Chapter Two

A Chapter by Anonymous

Zesika...
Wake up, Zesika...
Zesika, wake up...

I faded out of the black dream and woke. I was groggy and weak, but I opened my eyes slowly. I was laying on soft dark soil, surrounded by endless trees and plants. Blood dripped from my mouth and my face was covered in dirt. My hair was in knots around my face.
What happened? I thought, coughing up a leaf that had blown into my mouth. The leaf was covered in dark scarlet liquid. There were splatters of blood on the ground where I lay, as well. I pulled back and leaped to my feet. Where was the blood coming from?
I looked down, gasping. There was a bloody wound streaking down my leg.
"Crap!" I shouted. I took out the brown band that held my pale blonde hair up in a messy ponytail. I wrapped it around the wound carefully. Then I spun around. There was the blue chicken, just looking up at me.
"Where's that little girl?" I asked the bird quietly.
Like he'll answer. Maybe I am insane. I thought, smirking to myself.
"She's not here," the bird replied. My mouth dropped.
"You can..." I began, pointing a weak finger towards the blue chicken.
"Talk? Yes, I can. All animals talk," the chicken clucked in reply.
"Since when?" I folded my arms.
"Since the dark power began to flow in. Haven't you noticed it's presence?"
I thought for a moment and looked up, searching for an opening in the treetops.
"Yes. It's the reason my mother died," I said, no emotion in my voice. The chicken tilted his head to one side.
"You don't seem as if you care," the chicken told me.
"I don't, actually," I replied quickly. "Not like anything affected me when she died."
Then, a noise came from behind me. I looked behind me and saw the little girl, her big amber eyes shining.
"Do you want to play with me?" she asked sweetly.
"Play with you? I don't really-" I started. She jumped closer as she cut me off.
"Okay, let's play Time Out."
The girl came up to me and put her hand on my right arm. She squeezed tightly, and I cringed. My arm burned, and felt like flames were scalding my flesh.
I screamed, trying to pull the girl's hand off.
"What are you doing?" I screamed. She squeezed harder and the burning intensified. I swung my fist, aimed at her face. My hand swung through her, and she dissolved into air again. I heard her giggling and she appeared in a tree branch above.
"You have to find a way to stop the burn from getting infected! Which will be fast, because of the icky stuff in the air! And if you don't, well..." she giggled. "It will be Time Out for you!"
She disappeared.
"You see why I ran from her?" the chicken said. I turned to look at him, but he disappeared as well.
"Wait! What am I supposed to do?" I cried out. I twisted around aimlessly, stumbling. "Someone help!"
No, I'm not calling for help. I can fend for myself. I thought, standing up. I ripped a piece of cloth from my tunic and tied it around the burn with my teeth. Yellow pus and clear liquid began to soak the cheap tan cloth. I began running, to who knows where. I had no idea what to do, I just knew I had to find something. But what?

Zesika.

"Who...?!" I gasped, falling as I tripped over my own feet. I suddenly felt like I was being kicked in the stomach. The wind blew out from my lungs, leaving me taking gulps of air and dirt in as I hit the ground. I coughed up the dirt and kneeled over, holding my stomach and cringing.
How many times do I have to endure pain today? I'm going to die, anyway. I thought.

There's still hope, Zesika.
Look in front of you.

I spit out the last of the mud and looked up, obeying the voice. There was mist all around, surrounding me. It cleared to reveal a large pool of aquamarine water, splashing in from a waterfall. In the pool were four large pointed stones, each with a different symbol of the ancient language carved in it. I still held my stomach, but my eyes widened in awe, wiping the welling tears away. In an opening smack in the middle of the waterfall, there was a phrase carved into the stone. I tried to read it.
"Pool... Of... Healing." I read. Under it there was more. "Recite the spell carved in the Sacred Stones, and you shall be healed of all sorrows."
So I turned to each stone and tried to read what each symbol meant.
"Fire," One said. I continued on. "Water. Earth. Wind."
"What does that mean?" I asked myself. Trying to remember, I recalled a memory of River and I when I was just three.

