Forgotten Souls

The waves tapped at the lone man’s feet with its back and forth motion, softly caressing everything in its path. The man began to stir, waking up from his precious slumber-land. He sat up and slyly smiled, thanked the great Goddesses for still being alive, then stood up and walked the other way towards civilization.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Mommy, Mommy!! Come look what I found!” little Jace excitedly shouted. “Isn’t it pretty? It reminds me of you!”

The mixture of greens, browns, and dark yellows glinted off the stone giving it a supernatural look as the sun softly embraced its smooth edges. “Yes it is my precious little one. But let me ask you this, do you know what it is?” the mother asked in a soft voice.

“I dunno, but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy-like, like when I’m with you!” he giggled and smiled with pure pleasure.

She smiled, grabbed Jace and plunked him down on her lap. “It’s called a talisman. To the untrained eye it just looks to be a rock, but to those who were educated in the realm of the otherworld, it is a talisman of protection. It’s said that they are a rare find and they find their owners instead of the other way around. As long as you have this with you, you will always be protected; Just as mommy will always protect you.”

He grinned and enclosed the amulet between his two slightly chubby hands “Then I’ll keep it with me, forever and ever! Then it’ll be like you’re always with me!” He jumped out of her lap and stuck his new companion in his pocket. “Can we go visit the blue forest now? Please?”

She chuckled, “Alrighty then mister, whatever pleases you, and must I bow down to you and commit myself to you?”

“No!” he stated in a semi-demanding tone.

“Okay then, let’s go! Lead the way my little prince!” she watched with amusement as he took off running in the direction of the sea. She would miss him dearly when it came time for her to leave, which would sadly be soon. She would have to watch him grow up from a distance.

“Good evening, Madlyn,” a deep voice echoed from behind her, “You’re looking rather lovely this evening, did you miss me?”

“Kirten, what is it that you want? Haven’t you gotten what you needed?” she asked without the slightest bit of emotion in her voice.

“Listen here female, you know exactly what I want. Have I ever been just satisfied with getting exactly what I wanted? You of all people should know this by now.” He gave her a malicious look and turned around, “You‘ve taken great care of our son. I can’t wait until I get to bring him home.” Madlyn tried to stay calm, he would leave soon. “Ah, but of course, when that happens, that‘ll mean that you are dead!” the evil laughter seemed to last forever. She turned toward him and slapped him, how could he have known that her time her was falling at an alarming rate? Kirten looked surprised and amused at the same time, “So you know then? That one day soon your body will be full of flesh eating monsters. I took you for an ignorant woman only good for one thing.” He smiled once again as he saw the disgust on her face, “I must be going now…I’ll give you a week before I return, finish the deed by then, or else. And remember, I will always find you.”

She stood there and looked at the sunset until she heard the crackling sound that meant he had departed. She could hardly see Jace now, so she began her own departure to follow her beloved son. She found him sitting behind a rock staring off into space. “Hey there cowboy, can I sit there beside you?” he nodded, she sat. “This place brings solace, does it not?”

“Yes. Can I…can I ask you something?” he asked a little reluctantly. She gave him a motherly smile that meant that he could. “Wh—what would happen if—if something were to happen to you? Where would I live? Most importantly, who was that strange man back there I saw you with?” She wondered how much he had overheard.

A few moments of silence passed between them, then Madlyn smiled at him weakly and began to talk grimly, “If something were to happen to me, I’d still always be with you no matter where you are. You would live with your …” she stopped at that, never had his father come up in a discussion, much less a discussion about what would happen if she were to—something were to happen to her. She began again, “That man that you saw me with is… he is your father…and if anything were to happen to me, he would take you. Please, don‘t ask me any questions about him, I‘d rather not talk about him right now” He sighed deeply, “Alright then.”

She led the boy back home after watching the sun disappear and the moon rise high into the sky. Her thoughts were still on the man. Why would he want his son to face that? Kirten wanted her to inject Jace with some fluid that would hinder his abilities and forbade her from telling the small child that he was in any way magical. She wondered why that was? There was something he wasn’t telling her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He’d only gone a couple of miles before finding a town. There were drunken people scattered about the town. He neared the pub, it would serve to be the best place to receive information at so late an hour. A lady with a big bust greeted him as he entered. Her arms found their way around his neck and waist, her hands were in his hair and on his chest, “Wanna come home with me?”

He could smell the liquor on her breath, he pushed her off of him, “Tell me, do you know where there is a small cottage out by the forest?”

She frowned slightly. “You mean where a mother and son live?” she said this with scorn in her voice. She must be upset by his rejection of her lust. “It’s north of here. There‘s a path leading that way behind the inn.” She turned and headed across the room where the other males were.

The path to the forest was a crooked one and was full of forks. He thanked Diana for the light she provided him. If it weren’t for her he would have had to stop by now. After about an hours walk he looked up, the cottage was only a hundred more yards away. Luck was on his side, at no point did he take the wrong side path. He smiled and ran toward the little home. They were sleeping peaceful, he hated to disrupt their slumber, but he had to. He tapped on the window. She began to stir some. He continued until her eyes opened and were focused on him. He waved and pointed to the door.

She stood in the doorway and whispered to him, “I’ve been expecting you, tell me, what is your name?”

“My name is Raydn. So, you know why I’m here?” They hadn’t told her that they were going to send someone to her, had they? He awaited her answer.

“Of course I know why you are here, you want to kill me. I’ve seen you in my dreams, you are the one who will be the end of me. But please, could you give me this, at least another week with my son,” she was pleading with him. She didn’t know the whole truth.

“Yes, you can have another week with your son, but I must tell you. I wont kill you, literally. I was sent to you to help fake your death,” he saw her eyes light up. “But there is one thing. You must leave your son behind. They request it. I don’t know why. A week from this new day I will meet you in the grove by the forest. Tell your son whatever, but he must not follow you. He must think that you are really dead.”


A week had passed rather fast. Faster than she had hoped. She had done what Kirten had wanted. He was now happy, she still sad. She would find herself staring at her son for long intervals of time. She wished she could tell him. Finally the day had come. The long dreaded day she told her son to go pick berries in the meadow and that she would go find the special ones out in the grove. He was there as she approached. “Are you ready to die?” he asked her as she came closer. She sat her basket down on the ground, it was a third of the way full. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. How is it going to be done?”

“It’s already been done, all that is left is for you to change into these,” he handed her some new clothing, “and your basket.” He turned around as she shed her clothes and put on the others. “Wait here a moment,” he grabbed her belongings and walked through the clearing. He was back after a few minutes had passed. “Follow me, we are now going to the home of your mothers’,” with that they were gone.