Celestial Memories, part 2
Celestial Memories
By Aliza Starwing
(Edited by AshuraK,
which I thank him for greatly)
"I'm going to give you a count of ten down to one, shop keeper. And if you haven't handed over the one from the poster by then, we will be coming in after her... by force. Ten," the vixen shouted as she started her count. I was scared.
"Aliza, I have a way for you to get out of here without getting hurt, even though I can't say that the same will go for me" Ed whispered to me.
"Nine, shop keeper, I'm counting very slowly. I do hope you are not doing anything to aid someone that is wanted by the government," the vixen shouted.
"Here's the belongings that you chose," Ed continued to push me towards the back wall while whispering to me, then he grabbed the small backpack off the table. "And get out of here quickly. Best of luck finding your parents, Aliza."
"Eight. I'm also a very patient Kitsune, shop keeper, but keep me waiting too long and I'll just bust down the door," the vixen said through the door. She had a tone of slowly rising anger in her voice.
Ed also managed to grab the heavy pack that I had been carrying since I left my previous home. Ed lugged the bag over to me, while I had my back and wings basically pressed against the wall.
"Thanks Ed. Just know if, and when, I do come back here, you are gonna be among the first people, besides my foster mother, that I am going to visit," I whispered. "And pay you back for everything I have taken here today."
"Seven," the Kitsune growled sternly.
Ed smiled, but it faded back into worry again.
"Aliza, consider what you've taken today a token of my appreciation to overthrow a power hungry government," he replied in a hushed voice. "Also, I might not survive the punishment they'll give me for helping you, nor will your foster mother likely survive the torturing for more information. But, it will give you more strength to be more benevolent, and right what is wrong in the government."
Ed, then, pushed something on the wall, and a small, secret passaged appeared nearly behind me.
"This is your way out. It will seal shut behind you, so you'll just have to follow it to the other side," Ed explained quietly. "Hopefully they don't know that I put this passage in for my after business deals. I can't be certain though. So you will have to move quickly. Good luck," Ed whispered to me.
"Six. Shop keeper, I hope you thinking of handing her over now" the vixen suggested loudly.
I nodded to Ed and took my leave through the passage in the wall. The door slid closed behind me, as he said, and I was left in a dark narrow passage. I stood there for a moment to let my eyes adjust to the darkness of the passage.
"Good bye, Ed, I'll never forget you" I whispered to the wall.
I put the smaller bag over my shoulder, and carried the other one in my left hand. I walked as quickly as I could in the passage, trying to make it to the end before the vixen, and whatever help she brought, realized I wasn't there. Then in turn, set off in search of me. I also didn't want to make too much noise, considering I didn't know if anyone or anything was in the passage with me.
I made it to the end of the relatively short passage, and saw the light of day again, even though it was fading into the beautiful orange glow of a sunset. I stuck my head out of the passage just a bit and looked around. I didn't see anyone. But something worried me. What if some soldiers were hiding? One soldier would be no problem. But more than one would be quite a different story. I shook my head to calm myself and clear my thoughts.
"What to do now? I've to get away quickly" I muttered. I stretched my wings, and it hit me. I looked over my shoulders at my wings. I wasn't sure that it was going to work, but its the only chance I had to get out of this situation with my life.
I knew a bit about flight and how aven wings can only carry so much weight from when I had went to school. So I tested the weight of both bags and decided that I couldn't carry both. I went back into the passage and put both bags down on the ground. I know I needed the items I took from the table in the back room.
"I'll just have to pack some more stuff into the smaller of the two bags," I said to myself.
I unpacked some of the stuff from the gym bag and put it into the smaller bag. Whatever I couldn't fit into the smaller bag, I left, which was most of the stuff I packed in the gym bag earlier.
"Oh well, not much I can do about it now, other than hope it's still here when I return," I muttered. "Well, time to learn how to fly."
I peeked my head out of the passage again. I wasn't sure if there were soldiers hiding, and I really didn't have much room.
"Looks like its gonna be a running start," I said to myself.
