Just Checking Up! Part Fifty-Three: The Lack Of Belief!

Silks:

“No one believed me. That was their first mistake.” Kaw recanted in broken tone, his wet eyes meeting my comforting smile. “My race decided that they wouldn’t listen to me. Thus death became their punishment.” Bowing his head in shame, a puff of smoke curled from his snout. Not good, his anxiety was getting the best of him. Passing him a cup of steaming tea, Orchid hovered a bit too closely. The pressure of my huge security team seemed to suffocate me as of late. Shuddering at the shouting match with my government boss a few hours ago, my burgundy and black plaid kimono was her latest gift. Not that I minded, the suit I forced myself into felt as though it was choking me. How stiff did they have to be?

“Did you want to explore where he was born?” He offered sincerely, both of us snapping our heads in his direction. “I bet you could figure quite a bit out from his base. Us dragon demons tend to have access to, well, the elementals. Unfortunately, the circumstances weren’t always on good terms.” Drawing in a long breath, Orchid marched up to my side. Staring numbly at my empty house, the kids and Rip had gone on a much needed hunting trip to blow off steam. Scribbling down a quick note, Nuit popping up behind me provided me with a bit more security. Mumbling something about the other spirits being forced to stay home for stability, the reason was fair. Orchid refused to budge, Kaw tossing her a silver scale covered pendant necklace. Dropping it over her head, determination glittered in her eyes. Not one part of me wanted her to get injured, dread forming a rock in my gut.

“Come along but don’t take that off. His world will suck you dry. Those optical illusions are strong, my darlings.” He sang with a shudder, his palms clasping together. Blowing out a cloud of smoke, my home faded to a bright forest with iridescent trees. Sparkles drifted about aimlessly, an underlying evil betraying the flawless facade. Furrowing my brow, the surface was bound to have a crack somewhere.

“Not to dog on you but this feels, well, off.” Nuit and I pointed out at the same time, our bluntness befuddling Kaw. Narrowing his eyes in our direction, Orchid massaged her forehead at our words. Patience wasn’t always my biggest virtue, all of me hating mind games.

“Not everything can be solved in a huff, Miss Silks!” He growled impatiently, his brow cocking. “Today is a lesson in the classroom, not a battle. Let’s not forget you nearly passed on.” Folding my arms across my chest, something seemed to be dulling his senses. Pointing to the crumbling dirt, a steady stream of curse words exploded from my lips as the elemental realm gave away. Musty air lashed at my exposed skin, our bodies hitting a puddle of still muddy black water. Dragging ourselves onto a gray sandy shore, a coughing fit freeing our lungs of any nasty liquid. Hoisting ourselves to our feet, roots tickled the top of my head. Which way was up here? Scanning the land again, a stormy sky seemed to be the floor. Dirt rained every now and then, decrepit bridges not pleasing me in the slightest. Kaw paced back and forth behind us, Nuit scratching away aggressively at the back of his neck. Orchid looked less than impressed, fright writing itself in all of their features. Not one person in my company spoke up, the rumbling sky breeding a deeper terror in my chest.

“Not to sound stupid, but what fresh Hell is charging my way!” I asked in a panicked tone, the bridges falling to pieces in front of us. “Field of Fire Lilies, Bloom a pathway through!” Tapping my foot a couple of times, orange fire lilies crackled to life into the far distance. An orange glow cast itself, lightning striking through the small holes. Stepping out cautiously, anxiety swelled as I bore all of my weight onto the blossoms. Fortifying themselves into powerful flames, wonder twinkled in my eyes. A black and white spiked thing banged underneath the surface, any ounce of joy vanishing.

“Don’t try to fight that thing!” Orchid pleaded from the far shore, some sort of invisible wall blocking them from helping me.. “Spiky nightmare worms are impossible to destroy. Try to survive until we can h-” A strange gas swirled into their area, all three of them hitting the sand. Rolling my eyes, our strife dropped onto my lap. Imagining Tim Burton’s worm from Beetlejuice, the spikes had to be mere accessories. A few spikes poked through, bright green venom shimmering ominously on the tip. Perhaps it would prove best to avoid that. Another dark energy swallowed the space, Blabbadon dissolving the worm in seconds. The color drained from my features, his fingers curling around my wrists. Whisking me away to a dark cavern system, dark crystals glowed to life. Jamming my knee into his stomach, tall crystals caught me. Shattering into shards from the sheer force, raw rage flowed through my veins.

