The Source

by Dale Broda, Jr

help. You need sleep. Quick healing. The Source needs to move fast. You’ll be awake in–” Everything went purple and that was all he knew.

  19

  He opened his eyes after what felt like a mere heart beat. “–t is that?” He finished his sentence he had begun before she had knocked him out.

  “Oh good. That was fast.” She let his head fall gently to the ground as she stood over him. “Seemed like forever…” she yawned, stretching her hands to the sky. “…but that was probably just me keeping watch while the warrior slept.” In the near dark she smirked.

  “Haha.” He stood, feeling amazingly spry. “What…?” He moved about. Nothing hurt.

  She laughed. “Don’t get used to it old man.” He frowned. “That tonic will only last a day at most. And at this rate…well…I doubt we have a day.” She held up her hand. A red flare shot up and eastward.

  “A guide?” What else could it be?

  She stared. “You saw that?”

  “I did.”

  At least with one eye.

  The gift from the spirte again? He began to sigh when he took notice of Gen. She absolutely sparkled in the approaching darkness. He just stared. Flowing into her were small ribbons of…light? And the red line that spread outwards, he knew it would lead to the tumbling ball she had knowingly or unknowingly shot.

  “What?” She crossed her arms.

  “Huh?”

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Erm…” was he? “No reason.” He started off down the road till the very faint red line left it and headed off into some farmer’s devastated field. He stood for a moment.

  “In for an inch along for the mile.” He whispered as he left the road following the light red trail. It seemed to hover above the ground like fog.

  “Where are we headed?” Gen asked. She sounded curious. “What do you see?” He glanced at her. Even as it darkened, she remained bright in his eyes. Ribbons of colors twisted up into her from the ground. Even the very air seemed to slowly brighten around her and twist into some colorful ribbons that vanished into her.

  So many colors.

  Did she even see them? Feel them? She frowned, pulling at her clothes to try and see. “What do you see?”

  What to say? “Nothing. Come on. I want this over and done with so I can get back–”

  “Get back to dying?” She sounded angry. “How sad. Giving up just because you’ve had a rough life. Boo hoo. Why don–” He spun on her. The look on his face must have been something considering her reaction.

  “Not your concern.” He mumbled. Thankfully, that kept her quiet.

 

  20

  The light in his eyes was bugging him. At least his body wasn’t throbbing in agony. A strange warmth at his side seemed to be spreading out over him. It felt good. He blinked. Mayla stood in front of him, in all her dark beauty. She smiled.

  When he met her dark eyes she winked.

  “You sure are sleeping a lot.” She said.

  What? I was walking.

  “Hey…I–” He closed his mouth. “Was I sleeping?”

  “Oh yes. Snoring even. You just kept on walking, following the trail while that…girl…held your hand. It’s not your fault sweets. It’s just nearing the end. Today will be your last day.”

  “Really?” He smiled hopefully.

  Her smile slipped away. A small star sparkled in her eye, marking a trial down her cheek. “I’m afraid so. I—shush! I’m talking.” She must have been hearing his long lost friends. He couldn’t hear them now. Soon though. Soon he’d be with them again. The warmth against him moved.

  Mayla’s eyes slowly traveled his body. “So much fun we had. So many battles. So much good food. Good drink.” She licked her upper lip slightly. “And oh so many pleasures.”

  He laughed. It hurt.

  “Enjoy your last day sw…” she shook her head, suddenly serious. “Your last day in this dream world my love.”

  He tried to untangle his mind to catch this. “Then I’ll be with you?”

  Mayla smiled. A strange smile. She opened her mouth, but he couldn’t hear what she said as she began to fade.

  “…mmmhurm…” The warmth mumbled.

  “Wait!” He reached out to Mayla. She held her ghostly hand out for him. His fingers touched something soft and cold. A tingle went through him. His fingers slipped through. Her hand spiraled away into the wind, quickly followed by the rest of her. “Wait!” He tried to catch her but something was holding him in place. “Get off–” He realized he was holding something.

  “Wha…?” He felt the warmth stir. His eyes told him what he already knew.

  “What are you doing?” His voice was low. He held the girl. Gen was snuggled against him. He had been sleepwalking? And carrying her? How…the warmth rolled back over him. “No no!” He shrugged his shoulders, jarring her.