"River!" I cried, holding up my hand. My big, bright blue eyes were filled with tears. I was wearing a brown dragon skin tunic, and my silky pale blonde hair was shoulder-length. My big pale ears stuck out from my soft locks. I looked like a little mouse.
"What did you get into this time?" River laughed. His deep blue eyes laughed with him. River was my savior and my role model when I was this age, and still is. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.
"The baby dragon! I just wanted to ride it- he bit me!" I said, pouting. My hand was bleeding.
"You know, Zesika, if you didn't have your pretty blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes I would think you were a trouble-making little boy!" River said, patting my head. He picked me up and held me close.
"Make it better, River!" I said, holding my hand in his face. He laughed again and grasped my tiny hand in his. He closed his eyes.
"Fire, water, earth and wind combined, in this moment the stars are aligned. Bring the Goddesses power here, let us feel that comfort is near. Healing powers now in sight, bring an end to painful plight. Heal now wounds that come," River recited. A pale silver glow surrounded my hand. The gaping red mark filled. I touched my skin, and the bite was gone.
"River! The bite is gone! How did you do that?" I squealed, hugging his neck.
"It's the Spell of Healing, mother taught it to me," he replied, kissing my forehead. "Remember it forever. It may save you one day."

"I will, River," I muttered as I returned to reality. I held my hand to my heart and recited the spell River taught me.
"Fire, water, earth and wind combined, in this moment the stars are aligned. Bring the Goddesses power here, let us feel that comfort is near. Healing powers now in sight, bring an end to painful plight. Heal now wounds that come."
The water turned into a giant wave. It shined golden and glistened in the light, towering over me. It crashed down on the ground, pushing me backward with the force. Yet I wasn't swept away. I was still sitting there, underwater. The golden-blue water settled around me and I opened my eyes. I could see, clear as day. I held my breath but gasped in accidentally. I could breathe just fine. My hair and clothes swayed like they would in water, but I could move, breathe, and see just as well as I could on land. It felt nice and warm in the sparkling water.
"This is impossible," I whispered, looking at my feet. They were bare and clean, no blood stained on them. My leg no longer had the gaping wound. I inhaled and braced myself to glance at my arm. The burn was gone.
"Yes! The spell... It worked!" I exclaimed. Then I realized, all my clothes were gone. "What the heck?"
What was I supposed to do now? Where the heck were my clothes?
Then I felt a sensation over my skin. A golden and white gown appeared on my body, with a gold sash around the waist. My hair was tied up again, in a silk ribbon.
The water lowered, and soaked back into the pool. When it left me, I was completely dry, and I shivered from the cold wind that slapped my skin. I started walking away, trying to find my way back to the village. I felt real confused about what all happened.
"Zesika!" called a voice, followed by barking. "Zesika! Where are you?"
There he was, running towards me, tears in his eyes. He collided with me, knocking the wind out of me. He hugged me tight, holding me close to his chest.
"Zesika, you got me so worried! I'm... I'm sorry I upset you, I won't... Just please, for-forgive me... Zesika, I..." River sobbed, his arms locked tightly around my waist. My feet were hanging off the ground as he held me.
"River, I'm fine! I didn't run off because you have to leave! I'm not that stupid," I said, trying to wiggle out of his grip. "I was chasing a girl."
"A girl?" he asked, looking at me.
"Well, the girl was chasing a chicken. A blue chicken. And I followed her, and she disappeared over a cliff, and I... I fell off the cliff. Then when I woke up I had a bad cut, then the chicken was talking... Then the little girl asked me to play 'Time Out', and she burned my arm. Then they both disappeared and I ran, and I kept hearing this voice. Then I found a pool of water that had stones, and I said the spell you taught me! Then the water went over me and I was healed and-"
"Zesika!" River said, interrupting my rant. He held me up, a confused stare on his face. "Did you hit your head or something? You must have been dreaming."
"No, I wasn't dreaming! River-" I tried to tell him. He slung me over his shoulder.
"Let's get you home. Where did you get that dress?" he asked. "From the blue chicken?"
I sighed as I was carried over his shoulder. My dog Cloud was padding behind us, tail wagging and bright green eyes shining. He had shaggy white fur and a tan underbelly.
"Do you believe me, Cloud?" I asked him. He stared at me as he kept following.
Yes. He replied. I gasped.
"You can talk- Oh yeah. The chicken said all animals can talk now," I laughed.
River can't hear me, though. Only you.
"Hm? Why?"
"Zesika, who are you talking to?" River asked.
"Nobody," I replied quickly.
River turned his head back to the path and shrugged. I sighed in relief and put my chin in my palms. I stared at Cloud and thought.
What should I do? Am I insane because of the dark power flowing in? I thought.

You aren't insane, Zesika.
You have a gift.

I looked back, trying to see who said that. Nobody there. My blood ran cold as I heard it say one last thing.

Find the Serpent Blade.

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