother, cousin perhaps?” 

Drina paused a moment, taking a moment to revel in the sound of her voice bouncing around the room before her. With a melodic chuckle, she continued to build the tension. 

“Very well. But be warned, the spirits are restless tonight.” 

Pulling her voice back from the flow, she reached into her small pouch at her hip, pulling out a white powder. Gently she pulled back the curtain at the entrance and blew on the powder. It connected with the breeze, catching the drift into the room and spiraling wildly about, filling the room as they grew into tiny sparkling stars that hovered about the room. Inside the tent now looked like the night sky, the only piece missing was the moon. Drina didn’t have the parlor trick to create something that big so this would have to do. Now ready to walk inside, she released the spirits from the wall. Whispers began to fill the air as the chill grew ever more around her. Shadows began to creep along the corners of the walls and floor, darkening the light of the candles and torches. Holding the curtain sides, she took one more deep breath in before pulling them apart to step in. 

No one had noticed her at first as they looked about to see what was to come next. Only a few that had been looking behind had spotted her with a gasp. Like a spark, it set a flow of heads turning to face her while she slowly began to walk to the front of the stage. In her peripherals, she spotted Ocan sitting beside Hestar and Lulu, her eyes lit with wonder. Don’t look, Don’t look, Don’t look! It took everything in her to not make eye contact and to look past everyone as if she was not on the same plan as them. The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves with curiosity as she stopped midway. Pressing her finger to her lips, she shhed them softly. It was hard not to laugh as they stopped suddenly, all listening in as hard as they could to hear what she could. Releasing her control, she looked about the room to spot the now visible spirits floating about. 

With a smile, she lifted her hands at her sides as if she was feeling the rain against her skin. Using her sigils on her hands, she tapped her ether into them as they gave a dim red glow. With a wave of gasps, the ghosts were now visible out of nowhere for everyone to see.  They danced, flew, and even interacted with the crowd as she waited for them to make their way around her. It was as if they were puppets with a mind of their own, her string tethering them to keep a safe distance from touching anyone. A few people reached out in hopes to feel them, which caused them fad out by her will to avoid contact, only to reappear out of their grasp. Softy cries and wails could be heard from the dead while they drifted towards Drina, which she had been accustomed to. They didn’t like it when she policed them from reaching out to the living, yet she needed to make sure she kept everyone safe. Who knows what would happen if they had. 

Once the ghosts had made their way above Drina, they began to orbit around her while swimming about in the air. Continuing her way to the stage, Drina allowed them to fade from the view of the audience, where only orbs or shades could be seen. Finishing the steps she turned around to face the crowd and took a small bow. Time for her introduction, she thought. 

“Good evening, thank you all for coming on such a special night. It is my honor and pleasure to hold such a seance for you at the Steaua lunii festival. I am Ma’dam Drina Forest.”

There was a small pause as several people began to clap. With a playful frown, she jested with them. “Save your applause, I haven’t done anything impressive yet!”

With a small burst of laughter from the audience, she held her hands out in front, palms upward while she waited to continue. 

“Tonight is the fading of the veils, where the spirit world and the earthly plans are closely connected. You may hear things that will spook and frighten you. You may also see things that may be gruesome and terrifying. I cannot control the ghosts as they appear and they may not listen. All I ask is for you to stay calm. They are as scared of you as you are of them.” 

The last joke only got a few chuckles. She expected it as much since they wouldn’t be able to tell if she was being serious or not. With a devilish smile, she looked at someone in the front of the crowd. It was a younger child clinging to her mother with bewilderment and wonder. It was a change of pace she was not used to seeing. Leaning in her direction, she raises her eyebrow.

“Or at least we hope.” 

Dropping her hands, she slowly turned to face away from the crowd. It gave her a moment to take a small breather before moving to sit on the small cushion provided for her. It was surrounded by candles by her request, giving her a small welcoming aura. Drina walked past the wall of candles, standing in front of her seat before wiggling her fingers. Closing her eyes, she made a small prayer. 

“Please let this work.”

Spinning around, she sat quickly without wasting more time. Crossing her legs and posing in a meditative state, she closed her eyes. 

“There will be a brief moment of silence as I conjure the spirits to listen. If there is a person you wish to speak to, stand up and call out their name. The staff will keep you in order to speak.”

Pacing her breath, Drina began to shift her energy flow. Instead of spreading it across the room, she pulled it into a sphere around her. It flowed swiftly like a current as spirits swam in and around it. The onslaught of voices began to call out to her at once as she built a wall from the outside world, keeping them close to her. Next, after she had set the perimeter of which they were allowed to summon, she moved a small steam of her ether to flow towards her eyes. It worked the same way as throwing her voice, yet this allowed her to see the spirits better. Instead of their decayed and withered appearance, she would see them for who they were. It was easier to project that image for the viewer’s sake, causing less panic and distress. Almost ready, she had several spirits who wanted to speak waiting in front of her. The onslaught of their wails raising while she tried to focus. With a bit of frustration, she spoke to them. 

“Can you be a little quieter? It’s almost your turn.”

There was laughter under the cries of the spirits that reminded her that she was not alone. Chuckling at herself she addressed the living. “Sorry, I forgot you were all here with me.”

This time, the laughter boomed as Drina took a few deep breaths to finish directing the flow of her energy. Making the connection to her eyes, she felt the cool refreshing flow rushing past them. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times to adjust to the sudden change in the room. From the audience’s point of view, she knew her eyes were glowing a greyish blue as the spiritual film had developed within her iris. Within her view, the darkroom had become lighter and all the color dimmed. Standing around her were several ghosts all waiting for her to begin. Looking to the first one in front of her, the ghost brightened up as he stepped forward. His mouth began to move, yet the words only came out in unearthly wails and cries. 

With a bit of a hum, she furrowed her brows to focus on splitting the flow in two directions. Keeping her eyes connected, she tried to also attach her ears as well. If in order to see them with her ether she had the flow directed to her eyes, she wondered if adding her ears would do the same. It was either going to work or have the worst outcome. Thankfully none of the adjustments were permanent and she would just eventually run out of her soul well, undoing all the tiring work to make this happen. It was a fear that had already crossed her mind. Thankfully the cooling flow sprung forth from her ears, and the words of the man began to ring True. 

“Ma’dam Drina? Ma’dam? I want to tell my wife, I miss her.” 

It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time that for the first time ever, Drina could actually hear what the ghosts had been saying to her. 

“What’s your name, Sir?”

“Patrick Stumbles.” 

Drina nodded gearing to begin the hard work she had been setting up for. Pushing aside all the other voices of the ghosts eagerly yelling at her, she concentrated on her sigils to focus on him. It flickered for a moment, reminding Drina that she had forgotten to say his name. 

“Patrick Stumbles, show yourself.”

With a shimmering silver flicker, he finally appeared before the crowd. With a cry of awe and a single woman crying out with shock, Drina knew she had done it. 

“What’s your wife’s name?”

“Magenta.” 

“Magenta, your husband wants to tell you that he loves you. Do you have anything else to say Patrick Stumbles?”

