“The Attack of the White Clouds”; Chapter Two, Part One

Once the sun was low we camped, folks sitting with new-found friends around tiny campfires. Already a rock had been chosen for a resting place. new guards had been chosen for the night’s watch.

I wandered amongst the fires. Those I used to eat with had been of a different camp. One that had been destroyed a few days ago. Now, I found myself gravitating towards the fire where fellow guards of my tribe sat. They were shuffling to make space for me as I approached. Yet before I could reach them, I saw H-‘s fire beyond. He was watching me. at his side sat a red one, but not the red one.

I gave in to the tug of the string within. Waving good night to my friends, I walked on to H-‘s fire. My fellow tribe warriors waved back, so obviously relieved that it stung.

I marched on, refusing to let it show. Be determined, be determined, Mara’s words repeated in me and I was quite determined when I reached H-‘s fire. So determined that he smiled in relief at the sight of me. It must have shown that I was ready to speak now.

A spot had been saved for me, so no one had to shuffle aside as I sat down.

“We are so glad you could make it,” H- said in his deep gravelly voice as I crossed my feet under me. I nodded, watching the fire. From the edge of my vision I saw those who were here. The red one was that tribe’s magician. Not seer. This one was jealous of our seer in unknown ways. Then there was one from H-‘s tribe. One who was neither woman or man, thin and willowy with its braids falling down with beads and stones over their shoulders. Their lips were tinged purple, the special tattoo accorded to them by their seer- who had long ago passed away.

It was this one who spoke first, introducing themselves while holding up a hand. “I am D-, glad to finally meet you.”

“Xira,” said the jealous magician, offering a hand that I did not even look at. It was far easier to watch the flames. The hand waited a moment, then withdrew sourly to rest on its owners knees.

“Can you tell us about the jug?” H- asked cautiously. I nodded, my own braids rattling softly on the back of my neck.

And I tried to speak. “Th-th, the jug, the jug,”

“It was a jug!” a sneering voice crowed from behind me. I startled, yelping as I spun my trident around. It whooshed through the air and sent me off balance as it struck nothing. Laughing, Ch- straightened from the duck she’d dodged my trident with. I regained my balance, scowling.

H- sighed loudly. “What are you doing here? I told you to stay away. We are trying to get her to talk.”

“Well I want to hear it too. They say she sounds like a crow and a frog all at once when she does make a sound, so how could I miss out on that?” Forcing her way between the special one and the magician, she sat into our circle. I flinched as the magician slid closer to me. Now I just wanted to be alone. I could go hungry – but the string inside pulled me along. What I knew needed to be said. I wrung my hands over the leather grip on the trident as the hated one tossed a nod my way. “So tell us. What about this fated jug?”

I wanted to tell them. So I stared into the fire. No words would come. I couldn’t even open my mouth.

“Here, perhaps we should all eat,” H- said gently, stirring the coals around the fire. Little nuggets of desert food were being baked there in all their dryness. The smell of it turned my stomach.

I would leave, I told myself as slow conversation began around me and the food was shared. What good was it to stay in the hated one’s presence?

Yet I stayed. The food was hot, burning my sensitive fingers as I tried to pry it apart. The conversation spiraled on around me, vapid and useless. Every few sentences hopeful hints were dropped in invitation for me to speak. After I had finished the last of the food I waited for the next pause. Having gathered my courage, I tried again.

“Jug,” I blurted as the special one had hardly finished contemplating the moon softly. Instant silence fell- enough to hear the hated one snigger. I gulped and wrung at my trident. “The jug- belonged to Mara-”

There was a snort of laughter- and a yelp as she was flung out from her shoulders by the special one. “Go on,” the purple lips said surely as the body shifted aside to keep that red one out of our circle.

This time I did not miss a beat. Like rhythm, the words were flowing now. They came as pictures to my mind, and I did my best to speak them.

The jug was a beautiful thing. Mara made it so. Mara made it so it held her wisdom, and she served it to her guests. Mara- and the words ran out.

I stared into the fire.

The urge to speak had gone. My mind whirled on, remembering scenes of Mara laughing, serving bountiful food and leading prayers. But the meaning of the jug was no longer lost on me. It was her last gift. To me.

Around the fire, everyone was expecting more. But how could words describe all that I knew? It was simply not enough.

“What does the jug mean? Why is it with us now?” the one that was neither man or woman asked, leaning forward on their knees.

