"Heart of Destiny Chapter 2" by Alura Raetz

Chapter 2
    The young girl sat impatiently, concentrating hard on what she was doing. If indeed this spell were to work, she would need all of her strength. She had to still her mind.
    In and out; around in a circle. That was the way of things; dark and light; chaos, creation, and the ever burning orb.
    Suddenly, she heard a twig snap, breaking her out of her maditative state. With an air of irritation, she brushed off the green forest outfit she wore when Ben wasn't around. She frowned. She knew these woods like the back of her hand; she sensed that something here was not quite right. She was friends with many of the animals here, and so was Ben. He knew where the clearing was, and the only company she had besides him was that of the whispering trees.
    Again she heard another twig snap. She tensed. This was not right.
    After throwing on her white hooded robe and slipping on the tall, tanned boots she always wore, she leaped high, using her magic to propel her to the branches of her friend trees. Peering down, she looked for anything that was amiss.
    There it was. It was someone from the borderlands; the outside. This was odd. None of the people on the edge of the woods ever went inside, especially into the heart of it. There were rumors of people that worshiped the old ways. That of nature and not of technology. And one of those she was.
    Ah, but this one seemed to know what he was doing. He slipped silently through the trees. He wore a lot of green, with silky mehou feathers tied in his hair with leather cords. He wore high boots of what looked like emerald dragon leather. Slung on his back was a quiver of arrows, a bow across his arm and a dagger clearly visible in his boot. And lastly, his hair was raven black, cut shorter then that of the usual man.
    He stealthy pulled an arrow from the quiver and loaded it onto the bow. She looked below her to see a white male stag, grazing peacefully, not suspecting an approaching death.
    "No..." she whispered. She gracefully leaped from the branches, flipped in mid-air and landed in a crouch in front of the stag, who understood immediately who she was. It kneeled down and she laid her head on the stag's heart.
    She felt the man hesitate. "Get out of my way, girl." He growled.
    Miriek did not move. "No," she said stubbornly.
    He raised his bow again in a thret. "I don't want to have to kill you," he warned.
    Miriek stubbornly did not move. "Then I suppose you will have to kill me. If it is my time, then it's my time. But I have sworn to protect this forest from people like you." She tilted her head. "I will not let you kill him."
    Her warning came too late. An arrow whizzed through the air, and she heard it's shrill cry as it cut through the wind. "Move!" she cried to the white animal. "Go!"
    The animal shot away quickly, but it would not be able to escape the arrow. In a split second, Miriek leaped up and intercepted it with her shoulder.
    "Ahhhhhh!!!!" she cried out as the pain shot through her arm. She fell to the ground breathing hard and wailing in agony.
    The man ran to her side. "Are you crazy?!" he roared. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
    "Better for you to take my life than that of my friends." Miriek gasped in pain. She then grabbed hold of the arrow and started to pull.
    "No No!" the man cried, "You'll only make it bleed more! We need to get you to a healer!" He glared at her. "You are very foolish. Why did you stop my arrow? That was my dinner."
    Miriek sighed. "Why do you insist on eating meat? You don't have to you know." She frowned. "You outsiders take with no thought of given back to nature in return." She grabbed the arrow, and with a shrill scream, drew it out. She threw it to the ground and collapsed. "It sickens me. How could you want to kill my friend?" She sighed as everything fadded into blackness.

    She had passed out from the pain, the foolish girl. He stood, looming over her, thinking over what she had told him. Outsiders, she had said... Did that mean...?
    He took a step back from the girl in surprise. Yea gods, he thought, this woman is one of the nature lovers! The hidden forest guardians!!
    He looked at her white robe, which was now stained red with her blood. She would need help, or she would bleed to death. He knelt down to pick her up to carry her, when something caught his eye.
    The white stag. It stood with its eyes twinkling brightly. He couldn't seem to stop from staring at those eyes... Why is it they seem to see through me to my soul????     He shook his head. He had to get help...
    "Perhaps, Ra'ule, it would have been better if you had listened to her words. She is not the foolish one you think she is."
    He turned to see a man standing in the exact same spot as the stag had a moment before. The man was tall, with fire red hair and a beard, although the red had begun to fade to a dull orange around his temples. His eyes shone that he knew Ra'ule; knew his thoughts and his every move, as if he could see right into his soul.
    "She... uh... needs help. I need to get her to a healer." Ra'ule stammered.
    The man grinned. "You are fortunate she is one who can heal herself quickly. She has slipped into a trance." He explained, "The wound is already gone."
    Ra'ule looked. Indeed, the man was right. "But... that's impossible." he whispered.
    The man laughed, and as he did, his eyes twinkled unnaturally, as though there were something in him that was familiar. They seemed to brim with knowledge. "Not to one of magic," he said, amused.
    "Ha! You're an old fool. Magic isn't real, and if the girl believes that, then she's a fool too. Hokey religions is all it is, old one." Ra'ule laughed.
    The old one raised an amused eyebrow. "Look at the girl, Ra'ule," the man said quietly, "she seems familiar to you, does she not?"
    Ra'ule jumped. "How did you know my name?"
    He shrugged. "I know a lot more than your name, son." And with that, Ra'ule turned to walk away, and as he did, the white stag gave a nod of acknowledgment, then galloped away.
    "Magic... is not real... no way..."