Whispering Death (part 5)

The end of Drina’s night had finally come to an end as she slumped into the couch in the hostel’s common room. What a draining night, she thought while resting her arm over her eyes. Ocan had already long gone to sleep, having checked on her before resting in the common room. Lulu had offered to make a meal for Drina before she headed off to bed herself. It was well past into the night, and the common room was empty and silent. Something she welcomed with open arms since her evening was spent surrounded by a constant stream of people. Who would have thought she was going to be as popular as she was? The moment the festival grounds were open and running, she had a constant stream of guests. It wasn’t bad considering she was good at what she does and the money was splendid. It was the dull and recurring questions and statements. 

All anyone ever asked about was the same things. When will I meet my soulmate? Will I ever get rich? When will I become famous? Although each reading was always just a little different, sometimes Drina felt like a broken record. Repeating the same results or what the customer wanted to hear just to make some coin. On rare occasions, she would get a serious reading and the person was open to hearing what they needed to. They were so far and few that it was almost disappointing. Drina enjoyed those particular readings the most since it gave insight and was ultimately beneficial. It also helped flex her skills as a teller, challenging her to read beyond the basic template of patterns and meanings.  

The extreme readings rarely happen where death is the threat in the future, which is why Hestar’s reading was particularly important. Several readings in the past had shown an early death, however, it was due to natural or unavoidable circumstances. This one was neither. It was a grave omen, one that always frustrated Drina since not all future readings explained what the cause was. In Hestar’s case, it revealed itself as unnatural and preventable. The best explanation for this type of reading was murder. Drina hardly knew Hestar and who would want to murder her, making this a difficult predicament. To save a life at the risk of her own or step aside and not interfere? In good consciousness, Drina could not simply ignore it.

With a heavy sigh, she wiped at her groggy face and opened her eyes. With a startling jump, Drina was face to face with Hestar. She quickly pressed her finger against her lip to keep her from yelping, her smile wide with mischief. Drina had been so deep in thought that she didn’t notice her presence. The heat from her face radiated while Hestar giggled.

“I am going to take a guess and assume it was a long night?”

Drina pushed herself up to sit facing her, removing her scarf around her head. “Yeah, nothing too strenuous though.” 

Hestar sat close beside her on the couch. Playfully she traced her hand along Drina’s forearm, sending shivers throughout her body.

“I was a little surprised to see Ocan here alone. She told me about how to were out working at the festival. It’s nice that she is also helping out around here. Makes my job easier. She is such a good kid and a good worker.”

It seemed so odd for someone to speak of Ocan so fondly, especially a stranger who’s only known her for such a short amount of time. Drina felt just a little proud of Ocan for doing so well without her nearby. Although, it was a bit of concern why Hestar paid so much attention to her. Call it old habits, yet Drina felt she needed to keep an eye out for her even more so. 

“What do you do around here anyway?”

Hestar smirked, resting her head against her arm along the couch. Her eyes sparkled as she continued to swirl her fingers lightly against her skin. 

“I help bring in business to the hostel. Sometimes with fliers or just word to mouth as visitors make their way into the town. There is a lot of transient traffic since we are a crossway between cities. When there are events going on, I go bring people through the door. During the slow season, I clean and make beds. There is always something to do around here and it can be quite eventful.” 

With a raised eyebrow, Drina gave her a teasing smile. “Eventful with transient folk? Should I be concerned that I am just a small fling?”

Hestar fluttered her eyes wide, a small blush brewing on her cheeks.

“I-it’s not like that. Sure I have fun once in a while, but not always with the tenants within the hostel…”

This time, Drina was on the offense. Leaning in to close the gap between them, she lightly brushed at the side of Hestar’s face, pushing back a small lock of her hair. “So I’m not fun enough? What a shame.”

The look of panic made Drina chuckle devilishly. It was unfortunate that Lulu entered the room seconds after, her uplifting sing-song cheer announcing that the food was ready as she placed it on the table.

“Meal is ready! I know it’s not much for a midnight feast, but hopefully, it will be filling enough.”

Drina lightly sighed, rubbing her thumb across Hestar’s lips before pushing off the couch to join Lulu at the table. The plate had a small freshly baked loaf with butter lavishly spread across it and an assortment of meats. Although it made her mouth water, she still felt the gnawing of a different hunger still left unsated. Lulu’s warm smile dampened as she spotted Hestar on the couch behind Drina. Looking between the two of them, she deliberated just what had transpired while Drina began to dig into the meal. Hestar hesitated a moment before deciding to join them at the table, listening to Lulu’s small talk about how Ocan had helped her around the hostel. Nodding to the conversation, Drina silently chewed while she listened. The warm meal was a blessing, even if it was small and simple. She felt so spoiled by Lulu even though she was able to pay her for it. 

“How were the festival grounds? Did you get many clients?”

Both of the ladies sat waiting for Drina to speak, while she enjoyed the meal. It only took her a second to realize they had been watching her that they were expecting her to talk about how her work had gone. Shuffling in her seat, Drina realized how uncomfortable she felt at the attention. Never before had she really talked about the daily dealings of her life, even with Ocan was with her. It was common to spend days in silence as they traveled, something she had become comfortable with. Staring at her plate, she swallowed her food to delay.

“It was decent.” 

It was all she could think to say, leaving the rest hanging in the air. Did they expect her to tell them about her experience? Maybe complain about some of the readings she had given? It was hard for her to know what was acceptable to say. The pressure caused her to panic, causing her to clam up even more. It was Hestar who broke out into a full-hearted laugh, shredding the awkwardness around her.

“Not a woman of many words. You and your sister are similar in so many ways, yet completely different personalities. Once you get Ocan to start talking, she can go on for hours!”

Drina stiffened, concerned about how much Ocan had spilled. It would be something she would need to pull her aside in the morning to deal with. As if reading her mind, Lulu reached out to touch her wrist.

“Don’t worry, she hasn’t spoken about you or each other’s past. Ocan has only spoken about the lack of conversations she’s had with you and nothing more. A girl her age needs to socialize more! Be around girls her age.”
    Drina dropped her bread to the plate, feeling full and worried. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arm to stroke at her chin. She knew it was true, yet all the hiding and running hindered their ability to live a normal life. If only she had been born a regular girl and not a gypsy, she may have had a chance. Until they could escape this continent, there would be no rest. Drina pinched at the bridge of her nose before taking a deep breath in. Releasing it quickly in a huff, she dropped her hand from her face to look at Lulu in earnest. 

“The festival was crowded and stifling. I made a deal with Mr. Gafrald which secured me a tent close to the entrance so at least the foot traffic is consistent. With the tent, it muffles the constant murmur and I can give a good clear reading.” 

She paused, tapping her finger on the table in thought. It was much harder to speak now that she was able to practice the art of conversation. Uncertainty perpetually circulated her thoughts, making it hard to share. Casting a glance over at Hestar, she caught the admiration in her eyes while scanning her. It made Drina smile, one that was not easily contained. Since their arrival at the hostel, things have been eventful indeed. With a laugh, she turned her attention back to Lulu’s warm smile. 