I shook my head. It was a gift, but gifts had many meanings. Spite, rudeness, a beg for forgiveness, Mara had given many gifts.

“Do you know?” H- asked. I shook my head again.

The jealous magician heaved a sigh. “I don’t think she does.”

“But she knows it’s a j-j-jug!” a voice called out from behind me. I whirled, and this time my trident struck true. In the stomach. I laughed, a stuttering giggle as the red one doubled over, gasping for air. She stumbled back, then straightened with a wince.

“Serves you right,” the special one called towards her. “Leave her alone. She’s done her best. That much can’t be said of you.”

Ch- hissed at all of us. her fang-like horns rose around her ears, the pointed fangs showed clear amongst her teeth. “She is a disgrace! She ought to have died by now, the weakest ought not to outlive the brave and the strong.”

“She’s as brave a fighter as you! She’s turned away the white cloud several times!” H- called, but already the red one was no longer listening. Her back spun to us and she marched away.

“Don’t listen to her,” D- said. “You are very powerful. As worthy as anyone to live.”

Xira huffed and adjusted her scarf around herself. “You are just odd. That is all.” But that did not sound like a good thing. Had she expected me to be some seer? Some person bearing extraordinary gifts? I was just a cripple of the mind. That did not give gifts, surely.

Rising, I turned shape into the golden orb we all called home of the skin, and flew away to rest. The next day would be grueling, though I did not yet know how much.

“The Attack of the White Clouds” Chapter One, Part Two

When the seer awoke and everyone was roused and leaving the rock, little golden orbs floating out to form buzzing clouds that watched in wonder, I was still clutching the jug to my chest. Only when the Seer reached for it would I let it go.

“This jug,” she gasped as she recognized it, turning it over in her hands. “Where did you find it?”

I pointed, but she did not understand. The red one had to talk, her hand on her hip and speaking as if I could not be expected to. “It appeared by her feet after the white cloud attacked. It was not there before, but we felt no trap in it so we let her keep it. I think it ought to be destroyed.”

The seer was puzzled. Looking from me to the jug she turned it over in her palms. To the red one she spoke, again as if I could not understand. “This was the jug of their chieftain, Mara. She was amongst the first taken,”

“I know that,” the red one said sharply. “I had visited her home on a treaty. And so I heard of her demise and celebrated it. Now, destroy that thing.”

I growled, my fingers curling around my trident. She hissed at me in spite. The Seer stepped between us hastily. “No, no- do not fight! Look around you, how few of us are left. Can you not just get along? See- look- I shall keep this jug, this way it shall be safe.”

I opened my mouth to say that no, it was for me! I had been mulling it over all this time while the others slept and I knew it to be true. Some inner calling had been tugging at me since the very start of all this devastation. Since the first cloud’s arrival I had felt it like a string withing, drawing me along into greater and greater strength. More responsibility. More power to protect those around me. That jug was a sign for me, inextricably linked and-

“J-j-j-j,” was all I managed to say as I tried to express all that. “Ju-”

“Yes, it’s a jug,” the red one sneered.

“Ju–” I tried, then humiliation choked me again. Biting my lip, I turned away. The seer sighed miserably as she followed me.

“Do not worry, I will do all I can to keep it safe.”

I shrugged her off and wished again for Mara, who had always been patient and willing to let me talk. No matter how long, she would let me try and try to form the words clumsily. She would draw pictures in the sand, and taught me how to do them as well so others could understand me easily. When my words did come out she had valued them. Praised me for my opinions. Now I couldn’t seem to speak a single word. No one had patience for me, or time to let me try and speak.

“We are going to continue bearing east,” the leader of the desert tribe was announcing as i stood with my back to the assembly. “We thank those who watched over us in our sleep, and who turned away the eye of the white clouds. But it has seen us, and if we are to continue surviving we must persevere! We must reach the boats before the end of this week!”

i hugged myself. The boats would carry us far, far away. Out into the ocean, where dangerous tides could sweep us away.

It seemed I was thinking this just for a moment, but then Ara {name?], a fellow warrior from my tribe, was tugging at my arm. “It is time to go,” she said gently. “Come, you are sleeping on your feet.”

No, I would have said if I could. I was just thinking for a moment- yet they never understood. Turning, I followed her with growing misery. The day’s treck had begun.

