Element. Flame of Elisar. Marie K. JETH

fresh mountain air… I filled my lungs with it and smiled thus enjoying the chill and the view of the reluctantly setting sun.

      But in a couple of moments I got some completely different feeling, something strange and uncomfortable. As if feeling somebody’s gaze, I jumped up to look around and find the source of that discomfort. What was it?

      The strange feeling was growing, and then, out of sudden, I realized it was perfect silence around, as if all sounds of this world had been turned off at a clap. I could hear neither the sound of grasshoppers jumping all over the grass nor the chirping of birds that were arguing furiously a moment ago about whose song was better…

      Then I decided it was time to go on, put quickly all the remaining food into my bag, and rose up about to move… And there I froze, with my heart sinking into my boots.

      There, right in front of me, was standing a creature looking at me point-blank. It didn’t take more than an instant to become aware I could expect nothing good from it. It was all black as ink, quite tall – the size of a decent horse, with a long muzzle resembling that of a horse, too; its entire body was covered with a strange pattern, as if carved with some sharp tool. Two large burning eyes, huge nostrils gulping air in, fangs the size of my index, and some strange long shoots looking like a lion’s mane, which were moving in the air as though trying to feel something invisible and intangible…

      I backed away, thinking frantically what I could do, and seeing more and more clearly that I was in a trap. The ugly monster cut me off from the only escape way… the only way, to be exact… Now in front of myself I could see a path, with the monster standing on it; a rock to the right of it, and an abyss to the left, while the way back was shut with impenetrable bushes…

      That’s it, a thought flashed through my mind… I had no weapon to fight with, and the

      only advantage I had was my fast speed. I moved to the right, trying to slip between the monster and the rock, and applying a maximum of acceleration to this. Some hope of that! This beast rushed across, not a tiny bit slower than me. I barely managed to bounce back, totally discouraged and even feeling a little offended.

      Until that day, I had remained perfectly sure that I was the only one who could move so fast. Yes, high self-esteem is abundant in me! And then it was something that might cost me my life.

      Meanwhile, the beast was not in a hurry to attack, still pulling in the air with its huge nostrils, which produced a lot of noise. And only the tentacles on its neck started moving faster. I was at a loss about that, and then, as if reading my thoughts, it jumped forward, leaving me with no choice but the only thing I could do – rush through the bushes! Those plants that might seem so lovely at first sight, with all those small beautiful flowers, proved to have huge thorns, which were now ripping off my clothes together with my skin. But I was only gaining speed as I could still hear the deafening crack and crash of branches behind…

      A stroke in the back, and then pain… I screamed and slowed down a little, but getting myself back together I rushed on. The burning pain in the back was unbearable. The beast gave a crazy roar and I could hear the crackling behind getting closer – it was catching up.

      I was running down the hill, still wondering what I was to do in case it did get me, and I had to admit it was just a matter of time… And at that point I felt a blow that threw me to the stone ridge. My eyes dimmed and pain pierced through my entire body, which cut my breath. I gasped, and could feel the air wheezing somewhere inside.

      Must be broken ribs, I thought barely paying any attention. There was some terrible noise in my head, I opened my eyes and pressed myself into the ground… The monster was approaching smoothly, and its disgusting tentacles stretched forward. That terrible view must have made my life instinct work up to its fullest. My mind got clearer instantly even though my head was still full of noise…

      But wait… this noise… It must be something else… It’s water… Waterfall! No time to waste!

      I grabbed a handful of sand and threw it right into the beast’s eyes. Then I chased it with a large stone, and rushed toward the noisy water. I could hear a crazy howl behind, full of ugly menace – the stone must have found the target. The pain sent flashes through my whole body, and I was out of breath again, yet running, for my life literally, and it was my last chance to survive, shrinking inevitably second after second. And as I ran up to the cliff edge, I looked up

      praying and asking for a safe landing (or safe splash, to be exact), and jumped off. As I was falling into the fast and raging river that seemed more like an eternal hollow, I heard a terrifying wail, full of fury and hatred of the prey that had just escaped. And then it was the water that covered me and the world around went all dark…

      Everything after that was in a fog – some vague images and voices that sounded familiar from time to time, my own moans, torch light in the dark, and pain that was subsiding only to come back in a new wave.

      I woke up in my room, and my mind cleared up in an instant, as if someone had turned it on. I saw Nargara standing in front of me with a cup in her hands, and Elcha sitting on a chair a little away. And then I felt a disgusting bitter taste on my lips which came with a very peculiar smell, the smell you would never mistake for anything else – mours decoction.

      Mours was a little plant looking like moss, which could be found deep into caves. This meant that my family had to take pains searching through all the known or, actually, unknown caves in the area. The thing was that the decoction had one very important property – it was a surefire remedy to bring someone unconscious round. Besides, it also meant that they had already tried everything else and my case could not be worse…

      “Ricka!” my sister rushed to hug me as she could help crying. I moaned as pain filled my chest.

      “Elcha! Are you crazy? She got all her ribs broken!” Nargara shouted. But I also could hear relief in her voice.

      “Is it that hopeless?” I asked trying to get up.

      “Stay there,” Nargara’s said in a voice that left me no choice but obey. Then she came up to me smiled sadly, and only that moment I could see how exhausted she looked. She had to try beyond her best, I guess, to get me back at least, let alone talking… Much beyond her best…

      Nargara was a beautiful woman – black braided hair down to her waist, large light-brown eyes, high cheek bones and a perfectly straight nose – the features typical of nobility rather than of a local witch. She never looked her age and for someone from outside she might look like a woman around thirty. The only part that would give away her age was the eyes. They radiated with so much wisdom and sound judgment that you would see immediately she was someone who had seen a lot of what the World could offer. And not that World alone, maybe…

      And now the eyes were full of tears.

      “What was that, Ricka? Do you remember?” she asked taking a sit on my bed.

      “What beast was that?” Elcha jumped in rubbing her running nose.

      “How do you know it was a beast?” I was surprised.

      “Oh, you should see your own back. The wounds are worse than awful! Mammy could see right away those were from some huge claws! Did that ambush you? I think you would have escaped otherwise, wouldn’t you? I know you can be real fast,” my sister was rattling away as she sat next to Mammy.

      “Elcha!” Nargara warned her in a menacing pitch. “Don’t be running ahead of the hounds! You are getting her exhausted with your chit-chat!”

      Elcha had to shut her mouth and put on some injured look pursing her lips, and only her eyes revealed how impatient she was to hear my story.

      The Witch’s eyes were equally inquisitive, by the way, so I started.

      “I don’t even know what creature was it! Had never met before! I just stopped at the River Hill to have a quick bite, and here it was. Looking at me first, with its swelling nostrils, and then rushed… All I could do was run through the bushes… And my back, yes, it hit quite badly just when it was catching up. Fast beast, indeed! I would never believe an animal could move so fast! You told me it is so rare, and I have never met anyone like that in our area…