“It was a lot of fun. I haven’t been able to enjoy myself for a long time.”

Lulu gave a small cheer, standing to grab the tea she had been brewing on the counter for them all. “See, it’s not hard to let loose a little once in a while!” 

Drina scoffed, her smile plastered to her face. “In’credaplicinta.”

Out of habit, the common phrase slipped from her lips. It was a saying somewhere on the lines of “not while I breathe”, often used in jest to tell someone off when they were pulling the person’s leg. It had been so long since she had heard the words, it had even surprised her. Hestar stared intensely, mesmerized by her language while Lulu pivoted on the spot to toss a motherly finger at her.

“Ah, not in my hostel! I will shake you loose of your stone-like appeal young lady, so help me! No one leaves without a smile here.” 

Drina sat shocked while Hestar burst out into laughter.

“Well whatever you said, you’ve done it now! Getting in trouble with Mama Lulu here.” Hestar leaned onto the table, her hand balanced under her chin with a grin. Her eyes glinted with trouble, the kind Drina didn’t need to guess hard to know what kind. With a honeyed voice, she held Drina captive.

“Looks like your part of the family now.”

Why did she make things hard for her? Drina got lost in her eyes, her words sinking deep within her skin. Family was foreign to her, yet between Lulu and Hestar they made it feel familiar. Her heart pounded within her chest, frightening her. No, they couldn’t stay. Ocan and her needed to leave as soon as Drina solved Hestar’s fate and made sure she was safe. Drina’s face paled, a cold sweat sending chills through her body. This place was a trap and Drina knew it would be dangerous to stay any longer. Reaching into her pouch, Drina grabbed a few coins to pay for the meal and tossed them on the table. The sound of the metal clinking confused both ladies as Drina pushed from the table to leave. 

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll square up the rest in the morning.”

Drina felt the icy cold walls of her isolation closing up on her, the safeguards she needed to protect her and Ocan. They were getting too close and she needed to place the distance quickly. Turning her back to them, Lulu called out to her as she made it to the door.

“Don’t worry about payment, Ocan’s help around here is payment enough.”

Drina didn’t bother to face her. She knew if she let it slide now there would be no backtracking. “Nothing comes for free. A service given is a service paid. Goodnight Miss Lulu.”

With that, she left the room and headed to her bunk. Ocan snored lightly as Drina crawled up carefully into the bed. Her heart hurt at the thought of her rude departure, knowing it would have upset Hestar. It was for the best, she was just a transient visitor to the town anyways. She could have any man or woman that came and went and Drina would just be another person on the list. If she could save her that is. The cold realization hardened her more. Love was not in Drina’s future and the only family she had was Ocan. Wrapping an arm around her sister, she hugged her close. Even though she tried hard to believe those thoughts, a tear slipped from her and splashed against the pillow. 

The sounds of lightfoot steps startled her as she listened intently to Hestar entering the room. Drina held her breath, hoping that she would not try to come reason with her. The steps did not seem to head her way, instead she heard her climbing into her own bunk, shuffling until there was silence. No more could be heard other than the snoring of several others sleeping in their bunks and a few coughs as people adjusted. It took everything in Drina not to turn around to face the room and steal a glance over at Hestar. Even if she was awake and possibly looking back at Drina, catching her peeking will only show she felt guilty and feed the hope of the facade. Drina sighed disappointedly. Why did she have to fall for someone so beautiful and kind? With her eyes closed, silent tears streamed down her cheeks before the abyss claimed her into a deep slumber.

Whispering Death (part 3)

The sun had come all too soon as Drina felt the poking at her side. Grumbling, she rolled over into the guard of the bed. 

    “Give me a few more minutes, Ocan.” All throughout the night she had struggled to sleep, Hestar’s lips the only dream she could conjure. It made for a very uncomfortable rest, one she wished to have spent the extra coin to sleep in her own bed instead of staring with her sister. It never bothered her in the past to sleep beside her, she cared very much for Ocan. Drina only just wished for solace to her pent-up tension and being in close quarters only made it embarrassing. She expected to hear the voice of her sister retorting, yet the voice speaking made her jump.

    “My, what a little sleepy head. If you keep on you’ll miss midday.” 

    The owner of the hostel Lulu stood just near the foot of the bunk, Ocan smiling beside her as they waited for her.

    “This one has been up for hours now, helping around while she waited for you. Poor thing was hungry but wouldn’t eat until you got up. I don’t usually do this for all the guests, but I made lunch for you both. On the house, yet the next meal will cost you.”

    Drina rubbed at her eyes to remove the sleep, sitting up with a stretch. “You didn’t have to do that, we brought food we could eat.”

    Before Drina could fight her any further, Lulu waved her off. “Nonsense, this is also to help thank Ocan for her help cleaning this morning. When you are fully up, we will be in the common room.” 

    Lulu chuckled light-heartedly, patting Ocan on the back as she turned and walked towards the hall. Drina quietly psted, catching Ocan’s attention before she followed. It was a look of concern, hoping she would understand her worry. Ocan returned her look with a wide grin. She checked around her before leaning in to whisper in their mother tongue.

    “It’s ok, I helped her cook it and no one is around. I’ll be safe until you join us.”

     Her tone was no more comforting than Lulu, they hardly knew anyone here and she wandered about casually without her around. What has gotten into her? Drina flopped back down on the bed, staring at the roof with a frown. It was really no surprise really though, since Drina was also being careless. Loosening up on her powers, kissing Hestar, and allowing Ocan to just leave her sight? These were things she would never have done in the past. Either way, there was no changing the present, only just pushing on to the future. Siting up on her elbows, Drina looked over to the other side of the room, where Hestar’s bunk was in view. It was empty as were all of the beds. Everyone must have been out and about with their day, and here she was being lazy. For a brief moment, it all felt nice. With a huff, she decided to get up, grabbing the bag at the head of the bed to pull out soap and some fresh garments. Taking everything with her, she went into the shower area and cleaned herself. Both her and Ocan only had few clothes, and mostly wore their travel gear. At least the hostel here had a place to wash their clothes if they chose to. For now, this would be enough to head down to the festival and seek out the leader who ran it. Maybe she could score a spot to make some money. It would help them continue their way and even afford boat fare.

    Finishing up, she slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way to the common room. Ocan was right, the place was empty and the only voices she could hear was the two of them.  Entering the common room, there was a divider in the middle separating the eating area and the lounge. The left side held several couches lining around the walls and a few chairs in the middle around a playing table. The right had counters and ovens to cook with tables about. Drina thought about if she had taken up the offer to follow Hestar last night, which couch would they have continued on. The thought made her blush, her steps quickened as she rushed over to the table beside Ocan. A small meal had been plated for her, causing her stomach to growl at the sight of it. When was the last time she had a full meal other than the dried lizard jerky she had made over several days in their journey? Two full sausages cooked over a grill, a heaping pile of rice and egg, and a baked yam overfilled her plate. 