    Miriek awoke with a ponding headache. She would have to work on the effect of her power draining if she were ever to heal without such harsh side effects. When she finally opened her eyes, she jumped. She was not in the woods, or her grove of trees. She looked around. Oh, gods, she was trapped! Panic swept over her and she cried out in alarm.
    "Woah, woah! Hey, it's okay!" came a familiar voice. She squinted. Many years ago, she had almost lost her eyesight from the ashes of the fire. It was very hard now to make out detail. Light, dark, and face shapes were basically all she could see.
    "Oh, it's you." She calmed down in recognition, "How did I get here?"
    Ra'ule shrugged. "I brought you here. You've been out for a good three days." He went to put a hand on her forehead, but in alarm, she moved away. "Jeez! You're a skittish little thing, aren't you?" He asked uneasily.
    "I don't like humans much," she growled.
    "Look, all I'm doing is checking your temperature. Relax, I won't hurt you." Miriek eyed him uneasily, but let him touch her forehead. "Jeez, you're burning up!" He shrieked.
    Miriek shook her head. "I'll be fine. It's happened before."
    "At least let me get a rag to try to bring it down,"
    "Fine."
    He went and got a bowl and a rag, and wet her forehead. "You said you weren't human," he said attempting to learn more about this strange girl, "What are you then?"
    She eyed him. "I don't know." She held her hand up. On it was a trace of... something. It shone and sparkled faintly. She then reached behind to the back of her head, and pulled out a streak of hair. It was a blazing orangish red, like fire. "My parents died when I was very young. There was a fire..." she stopped and laughed. "I don't even know you! What am I saying?!"
    He shrugged. "I don't mind. I think... whatever your race is... it looks like it might be nice."
    She looked at him, then leaned forward. She inhaled deeply, and when she looked at him again, she laughed.
    "What?!" he asked defensively.
    She shrugged. "It's just your scent." She giggled hysterically.
    "You're attracted to me."
    He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "How did you...?"
    She touched her nose. "Smell. All of my senses are fine-tuned. Except for my eyesight, that is. When you live like I do, you discover that your senses are heightened." She grinned. "Nature can teach you a lot if you are willing to learn."
    "You do magic, right?" he asked her.
    "Yes, it bothers you?"
    He raised his head in pride. "I don't believe in magic."
    She shook her head. "And yet, you shun technology as I do. You live on your own." She touched his cheek. "You poor thing. You are so lost." She turned away suddenly. "I have to go."
    "Wait!" He cried out, and blocked her path to the door when she stood. "I want to see you again."
    She smiled. "If you do, then you know where to look."
    He looked confused. "How will I find you?"
    She grinned. "Don't worry, I'll find you." She winked at him and turned away. He looked out into the woods for a moment, then back again. In a tree branch perched a white owl. It hooted softly, then flew away.
    "Goodbye, tree spirit." Ra'ule whispered.

    He walked through he forest, looking for the forest guardian. She had said yesterday that he could find her at the heart of the woods, but where exactly was that? How would he know whenever he got there? He wasn't even sure he knew where he was going.
    He stepped into a clearing, and he looked around. Where was she? Why was it that he wanted to see her again? Why? What was it about this girl that seemed so... familiar?
    "Perhaps, my friend, it is because we have many lives, and I would not be surprised if we have met before."
    He turned around to see the girl. She was dressed in white robes with a green sash ties around her waist. Her skin shimmered faintly, and her brilliant streak of red hair glimmered brightly despite the lack of sunlight.
    She grinned and Ra'ule caught a glimpse of giant white wings before they disappeared in a shower of glitter.
    "How did you-Where did you-" he stuttered.
    Miriek smiled at him. "I told you. I've been living in these woods since I was an infant. And I've studied magic almost my entire life."
    "But-you-how did you... you're a witch!" He snapped, and started to back away. She went to step forward to comfort him, but he leaped back. "Stay away from me!" He gave her a look of absolute hatred. "I can't believe I trusted you! I thought it was all a fake! You're a demoness!" He glared at her. "You've bewitched me into loving you is what it is."
    "I didn't--" Miriek began.
    "What was with the wings? Only a witch can impersonate a demon like that!" he accused.
    "But... I... Please, you must understand..." she stuttered, "I'm not like that... please... I would never do anyhting to hurt you."
    Ra'ule ignored her words. "I will go to the prince immediatly." He glared at her coldly. "His highness does not take kindly to the practitioners of the dark arts. And if you don't like people, then you're doomed." With that, he turned and marched boldly away.

    Miriek felt as though her heart had just been torn to peices. She watched Ra'ule march out of her clearing. As soon as she was out of view, tears rolled down her cheeks.
    "I thought he was different," she cried softly, "I thought he would understand, even if he didn't beleive in magic..."
    Her tears hit the ground, and the second they did, a large snowy owl hooted softly and flew up to land on the back of a white stag. The large deer turned it's head to nudge the owl, and the owl hooted again, and flew away...