Chapter 2: The Missing Shard

Walter

A skinny tall boy sat cross-legged on the red mat on the floor watching an anime on the television. He was so focused on the screen. This is the 7th episode of his favorite anime, watching continuously uninterrupted that it turned his eyes bloodshot and drew each eye with a big eye bag.

He shivered, his hands were curled into fists. "Darn," he whispered through gritted teeth. He wore a violet tee-shirt and a slightly loose pair of jockey boxers. His dark blond and spiky hair is portraying rogue as how intensified his feelings are. He bit his lower lip as if he is collecting all the emotions each anime character on the screen produces. His knuckles turned all white from his forceful exertion and clenching of his hands. Anger boiled through the pit of his guts that it causes his stomach to rumble in response.

Suddenly, the alarming sound from his alarm clock boomed. He was startled as he quickly paced up to turn the television off. He jumped to his bed and slammed his hand on the alarm clock on the table to shut it off. He closed his eyes, hoping that his mom wouldn't notice that he hasn't slept the night.

Walter does this almost every day, he called it the 'anime-booming', a ritual where he sets an alarm at every 4:30 in the morning before he goes to sleep, because surely when 5 o'clock in the morning comes, his mother will surely wake him up no matter what sorts of alibis he'll excuse. To ready him for school at such an early hour of the day is such a drag. He has gadgets and a laptop, but he prefers watching on his television. Watching on big screened TVs makes him understand what he is watching more than watching on any kind of screens, but to avoid being caught he forcibly tended on watching on his phone occasionally, avoiding any high-pitched irritating song his mother will sing, scolding him about what would happen to him, lecturing him the facts he already knew that he'll be unhealthy and could get himself scrawny from being skinny—about how his ritual causes him headaches and sleeping in classes which results to having low grades, but he hasn't even paid a single attention to those advices.

He closed his tired eyes and pulled his thick blanket to cover himself even though the surrounding is sultrily agitating. He fell asleep in a minute in his soft king-sized bed which comforts him amidst the murkiness of the room in a mess. Magazines, books, new anime posters, anime tapes and a red hooded jacket were laid on the matted floor, arranged in chaos.

He dreamed. His dreams are all anime related—he being an élite wizard, a handsome prince, a demon, an angel, and even becoming an animal who talks. In his dream, he is wandering along the green pathway that is tiled with cobblestones. He is heading to a green meadow. In the midst of the green-grass-filled meadow stood firm the deteriorated leafless looking tree. The tree seemed to be breathing, and every breath it emits pulls him closer to it. The air is filled with alluring scents, the scent of vanilla mixed with the heady aroma of a freshly brewed coffee. The smell touches his nose thus making him feel elated.

He walked towards the tree, a dead looking tree that casts luring scents that is making the surrounding feels more as lively as alive.

As he edges closer, he feels more and more discomforting. He stands on the meadow about meters away from the tree. His dream grew more vivid that he began feeling queasy. His stomach is rumbling in agitation. He had now finally reached the lifeless leafless looking tree. He unconsciously reached his cold hand on the trunk, feeling the cold coppery dark-brown bark seeping into his sense of touch. His hand was glued into the tree instantly after he put it, he tried to pull it out but his waggling did no effect. Cold dark-colored bark began moving to cover his entire hand, his right-hand had completely sunken into the trunk of the leafless tree.

He moved his gaze away from the tree while still waggling his hand out. He noticed that the grasses on the meadow have started turning brown, they are wilting like the lives inside them have been sucked out, the cloudless beautiful morning sky is suddenly filled with dark cumulonimbus clouds. Rain was about to pour as thunders started rumbling. The tree began to grow, from 4.5 meters it grew to 9 meters tall, yellow-green leaves sprouted from the tree's twigs and branches simultaneously. The hollow trunk is filled with nutrients from the depths of the earth in the meadow. He felt shaky as trees began growing around him, surrounding him with lifeless leafless deteriorated trees, the whole green meadow becomes a shaggy forest of dead looking trees. His hand is now freed. He probed the lifeless tree as it shifts onto a tall full of foliage tree.