“Take a queen out on a date first!”I barked hotly, a quiet fear threatening my composure. “At least you keep your word.” Cutting my palms on the biggest shards, the appearing carved wood glowed to life. Orange flames roared into dual scythes, a hop landing me on my feet. Kicking the dust off of my burgundy boots, his body rising out of shadows sent chills up my spine. Sparks and ash danced in the air upon his first violet clash, claws meeting blades. Spinning out of the way, escape would be my sole hope. Sprinting down a random tunnel, a kick destroyed enough crystals to create a sparkly dust cloud. Sparks glinted on their surface, an idea leading to a most devious grin. Striking my blades together, intense heat set off a million tiny bombs. Crashing deep into the chaos, his curse words bounced off the rocky walls. Smashing more crystals, another strike of my blades released another wave of miniature explosions. Scooping up what I could, a few tucks granted me a few chances of a solid getaway.

“Come now! Don’t play games with me!” He roared thunderously, a tap of my foot releasing a river of orange fire lilies. Popping up over my head, a swift kick released a flurry of petals. Disappearing down another tunnel, a dead dashed a bit of my hope. Tapping the rock underneath my boots, the wiggle had me cocking my brow. Bringing my heel behind my head, an aggressive kick sent me flying onto a mirrored floor. Glaring down at my groaning ass, his hands waved around through some sort of rant.

“How dare you go where I can’t! Good luck not dying!” He screamed bitterly, his voice coming into clarity as his shadows whisked him away. No longer sensing his energy, that fucking warning threw me off. Odd candles at different points of burning flickered to life, chanting waking a healthy amount of trauma. Old yellowed wax stole my attention, the corner of my lips twitching in response. Ghostly figures emerged from the shadows, fingers pointing aggressively in my direction. Breathing deeply a few times to steady my fraying nerves, nothing good could come from this. Sniffing the air, dragon magic had me shrinking back.

Nope, not one part of me wanted to go back to that horrible time in bed rest. Gone were their ethereal feelings, a darkness swirling in the mirror floor. No wonder he ran off, exhaustion sweeping me away.

“Failure is the only outcome.” A harsh female voice whispered into my ear, heavy robe sleeves brushing against my neck. “Musette landed herself here. Nay, she gave herself away here. Do you wish to do the same? Become the monster you know you are!” Shoving me into jet black sludge, spiky tentacles snaked around my body. Shivering in place, an icy coldness began to dampen the flames within my soul. Remembering everyone’s smiles, the sun flickered over their features. Pausing on Rip and my children’s, an intense flame woke up my soul. Not today! Not Ever! Slamming my palms in the deepest part, orange fire lilies blossomed along the shimmering surface.

“Never will I be like her! I didn’t suffer to get devoured by darkness! Fuck off!” I bellowed ferociously, not one part of me was ready to give up. “Blossom and devour what has me trapped!” Growing larger, inky droplets plopped onto my hands. Picking up on dragon magic, time wouldn’t be on my hand. Pouring everything I had, screeches pierced my ear drums. Fantastic, I thought venomously to myself. Every noise sounded as if it was under water, the trickling from my nostrils turning into a damn waterfall. One final push disintegrated this nightmare, the mirror returning. A sick version of me glared back at me, globs of blood and organ tissue built up in my throat. The edges of the dream glitched, a low hum snapping me back to reality.

Rolling onto my side, nausea wracked my body. Upchucking a fresh batch of blood and organ tissue, any sign of strength had faded. Scanning the walls closer, the spirits had been of the dragon demon kind. Struggling to my feet, getting out was my sole objective. Leaning on the carved marble wall, dragons roared in images as they fought each other. Cursing under my breath, every footfall felt as I was walking through wet cement. Coughing up another round of bloody organ tissue, my outlook wasn’t looking so great.

“How are you doing, kiddo?” Flamios’ voice called out from nowhere but everywhere, my neck seconds from snapping from whipping around. “Good God! How did you land in the same trap as your mother? Yet, it feels forever defeated. Why are you not looking so great? Let me get you help!” Ditching me as fast as he showed up, a wobble threatened to claim my legs. Pushing through the agony, a steady stream of chunky blood dripped from the corner of my lips. Reaching another dead end, the sorrow of hearing Flamios slapped me in the face. Sliding down the wall, a rough darkness swept me away.

“Kiddo, you are getting it.” Flamios cheered victoriously, pride glittering in his eyes. Huffing in the backyard, our training had been going well. Fighting a wave of tears, hot air blew my hair up. Dusting off his form, his gentle eyes met my wet ones. Trembling in place, every part of me wanted such moments. Twinkling had me spinning on my heels, Harebell bounced into view, wild sobs bringing me to my knees. The scene played out, a wall blocking me from getting to them. Pleading with anyone to let me through, a translucent hand gripping my shoulder.