Without greeting them, Drina grabbed her fork and knife and cut into the sausage. The moment it hit her lips, she let out a moan as the flavor took over. It was juicy, tender and easy to chew. Hardly finished chewing, she shoved her mouth full of rice before swallowing it all. Taking the glass to her side, she guzzled the freshly chilled water before grabbing the small dinner roll beside her plate and tore a chunk out of it. Lula’s laughter filled the room, startling Drina at first. She shot her eyes up at her, watching her wipe a tear from her eyes while she chewed slowly.

“Both you girls! The way you eat, it’s like you have never eaten food before!”

Ocan giggled, watching Drina as she slowly chewed at her bread. “Drina makes us jerky from whatever she catches. It tastes dry and gritty. Sometimes we find berries or fruit but those are always bitter.” 

Drina couldn’t help but feel offended. With her mouth still full, she complained loudly. “Ahhh, you eat it though! Sorry it’s not as yummy as this.” 

Grumpily, she took another swig of the water. It was relieving to have something so fresh and not just from their bota. Lulu laughed alongside Ocan. Drina knew she meant well, yet the sting still hurt. Turning back to her food, she shovelled a few more mouths full of rice and ate the rest of the one sausage. Cutting into her yam, she caught Lulu’s eyes. 

“Do you know anything about the festival in town?”

Lulu’s smile faded a little at the mention of it. “Yes, the Steaua lunii festival. Are you here because of that?” 

It wasn’t originally the reason why, but after Hestar’s reading and the danger she might be in, Drina couldn’t stop the feeling that they were meant to be here. “At first no, we were only to pass through. But, since we are here, I might as well find work.”

Lulu suspiciously eyed her, leaning back in her chair like a defensive mother.

“How did you hear about the festival?”

Drina slowed her chewing, the feeling of a kid being caught doing something bad chilling her. She looked to Ocan first, then back over to Lulu. “One of the guests spoke of it.”

Ocan perked up. “Was it Hestar?”

Drina’s eyes shot wide. How did she know? She was sleeping the entire time they had spoke! She dropped her jaw as Ocan grinned.

“She came to say good morning to me before she left while you slept. Asked me how I slept. She’s really pretty.” 

Her face flushed red at Ocan’s comment. Yes, Hestar was indeed, yet why did she stop to ask Ocan how she slept? Was it because of her nightmare? At least now the cat was out of the bag as Drina looked to Lulu’s disappointed frown.

“Hestar. That girl is trouble! Always sticking her nose where it shouldn’t be. You be careful of that one. She may be like a daughter to me, but she stirs up whirlwinds like the gods themselves!” 

Rubbing at her chin, Drina tried to hide the grin on her face. Oh she stirs up something alright, she thought naughtily. Lula tsked, picking up her thoughts as she waved at her hopelessly. Ocan bounced between them, unsure of what she missed. Drina smiled at her dear sister. 

“Well that was very nice of her. Maybe we will see her again tonight.” At the same time a small voice spoke within her, and maybe pick up where we left off. Lulu shook her head, uncrossing her arms to fold her rag she had on her to clean. 

“If you’re going to the festival, what kind of work do you do?”

Drina stuck a small piece of yam in her mouth, chewing as she thought. There was no use hiding their origins since Hestar already knew. Plus with more of their kind, maybe they could meet someone who could help give safe passage to the next town over. Drina knew it was all a gamble, and she was hoping she was placing down the right cards. 

“I can read fortunes.”

Ocan spoke out abruptly, excitement getting the better of her as she yelled it loudly. 

“She can also commune with the dead! She’s really good at it!”

“Ocan!” Drina slammed her hands to the table, looking about as she lowered her head.

Lulu reached out to touch Ocan on the shoulder as she pouted. Slouching in the chair, she apologized. “Sorry.”

Lulu nodded. “It’s ok child. You must not talk much about yourselves that you got carried away. It happens.” Looking over at Drina she continued. “You will definitely be able to get work then. Most of the participants are entertainers. But you must be careful, the town may accept your kind here during the festival, but once it is over you won’t be as celebrated.” 

Drina huffed with a frown. “I know. Being part of the event will just put a target on our backs. Will we be safe enough to stay here a few nights longer?”

With a grand smile, Lulu reassured her. “It will always be safe here for travellers. You have my word.” 

“Good. Would you happen to know the person in charge? I’ll head out as soon as I am done with this meal.”

    Lulu stood up from the table, grabbing the water jug to refill it. “It seems that I just so happen to.”

    With a smile, Drina nodded. Good, at least she won’t waste much time. With the festival celebration lasting only a few days, maybe she could stop whatever danger was riding in the not-so-distant future.

Whispering Death (part 2)

Drina repeated the name in her thoughts. Hestar, it was a beautiful name. Silently they stared at one another, Hestar slowly leaning in closer towards her lips. The view of her beauty was all she could see at that moment. Her lips were full and lush, calling Drina to taste them. All Drina could hear was the pounding of her heartbeat and the soft stir of Ocan beside her. Ocan! Turning her head, pulled away from Hestar to check if her sister was still asleep. Thankfully she had readjusted as Drina let out her held breath. It was not as if she held it secret from her sister for her attraction to other women, it was more that she needed to be wary of her emotions. To kiss Hestar might aid her in unleashing her powers and after having them crammed deep within her could be dangerous. Ocan was a reminder of her need to continue to protect her. 

Hestar dropped her head, with a quiet laugh. Drina tapped her head against the wall behind her with a smile. She seemed to be understanding of her position, adjusting herself to rest her arms on the ledge. Drina was aware that she was still intending to pursue her as Hestar crossed her arms to prop her chest up and out. It took everything in Drina not to eye the cleavage now exposed for her pleasure. With a whisper, she continued to flirt.

“There is a common room on the other side of the hostel. Want to accompany me there instead? It will be mostly empty so no one will likely interrupt us.” 

This offer was too tempting. Knowing the moment they were alone, there would be no word exchange, Drina didn’t have to use her powers to predict that outcome. She debated the choices, knowing that if she did leave to the common room there was no protecting Ocan if anything were to happen. Staying here would wake her and then end the conversation anyways. Biting at her bottom lip, she thought of the bunk below. Maybe they could still spend a little time together and not have to leave. No one was sleeping there anyways and Drina wouldn’t be sleeping any time soon. An image of Cygnus floated in the back of her mind, weighing that choice heavily as well. There was no such thing as coincidence and all the signs were there. Something about this woman played a bigger part. Drina sighed heavily, looking at Hestar’s charming smile while she waited for her reply. Oh Hells, Drina thought. 

“How about the bottom bunk and we see from there?”

Hestar’s eyes brightened, taking the win as she jumped down from the ledge. Carefully moving Ocan’s head from her lap to the pillow beside, she slowly peeled away to climb down to the floor. Without the comfort of the bunks ledges to distance the two of them, Drina was just a few inches shorter than Hesta. Her smile was radiant while she took a few steps to close the distance between them, wrapping her hand in hers. She pulled them both to the bed across, giving Drina a good view of the top, that way if her sister awoke to look for her they would both see. Settled on the bed, Drina began to stress. What do they do now? Should they continue where they left off or should she just talk with her? Unsure, she realized how bad at socializing she had become. No topic seemed safe being that she would have to talk about herself or her past. Fidgeting with her fan, she realized she still had it within her grasp. Maybe she could stick to what she felt comfortable with. 