I ran out of the passage and down the alley. Arrows started flying from the top of the buildings or somewhere close by. I heard the vixen's voice echo from somewhere.
"Stop her! Don't let her get away. Anyone who does, I will punish personally!"
the female Kitsune barked.
I continued to run onward. I noticed that I had erred. There was a wall at the end of the alley.
"It's now or never" I thought to myself. I closed my eyes and jumped. I flapped my wings as hard as I could and just barely soared over the wall. I continued to pump my wings, and heard the sound of soldiers coming from every direction trying to get a good shot at me with a bow. Arrows continued to soar up aimed at me, but each one fell short again and again. I still wasn't out of immediate danger. I don't know how I knew, but I could sense some sort of spell was being prepared.
"This is far from over, my prey. You won't get away from me! Daemon Scourge!" the vixen roared.
By this time, I was already past the city gates. The wind just helped carry me further. Yet the magic still hit me directly in my back. It was unlike any other pain I had ever experienced. It was much like a sting from a hornet, but multipled by ten, and it had an added pain like that of fire.
The vixen made one final taunt.
"You may have gotten away for now, but I swear to find you in the end! And you will suffer dearly!" she shouted.
I barely heard her, but those words lingered in my mind past the magical pain. I tried to keep myself up in the air and flying, but I just couldn't focus. All I remembered before I blacked out was crash landing in a forest or something of that sort. I couldn't remember. Everything just faded in and out.
I woke up in unfamilar surroundings and with unfamiliar people. I opened one eye and looked around. I saw two people in what seemed to be a small hut. One was sitting down at a table and the other was nearby. The one that was near by took a cloth off my forehead and put a fresh one on my forehead. "Where am I? Who are these people? Why are they helping me?" I thought to myself. I had what seemed like a million questions and none of which I knew the answer to. "Well, only one way to find out the answer to most of these questions," I continued thinking to myself "And I don't like the one way I have to do this, but it is the only way to find out whether they are friend or foe."
I convinced myself to sit up and show them that I was awake. A wet cloth slid off my forehead and one of the people shouted something I didn't understand and the second one that was sitting down at a small table got up and ran out of the small room.
I took a short look around as the first person who shouted what I didn't understand came over and started asking me questions in the same language. I kept trying to tell this person that I didn't understand, when the second person came back with another person.
"Well, it's good to see you awake finally," the third person whom entered the room with the second said.
"Huh? Finally? What do you mean? Why can't I understand these other two? Where am I? Who are you people? Why are you helping me?" I asked the third person.
"My dear child, one question at a time. I know that you are desperate for information, but isn't it polite to introduce oneself first?" he replied to me. He continued by saying, "I am Chobi, this small town's doctor. You my child have been out for two weeks now. And that wound on your wing and back will heal, but it will take a bit more time to do so."
Chobi then sat down by the bed in the hut. "Now if you don't mind me asking, how did you get such a near-fatal wound? I'm surprised that you ever survived the attack that made that wound, because if it had been anyone else they would be dead."
I sat there in silence staring at Chobi. It was then I noticed I was naked except for the bandages around my upper body.
"Wait a minute. If my upper half is covered in bandages, what about my lower half?" I thought to myself.
I took a peek under the white linen sheet. Around my waist was a piece of cloth that looked like a sadly misshapen skirt. I, then, looked around the room for my pack. I didn't see it.
"Where are my clothes and other items?" I asked.
"Your clothes were torn to shreads from your little crash through the trees. As for your other items... let's just say they are in good hands" the doctor said.
"Okay then, I will just be taking my leave then," I said. I tried to get up and nearly fainted in the process. One of the two people I couldn't understand caught me before I fell completely. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at me and smiled.
"Thanks," I said to him, even though he probably couldn't understand me.
Chobi stood to leave. "My child of whom I do not know your name yet, I suggest you do not try leaving that bed again until you have fully recovered. I wouldn't like to see anything bad happen to you before you have healed. I will be taking my leave now, so do both of us a favor and rest" Chobi said to me.
The male elf that had been in put me back on the bed and covered me. Chobi muttered something I couldn't hear and I fell into darkness again.