He stepped back, his mouth had hung open. He moved his left hand to caress his right hand, he massaged and probed it, checking if there were bones been broken or gone into the heart of the tree.

The once was a green meadow is now a brown shaggy forest, the trees around him are lifeless except for the tallest willow which stood the greenest and has the most number of leaves. He looked for the walkway where he had followed, leading him this way, but he couldn't find it, not even the green trace of it.

He walked away, heading to the north. From down the sloppy trail, the brown grasses and the dirt slowed him down, preventing him from walking fast. He looked up and beheld the dark sky. The thunders have roared much louder by now as tiny drops of rainwater started drizzling the path he is walking. The fogs fume the forest which grew it more dazing, making his mind fuzzy as he wandered north. His white sports shoes were soaked with dirt but he didn't mind his heavy feet now, all he aims was to get away from this shaggy and creepy forest. He hooded himself from the hood of his red jacket.

There, down the slope stood the fine pine trees and big green trees. He smiled knowing that finally he is able to reach a not so eerie place, but the mists are much greater here which doesn't improve his mood. He wandered slowly and now feeling a bit happy to feel the hard earth beneath the soles of his shoes that took times walking on the muddy trail. He scraped his shoes on a sharp edged rock he saw.

He ventured along the mist. Soon, soft laughter and giggles from some sort of high pitch voices loomed in the air. His face drew a wide grin knowing that in his every dream he always end up meeting beautiful girls, either they end up dying just to get him or fighting each other just to win his heart (a very harem-like genre of an anime). Ecchi.

He traced the voices. There on the thickest part of the forest, where thin mists are covering the tall bushy looking grasses, in there the voices are at the loudest, so he heads that way with a smile growing wider and wider as he edges closer.

He fixed his hair and fixed himself as he continued walking with a smirk on his face. The giggles drove him more curious and curious, so he confidently sashayed into the heart of the thick grassy trail. Finally, he stumbled out from the green thick grasses. A lively swamp met him. He seek for the source of the voice. The green swamp is neat and inviting. The grasses were not so dense. He stepped his shoes into the swamp, the frigid water greeted him but it did not stop him to locate the location of the shrilly giggles. He is determined to mov e forward as he is getting more and more excited.

The green water grew deeper as he walks, he isn't exactly sure where the girls were but he continued on moving forward, flipping grasses out-of-the-way. The water was now at his hip level and his lower body is now  fully wet but still he continued on walking, the shrill giggles grew more and even more vivid in his ears, the splashing of waters and girly laughs soothed him very well. Tall green grasses covered the path. He walked into them, flipping the grasses. The giggles stopped. There stood five beautiful maidens wearing see-through white robes, they're wearing flower headbands atop their head with wet long black hair. Their eyes were fiery sea-green in colors.

"Hi," Walter waved his hand, waving hi. He is grinning wildly. Of all the beautiful dreams he had dreamt this was the most vivid, almost realistic and the by far the most beautiful and blissful one.

The maidens ogled at him with fiery eyes as they edged forward to form circle around him.

"A boy!" A drowned pale-faced woman moved closer and touched his face, her voice was quivering and enchanting.

"Um, yeah. I'm Walter. What are your names, beautiful ladies?" Walter asked, backing away from the cold touch of the beautiful woman.

"Walter?" A prettier woman asked.

"I'm Edna. And she's Eda," Edna pointed at her sister who stood at his right holding his right hand, her cold hands are sending shivers to his spine.

"I'm Eidi." Eidi waved her hand.

"I'm Ethna." Ethna raised her right hand, she stood beside him on his left side. "And I'm Eida," Eida whispered behind his back caressing his ear, her sweet voice was so tranquilizing.

Walter took a glance at them and figured out that they all look almost identical.

"And we're Rusalki," Eda said, her sweet and lovely voice rang in his ears.

"Rusalki you say? The drowned beastly women from Slavonic Mythology?" Walter asked, his voice was hoarse, if he remembered correctly, these maidens would surely not let him leave this water alive. Now he's trying to wake himself up, begging for his mother to come and wake him.

"We're not that quite beastly," Ethna said and joined her sisters from caressing him.

