I~Mute~
~It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream. (Edgar Allan Poe)~
The sun is warm on my back as we walk. We are lucky to be chosen to be in the imperial army. You must have certain abilities, I am a map maker and my instructors say I’m the best in my class but my maps never look quite right to me, as if something is missing. There is always something missing in my maps but then again I haven’t been everywhere there is to be so I wouldn’t know what it is.
The feeling of strong arms wrapping around my waist and lifting me up pulls me out of my daze. Whoever it was that picked me up sets me down. “You almost fell.” I turn to be faced with a tall, muscled, brunette male with gorgeous pale blue eyes. “What were you thinking about, Stells?”
I quickly write down my response, Must you frighten me like that, Mils? Mikeel and I have been best friends since we were in diapers. He has always been around and he’s always taken care of me.
He flashes me a smile, one that I have grown used to seeing over the years. “Well that’s what I’m here for.”
Yes of course, I almost forgot. I straighten my green tunic and glare at Mikeel.
“Have I angered you? Why must you keep up this charade of being mute?”
I shake my head and sigh, No, you haven’t angered me. And I am ‘mute’ because it makes things so much easier for me.
He sighs and shakes his head, “Okay, fine but you could at least talk to me.”
We are walking with the imperial army and both of our higher ups could pass at anytime and I would much rather not speak. They shouldn’t have let me in because I’m mute but, as they say, I have an exceptional skill set so they have. I like my position and I don’t want to be caught talking to the best tracker they have. I would prefer not to find out what the punishment is for this lie.
“Okay okay. Sorry.” Mikeel’s smile turns into a worried frown, “The Abyssus Manes is coming up, we will cross it tomorrow. You okay?” I have had these nightmares about the Abyssus Manes for quite a long time.
A shiver runs through my body at the thought of that place. The Abyssus Manes is the home of the Astibos. Creatures with leathery wings, long talons, sharp teeth, and they eat humans, but I’ve heard they go after the incantators more often than they do us normal people it probably has something to do with the power that washes off them, and each other. I will be once we get away from there.
“I understand. Watch out!”
I move out of the way in time to just barely miss getting run over by one of the incatator’s carriages. Many carriages pass each one holding several incatators. I watch them go by then a black carriage with a moon pendant in the window passes. I bow my head in respect to the man within the carriage, Oscuro. His colours are black and gold, his sign is the moon. As the incatators carriages passed some of the girls, every one of them gorgeous, looked out and directly at Mikeel. Looks like you have some fans. I smirk at him, Mikeel the Incatator layer!
“Oh stop it.” I shake my head, “I haven’t slept with any of them.”
That doesn’t mean you won’t. I know that they have invited you.
“You have one dirty mind.” He laughs and shakes his head at me.
“HAULT!!” Everyone stops moving as we are commanded, “SET UP CAMP AND GO TO YOUR DESIGNATED AREA!!” Everyone around me sounds off a yes sir and scatter to do whatever needs to be done.
After an hour or two I walk into the mapmaker’s tent. “Where have you been Stella?”
I turn around slowly to face the instructor, I was helping set up the mess hall.
My instructor places his hands on his hips. Ever since I enlisted I have been late to the tent each time we stop for the night and I think he has finally had enough of it. “Stella I find that highly unlikely. I hate to disturb Oscuro but I cannot have you lying and thinking you can do whatever it is you want whenever you
want.” He grabs my arm and drags me to the incatator’s tent. The incatators are all sitting on the plush pillows, laughing and talking to one another. Oscuro is sitting on the other side of the tent in a huge black chair that almost looks like a throne. I bow my head in both respect and fear. “Oscuro this young woman believes she can do whatever she wants. She has lied to me about her whereabouts since she entered my division and she is always late into the tent.” The instructor lets go of my arm like I had burned him.