“Don’t turn around.” A soft female voice uttered sternly, my hands dropping to my side. “I am a reaper and I don’t plan on taking you. Keep this up and one time I will.” Her warning bore truth, the memory pausing. Bowing my head in shame, horror would befall anyone via one gaze upon my tortured appearance. Part of me desired for me to take me with her, the other half appreciating her friendly explanation.

“The world will fall if you fall. Am I understood?” She continued just as darkly, her hands preventing me from turning my head. “When you wake up, not a single soul should know that I did visit you.” Clapping her hands behind me, everything dissolved in a pop.

Rolling onto my side, a darkness had devoured my collapsing space, another round of vomiting exposing my worsening condition. Ignoring its chunky nature, the scent of death tainted the air in what must have been a musty space. Every attempt to get up failed, a bit of hope leaving my soul.

“Holy Shit! I found her!” Rip called out, several voices echoing his tone of relief. Scooping me up, a golden door popping up. “Let’s get you healed up, my darling queen.” His features blurred, that female hand tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear. The hooded figure glitched out before leaving me to pass out once more.

Groaning awake, my bedroom walls greeted me. No sign of poisoning existed, a long yawn escaping my lips. That hooded figure sat at the end of my bed, ivory waves hanging out of the hood. Her translucent form frightened the shit out of me, her slender hand matching the one of that very day. Her silver eyes met mine, receding shadows revealing dainty feminine features. Fussing with a silver scythe, horror mixed with panic in my features. Waving her hands around, the bed creaked as she leaned forward. Not again, damn it!

“Don’t scream or anything. I am Death itself, your majesty!” She chirped brightly, her quaking hand betraying her tone. “Hare is running purgatory for me, so I can pick up the slack with the reapings. Alas, I don’t have time today myself. Don’t be mad, okay. Can you promise to take care of her for me when I can’t? She holds a special place in my heart.” Nodding my head, any frustration melted away in seconds. Hare would always have me as a friend. No, a big sister.

“Not to be a bitch but could you explain why only I can see you?” I inquired awkwardly, no one picking up on her between passes in the hall. “May I offer to be your friend when the shadows begin to swallow you whole? Right, to answer your question. Hare may just as well be my sister, so worry not.” Joy illuminated her features, a big grin spreading ear to ear. A bell rang from her bracelet, an apology exploding from her lips as a cold gust swept her away. Disheartened from the lack of time spent with her, Rip coming in with a fresh cup of tea did little to strike that down.

“The Sins went home to rest, the elementals are currently guarding our door.” He informed me tenderly, my hands cupping the teacup. “Flamios spoke to them and informed me of where you went. Why did you end up in a place dripping with dragon magic? What trap was he talking about?” Gulping down her tea, haunted memories practically had me itching to get out of this damn bed. Setting the cup to the side, my bare feet pounded towards Hare’s new home.

Skidding through the door, a shocked Hare looked up from her latest file. Laying it to the side, a big grin brightened her features. Smashing into my body, the sleeves of my kimono floated up. Floating back, her eyes examined me for any new wounds. Her bells jingled away, my lips pressing into a thin line as her arms folded across her chest.

“Sorry for causing you issues.” I apologized sincerely, her ears wiggling about. “I thought that darkness was going to swallow me whole.” Embracing me from behind, her chin rested on my forehead. Melting into the warmth of her friendship, a broken grin lingered on my lips. Here I thought Blab was the sole cause for Musette’s shadows.

“The mirror chamber nearly claimed me many hops ago.” She informed me softly, a busted hurt lacing her tone. “Never did I think someone could shatter those bastards. Then again, we are talking about you. Do you care to join me for a bit of tea?” Nodding my head graciously, my dumb ass had repaired a dangerous area by accident. Steering me into a black and white garden, the roses swayed in a gentle breeze. Missing the days she would hop onto my back, sorrow bit me a little too hard. Crashing into a simple black metal chair, the rabbit ears back had me smiling happily to myself.

Pouring a cup for myself, she floated upside in front of me. Pleasant chatter began, a good bit of my stress melting away. Getting lost in her stories, Rip coming in with our kids warming up my soul further. Opening up my arms, the older ones smashed into my arms. Smothering them in feverish kisses, a sweet joy washed over me. Hare floated over to Rip, her fingers tickling the twins’ tummies. Soaking in a set of matching bat pajamas, Rip’s simple black t-shirt and bat pajama pants had scarlet flushing my cheeks. Adding to my little demons’ tales of their days, nothing could get better than this. Rip pulled up the closest chair, his lips brushing against the nape of my neck. No longer did I feel any anger, only sorrow hovering in the background. A full orange moon captured my attention, the flames of hope burning strong. Praying to whoever was listening. Grant me all the good luck and grace needed to survive this chaos.