“Would you.. Care to have your fortune read?”

Hestar paused, her expression with genuine surprise. “You mean like palm readings and tarot cards?”

Ah, Drina thought, she is one of those types you don’t know much about the craft. Maybe this was a good opportunity to show off her skills. It was a little cocky of her to think maybe this would improve her chance to woo a girl, yet it was her fan who decided this. Taking her hand in hers, she lifted her fan to run a finger across the slips. Starting from the top, she helped her run along the accordion of the folds.

“Stop your finger on the slip that feels right. If you don’t feel it the first time, try again until you do. First is your past, Second is your present, and Third is your future.”

Hestar giggled, raising an eyebrow at her. Drina knew what she was thinking, it was the same look she always saw. How could a fan help depict that? Her methods were the same as those as tarot with the number of stars and which constellation coincided with. It was always a light reading however since Drina never saw good come out an entirely accurate reading. At each stop of the fan, Drina gracefully popped it out quickly within her one hand. After years of practice and memorization, she already knew more about Hestar than she may have known about herself. Taking her hand back, Hestar leaned in closer to rest her head on her shoulder. 

“I wish it was your folds I could run my fingers through.”

The comment made Drina blush brightly. It was more abrasive than she was ready for and needed a moment to calm her rising temperatures. Clearing her throat, she continued one.

“This sign here means you were hurt in your past. The stars tell me that it was family and the direction of the milky way here mentions abandonment. When you were younger you were given away or lost someone of great importance to you.”

Hestar shielded herself, taking a breath before running her fingers down along Drina’s leg. The teasing sent shivers through her body. 

“My dad left us when I was younger. Left a bit of a void in my life.”

Drina already knew, more so it was a devastating impact on her family and her mother later passed away from heartbreak. Hestar was the youngest of 4 siblings and had to fend for herself. With a heavy heart, she spoke softly. 

“I am sorry to hear that. Our parents were… Let’s say my sister is all I have left.”

Wanting to move on to the next one to spare them both the shared pain, Drina scoffed with a smile. This one too was already something she learned even before it was pulled. Cygnus again plaguing her this night with a visit. 

“Well, at least in the present you will find someone you will fall in love with.”

She closed the first pull, and showed with a flourish the swan. Hestar sat up, leaning her face in close to hers once more. 

“Oh? Tell me more. Is she a beautiful woman with dark hazel eyes?”

Teasing her a little, Drina pretended to be shocked.

“Her? Oh no, says here it’s some old man here in the hostel. I think I saw a balding man who fits the description perfectly.” 

Hestar belted out a laugh, as she rested her head deep into her shoulder. Drina shhed her, using the moment to wrap her arm around her to pull her close. Her hand brushed against her skin and the smell of sandalwood once again engulfed her senses. Together they giggled before Hestar sat up, this time pushing the fan aside to straddle her. 

“So what does it say about the one I am to like then?”

“Says they are someone you will care for deeply, and that it will bring change to your life.”

As much as the fortune was right, it also didn’t seem likely. Drina and Ocan would be continuing further south before heading over to the eastern sea. The farther away they could put themselves from here and their homeland, the safer they would be. Hestar seemed to also call out the fortune as well.

“Seems like quite an impact considering you are only staying a few nights.” 

It made Drina’s stomach flutter with butterflies. To think this stranger would still consider her as the person in her fortune. It was almost easily believable considering she thought the same thing since she first walked through the door. Drina swallowed hard, daring to place her hands on the outside of her legs. Her voice cracked a little as she replied, moving her hands slowly towards her bottom. 

“W-what about you? Are you only here for a little while as well considering you are staying in a hostel?”

It was clear that Drina didn’t have much experience with these kinds of things, all the while trying to play it cool. This had been the closest contact she had had with a woman and her heart was out of control. So much for keeping her emotions in check, all she wanted to do was take this woman’s clothes off. Hestar pulled herself closer with a devilish smirk, allowing Drina to grab at her bountiful bottom while wrapping her arms around Drina’s neck. 

“I actually live here. Beats paying rent for a bigger place, and I get to meet all sorts of people. Although, none as stunning as you.”

This may be a line she used for any girl she met, but even so, it still made Drina feel hot. Unable to resist any further, Drina took the first move. Leaning in, she connected their lips. A fire within set blaze, unlocking emotions she had not allowed in years. Drina let out a small moan, a mistake on her part as Hestar took that as a signal to ramp up the heat more. She pressed her body hard into Drinas, grinding her hips against her. Letting go of her bottom, Drina ran her hands up along her back, her hand slipping through the loosely wrapped fabric and connecting to her skin. The whispers suddenly speaking, alerted Drina as they continued to kiss passionately. Opening an eye, she could see the spirits around them in a light fog. She was losing her control and needed to stop, yet as Hestar slipped her tongue into her mouth it fueled her more. 

Hestar this time was the one to moan as Drina matched her pace, running her hands through her hair. It was exquisite, the passion and lust devouring Drina. The voices lifted from their whispers to talking crowds. She knew if she opened her eyes now, that the ghosts would be completely visible, yet instead, she kept them closed. Drina instead turned Hestar, placing her beneath her on the bed. Her full body weight was on her now and her hands were needy, running up her body. Almost able to fill her hand with Hesta’s supple breast, one voice spoke clear through all the clammer around her. It was in her mother tongue, one she knew would be a giveaway of their origins.

“Lana… where are you?”

Ocan was having her nightmare again, no doubt because of the onslaught of Drina’s power. The voice had even startled Hestar as they broke apart. Her eyes were wide, not knowing what the girl was saying. With a heavy sigh, Drina rolled over and climbed up the bunk to reach over the ledge. Speaking back in their mother tongue, Drina tried to calm her sister. She grasped hard on her power and suppressed it as much as she could.

“Jeta, I am here. It is alright.” Switching back to the common tongue, she hoped it would be enough to remind Ocan to be aware. “It’s alright. We are in the hostel. It’s just a dream.”
    Ocan turned, opening her eyes groggily. “I thought you were gone.”

Drina smiled with a sigh. “I was not gone far. I am always close by.”

She nodded sleepily, closing her eyes as Drina brushed at her hair. The voices were mere wisps through the wind as Ocan slipped back into slumber. The light breathing of her sister was all that could be heard. With guilt, Drina should have known better. Both being spiritually connected and her sister still not awakened to her own powers, she knew it was not safe to play it wild. Climbing down, she smacked her head on the wood, holding it there as she chitted herself. Half expecting Hestar to have left, it surprised her to see her standing beside her. Her arms were crossed, eyes softened at the sweet display of a sister caring for her family. Drina stood up, fidgeting with her fingers. What do I say now? There was no way she didn’t hear the dialect, and with how they are dressed it would all make sense. Still, Hestar stepped forward towards her and grabbed at her hands, interlocking her fingers with hers. 

“I guess we’ll end it here tonight?”