I can feel Oscuro staring at me, then he speaks in a deep, enchanting voice. “Look at me and tell me what exactly you thought you could get away with.” Are you kidding? He just heard it from my instructor. Maybe he’s hard of hearing and honestly didn’t hear what my instructor said, I doubt that though. I slowly look up at him, his eyes are dark blue almost black, he has a chiseled jaw, and high cheek bones. I pull out my brush and paper, ”I told you to tell me not write it.”
I am truly sorry but I do not speak. All of the incantators gape at me, no one goes against Oscuro’s wishes for fear of what he is capable of. If you cannot walk, must less stand, and he commands you to stand you do it but I have no choice I must keep up appearances.
Oscuro reads what I wrote and narrows his eyes, “I’m sure I can make you speak” His words hold not only a threat but also a slight tone of teasing as the corner of his lips curl into an evil grin. He turns his attention to my instructor, “She will cross the Abyssus Manes with me and I will accompany the mapmakers. For now, take her to her tent.”
The instructor nods and grabs my arm again. He drags me out before speaking, “Stella why wouldn’t you just talk? Now you are going to be hurt for sure.” He shakes his head and pushes me into the tent, “I’ll have someone bring you food.”
The next morning we take down all the tents and we are herded onto small boats to cross Abyssus Manes. I was in the line to get on one of the boats when I feel a hand grab my wrist and electricity surge up my arm. Without thinking I turned around ripping my wrist out of the grasp and kneed the person in the stomach before knocking their legs out from under them and pinning the person to the ground. I hear many gasps from those around me and I looked down to see it was Oscuro I had pinned. I jump up as soon as this realization hit me and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I am so so so sorry Oscuro. I did not know it was you. I would never had done that if I knew. I
He stands, towering over me, and holds his hand up as he takes the page, not letting me finish my rambling. His eyes scan it quickly, “Stella… that is your name correct?” I nod my head, “Do not worry about it you will face no consequences as of now. I should have warned you that I was behind you.”
One of the incatators step up,”You aren’t hurt are you, Oscuro?”
“No, I am perfectly fine.” He takes hold of my wrist softly, sending more electric shocks up my arm, “Let’s get on the boat.”
He walks onto the boat still holding onto my arm. I suck in my breath and walk onto the boat. The boats push off and we are soon engulfed by darkness. Fires are lit in the middle of the boats, giving us a small amount of light to see by. We move slowly across the Abyssus Manes, the boats cutting through the tar-like water. Everyone is talking in quiet voices to one another, trying to ease some of the fear welling up in us.
I watch Oscuro. He is just standing there, his head held high, his black tunic swirling about him, his black hair tousled by the wind. His dark eyes scanning around the ships, as if he was looking for the monsters. The astibos are the only ones that attack humans. There are more terrifying creatures that live within this space where darkness is tangible but none bother humans, they have often been depicted as eating the astibos and I sure hope that’s true.
I know we aren’t even halfway across when I hear terrible, ear piercing shrieks. I look around to find where it came from and then the astibos descend upon the ships. They have leathery skin, wings like that of a large bat, long talons protrude from what you can only assume to be their hands, rows of razor sharp teeth, and their breath smells of rancid, rotting flesh. Their skin looks to be barely hanging onto their bodies. There are screams coming from all around. The fire incantators are throwing balls of flame, trying to scare
the astibos away. The monsters fall back only for a short time before they realize the reward of their daring may be greater than a burn.
I feel a terrible ripping, searing pain shoot through my shoulders and legs. Oscuro grabs a hold of my arm. I let out a shrill scream as the pain runs through my body, the astibo attempts to lift and take me away from the ship. Everything seems to slow, the screaming fades, the pain melts away, and everything starts to go black when a hot burning light flashes and I fall to my knees hitting the hard wood of the ship. Oscuro picks me up and starts shouting commands to the incatators that control wind to call the wind to make us go faster.
“We will get you to a doctor Stella. Why did you not tell us you were Sol’eta?” His soft, worried voice was the last thing I heard before I passed out in his arms. Why did they come after me?