  “Hey!” Eyes barely open. Strawberry red hair sticking out in every direction. A bit of drool. He started to chuckle.

  He couldn’t help it. “Get up Gen, time to move.” He looked away. Letting his senses search. How could she have fallen asleep without waking him? Wait. More important things. How did she get into his arms? How could he be moving while carrying her? He was sure he had been asleep and Mayla has said Gen was holding his hand.

  Very dangero–what the hell is that?

  “You called me Gen” Her voice was soft.

  “Eh? I did not…what the hell are those?” He looked from the strange glowing pillars to her. She seemed to start glowing as she became more aware. He realized the warmth had covered him again. It radiated from her. She was very warm in his arms.

  “Those are sentry posts of course. Following us. You know what they are?”

  “Yes” He looked at them again. It was a half truth.

  We do have those, but I’ve never seen ones like these. Made from pure magic? Never.

  She slipped out of his arms. As she moved, he felt the warmth drag off him to follow her. Was that…magic? He studied her. He could see the glow very clearly now. It was even taking care of her hair. As she rolled her shoulders, her hair seemed to come under control and straighten itself.

  It looked like ghostly fingers were quickly brushing it back into place.

  “Are you looking at my breasts again?” Her tone did not match the look in her eyes. He couldn’t help but look and blink. She had filled out more? No. Not possible.

  He grunted. “Please. What breasts?” She opened her mouth but he was already moving. As he walked by her, the warmth seemed to grasp at him. Reach for him. It felt very…clingy. Disturbing. He moved cautiously to get a better look at the nearest sentry post.

  “Be careful.” She said.

  “Yeah. I gathered that.” As he had approached, the post had begun to glow brighter, it actually seemed to be threatening him. He was full of questions. What were these exactly? Truly pure magic? How was that possible? He glanced over his shoulder. Gen was busy picking at things in her bottomless little satchel.

  Did she change again?

  Those were not the same blues and blacks she had on before. He glanced down. His were different as well. More heavily armored. Most wouldn’t notice the extra layers. They were so light you couldn’t feel the weight. But he knew. He knew. To top it off, his side was no longer exposed where the magic had sliced through. How did he switch shirts?

  And what the hell is this?

  He poked at the strange colors swirling around his midsection. Healing? Or…changing? “Would you drop these. I need to take a piss.” He grumbled.

  “You could at least try not to be so brash.” The pillar before him quickly melted. He watched the glow slide along the ground to her foot and up her leg. It vanished over her chest. Her heart. She was watching him, her eyes studying. “Did you see that?” She asked softly.

  “No. No I–” At her knowing frown, he could already hear her whining voice calling him a liar. “Yes.”

  “How?”
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  “Good question.” He turned. “One I want to ask.” He thumbed his new clothing. “This is far more concerning to me than watching color move.”

  “It was magic, mule.” She still spoke very softly. “And you saw it. Not the first time I think. As for those,” she shrugged. “Magic?”

  “And–” He was going to point out the ugly colors that held tight to his midsection. He didn’t really have much feeling there.

  When did I last feel anything there?

  Thinking back, he could remember the pain. Lots of pain. Then this…this…whatever it was had leapt from her and wrapped him up.

  “I told you. I’ve never seen that before.” Her hand touched him. He jumped. That he had felt. “Really?” She frowned up at him. “That scared of a woman’s–”

  “Child.”

  “Woman!” She glowered up at him. “I’m a woman!”

  “Ha!” He studied her openly. “Woman my a–”

  “What of Mayla?” Her question was barbed somehow. A no win situation answering that. “Is she a woman in your eyes? Does it take one to look like her? To fight like her? Only one like her is a woman to you?”

  A trick question. I’m not that dumb. But what’s the point?

  “If I were the same age as her, would I still be a child in your eyes?”

  “You’re not–” He paused. How old was she? She had never answered. Then again, she didn’t know Mayla’s age either. “Shut up. I need to go.”

  “What?” Her eyes widened slightly. “You can’t go! You have to he–” A flush washed over her as she caught his meaning. “Just go!” He was hurrying off to the nearest tree when she called out. “Watch out for the morning birds. They always get the smallest worm