It was a dangerous one. Today we left the covering canopy of the forest and began across rocky plains. If the white caught us here, we would have nowhere to hide. Our glistening fabric and scale-covered skins were easy to spot in every of the colors we came in. For many, this made them cluster together. Red, black, and blue, the crowd became stifling and closely pressed. I elbowed my way sharply out, feeling the skin closing in around me with growing fear. The guards on the outer edge urged me to go back inside.

“You are no longer on watch, you must rest,”

“Yes, be safe within,” they urged, obviously wanting to go back into the safety of the crowd again.

I shook my head and stubbornly stayed outside the edges.

The sun rose, beating hard upon us. The tribe of the desert passed around advice to all others. Many held up their scarves over the heads of those beside them so all could be shielded from the sun. The guards paired off in two’s, helping each other. H- came to stand by my side. His hulking mass along could have shielded me. The end of his scarf was almost enough to wrap as a shirt as he placed it around his head.

We walked on in silence, our steps mismatched as his were so long and mine short by comparison. As the sun began its descent of mid-afternoon, he spoke. “You do not speak much, do you?”

I shook my head swiftly. Why would I?

Adjusting the scarf, he stooped. But the scarf was a ploy so others would not hear. “Come sit with me tonight as we camp. You knew Mara, and you certainly know more about the jug than the seer does. Am I right?”

I eyed him suspiciously, pressing my lips tightly together. Perhaps. But would I tell him? We were all in this together- but I still did not feel like being ridiculed.

He saw the refusal on my face, and straightened with a sigh. “It would be greatly appreciated,” he murmured under his breath. And that was all. No more words passed between us for the rest of the day.

“My Name is Chaos” Chapter Eight, Part Two

Well this is one long chapter part! I intended to split it up into two sections, but it just flowed out and now it’s long and here we are!

I’m really not sure that this post requires trigger warnings. There’s a bit of abuse and fantasy violence, but it’s not described much. There is heckloads of stupidity though, and I’m starting to get a ‘Smack Chaos for being stupid’ drinking game going on in my head, where we smack him and take shots at the same tmie. I’d be taking so many shots all over this story, haha. I mean, on one hand I find him relatable in how the magic is twisting him. On the other hand, I’m not sure if he’s being too gullible or not. Thoughts? I really think that this is something that I’m going to have to see how it pans out through the novel and then edit it in the second version.

But Chaos’ stupidity aside, I still really like this novel. I like Chaos. I find him relatable in his gullibity with Bella, and his stubborn nature. This story is really growing on me. I also really like Bella. I have her as being this twisted character in my head, and I really hope it’s coming out the way I want it to.

So tell me what you think! Give me your reactions, and what you think of Bella and Chaos so far! Also, enjoy this picture I made, haha. It is supposed to be both sweet and creepy due to the manipulative aspects of Bella, the colors representing Bella’s eye colors.

///

“So what’s the plan?” I asked as a biting wind swept over us.

“Lunch,” she announced. “You must be hungry.”

I laughed. “No, that’s not what I meant. What’s your plan? Overall? Why bring all the vampires and werewolves to earth?”

Bella smiled out at the fields. But she was silent.

I whined. “Come on. Tell me something.”

She let go of my fingers and crossed her arms haughtily. “You tell me,” she said sweetly, leaning her head almost onto my shoulder. “What do you know of me?”

“Nothing,” I admitted. “I don’t know anything about you. You’ve not shown me a thing!” And now I was promised to her side… how had this happened? So quickly too?

Bella was all grins. “You know something. Tell me what you know.”

“I don’t even know your real, original, name! Who you are, where you come from- I didn’t even know there was a ‘you’ in charge here! Come on,” I whined playfully, prodding her ribs, but she apparently wasn’t ticklish at all. I propped my chin on her shoulder. “Tell me what you’re up to.”

Her smile vanished. “You didn’t know about me? Interesting.” She ran a hand over my hair, petting me. “Why were you sent here then?”

I cringed at giving that away. “I shouldn’t tell you.” Should I? Hadn’t I already set my dice in her camp, so to speak?

“Really?” she seemed hurt. “Alright.”

I bit my lip and pulled her into my arms, her back against my chest and my chin on her shoulder. I buried my face in the warmth of her neck. “I was sent to close a portal you were opening in your center.”

“The portal?” she asked sharply, stiffening, then relaxing. “That’s what they’re worried about?”

I nodded against her skin, squeezing my eyes shut against myself. I shouldn’t have told her. But it felt so right to have her in my arms, to feel her relaxing back against me.

