• The boy lay calmly in the grass near the edge of the cliff, trying with all his might to enjoy the echoing sounds of his mistress’ piano play so very far away. Despite the several hundreds of yards between them, the music rang in his ears as though it came from but a few feet away, unfortunately for him. They had been desolated for too long and the lack of unsuspecting visitors left his mistress, lady Tiala, frail and listless, not even capable of writing s new piece of her ordinarily glorious music, she instead repeated the same short melody again and again.

    The subtle rays of the setting sun felt warmer upon his body than they should. His skin, his eternally weakest feature, white as fresh milk, provided he could savour the light only at dawn or dusk for the hellish pain the sun would otherwise bring was unbearable.

    The winds that blew land inwards from the open sea picked up a vivid bouquet of aromas and lifted them all up high for him to perceive. Not a single one went unnoticed, no matter how distant or faint. A specific scent lingered in his mind long after being undone by one stronger, due to its grave importance. Though not actually a single scent, but rather a rich mixture of several; sweat, blood, panic and the distinct signature smell every individual being held uniquely, all of which originating from the same location no too far away. They had a visitor, and unusual occurrence, not many mortals were foolish enough to venture onto the peninsula and thereby into the mistress’ territory.

    His grey eyes, which had been closed in peaceful rest earlier, now stared up at the orange sky, glimmering with excitement. With a grin plastered across his face, he got to his feet surprisingly quickly for someone with a physique as frail as his own and sprinted away from the sea winds and back to the place he called home. From a bird’s eye view, it was no more but a mountain; dark stone blending in to the rocky landscape and reaching for the sky with its breathtaking heights and viciously sharp edges. But hidden from the untrained eye, a steep flight of stairs led not too far down into the ground and would take one into the magnificent construction that, with it’s pointed arches and great decorated walls, bore great resemblance to the inside of a cathedral. The large halls, illuminated only slightly by torches situated sparsely on the walls, saw the boy flitting past, blindly following the path towards lady Tiala’s room. He burst through the dark wooden doors and smiled more. “Mistress!” He shouted joyfully. “I have-“

    She beckoned him to silence when she slammed the grand piano shut. She looked down at her hands, which were pressed flat onto her lap, deliberately not laying her eyes upon her loyal servant.

    “Tell me, Merrick.” She spat, her melodious voice stinging his ears with its fierce tone. “Why is it that you disturb me in a time when I am so greatly in need of silence?!” She looked up, her chocolate coloured curls bouncing around her face. The frustration caused by her weariness could not be channelled anywhere as per usual, she let it out on poor, young Merrick instead. He shivered slightly as her glare seemed to infiltrate into is mind.

    “I have found one, milady. A girl.” He stammered. Tiala’s expression suddenly shifted, now she welcomed his presence with a warm smile. She arose, delicately placed a hand on the crystal pendant around her neck and smiled.

    “Where?” She demanded solemnly, as she quickly strode out of her room and into the same halls Merrick just emerged from.

    “In the western forest, she was following the path of the creek.” His mistress led the way to The Fountain Room, a chamber he was not to enter on his own under any circumstances. He took a short sprint to overtake her, so that he could spare her the effort of opening the heavy doors. They entered the dome-shaped room and while Tiala went to stand by the fountain’s edge, Merrick closed the doors as he was expected to do. The boy snuck closer, eager to behold the fascinating manner in which his mistress worked and the woman herself touched the surface of the water, which instantly began to emit light. Colours swirled in the moving water and shapes started to emerge. Before long a large image of the entire peninsula appeared to exist underneath the surface of the water, much like a map. Tiala placed a finger on the image stroking past the creek. When she did, the part of the land she touched became larger and it did not take long for her to find the young girl whose scent Merrick had picked up.

    “Hmm, this one will do just fine.” She smiled, studying the young girl carefully.

    “She’s injured.” Merrick remarked. “She’s running away from something too; running for her life, I think.” He leant forward to take a closer look.

    “Don’t lose that life too soon, dear.” She said to the jittery figure of the girl, unaware she was being watched. “Save one breath for me.” She smirked and removed her necklace. Dangling the pendant from the chain in her hand, she dipped it into the fountain’s dark water and watched it glow radiantly with every colour imaginable. She returned the jewel to its usual place and turned to Merrick. “You have done well, boy.” She stroked his face in a very rare sign of affection while they left the room.

    As was always the case, Merrick waited fro her return as she left into the night. Tracking down the girl was not as difficult for her as might be expected; the magical pendant, fed by the presence of the mortal girl in the woods, pulled her towards her goal, enforcing a slight tug in the right direction whenever she were to trail off.

    The young girl staggered onwards, unsure whether that what she was running away from was still even following her. Blood seeped from both the shallow wound in her abdomen and the soles of her bare feet, torn open by the rough ground. Drained of all her energy, her breath wavered and her swollen eyes burning so intensely she’d give the world to close them, for just a few seconds. With a deep sigh, she allowed herself to fall to the ground. Bruised all over, the contact with the earth hurt her so thoroughly, she instantly lost motivation to keep running, she just wanted to lie still, oat least until she had regained the ability to breathe calmly. For a few peaceful seconds, she was enveloped by complete silence and calmness.

    But too soon, the serene sounds of the forest made place for a smooth almost enchanting voice.

    “Hello, dear. What are you doing here all alone in the big scary forest?” The girl struggled to open her eyes. The moon and the stars illuminated the fine-featured face of a young woman with shiny brown hair and a delicate smile. The girl wanted to answer, but no words could pass her tired lips. “I’m right on time.” The woman said. As the girl realised, her smile not as sweet as she had previously thought, a sort of cunningness appearing in it.

    With her pale hands she removed the pendant from around her neck once more and touched the tip of it with the girl’s cheek. A freezing cold flushed across the girl’s whole body, as she gasped having increasingly greater difficulty to gather air. While her skin faded to blue, the last gust of air flew out from between her tin lips.

    Like a puff of blue smoke it hovered into the air and disappeared into the crystal, becoming locked inside its hollow centre.

    Tiala’s lips curled into yet another smile while the powerful force of a human’s last breath flowed through her veins the very instant the crystal touched her skin. She was saturated for another while to come.