Their beautiful straight hairs started to become disheveled, their faces started to contort into a wicked and unattractive one, they look much more drowned now, their icy cold touch made Walter's guts somersault in agitation.

"Help!" his mind seemed to scream.

"Ah, beautiful ladies, I had just happened to pass by, he-here, would you mind if I ask the right direction? I'm heading home. And I need to hurry, so no more flirting okay?" He tried to sound confident but there were still cracks in his voice. He restrained himself from growing angry, but it seemed fear had ruled his senses this time.

"Wouldn't you like to have some fun with us?" Edna bared her teeth. Their disheveled long black hairs are now turning bloody crimson.

"I gotta go guys, next time again," Walter spoke, his feet were feeble. He can't move his feet.

The Rusalki giggled, they didn't sound beautiful now, they have reached their hands on Walter's head and pushed his spiky blond hair down with a brute force.

"Ready sisters?" Eida said. The grins on their faces were growing even wider. They looked like performing a baptism in the midst of the green water, with 5 beastly maidens as the Baptists.

Their hands grew heavier, they were applying more force, plunging the cowering teen 'otaku' boy on the shallow water. Walter squirmed, he held his breath as he was being plunged into the green water. He saw Eida's face, her face was crooked, her eyes were flaring evilly. She grabbed his foot, adrenaline oozed in his veins as he began kicking at the same time restraining himself from drowning. He wishes his mom would come and wake him up any moment now, he can't hold his breath any longer. He closed his eyes to see the last glare of the evil Rusalka whose long crimson hair floating like disoriented tentacles underwater.

A dazzling golden light made Walter's eyes popped open. He breathed and suffocate realizing that he was still underwater. He hasn't felt the heavy hands of the Rusalki laying on his head anymore, just the grabbing hands of Eida and the grabbing strong strands of red hair tangling his legs, pulling him deeper into the depths of the water. He kicked her face, his right foot slipped from the slippery crooked face of the Rusalka, a trickle of maroon blood started to get mixed into the green waters, Eida gets her hold off of his right foot. He rose up and swam upwards as fast as he could but Eida swam behind him so fast in pursuit, he kicked and kicked until he realized that the water is now at his neck level. He breathed hard then he had suddenly gulped a mouthful of water as Eida pulled him back underwater with her long strands of hair. A streak of golden ray shot the water hitting the struggling Eida. He kicked her again and hit her face, Eida staggered and seem to be blinded by the golden streak of light that just hit her. Walter stood up and breathes heavily. There, on the rocky side of the green swamp stood the four Rusalki, their drowned pale faces looked like they are frightened. A spotlight of golden light locked them in a circle, they winced. Walter stared at them. He looked up to search for the source of the light at the dark clouds. The clouds then parted and a winged small creäture descended from the dark clouds, heavy dazzling golden lights spread everywhere. The Rusalki gritted their teeth, their faces were growing wither and wither, they are now crying in an alluringly tone of pity then they moaned to their deaths. The Rusalki have been vaporized into dark brown clouds of dust.

Walter saw a winged small girl with a short golden-yellow hair, she has wings as the fairies', she is wearing a white robe and she looked pretty and cute. In her neck hang a necklace that is made up of golden grainy cords and is chained together, a piece of a triangular golden glass (shard) is linked as a pendant and it is shining as it is spreading golden rays of lights.

She descended on the green waters and hovers on top of it, her bare feet touch the green water as it made small ripples, her golden eyes match her short golden hair.

She smiled.

"Elaine?" Walter asked.

"Elaine, who is she?" The fairy retorted, her small voice sounded like a little girl's.

"I'm Ariadne Mae. The Guardian of the Feesh Forest. 300 and a decade years old. Race: fairy." Ariadne Mae explained in a girly little voice, she almost sounded resoundingly like a robot.

Walter thought of the child-like looking fairy on one of his favorite anime named Elaine and thought that this girl in front of him looked somewhat (exactly) like Elaine.

"It's nothing,"  he shook his head. She looked at the green water and stared at her reflection, glanced at Walter's eyes and then back to her image in the water again.

