Page 27 of Of Serpents and Ruins
The grasslands sloped upward, becoming more rugged. The dark earth and the grey and charcoal boulders made the incline all the more treacherous. Pebbles, clumps of soil, and tufts of short-rooted grass kicked back in the tyrannosaur's direction.
Buttercup's breaths rasped, huffing with increased intensity. Her heart thundered in her chest, the rapid beat palpable against my leg, her feet striking the loose rocks. Several clattered down, kicking up small puffs of dust and debris.
The tyrannosaur thundered up the hill after us, snarling and snapping heavy jaws.
A strangled cry escaped my lips. The path along the top of the embankment might be broad enough for us to run on, but one false step and we'd both go plummeting down. Even worse if the ledge ended. Was there a way beyond it? Dull knowledge bit into my mind. If there wasn’t, this was it.
Another bellowing roar shook the ground, so close foul rotting air struck the back of my head.
Buttercup cried back, her voice more a wail now. She tossed her head. Her eyes rolled back in her skull as her legs struggled to gain traction on the incline.
I hunched down close to her ear hole. "I'm so sorry, baby!" I whispered hoarsely. "I don't know how to fix this!" Reaching down, I grabbed for a rock, ready to throw it at the tyrannosaur.
The monstrous reptile lifted its head, lunging forward, massive jaws gaping wide.
A brilliant wall of light shot up, cutting off the tyrannosaur from Buttercup and me. Buttercup ground to a halt, her forelegs digging into the pebbled soil. I flung my arm out to cover her eyes and put my other hand over my own.
"Well, well. Here you are at last," an elderly woman's resonant voice spoke straight into my mind. "Glad to see your death didn't take."
Even without a formal introduction, I knew who this was: Auntie Runa, the Master of Sight.
STELLA
Buttercup and I were no longer on the precarious ridge, sliding back toward gruesome death. We now stood in soft grass surrounded by gentle hills with a large river slicing through the fragrant earth. The moons had disappeared as well, replaced by a single golden sun. The sky, however, was still a deep, almost purple-blue. It looked to be midmorning…somehow.
An elderly woman stood in front of us. She was a couple inches taller than me, her body thin but surprisingly muscular for a woman her age. Her golden-brown skin had faint lines of gold in fern-like patterns branching down her face, some of the markings darkened or lined with russet sun spots. Strands of rosemary, sage, and dill had been woven into the coils of her pinned white hair. Her long white hair was twisted into a bun with rosemary, sage, and dill woven into the strands and coils. Even from this distance, the bright green fragrance reached me. Her murky eyes were a dark gold, ringed with deep brown, and flecked with caramel. Her heavy blue eyeliner made them stand out all the more, the crisp wings a little smudged at the edges.
Relief flooded through me. I clambered off Buttercup and flung my arms around the old woman. The smell of fresh herbs,celery, and lemons struck me like a wall, and I burst into tears. "Auntie!"
A thousand sensations and memories erupted in my mind, pouring out of my bones and heart.
She wrapped her bony arms around me and stroked my hair, her calloused palms cold against my scalp and neck. "My darling girl came home," she whispered, her soft voice thick and hoarse with emotion.
Her rings caught in my hair, but I didn't mind. I just hugged her.
My mind swam, and I sobbed, my face buried in the shoulder of her indigo robe. I was six and ten and thirteen and sixteen and twenty and twenty-five all at once. Afraid. Sad. Angry. Safe. No single memory or image clung to my mind. Instead, it was as if all of them poured over me and into my consciousness. These were arms that had held me many times over the years and reminded me that there was hope.
I could have disappeared into that comforting warmth of memories and simply savored them. Images—no—sensations flashed through my mind. Soft blankets and fuzzy cloths wrapped around my shoulders and legs, steaming soup making my mouth water and my lips pucker at the strong dill and savory chicken, cold water streaming over my fingers, sketching with charcoal and graphite, feeding something and its thick-whiskered mouth pressing against my palm.
Another desperate memory thrust itself forward. I gasped, stepping back and grasping her hands. "I had two friends. We were separated. Kine was dealing with some people who stopped us, and while he was talking with them, assassins attacked Elias and me. They sent the deinonychuses after Buttercup and me. And we got into tyrannosaur territory." The words came out half blubbered, and I scrubbed at my face like a child.
Auntie Runa nodded, her gaze gentle and understanding. She patted my cheek, her well-trimmed fingernails lightly scraping my skin when she pressed my hair back. "Yes, I know them both, my dear, and don't worry. They'll be here soon. I saw the trouble starting and sent help. The factions are hard at work to fix the problems in the way they think best, even though they will only make it worse. Your two companions will be fine. I couldn't risk using my magic to pull them in, so they had to take the long way. It's far too unstable these days, but I’m sure it won’t be long until they’re here soon. Come. Bring Buttercup. Let's get you some food and fresh clothes." She flicked her hand in the air, giving Buttercup an affectionate glance as she turned back toward the hill and made her way down with firm strides, steadying herself with her polished cane, a large sapphire set on the top for the handle.
"So Elias and Kine are all right?" I asked.
Auntie Runa chuckled as she continued down the hill. Buttercup followed along behind her, her steps leaving heavy impressions in the soft grass. "Oh, yes. Magic may be unpredictable lately, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. You'll see, my dear. It's all gonna work out."
"And time…it jumped forward for me?" It looked like several hours since we had been on the ridge, though, similar to when I was trapped in the Shadow Hall, it did not feel as if hardly any time had passed at all.
She nodded. The sunlight shone on her soft white hair. Numerous wrinkles lined her face, making her expression all the more serious. "Oh, yes. Or, rather, you were brought forward in time. Time and magic have not been the best of friends lately. At least not in our land. I don't think it's the same for the other continents. We can thank the Gola Resh and the Babadon."
"Will you tell me who the Gola Resh and Babadon are?" I asked, hurrying along beside her. "Why are they doing this to us?"
She lifted her hand, chuckling a little. "Oh, so many things to remind you of," she said.
We passed beneath a large, sprawling tree with tiny circular leaves. Amber pear-like fruit with little shining white orbs hanging from their swollen bases brightened the darkness of the branches. Buttercup tilted her head back and took one in her jaws.
Bees buzzed around my head, not coming too close. They were each as large as my thumb, shaped more like bumble bees than honey bees but with colors more vibrant than any I'd seen on Earth. Butterflies fluttered among the flowers. Once the land flattened and we passed beneath the tree, there were more fragrant fruit trees and tall golden apiaries.