It was upsetting to hear it, yet Drina thought it was best. “Yes, I am sorry about that.”

Hestar shook her head. “Not at all, I understand. Coming from a war-torn place would leave scars.” 

Before Drina gave up hope, she leaned in and kissed her tenderly. 

“I take it you are here for the festival then? Are you going to be participating?”

Drina was taken aback. 

“Festival?”

She nodded as if it was common knowledge. “Yeah, every year far and wide we have gypsies of all sorts come and share their knowledge and talents. It’s quite the event. I just assumed you were here because of that. Given that you read my fortune and that you speak their language.”

With a tilt of her head, Drina replied optimistically. “And you don’t mind?”

Not being able to hide her smile, Hestar pulled Drina closer to her, wrapping her arms around her waist.

“Truth be told, I could never get close to a Gypsy before. You keep to yourselves and move in herds. To find a stray one in a hostel is pretty rare and I wasn’t lying when I said before, none of them are as stunning as you.”

The fire within Drina began to rage once more, making it difficult for her to control her emotions once more. How was this girl able to affect her so dramatically? She turned her head, hiding her blush and in hopes to take a few breaths to calm down. 

“Say I was at the festival. Would you… Come and see me then?”

Hestar giggled, pulling away to head back to her bed. 

“I might.” walking backwards she stopped just at the corner to peek. “You may also see me again even outside of the festival.”

With that, she disappeared behind the bunk. The soft voice sang through the room, just audible enough to hear it.

“Goodnight Drina.”

It made her feel giddy, knowing this girl wanted to see her again even after knowing her background. Unable to contain her overflowing joy, she called back in her melodic voice seductively as possible.

“Goodnight Hestar.” 

Silence was met within the room while she stood there. Finally leaning against the wall behind her, she covered her face with her hands, replaying the intense exchange they had moments before. It was Drina’s first kiss, and all she wanted to do was continue kissing her. She licked at her lips, the flavor of Hestar still lingering.  Gods, what a good kisser she was. Pushing away from the wall, Drina remembered her fan on the bed. Still reeling from the kiss, she almost had forgotten that there was still one fortune left she did not share with Hestar. Taking a look, her gut had suddenly dropped. How did she miss this the first time? Well, maybe it was obvious to the complete distraction she had been, yet this was no longer a laughing matter. Scutum was the sign for battle, yet the combination of the stars and planets was not a good sign. Typically this meant death, meaning Hestar was in danger.

Whispering Death (part 1)

It was a chilly night as the door of the hostel swung open. The owner glanced over, smiling brightly as two girls walked in. A tall-looking woman beside a younger child stepped through the doorway, removing their hoods from their colorful assorted clothing. The child looked worn from her travels, sleep claiming her as she rubbed at her eyes. The taller one wrapped her arms around her protectively, leading them closer to the owner. Both of the girls shared the same color of eyes, dark hazel with gold flakes. The owner was sure they were sisters just based on their similar looks and how close they were. 

    “Evening ladies, what brings you here tonight?” 

The taller sister stepped out in front, reaching into a small bag hanging from her hip. The sound of coins clinking together could be heard as she pulled a smaller coin pouch out. Placing it on the table, the girl spoke. 

    “Just a bed for me and my sister to share. Anything will do.”

    Her voice was melodic yet cold. The distrust was palpable to the owner, a tone she was well acquainted with. Anyone walking into a hostel late at night regardless of their appearance always had a story to share, if not a past they were running from. It wasn’t always that way since most people spent their time travelling and seeking adventure. Something about the way the older sister held herself said otherwise, yet who was the owner to judge? 

    “How many nights will you be staying?”

    The lady glanced back at her sister, hesitating a moment. “For the time being, a few nights. We’ve travelled a long way and may need a night or two to recover.” 

    The owner nodded, taking up her pen to write in her ledger. “Alright. What name shall I put you down as?” 

    Absently she replied to the owner, hinting she had used this alias several times before.

    “Drina Forest.”

With a welcoming smile, she led them into the back. The small hall turned into a larger room with several bunks lining the room. Each bunk had a storage chest attached to the top and bottom, along with a lock. The owner showed them the farthest back bunk, grabbing at the large ring of keys in her pocket. Pulling off the number to the bunk, she handed it to the eldest sister. 

    “Take the top, I hope it will give you comfort and safety.”

    Drina’s serious face relaxed, giving the owner a relieved smile. Mouthing the words “Thank you” she helped lift her sister up to climb into the bed to sleep. The owner stepped away, heading towards the front once one before Drina stopped her. 

    “Um.. sorry what was your name ma’am?”

    The owner turned back, the same friendly smile on her face. “Luludja, but please, just call me Lulu.”

    Drina nodded, brushing her raven hair out of her face and behind her ear. It was a nervous habit, Lulu could tell. Turning she gave her space, leaving Drina with her sister. The room was quiet since most of the renters were already asleep or still out enjoying the night. Drina twirled the key in her hand a bit looking at the chest. She knew in places like this that the chances of a thief were limited, yet her trust issues didn’t allow for her to place anything within it. She pocketed the key, climbing up beside her already dozing-off sister. Maybe the several days of travel were too much for her. Leaning against the wall, her sister shuffled to cuddle in close to her side allowing them both to get comfortable. Drina brushed her sister’s hair off her face and shoulders, scanning around the room as she did. 

    “Lana,” her sister’s groggy voice in a barely audible voice pulled her attention back to her. “Are we going to actually stay here a few nights?” 

    Drina shushed her, “Remember Jeta, call me Drina. We mustn’t let anyone know our true names. I taught you this a while ago.”

    “Do I really need to go by Ocan?”

    Ocan rubbed at her eyes, fighting to stay awake by her sister. Petting at her head, she offered a warm smile. After all her teachings, she still had so much to learn. A name was a deadly thing to give away, especially with all the power she might have once she unlocked it. It was their bloodline, and Drina was well aware of what consequences awaited them. It took constant concentration to conceal her abilities and locking her gift away drained her. Yet in all it’s tiresome effort, it was worth it. She couldn’t risk the dangers for her or her sister.  All Drina could do was hope to teach Ocan how to control her emotions and pick up some of the teachings. 

    “Yeah, I promise there is a reason. Now go to sleep.” 

    It didn’t take her much convincing before Ocan’s fully drifted off. Drina sighed heavily. Now if only she could follow suit. A few of the beds around them were still empty, giving Drina hope that maybe she could give in a little and feel safe enough to drop her guard just a little. Being constantly alert, it made her always feel uneasy. The hostel did give off a sense of peace though, as Drina continued to watch several others in the room. It was then that several footsteps could be heard from the small hall. Drina tensed a moment, seeing people entering into the building. Several looked like they had been partying in the nearby pubs, while others were dressed up in fancy duds. It was odd how respectfully quiet they had been entering and finding their way to the beds. Quite often in the past hostels, they could get loud and rowdy. 