“That’s insignificant,” she drawled. Again, she stroked my hair. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”

I wanted to believe her. So I kissed the skin of her neck, just above her turtleneck and beneath her ear. “Are you really opening a portal to unleash hell on earth?”

She laughed. “That’s a dumb plan, Chaos. I’d like to think I’m more creative than that.” Her gentle touch turned rough, gripping my hair tightly so I hissed. She turned around in my arms, holding me still while she smiled at me. “I’m going to save everyone, Chaos. It’s a little more complicated than ‘unleash everyone’s minions upon the realm of incarnation’. Trust me.”

“I trust you,” I said honestly, openly. It was true. Something visceral in me felt connected to her and deep down, I felt that she could do no harm.

Her lips quivered in her smile, itching to turn into a grin. “So stop asking so many questions,” she said playfully.

“No,” I said back, just as playfully. I tried to lean in for a kiss but she held me back by my hair.

“No is not an answer for me,” she said semi-seriously. “You’re going to learn.”

“Learn what?”

“Everything,” she released my hair and turned to the open field again. “Soon, we’re going to have so much to do it’s going to be hectic. That’s why I need you.”

My heart fluttered happily at the thought of being useful to her, of being by her side. Our fingers wrapped around each other as we settled again side-to-side. We nestled together sideways, and it was so peaceful.

I didn’t know for when, but I knew I’d hold onto that moment for time to come. It was picturesque and perfect. Us, together.

It had to end. Bella ordered our helmets back on as the sound of skidoos was heard across the fields. “Something’s happened,” she said, eyes narrowing.

“How do you know?” I asked, curious of whether she had a special psychic connection with her minions. I was hoping she didn’t, out of jealousy.

But she just tapped her cheek, pointing at her angel’s eye. “I’m an angel, sweetie,” she said charmingly. My heart fluttered. She was cute, in a funny kind of way.

As the three skidoos arrived, we were ready, helmets on. They just had time to skid to a stop beside us when Bella said “Let’s go,” and gunned her engine.

We didn’t go back to town. Instead we wound through the pine forest, following deer trails that Bella seemed to know very well. I clung to her, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I hoped that whatever thr trouble was, it was human. Please, I wished to the great Goddess, mother of all gods, please let it be human. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage to face someone from home. What would I say? I’d look … stupid. But how could I put into words all that had happened to me in the past day or so? This strange bond with Bella? How could anyone explain that?

As I was busy worrying, time went on. Too soon, we burst out of the pine forest and onto a road. There, at an intersection, was a giant portal. There was burn marks across the road, and melted prints leading away from it.

We all skidded to a halt, making sure not to run over the tracks. My heart sunk down into my stomach as we stepped off the motorcycles and shedded our helmets. The wind whistled eerily between the trees, sweeping dust-like snow across the drifts.

“So,” said Bella, Marching towards the portal. “What do we have here? Chaos!”

I trotted to her side, hands in my pockets. “Yes?” I tried to ignore the dirty looks from the vampires, including mister Mcbigbigguy.

She pointed to the portal. “Tell me what you know. Friends from home?”

I sniffed the air. “No.” It didn’t smell like hell at all. Rather, the portal smelt … pine and … Crisp. Airy?

“Air realm,” I announced. Then I looked down at the very solid tracks. Wolves. “Native American pantheon,” I guessed, heart sinking lower and lower. They were here for Al.

“Here for your friend?” asked Bella with a sneer. “Very good.”

I startled. “How-” was she reading my mind?

She smirked at me. “I know she wasn’t the one who destroyed the vampire carriage. It was you, idiot.”

I flinched at her harsh words. So strange coming from her.

But then she smiled sweetly. “Come on, make yourself useful. They’ve probably already found your girlfriend by now. They’ll be back soon.” she pointed to the portal. “this isn’t meant to stay open long. It’s a direct line home. In fact,” she looked around. “Very interesting that they left it unguarded.”

I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. The cold was seeping through my boots. It was biting at my hands. Couldn’t we just leave this alone? “So, uhm,”

“So, uhm,” Bella said sharply. “Get ready. They’ll be back any minute now. And we’re not letting them go.”

My heart sunk some more. It seemed that was all it was doing. “We’re not?” I asked sheepishly. “I mean, if we just let them leave they won’t cause any trouble.”

“Just let them leave?” Bella laughed coldly. “And what then? They’ll set up a highway through here? No Chaos, this is my realm. No one passes through without my permission.”

