Daughters of Necros: The Awakening

4: To the ball!

It only takes a moment for an accident to occur. One single second, one short period of inattention, a brief lapse of concentration, and chaos will be sure to follow. As will six frightened horses, two carriage wheels, an axle beam...

Oh, and fire. There will be fire, too.

All is well until we reach the edge of the woods and round the bend therein. What was meant to be a quick shortcut through the outer boundary of the forest immediately morphs into a badly-made decision when Mr. Jenkins, (with every kind intention, I'm sure) turns around for a brief moment to offer us both a homemade cough drop. Lemon and hyssop flavor, his great-aunt Petunia's recipe. Don't ask me what it tastes like, I have no idea. I'm quite sure that it's going to remain lodged in the back of my throat for a few more hours, at least.

All at once, there's a shrill screech and a massive impact as we collide with something on the path. Arissa screams as we're thrown back, and Mr. Jenkins shouts "Woah!' to the horses before vanishing from our view. A sharp cracking sound follows, and the next thing that I see is Moonstone and his herd mates bolting for the hills.

"Be free, Moonstone!" Arissa shouts after him. "You've suffered enough, you've earned it!"

The lantern dangling on the front of the carriage swings itself loose from its hook and drops to the ground, jarring loose a shower of tinkling glass, and the next thing one can see is an orange flash as the flame inside is finally set free. It rapidly eats up the splintered section of the carriage, gaining enough heat to begin wearing away at the sturdier cross-sections underneath our transport.

Arissa stares at the flames, transfixed. Small columns from the blaze are reflected in her widened eyes, and her mouth is slightly open as she gazes at the swiftly growing inferno. She's immobile, pinned in place by the sight.

She's seeing something. At the very least, she's feeling it.

"We're getting out of here, 'Rissa. NOW." I declare. Even as I say it, I get behind her and shove her out of the burning carriage, where she lands in the waiting arms of a young man that I've actually never seen before.

Heavily muscled, but not in the way that's always irked me, rather, as someone who does intensive, honest physical labor is apt to be, with a square jaw, wide shoulders, and tousled brown hair, this boy is holding my best friend in his arms with about as much effort as one would hold a small pet. Gently, no doubt minding his massive strength. He stares at Arissa's face with a type of benign wonder and fascination. I note that he has kind eyes.

How did I know what his eyes looked like in the darkening night? I'll admit the blazing fire may have helped me a bit in that regard.

Boy-crazy Arissa's own pupils immediately clear when she realizes that she's being held by: Oh goody! A boy. She promptly wraps her arms around his neck, buries her face into his chest, and fakes a terrified, if not overly convincing, sob.

The unidentified male's cheeks flare a bright red, and he barely manages to stammer out: "A-anyone else in t-there?"

Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. Me.

Arissa wordlessly points a single finger up at the carriage, still tightly clinging to the young man's neck. "One more."

"I-I'll need to l-let you g-go now." He stutters. "I-I'll be careful, I swear."

Despite the loud popping and crackling of the blaze around me, I can just make out my best friend respond with: "Aaw! Do you have to?"

The nerve!

"Yes, he does!" I bellow.

"Okay..." Arissa sadly disentangles herself from the man, who patiently waits for me to jump. I realize then that Arissa is nearly a whole head taller than him, but he doesn't seem to mind in the slightest. Then again, they're both somewhat taller than me. Nox, they're taller than most people, I'm sure.