The Alchemist's Children: Panacea

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Everything was black and cold. Along with the sounds of the ocean, a distant melody twinkled in the distance. The sounds swept through the chilling air casting an eerie comfort across his mind. His back was cold, as if he were lying bare skinned in a pile of snow. He felt an icy rain on his skin and the partially frozen blades of grass slip between his fingers. He was cold, but didn't shiver and what he felt was something he had never felt before. He couldn't help but wonder if he were dead.

  The melody grew closer and the faint sound of bagpipes added to the quiet frosty symphony. Pulling him deeper into the hypnotic twinkle, a woman's voice worked into the melody in the delicate words of an ancient tongue. Despite being unable to understand, the song was intoxicating, and like a drug he craved more.

  He had to find it. Someone, whoever it was, was calling him. He felt desire begin building in his gut. But, something held him and pulled at the back of his mind. Something heavy, something dark, which began burning deep inside and held his eyes locked shut.

  The faces of rune carved children, including his loved ones, and metallic demons peeling their flesh off took hold. Locked in place, he burned, but the song worked between the flashes of his nightmares, quenching their spell. The disturbing flashes of torture faded with each note.

  His eyes began to lighten and slowly opened. Above him, the shadows of leafless trees stretched towards the curtain of grey clouds being pulled back by an invisible hand. The glow of the moon touched his skin, and the canvas of stars stretched out before his very eyes.

  He felt the cooling rain, and a breeze eroded the last of the flame and darkness. He smiled. It was calm here, peaceful, and refreshing. For the first time ever he felt at home, relaxed, and at peace.

  As he sat up, he noticed a black bird land on a tree's branch, silhouetted by moonlight. The gnarled tree had grown out over the ledge of a cliff, and beyond it rolled the infinite ocean. The bird cawed, sounding much like a crow or raven. It fix its single eye on him. The other was heavily scarred. It cocked its head, and looked backwards, waiting, as the song neared.

  Through the trees came a woman dressed in warrior's leather and heavy plaid cloak. Her ice green eyes glowed beneath the hood. She floated with angelic grace. Her sweet voice came to a hum as she sat next to him. Her face came into focus and she lowered her hood. She touched his face and he smiled. She was perfect. A few of her jet-black curls dangled free of her mess of braided hair. Her alabaster skin and artistically placed freckles wrinkled as her emerald lips formed a loving smile. She leaned in, rubbed her soft finger tips along his jaw line, and kissed his cheek. "I've been waiting for you, my love..."

  He felt drawn to her, but her words didn't make any sense. "Am I dead?"

  With her other hand, she rubbed his other cheek. "That is far from a simple answer, but...if you mean the permanent passing of an earthly body to the next, then no...you are not dead."

  "Then, I dreaming?"

  "In a sense...yes...thinking of this as a dream will suffice." She smiled and ran the fingers of her right hand down his neck and along his left arm and held his hand. "But, does it matter? A dream shapes reality and reality shapes dreams. They are one world with two faces, forever intertwined."

  He watched dark steel colored liquid beginning to ripple on his skin near her fingers. "What's...?" He started to ask, but she only answered with a gentle smile. "Panacea..." He whispered. She began drawing on his arm and the liquid metal danced after her fingers, as if they were magnets. Swirls settled in her finger's wake which formed tribal designs from an age long past. Over his shoulder and along his ribs the metal designs came to rest, and they finally stopped when she rested her hand over his heart. "Who are you?" The crow cawed on the branch, and if it spoke the answer, he didn't understand.

  Without removing her soft hand, she looked at him with a puckish lover's gaze. "They're calling you back."

  "So?" He didn't want to leave.

  "It isn't time...you know you must go."

  "But..."

  "You have no choice."

  "Will I see you again?"

  "What does your heart tell you?"

  The crow cawed and she began to hum again. The enchanting words rolled into the same ancient language and he felt himself drift with the fading world. The last thing he saw was her loving eyes glittering in the night.