“But she’s not causing trouble, she just wants to go home-”

“You really think that?” she asked sharply. “Or did you really believe you were the only one they sent to deal with me?”

I shut my trap. Because yeah, I’d believed that. But now that she mentioned it, Al’s appearance and choice to incarnate pointed to the opposite.

“Younger, smaller, spirits are harder to track down, like dust,” said Bella. “So we wait for them to come to us.”

There was a grunt of approval from the vampires. They drew their blades, at the ready. Bella pointed here, there, and there, placing everyone before the portal. Then she drew back, admiring her placements. “Perfect,” she called out. “Except Chaos, who’s standing smack in the middle of it all. Thank you Chaos, can you move?”

Her words stung. Why was she being so mean? What had I done? I shrugged. “Where do you want me?”

She pointed to the right, far to the right. She herself was trudging to the left. “We hold the sides so they don’t run away.” She announced.

I took up my position, cursing myself for acting so docile. Since when did I just take directions? But for Bella, I was willing to bend over backwards.

So we stood there, almost knee-deep in snow, wind whipping across our faces, and Bella giving me the coldest shoulder of all. It all stung.

Then, we heard the flapping of wings. Glowing blue eyes appeared in the forest at my side. Wolves padded out, an eagle flying among them. I cringed as the deer I had spotted in the car came out with them.

The eagle landed before me, taking the shape of Al’s incarnation. “Hey, you,” she said icily.

One of the wolves took a human shape, shifting into a burly native warrior in tribal dress. Al’s bodyguard and my smallest fan. “Looks like you’ve made friends,” he said sharply.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say.

“Come on,” Al said angrily as she took my elbow. “Let’s go.”

“No!” I wrenched free.

Al startled, scowling at me. Her bodyguard glared me down. I swallowed. “I’m not going back,” I announced. Then, in a mumble, I added “And I don’t think you can either.”

“What?” Al scoffed, looking around at the vampires around us. “Do you really think-”

Twang. Whoosh. It was all the warning I had before an arrow ripped through my shoulder and stabbed into Al.

I collapsed forward, crashing onto my knees, my hands clutching at the gaping wound in my shoulder. Stars of pain danced before my eyes. My mind reeled, trying to understand what happened. Al was doubled over, a red arrow jutting from her chest.

Another twang. Al’s bodyguard yanked her out of the way just in time as another arrow came whooshing from directly behind me. It came so close to me.

The wolves jumped forward, bodyguard among them, carrying Al forward. I didn’t turn my head to watch as they jumped past me. I was looking down at my purple-red blood spattering across the snow, steaming and melting into it.

What the hell, I thought. The only person behind me was Bella. It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t.

I staggered to my feet, only dimly hearing the crash of battle behind me. I turned, and saw the vampires being thrown aside by the warriors. Al was being carried into the portal. Bella drew a bow – she was carrying a bow?

My mind spun. The world spun. Nothing made sense. This was completely out of tune with the world within me, with that soft ecstacy I knew of Bella- how did this compute?

An arrow hissed through the air, thudding into the back of the bodyguard and ripping through him. He stumbled – but made it into the portal. With a cry from one wolf the warriors fell back with the deer, jumping through the portal. The vampires rushed, but it was too late. The portal closed with a hiss, vanishing on itself.

The silence was stunning. Suddenly there was just the sound of heavy breathing, the crunch of snow. Bella was walking towards me. Her bow had vanished.

“Chaos!” she called.

The world span. I took a step back. But she trotted over, grinning widely. “You did great Chaos!”

“What?” I babbled, mind spinning. In a rush, I was furious with her. Everything seemed clear. She’d abused me, used me, and shot me. Literally. I was nothing but a meat screen for her to hide behind.

“Chaos!” her hands were on either side of my head, her blue eye sparkling at me. I flung her hands off – or tried to. She had grips in my hair.

“Chaos,” she said, her voice sweet. And then there was silence – but not within me. I heard sweet words within as her mouth moved. I felt pure love. Deep within, I knew that she loved me. That she was enamored with me, that the shot hadn’t meant anything. It was overwhelming, like padding in the brain. I couldn’t think, could only feel this fierce love, this burning sweet attraction.

Vampires were around me. They were watching, eyes glowing bright with magic as they circled around Bella and me. But they were just the backdrop, and Bella my focus. I barely noticed them, even as their hands touched me. I didn’t even feel them catch me as darkness closed over me.