    Without waking Ocan, Drina readjusted herself to reach into her bag. Pulling out her folding fan, she began to fiddle with it. It brought her comfort holding it, the black wooden guard carved with intricate roses and the inside decorated with constellations, their signs each with brightly burning stars within them. A small beaded  It was her mothers, passed down to her when she passed. Drina still didn’t know the truth behind her death, but it led to their now constant running. She couldn’t trust the household she lived with, the constant feeling of fear and deceit around each and every person. Closing her eyes for a moment, she poured her thoughts into the fan. Hoping for the outcome to be a good one, she rolled her fingers over the flowers before flicking it open. Several whispers called out at her in a slurry, filling Drina with concern. Opening her eyes, she was drawn to the door instead of the result showing in her fan. 

    There at the entrance to the room of bunk beds was a woman. Blond hair that shimmered with the light, violet eyes as deep as the night sky, and a smile that made anyone’s temperature rise. She was wearing loose clothing, wrapped with dark colors around her hip and torso. It was tight enough to show off her curves in all the right places. Time paused in Drina’s world as she stopped for a moment to connect with her eyes. The pit of her stomach flipped. Emotions began to stir within Drina, her control slipping as the whispers grew. Dropping her eyes in a hurry from the woman, she looked to her fan. In the dead middle of the slips open was Cygnus the swan. Snapping her fan closed, Drina felt her heart pounding. Maybe telling the future when everyone was still up and about was a mistake. Opening the fan fully, she glanced at all the rest of the constellations. Why out of all of them did it have to be Cygnus? Glancing back up, she caught the woman’s eyes once more. She had moved to the right side of the room, opening her chest to take out clothes to change into. 

    Drina absently fanned herself, biting at her lip. The whispers are ever still present, reminding her to gain control over them once more. Breaking eye contact once again, Drina looked down at Ocan. She was the reason why she needed to guard herself. Indulging in a fling no matter how tempting it was didn’t matter as much as her sister did. It was an internal battle she fought with her powers that was almost disorienting when the pressure of the whispering stopped suddenly. 

    “Hey, sorry to bother you. I just couldn’t help noticing you when I got in.”

    Drina’s heart jumped, turning to face the woman now up close. She stood by the foot of the bunk, her beauty even more magnificent up close. The woman’s eyes caught the head of Ocan, causing her to break her smile with a shock.

    “Oh.. sorry I thought you were alone.”

    With a quick reply, Drina spoke with a quiet voice. “No, it’s alright. It’s my sister. We had a long journey today and passed out right away.”

    The smile returned hopeful to the woman while she took a step closer. 

    “I see, where from?” 

    It was hard to resist how stunning this woman was. Drina watched her playful smile stare up at her, stirring a fire within her. How was she going to answer her? Castromnia was a large country with five regions: Ellstria, Scion, Bablalion, Vercian and Gasfriac. Both the Scion and Gasfriac regions were at war while the other three stayed neutral, however, refugees were not so easily welcomed from either region. Drina was cautious, knowing that giving away her travels may cause concern if not distrust, especially since her kin were travellers to begin with. With a quick lie, she offered a grin. 

    “We came from West Vercian, near the lakes of Laruia.”

    The woman brightened, taking another step closer towards the head of the bunk. Her hand crept ever closer towards her knee, sending shivers throughout Drina the moment her hand connected with her. 

    “Vercian! That’s quite far from home. What brought you here to Ellstria?”

    Drina’s control was slipping, her emotions out of control as her breathing picked up. She needed to calm down, yet this seductive dish in front of her made her mouth water. Not to mention her travelling hand had made its way from her knee up her thigh. Clearing her throat, Drina’s eyes wandered from her face down her neckline and continued on past her chest and hips. Flicking her eyes back to the woman’s eyes, she licked her top lip.

    “I hear the sights here are spectacular. Although, we are just passing through for now.”

With a chuckle, the woman withdrew her hand and finished walking to the head of the bunk. Stepping up on the bottom bunk, she lifted herself up over the edge, bringing her face close to Drina’s. The smell of sandalwood engulfed her senses as she stared into the eyes of the woman. Biting her bottom lip, she tilted her head at Drina.

“What’s your name?”

“D-Drina.”

“Hestar.”

Swallowing hard, Drina knew that this was the start of a problem, one she wasn’t sure she was going to regret just yet.

Unexpected Changes

She started climbing down the side of the rocky cavern. The air was dark, heavy and dead. Obviously, there hasn’t been any airflow for some years now. How come a tunnel that ran deep into the earth like this has never been uncovered before? Cindy finally made it to the sandy bottom where she let out a harsh grunt. It’s been a while since she’s had to free climb in a long time without gear. She turned from the wall and looked out into the newly entered room of the tunnel. It was completely pitch black. Cindy turned on the light from her headband, squinting from the sudden brightness that enveloped the entirety of the room. It was a spacious gap that spread out into a circular almost smooth dome. The floor was a sandy spiral of speckled colors and small stones, reflecting the light coming from her headband. It gave a beautiful eyry glow. 

Cindy stepped out into the open space, no echo bounced back as she took each step. It took her by surprise the silence from her boots as she expected the sound to vibrate off the walls. The room emitted a strange peace where everything seemed to be locked away in a different spectrum of time. She scanned the walls to see if any other tunnels lead further in, but found that this was a dead end. She reached the center of the cavern and inspected the middle. Shockingly there was a plaque with strange symbols discreetly placed just under the sand. She hardly noticed it as it purposely blended with the surroundings, bouncing off the same eyry glow the rest of the stones and sand did. With one slower glance around the room, Cindy knelt down to get a closer look at the plaque. She had studied different symbols from the past as well as dead cultures that left a very subtle hint of existence but had not encountered anything like this before. She reached out to touch the carved symbols but stopped just hovering over them. Instinctively she felt a sense of foreboding and withdrew her hand. She stood up and pulled her walky-talky out of her pocket. Still looking at the plaque she radioed her assistant. 

With a damped bloop, she spoke into the mic, “Joe, I found what looks to be a meditation ring.” As she let go of the button another damp bloop sounded, signifying she was done talking. 

A split second later a returning bloop rang and a male voice crackled through, “Anything cool looking? I don’t want to go home empty-handed this time.” 

It ended with another bloop. Cindy frowned and shook her head. Did he think that all the explorations had to end with some big treasure? This was a quest for knowledge, not gold and silver. Her voice was laced with irritation as she replied, “Just get your ass down here.” 

With the last bloop, she shoved with talky back into her pocket. He was going to take a while as he wasn’t very good at rock climbing. Cindy vindictively envisioned him falling on his attractive looking face as he came down. Why she chose him to be her assistant was beyond her comprehension. He was mediocre with any history or culture, greedy and very sly. A part of her wanted to release him from the position she gave him, but she had this nagging feeling he would be handy someday for her. She let him stay on her gut feelings. Cindy could never quite understand how she could understand these feelings, but they drew her to places no one else knew or discovered. This made her very successful with being the first person to uncover these hidden civilizations that people thought to have never existed. Although she firmly believed Atlanta didn’t exist, people urged her to go and find it because of her gift. Thankfully she proved herself right thus far. 