"True. We do look-alike." Ariadne Mae affirmed.

"You just read my thoughts? My. M-my?" Walter blushed, his white cheeks grew crimson red. Ariadne Mae looked away.

"Iie," Ariadne Mae blurted the word cutely. "Excuse me, did you just say 'iie'? You mean no? Where have you gotten that word?" Walter asked in bewilderment. Maybe his dream is not too bad as it started.

"Sorry. Can't help myself. But yes, I read your thoughts. But not your whole memory. History. Nor desires. Just your current thoughts at this moment." Ariadne Mae explained.

"Whoa!" he thought.

"Why am I here?" Walter asked.

"You were dreaming. Remember?"

"Yes, I know but,"

"Don't worry. I was the one who summoned you."

"And pawned me to those Rusalki?" Walter said hoarsely. Anger started to boil in his guts.

"I did not mean you to meet those Rusalki. You're just a jerk. Aggressive. Too high of your self." Ariadne Mae berated cutely then she just smiled.

Walter moved his gaze away and looked up at the sky. Sun rays were spreading everywhere, lighting the grayish surrounding.

"You were lucky you haven't met the grim witch's hut." Ariadne Mae walked above the waters, ripples are forming after her tiny footsteps. She bent and pulled the icy cold hand of Walter. Warm sensation overflowed through his body. He floats above the waters. Stepping on top of the water made Walter amaze.

Ariadne Mae tightened her grip on Water's arm. She flapped her wings and they ascended up above the open sky. Sun rays ignited the fiery green forest. Walter opened his mouth and screamed, "this is damn awesome!"

"Don't be a cocky boy. We have a long way to go," Ariadne Mae smiled again, her red lips glistened.

Down below, the tall willow flashed in green. The trees that are surrounding it are seemed like they are hit by a rain of poison.

"Why is that forest looks oddly dead?" He asked curiously.

"See that tall tree?" Ariadne Mae pointed her small finger at the tallest willow. He nodded, "That tall tree requires a tremendous amount of power, that is the verge of the forest Feesh. The gate to the unenlightened. All living things with the lesser amount of mana or magical attributes are sucked by that tree.

"Why haven't I been sucked?" Walter said, smirking at the thought of him having magical attributes because he wasn't sucked up.

"You're way different. You do not only hold the blood of the writer. You are uniquely gifted?"

"A writer? Uniquely gifted?" A thousand of questions flooded his thought, his dream is now becoming like his any usual dreams should be.

"You'll know soonest,"she said. They're now at the top of the shaggy green forest, a huge way quietly very enormous tree is erected in their front.

"We're here," Ariadne Mae said. She seemed was happy to have returned to her home ground. The necklace on her neck glimmered.

"Why have you summoned me?" was  Walter's first question as soon as they stepped the enormous wide branch of the green enormous tree.

"I mentioned that you have the blood of a writer." She said, Walter just nodded.

"Writers write." She started.

"I haven't heard them write though, what do you think are they doing anyways?" Walter replied in sarcasm. Ariadne Mae just smiled.

"You're important. Either you'll save or destroy both our worlds."

"Are you serious? Am I dreaming? Of course, I am. This is so damn anime-like. So fictional," he grumbled

"Do I look like I'm kidding? Of course, you're dreaming, but these are all true. Very true. You may feel like this is just fictional. Bear in mind that fictions live. Tales exist. Possibilities occur." She rebutted.

Walter gulped some warm air. He admits she's right. But he needs concrete pieces of evidence.

"Morning awaits your world. I will wake you now. I'll talk to you some time." Ariadne Mae edged near him, removed her golden necklace, the triangular shard glimmered, and grabbed Walter's hand. Walter opened his hand and received the necklace. Ariadne Mae waved her hand, a white fog hit Walter's head. Then his dream vanished. He opened his eyes, he's on his huge bed, lying. Drool slipping from his mouth. He was startled, confused and dazed. He was relieved thinking that all that had happened were just a dream. There is something that lay cold in his hand. There laid the glimmering golden necklace with a triangular-shaped shard as a pendant. He rubbed his eyes, shocked.