Morning Fall chapter 4

  The grades were mostly C and B. Ash got an A, Sakura got an A-, and I got an A-. When I told my mom and dad they were so proud of me that we had a special meal for the occasion. After eating I went to my room to relax before sleeping. My room wasn't the biggest in the house but to me it was perfect. My room had a bookshelf opposite my bed and it was the first thing you see when you enter. My bed was odd in that it was elevated so to me it was more of a nest. Under my bed was my personal workspace where I would create projects and study. I grabbed my favorite book of myths written by L. N. Mangrove. My favorite myth is about a giant cuttlefish that seeks to remove the gods of the world and place only its most faithful of followers in their place. When I finished reading the story I hopped up onto my nest and fell asleep almost instantly.

  My dreams were interesting because they often mimicked my average day to a point, but they were flawed in one way. That way being that in my dreams there's always something that could never happen in reality. Like the library suddenly turns into a large snail, or everyone speaks backwards while changing color. I have had dreams that didn't copy my normal day. The most memorable of them being that a species of spider had risen up and claimed the world as its own. I had a fear of anything that even remotely looked like a spider for a year. Eventually I got over my fear thanks to Fallen who had a pet spider that was about a third his size. My dream that night was different it was more focused than the others, and it was about Fallen.

  In the dream I was standing right next to Fallen and Sakura, a glistening dark pink orb stood between us. Fallen snatched the orb up as quickly as he could. Then he started chanting but he was completely silent. Me and Sakura also silent seemed to try and reason with him. Fallen then looked directly at me then as clear as day he said “You were just a means to an end! You were my pawn! You are nothing compared to me!”. The shock of hearing that was enough to wake me up but I tried in vain to hold onto sleep. When I eventually woke up it was dawn around six forty. I got out of my nest and sat at my workspace until I felt the first pangs of hunger. I made my way down to the kitchen to get some breakfast but I saw standing in the middle of the foyer Fallen. He looked worse for ware, and he had an expression of utter terror. “Fallen what's wrong?” I asked in a genuinely caring manner. “It's my final. I'm not ready, and I need your help.” He said staring at me with bloodshot eyes. “Firstly how do I know if I can trust you, and secondly how long have you been awake?” I asked while walking towards Fallen. “Three days.” He said then promptly collapsed. I ran to his side. “If he's stayed up for three days straight then he must be panicking.” I thought while lifting and carrying my former best friends body to the kitchen. My parents were still asleep so I had time to get everything sorted. I left Fallen at the guest seat of the table, while I went to get several books from my room. When I got back Fallen had woken up enough to tell me more. “I read everything I could find about potion brewing and transmutation, but I needed more on enchantment.” Fallen said as I placed the moderately large pile of books on the table.
“That's surprising. I thought that those with magic had a better understanding of enchantment?” I said in a quizzical tone. “Well that's were your wrong. I mean if I had access to the right books or if I had training from an older and more experienced accursed.” Fallen said with both anger and sadness in his voice. “Lucky for you I have a secret stash of books that describe the art of magic. Although most of it is stories or out of date it something right.” I said. Finally I was ready to burry the hatchet with Fallen and go back to being friends. I went to my room with Fallen placed the books back, and at my workspace I reached behind the main table and with a the press of a hidden button the back wall slide open to reveal a hidden bookshelf that held my most precious of reading material. Pulling one of the books out I said “Here read this. It should be exactly what you need.”

  “Why… Why are you helping me?” Fallen asked sounding like he had a mer frog in his throat. “Because your my best friend, and no matter what you do I'll always see you as my friend.” I responded. Fallen stared at me a question on his tongue but before he could say anything I said “Let's see what else I have. You do have your final very soon right?” “Right.”Fallen said coming back to his senses.

  It was hours before I saw Fallen again that day. When we met up at Mooncaller lake he told me he got an A for his grade. “That's amazing!” I said. “I guess it is.” Fallen replied. We spent the rest of that day talking and walking around the lake. “You haven't been to my house yet?” Fallen said while we were on the other side of the lake. “No I've never even seen it.” I answered. “Well fallow me.” Fallen said racing away from the lake. I fallowed him to an old part of the tribes border and amongst the overgrowth I saw an old slightly burned manor that in its prime would have been the largest building in the tribe.

  Fallen lead me through the rubble that I assumed was the east wing. When we got to the second floor Fallen went into the first room on the right. In that room was a makeshift alchemists lab. The lab at first glance looked completely normal but upon closer inspection there were jars full of brains, nails, hearts, tongues, and eyes. I thought they were from the nearby caves and deep forest but Fallen made it clear these weren't from the animals of the forest or caves. “This is my ‘collection’ of ingredients for my rituals.” Fallen said brazenly. “Fallen where did you get these?” I said unable to hide the fear in my voice. “Oh, from the academy, and the tribes less fortunate.” Fallen said without any note of compassion. “You're a monster!” I said the shock of what he said grabbing hold of me. “How can you do this to your tribe?” I continued. “They aren't my tribe. They made me a monster as you put it. They killed any chance at a normal life I had!” Fallen said his tone getting closer to shouting with every word. Fallen moved to a nearby trunk and pulled out a strange device. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked as fear took full control of me. “Simple, you are to be my magnum opus. My final ritual! My key to the destruction! My weapon!” Fallen said hysterically his body twitching as if he couldn't contain the thoughts that he had. “I need to run. I need to tell the chief. I need to go now!” I thought. But as I ran out the room Fallen shouted. “Yes! Run! Make me work for my prize but know this by midnight I will have my weapon, and you will never get in my way.” I was panicking, I had no knowledge of my surroundings, nor did I have anything to help defend myself. I ran for hours before I found the bank of Mooncaller lake. As soon as I felt that I was safe and would get home something jumped on top of me and started to bind my legs I tried to fight back but the thing on top of my held me down and struggling didn't help. I had been captured and dragged back to that house hidden deep in the forest. Waiting at at the steps of the manor was Fallen looking pleased. “Good work Vana.” He said to the thing that dragged me back to the manor. Fallen turned to me and said with a wicked grin on his face “you were a better challenge than the others but all fun must end at some point. Now let's get my ritual started.” I was brought to the lab and placed on a circle on the floor. “Let's start with an eye.” Fallen said glee filling his word. He brought the strange device from earlier close to my face. I tried to fight back but Vana held my down. Fallen then extracted my right eye and placed it in a jar. While he took my eye out I felt only pain and loss. Having lost my eye half the room went dark. And I lost where Fallen was in the room. “Now what next your other eye, or maybe your heart?” I felt something strange when Fallen hovered over me.

  “What's happening?” Fallen asked angrily. I looked up and above me was a bright green symbol. The symbol seemed to warp the world around it. One moment I saw Fallen lunging towards me, and the next moment I was home in my room. The world was in that state of flux for what seemed like forever. I didn't know if when I woke up I would be at Fallens lab or at my home making when I awoke the most terrifying time. I awoke to find myself at home unbound but not unscathed for my right eye was still gone.