While she was deep in thought she walked towards the walls and ran her finger along the almost perfectly smooth walls. It was as if the walls were somehow shaped naturally from water, like how broken glass would be smoothed down on the beach from the tide. Of course, that couldn’t have happened as they found the original cave so far inland from any major bodies of water. To top it off all the rest of the tunnels leading to this room were sharp and jagged, proving to be difficult to climb and hike through. As Cindy walked the outskirts of the room still running her hands on the stone, she felt like there was a reason she was brought here. This was no small coincidence that she happened upon the entrance and bullied Joe to follow along. She found herself smiling as he remembered his bitching and complaining the whole way through as she found slight pleasure in torturing him. He was a pretty city boy who struggled to the outback. It did come in handy though as he was amazing with technology where she was awful with computers.

Cindy shook her head as she realized she zoned out on thoughts again. As she forced herself back into the present she realized she was stopped at a particular part of the room facing the wall. Her hand stopped right on top of some very subtle markings left on the wall. It was the same style of symbols that was on the plaque. She hardly even noticed them as she moved her hand off the markings. She astonished herself on her inept ability to just stumble across things. She sighed and whispered aloud, “Now if I could only obtain the ability to communicate with people the same way I can discover things, I think I would be a pro.”

As she finished whispering, Joe fell off the remainder of the wall and landed flat on his face with a damp thud sound. She jumped as it broke her train of thought and she looked over at him. The room had an incredible ability to dampen noise that it was terrifying. She sighed as she realized it was just Joe and put her hands on her hips. “Are you wearing those boots I got you with the grip?” 

Joe stood up with a grunt and he brushed off the sand caught in his stubbly face. He looked rough with the week look of growth and drenched with sweat. He said with absolute confidence once he was brushed off, “No. I am not.” 

Joe turned on his headband and looked quickly around the room and drooped with disappointment. Cindy scowled but turned around back to the wall. 

“It’s just an empty stupid room.” Joe whinnied, “What use is this to us? “Let’s go off the hard beaten path,” she says, “let’s go into this sketchy cave!” she says. “Hey, I brought us to a dead end with no profit,” she says!” 

Cindy rolled her eyes and she hardly heard him kick something and caught him saying “ow” under his breath. Ignoring Joe, she pulled out some paper and lead to place over the top of the symbols. She thankfully imprinted the symbols onto the paper and studied the page intensely. 

“I wonder what this means..” she thought out loud then trailed into thought. 

Joe limped over behind her and looked over her shoulder at the page. Puzzled he asked, “How did you even see that? Do you think there is a hidden pathway that would open up from here?” 

He gently reached for the paper out of her hand, brushing hers as he did so. Cindy blushed at the contact and let him take it. 

Stammering she replied,” Oh.. uh… I kinda just… Found it. Like how I usually just “find” things.” She nervously chuckled as crossed her arms. She hesitated to say anything further as she always thought he would never believe her. Joe turned and walked towards the center of the room, studying the paper just as intensely as Cindy was. She watched him still with her arms crossed. 

As he was walking she remembered the plaque on the ground and yelled, “ Stop! Don’t stand on the…” He kept walking and stepped on the plaque which shot a blinding light up and out of the ground. He was caught in the pillar of light jerked outwards as he shot his head up and silently screamed, pain wrenched through his face. Cindy was quickly dazed by the light and felt a harsh energy blow right through her. Voices of a different language blurred into her mind as she recovered her sight to see Joe trapped in the pillar of light. Confusion slammed her as the voices yelled loudly as she tried to take a step towards Joe. Cindy yelled out but nothing came out. As quickly as the light had burst out from the middle, a thunderous wind blew out and slammed Cindy to the wall. The deafening voices stopped and the light disappeared. Everything went black. 

Cindy woke up. Her head throbbed violently as she tried to sit up. She must have hit the wall hard enough to knock her out. It took her a good while to recollect herself and try to make sense of where she was. It was still pitch black and she reached for her headband to feel it was missing. She rolled to her hands and knees and felt along the sandy ground to attempt to find the light, still in a daze. Suddenly she remembered Joe and the pillar of light and in a panic screamed his name. There was no reply and no echo in return. Oddly enough in her panic, she felt a strange calm. She tried to scream his name again but found her voice was quieter than she intended. She crawled still feeling the sand under her hand, the throb in her head still pounding. She couldn’t tell where she was in the room if they were still in the room, but she felt herself stop her hand in midair. Instinct hit her again as she knew she had reached the plaque. Where was Joe? 

She felt the ground around the area and felt the fabric of a headband. Cindy fumbled as she gripped the band tightly and felt for the light switch on the light. Light burst forth from the bulb as she shakily tried to put the band around her head. She sat on her bottom, closed her eyes, and took slow deep breaths. Now that she could see, she needed to calm down. No use being unreasonable while trying to figure out what had happened. She allowed the strange peace to envelop her as she took her firm and steady breaths. On the last exhale she opened her eyes, ready for the worst. She scanned the room to find that she was indeed in the middle of the room and the plaque was right in front of her. The room was as if nothing had happened. There also was no Joe. 

“Ok. Rationally, there is no way he could have disappeared.” Talking to herself helped her feel like she was still sane. “Maybe he got up and tried to leave.” 

She leaned back onto her knees to look for footprints. As she surveyed the area she realized that there were no markings anywhere. The sand moved under her hands but left no indents as she shuffled on the ground. The sand purposely leveled out as if there was a brush flattening it as she moved around. 

She leaned back on her legs and sat there. He was gone with no trace. She realized he had the paper that she traced the markings on. She looked around again and realized not only was there any signs of tracks. There was no sign of anything at all, including the paper. Sadness hit her just as hard as the wind did.

 “What is happening…?” She felt like crying but the peace the room emitted would not allow for it. Cindy got up and walked to the wall where the symbols were. Maybe she could get some clues from the writings but as she approached they too, where missing. She stared into nothingness for a moment, then glanced at the plaque. The only way she is going to know what happened is to do the same thing. She crawled over to the plaque and took a deep breath. She slammed her hand down on the stone and closed her eyes while she did so. Still keeping her eyes close she waited. Nothing happened. She waited a moment longer then slowly let go of her breath and opened her eyes. She looked at the plaque and realized that something was different about it. She blinked, and slowly the realization started to sink in. 

An angry, annoyed eye stared up from the stone, her hand over the other one. She blinked again. “Oh, God. I must still be dreaming. Or… or I hit my head really badly.” 

A voice spoke into her head. ‘Please remove your hand from my eye. That really hurt.’

She ripped her hand from the plaque and yelped. She stared at the plaque and shook her head slowly. “No. This is impossible.” 

The plaque no longer had any markings or symbols, just the eyes now staring back up at her. The look was now concerned and desperate. Cindy felt a sharp pain within her chest. She felt around the plaque and felt loose sand around it. She dug along the edges of the stone in the ground as desperation hit her hard despite the peace she felt from the room. She began to uncover the edges and was able to pull the plaque out of the ground. She lifted up the piece and slowly sank back into the ground, holding it shakily. Her mouth was dry as she was panting, and managed to finally force out the words.

 “Joe?”